Spagnuolo discusses personal story in national conference

LACONIA — Speaking at a national conference on opioids, state Rep. Phil Spagnuolo spoke of how his recovery from heroin addiction has taken him on a journey from “the big house” to the New Hampshire State House.

Spagnuolo, D-Laconia, recalled a particular day, Dec. 15, 2015.

“That day was like most for me at that point,” he told participants last month at the Baltimore conference, sponsored by the State Legislative Leaders Foundation.

“I woke up, went to work and started thinking about how I would get what I needed to get through the day,” he said. “You see, I was a heroin addict by then. I was arrested that day and sent to jail for a couple months on a probation violation.”

That was his rock bottom and the day things began to turn around, resulting in his election to the State House.

“I am a state legislator from the great state of New Hampshire, founding member of a nonprofit recovery center, the owner of three Sober houses, in the process of opening a recovery retreat, a certified recovery coach, a father of two and, most importantly, a person in recovery.”

He won a special election on Feb. 27 to become a state representative, defeating Les Cartier, his Republican opponent, 967-840. Spagnuolo is running for re-election on Nov. 6.

Spagnuolo said he experienced personally how shame and stigma are the largest obstacles to recovery.

He said that stigma plays out in statements that:

“You brought this on yourself. Junkies are losers. Don’t Narcan them/ let them die."

"Cancer is a disease addiction is a choice. Addiction is not a disease because it starts with a choice.”

Spagnuolo said diabetes and cancer can be subject to diet and smoking, but neither is usually considered “a choice.”

"Remember the AIDS epidemic in the '80s and all the hysteria surrounding that? Knowing what we know now about HIV/AIDS, it’s easy to see how because of stigma those people were treated as less than human.

“I’ll leave you with this,” Spagnuolo said. “I challenge each and every one of you to go back home and find someone in recovery and have a conversation with them, and I guarantee you will find some of the most intelligent, talented and good-hearted people you have ever met.”