OC Concert Planned To Keep Addiction Issue In Spotlight

OCEAN CITY — Ocean City officials this week tacitly endorsed an initiative aimed at stemming the scourge of heroin addiction in the resort through a series of shows at the Performing Arts Center in December targeting the most vulnerable in the community.

During the public comment period on Monday, local property owner Tony Christ, who typically takes the Mayor and Council to task on various issues, brought a different message to the elected officials. About two years ago, Christ enlisted local musicians to create a CD putting the strong message against heroin addiction and overdose deaths to music in an attempt to reach young people in a platform different than the lectures and scare tactics to which many have been accustomed.

Christ, who lost his son to addiction, believes the message through the CD entitled Brian’s Song, and his now non-profit organization of the same name, will not fall on deaf ears as many lectures often do, but will resonate with those most vulnerable in the community. He is currently seeking private and public sector sponsors for the distribution of the CD, and perhaps more importantly a series of shows during which the music will be performed live, including a scheduled concert at the Performing Arts Center on Dec. 3.

When Christ approached the Mayor and Council on Monday, he came with a decidedly conciliatory tone. He was not seeking a direct donation from the city, but merely the support for the project and any personal donations they might be able to provide.

“I’m not here to argue with you tonight,” he said. “I’m here to enlist your support. We feel music is a way we can really touch these kids. We believe their little minds are going to absorb this message like sponges. If we can save just one kid, it will be worth it.”

Christ said the CD and the accompanying live shows would be a uniquely Ocean City event, but the message could resonate and expand around Maryland and across the state and beyond. He pointed to several recent statistics showing the state’s declared battle on heroin and opioid addiction was not reaching the target audience as expected and said music could be a medium those most vulnerable to the scourge could embrace.

“Since the government declared war on heroin addiction, Maryland has seen the number of deaths double,” he said. “It’s a scary thing. According to the state’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 40 people a week die in this state from heroin overdoses. That’s a 100-percent increase since 2014.”

Mayor Rick Meehan, who has often been at odds with Christ over various issues debated in the public forum, embraced his message and encouraged his colleagues and the entire resort community to do the same.

“I encourage and support Mr. Christ’s efforts,” he said. “This is a real problem. It’s bigger than everybody thinks it is. It was the potential to touch every family in Ocean City, in Worcester County, across this state and around the country.”

Meehan said the problems associated with heroin and opioid addiction were different than similar drug and alcohol issues the community has experienced in the past.

“A lot of us have lived through drug and alcohol problems in our families, but the difference today is it only takes one time and you can potentially die,” he said. “It’s not like trying your first beer or the first time you tried something else. You can try this one time and you can die.”

Meehan said he has taken the time to listen to the Brian’s Song CD and believes its message could resonate with young people.

“I have listened to this CD and it’s good,” he said. “It gets the message across and it’s entertaining. Done in the right atmosphere and targeting those that will remember it and respond to the message, this can be highly effective and I urge the community to support this effort.”

About The Author: Shawn Soper

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Shawn Soper has been with The Dispatch since 2000. He began as a staff writer covering various local government beats and general stories. His current positions include managing editor and sports editor. Growing up in Baltimore before moving to Ocean City full time three decades ago, Soper graduated from Loch Raven High School in 1981 and from Towson University in 1985 with degrees in mass communications with a journalism concentration and history.