Sometimes when you feel so strongly about something you need to take the issue into your own hands and lead.  In the case of Staten Island funeral director Kevin Moran that issue is the senseless deaths from opioid overdoses in his community and his resolve to do something about it.

According to an article in FoxNews.com, every one of the 13 funeral homes on Staten Island had at least one case of an opioid overdose in 2014.  The article also states that in 2015 over 100 people on Staten Island were victims of accidental overdoses – which is a 35 percent increase over 2015.  According to the Center for Disease Control 52,404 people died from drug overdoses in 2015 — their statistics indicate that 63% of those deaths involved opioids.

Moran is using what he knows about the issue to take on speaking engagements all over Staten Island.  He said he is tired of wake services where people talk about “What could have been” instead of the life that was lived.  He has even had an employee who has lost a child to the problem.

Funeral Director Daily take:  Good for Kevin Moran.  While most people don’t always think of funeral directors when they are asked who can help in a community, most community funeral directors are well respected and are listened to when they have something to say.  Moran’s motives certainly seem to be pure here and he should be commended for his efforts.  His place of being on the front line and having to deal with grieving parents and other relatives gives him an objective point of reference for speaking on the subject.

We all need to understand opioid addiction and the cause of such.  As the article points out, opioids like Percocet can be okay when used in moderation for pain relieve and in the proper setting.  However, used more than needed and getting hooked on them, may end with a life sentence of death.  Those of us who live in Minnesota became very aware of the danger  at the death of pop star Prince last year.

All of us who are on the front lines of funeral service need to also work to make our communities a better place.  Whether it’s advocating for safe driving, for wearing seat belts, or for reducing the number of opioids prescribed use your position as a funeral director to advocate in your community to make it a better and safer place.

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