Pubdate: Fri, 21 Jan 2005 Source: Salem News (MA) Copyright: 2005 Essex County Newspapers Contact: http://www.salemnews.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3466 Author: Tom Dalton, and Sean Corcoran Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/oxycontin.htm (Oxycontin/Oxycodone) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin) SUPERINTENDENT HITS THE MEDIA TRAIL SALEM - Be it radio, television or print, it seems Superintendent Herb Levine has been all over the media the past two weeks. And that's OK with him. "I'm waiting for Oprah to call," Levine joked, when asked about his ongoing media tour. But judging by the rate he is giving interviews, "Oprah" may not be far away. Things began to heat up for Levine last Tuesday morning, after more than 1,200 people packed the high school auditorium the night before to learn more about the area's heroin and OxyContin problem. Among the people at the podium was his 19-year-old son, Joel. Joel, a former Peabody High baseball standout, has gone public with his addiction to OxyContin. It's a chilling story, mostly because it could happen to anybody. And since the forum, Joel and his dad have recounted it quite a few times. We saw them on Fox morning news, heard them on public radio, and watched them answer questions from Emily Rooney on WGBH. It's not ego that prompts the schools' chief to accept so many interviews. Instead, he is determined to use his family's story to warn other parents and young people about the dangers of experimenting with prescription drugs. "When you take on something like this, you can't retreat," Levine said. "I only have a few months (before retirement) where what I say has the impact that it does when you are superintendent of schools." Joel has recently gone back to school, however, and Levine said he intends to take his son out of the media spotlight to some extent. "He's been with me on the media trail, and I know that makes it more powerful for everyone. But he is going back to school now, and I want his life to be as normal as possible." - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin