Martha Marx

Today, State Senator Martha Marx (D-New London) released the following statement in response to media reports from the New London Day that significant amounts of the drug fentanyl were found in the room of a resident at Greentree Manor, a nursing and rehabilitation center in Waterford:

“This negligence is an appalling failure for the safety of seniors and chronically ill individuals in our community. I am horrified at the shocking lack of security and transparency at Greentree Manor.

Fentanyl can be extremely dangerous and deadly in even trace amounts; for it to be present in an environment with elderly residents is jarring. Residents, workers and members of the public were not informed, and what’s worse, this incident happened in November, but was not publicized for two months until it reached the media. How was such a dangerous substance left in this environment and how was the public not informed? People should know this information if they are considering placement of a loved one in a facility or are having surgery requiring rehabilitation.

The consequences of this incident could have been terrible; large amounts of illegal drugs and other illegal activity, like violence, often correlate. We deserve serious answers as to how this happened.”