Chasing the Dragon Screening and Community Town Hall in Daytona Beach

The USAO MDFL partnered with One Voice for Volusia, the Daytona Beach Police Department, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Health –Volusia County, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a Community Town Hall and Chasing the Dragon film screening.

Chasing the Dragon: The Life of an Opiate Addict is a 45-minute documentary film profiling the stories of individuals who have either abused opiates or had family members become addicts. It profiles the cycle of addiction and looks at the tragic consequences associated with opioid abuse.

USAO Community Outreach Specialist Khalilah Escalera and Executive Director Julie Barrow from One Voice for Volusia provided an overview of the film and welcomed panelists AUSA Sean Shecter, FBI Special Agent Kent Smith, DEA Special Agent Harry Swain, Sheriff Chitwood, Chief Capri, and Dr. James Fenley – Director of Addiction Services at SMA Behavioral Health. The panelists answered questions from the audience and discussed the local impact, enforcement efforts, and current trends of the opioid epidemic. Attendees included more than 150 community members, law enforcement officers, educators, community providers, and young women from the Pace Center for Girls participated.