“What Happened Here: The Untold Story of Addiction on Cape Cod” Screening and Panel

The Falmouth Public Library Main Branch will host, on March 15th at 5 PM in the Hermann room, a screening of the independent documentary “What Happened Here: The Untold Story of Addiction on Cape Cod,” followed by a guest panel including both directors of the documentary and others who help those with substance abuse problems on the front lines.

Cape Cod in the summer is filled with tourists, parties, and recreational drug use. Then it begins to get cold and everyone disappears. The party is over for the tourists and they return to their lives off Cape. What about those who do not leave? For year round residents of Cape Cod, the winter is a different story. Once the summer parties end, the locals and “washashores” face a cold reality.

Though it is often overlooked and pushed aside, many of the community members turn to drugs to sooth the sense of cold and loneliness. Opioids including prescription pills, heroin and fentanyl run rampant. Death after death of family, friends, and other community members are mourned daily. Treatment centers face challenges in delivering effective care due to the stigma surrounding addiction and the growing demand that exceeds available resources. That does not mean there is no way out…

The documentary addresses, informs and shows a light in the darkness of addiction. It is not a dramatization, but a symbol for hope and understanding that addiction is a disease and there is a way out. Asking for help. A community of recovering addicts can move mountains. “What Happened Here” brings the disease to light and there can be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Registration for the screening and panel is required. The sign-up page on the Falmouth Public Library events page or call  508-457-2555 x 7. Please reach out to the Library if you have any questions or problems with registering!