BROCKTON — An empty pen tube or rolled-up dollar bill is a warning sign, but find a bent spoon and you've got real trouble.
 These are things June Saba wished she knew before she nearly lost her son to heroin addiction.
 On Wednesday, her presentation for parents on warning signs appeared in Brockton as part of a first-of-its-kind forum.
 “When this first started, there was no education. We had no idea,” she said.
 With her son in recovery, the Bridgewater resident continues to work on educating and supporting others.
 “At some point you realize that it's not just about you. People are dying,” she said.
 Nearly 100 residents attended the forum Wednesday at the Massasoit Conference Center, featuring panelists from government agencies, a support group, a treatment centers and an academic research center.
 The the event was sponsored by Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz in cooperation with several other state agencies and local organizations.
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 Planned in the wake of the “Wasted Youth” series, a group of stories on opiate addiction in the Brockton area published by The Enterprise, the forum included panel discussions, informational tables and displays, and multi-media presentations.
 June Stansbury, special agent in charge of the New England Field Division of the U.S. Department of Justice's Drug Enforcement Agency, said that when her agency contacted Cruz's office, the forum was planned almost immediately.
 “They knew exactly it needed to be done,” she said, adding that no such forum has ever been held.
 “In my 25 years with the DEA, I've never seen anything like this before,” she said.
 Panelists illustrated the growing need for treatment of addicts and support for their families.
 Joanne Peterson lost a son to drug addiction and started a support group for family members of the drug addicted.
 The Metro-South based Learn 2 Cope support group gets three to five new members a week.
 Peter Collins — director of the New Hope Transitional Support Program, a state-funded short-term residential treatment program for adults that has 60 beds in South Weymouth — said his program turns away 40 requests per day.
 Some people attending the conference were seeking information because they have family members who are addicts.
  Other people just have family members.
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  “I came here to get more information so I can educate my grandchildren. They aren't old enough to read, but that won't stop me,” said Willhemina Stanley of Brockton.
 Rhonda Holyoke, a nursing instructor of 15 years who teaches at Massasoit Community College, said that after a few minutes at the forum she could barely carry all the fliers and informational packets she had collected.
 “You have to teach nurses what to look for,” she said.
  Despite the frequency of drug addicts seeking treatment in emergency rooms, the curriculum for nurses on substance abuse is thin, she said.
 Beverly Andrea of Holbrook is a nurse who wants to know more for professional and personal reasons.
 “Every day I hear from another friend whose child has a problem with drugs,” she said. “It's a very helpless feeling.”
  Drug Enforcement Administration special agent Anthony Pettigrew said many of the agents at the forum are also parents.
 “We all need to be aware of this. You may not get a second chance,” he said.
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