TEWKSBURY — The proposal to legalize marijuana for recreational use has one Tewksbury couple fighting to stop it while also reliving sad memories — their son’s fatal heroin overdose last year. He got his start with drugs, they said, with marijuana in high school.

Steven and Lois Goodell signed the letter opposing the “Yes on 4” campaign, which supports making recreational use of marijuana legal for anyone 21 and over.

Their 21-year-old son, Robert “Robbie” Goodell, died last October after struggling with a long battle with addiction. Steven Goodell said his son’s addiction began with marijuana.

“That escalated to him doing molly and other pills, and finally heroin, and now he’s dead,” Goodell said.

Marijuana has been called a “gateway drug” by many, including Goodell. Growing up, he saw a family member who started by using marijuana and eventually become addicted to cocaine.

“I know, just like alcohol, not everyone can become addicted to marijuana, but why take the chance and make it easier for society to do this?” Goodell said.

The Yes on 4 campaign encourages voters to support the taxation and regulation of marijuana for recreational use on the Nov. 8 Massachusetts ballot in an attempt to tackle the opioid epidemic. If approved in November, the new law would go into effect Dec. 15.

But 46 recovery specialists, health-care CEOs and parents of opioid victims signed a letter of opposition to the Yes on 4 campaign manager, Will Luzier. The Goodells were among those to sign the letter.

The letter read, “We know that allowing the commercial marijuana industry into Massachusetts — to market and sell another addictive product — will send a mixed message to our children at the very time we are trying to educate them about the dangers of addiction.”

Those who signed the letter said they believed legalizing recreational marijuana would worsen the opioid epidemic rather cure it.

The Sun also attempted to reach Janice Fierimonte, another Tewksbury resident who signed the letter, by phone. A man returned The Sun’s call, saying that his son died from a heroin overdose last year and he wants nothing to do with the regulation of marijuana. He declined to provide his name and said Fierimonte did not want to speak on the issue.

Fierimonte and her husband, George, lost their 22-year-old son, last year, according to an obituary published in The Sun.

Data collected up until August 2016 by the Massachusetts Department of Health, found that there were eight confirmed, unintentional opioid-related overdose deaths in Tewksbury last year. Just through July 12 this year, there were 12 fatal overdoses in Tewksbury, according to police.

Luzier sent a statement to The Sun via email in response to the criticism of the Yes on 4 campaign.

“There is ample scientific evidence that allowing the use of marijuana reduces reliance on opioids,” Luzier said in his statement. “As an example, a 2014 study in the Journal of American Medicine showed a 25 percent reduction in opioid overdose deaths in states with rigorous medical-marijuana programs.

“Another study in the June 2016 Journal of Pain revealed 64 percent lower opiate use for chronic pain patients when also using marijuana.”

In a press release last week, Luzier said voting in support of taxing and regulating marijuana can allow for veterans and other patients “who want to avoid dangerous (opioid) prescriptions” to have access to a legal, safer alternative.

Steven Goodell said he believes statistics can always be skewed to support or oppose a cause.

“They all make their cause look good, but we’re talking about human lives here,” he said.

According to Yes on 4, voting yes would create a commission to regulate marijuana similar to the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission. It would also allow those who are 21 years or older to “possess and cultivate marijuana in limited amounts.” Marijuana would not be allowed to be used in public, and it will remain illegal to operate a motor vehicle under its influence.

In terms of the taxes, there would be a 3.75 percent sales tax on marijuana, in addition to the state sales tax of 6.25 percent. Cities and towns could also add another 2 percent in taxes.

Employers would still have the right to maintain its drug policies and cities and towns would be able to regulate the drug.

For more information on the Yes on 4 campaign, visit www.regulatemassachusetts.org.

Follow Kori Tuitt on Twitter and Tout @KoriTuitt.