NEWTON — Local champion of drug reform Doug Griffin and his wife Pam received an unexpected call last week that led them to Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, bound for Washington, D.C., on Tuesday morning.
The Griffins were invited by President Joe Biden to the State of the Union address, with the likes of rock star Bono, the 26-year-old who disarmed a gunman in last month’s Monterey Park, California, shooting, and the family of Tyre Nichols, a Black man killed by Memphis police officers.
During the speech, Biden recognized some of those people in the audience, including Doug Griffin.
Biden said he and his wife Jill had gotten a letter two years ago from the Griffins, about “their courageous daughter Courtney.”
As the camera focused on Doug Griffin in the gallery, Biden recounted the story of how “Courtney discovered pills in high school and spiraled into addiction,” dying of an overdose in 2014 at the age of 20.
“Describing the last eight years, Doug said, ‘There’s no worse pain,’” Biden said, adding that the family “has turned pain into purpose” and is working to end the stigma of addiction and change laws.
“Doug, we are with you,” Biden said, noting that 70,000 Americans a year die from fentanyl overdoses. “Let’s launch a major surge to stop fentanyl production and sale and trafficking, with more drug detection machines, inspecting cargoes to stop pills and powder at the border.”
His comments got a rare standing ovation from both parties.
White House officials said guests were invited “because they personify issues or themes to be addressed by the President in his speech, or they embody the Biden-Harris Administration’s policies at work for the American people.”
Since Courtney died, the family has been steadfast about sharing her struggles with addiction while advocating for a better future.
“I never wanted Courtney to be defined by her addiction. But her death has opened doors for us that otherwise … we would have never been able to get the message out,” Doug Griffin said from the airport this week. “It’s a bitter pill.”
In their letter to the Bidens, Doug said he “let them know that there’s a lot being done, and I’d love to sit down at the Oval Office to discuss this. They obviously listen. My message to everyone is that your voice is heard. You need to speak up.”
Doug Griffin attended the presidential address at a time when Biden touts federal efforts to combat the opioid epidemic.
Busy with two family businesses back at home, Doug Griffin continues to partner with organizations like the Good Samaritan Network, working to equip churches with tools to support the community during times of crisis.
He serves on an advisory board of the Northeast Node, as a member of the Addiction Policy Forum family advisory board, and on the Southern New Hampshire Coalition for Healthy Youth steering committee.
His eventual goal, he said on his way to Washington, D.C., is to develop recovery-friendly communities with low-income housing units.
Despite the impactful resume spanning eight years since losing Courtney, Doug Griffin refers to himself as “just a guy.”
“I don’t have a business card, and a lot of the people invited to the State of the Union don’t either,” he explained. “We’re just regular people facing adversity.”
Material from the AP was used in this report. Bill Kirk contributed to this story. These articles are being shared by partners in The Granite State News Collaborative. For more information visit collaborativenh.org.