800-Pound Opioid Spoon On Display In Cambridge Library

CAMBRIDGE, MA —If you head into the main library any time soon, you might notice an 800 lb metal spoon bent back and burned, made to look like a giant spoon used for opioids in the lobby.

Officials at the library and the mayor's office brought the sculpture, created by artist and activist Domenic Esposito, to raise awareness about the opioid crisis, to the main library for National Recovery Month.

You might remember that back in May the artist took the spoon on a multi-city tour to display it as a way to raise awareness of the opioid crisis the country is facing. One of the stops was Cambridge City Hall. He finished in Philadelphia in June.

It's part of Boston based artist-activist and founder's Opioid Spoon Project. Esposito garnered national attention for his massive spoon sculptures created to look like a burnt opioid spoon and placing them at the doorsteps of Purdue Pharma, Rhodes Pharma and the FDA, which he said were responsible for the opioid crisis.

The sculpture will be displayed in the lobby of the main library through the end of the month, according to the library.

"As a learning space and community gathering place, the CPL provides space for difficult conversations on a wide variety of issues affecting our community and patrons. The opioid crisis is one such issue," library officials said in a statement.

More than 191 million opioid prescriptions were dispensed to US patients in 2017, according to the Center for Disease Control. More than 70,000 people died from drug overdoses — of those deaths, 68 percent involved a prescription or illicit opioid. In the first 6 months of 2019, the Department of Public Health indicated there were 611 opioid-related overdose deaths in Massachusetts. The DPH estimates an additional 292 to 363 deaths by the end of the year.

"The opioid epidemic crosses all demographics and has claimed the lives of too many of our family members and friends," said Mayor Mark McGovern in an emailed statement in May. "It is important that we take time to remember the names of those we have lost so that we don't lose sight of the true cost of the epidemic, and to ensure we continue to work toward ending this crisis."

Previously:

800-Pound Opioid Spoon Coming To Cambridge City Hall

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).