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."
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin