Massachusetts for Overdose Prevention Centers (MA4OPC) released the following statement in response:
“Massachusetts is facing an ongoing opioid crisis, with six people dying every day from overdose. On behalf of impacted families, providers, first responders, and more, we thank the Massachusetts legislature for responding to this crisis with urgency and compassion. We applaud the Senate for taking bold action and embracing every public health tool we can, including overdose prevention centers. We know that these facilities are a proven, evidence-based solution that can save lives, connect people to essential health care and treatment services, and make our communities safer.
“The House has already passed important legislation to address the opioid crisis, and the Senate has now taken steps to create a local option for life-saving overdose prevention centers. We urge the House and Senate to combine these measures and ensure the strongest solutions land on Governor Healey’s desk; we simply cannot afford to leave any options on the table that can bend the curve of the overdose crisis.”
MA4OPC is a statewide coalition of more than 40 organizations including major hospitals and providers, leading medical and public health advocates, public safety officials, and grassroots groups.
There is continued support for OPCs in Massachusetts: The Healey administration has recognized OPCs as an effective tool to save lives, releasing a Massachusetts Department of Public Health feasibility report that recommends legislative action to codify legal and professional liability protections so that these facilities may become a reality in the Commonwealth. The American in Medical Association recently recommended OPCs as a meaningful way to help end the overdose epidemic. In April, three labor unions representing more than 100,000 Massachusetts workers, including health care workers, human service workers and educators, and interns and resident physicians across the Commonwealth, announced their support for OPCs. And, according to a recent Beacon Research poll released by MA4OPC, 70 percent of Massachusetts voters support passing state legislation to allow cities and towns to establish overdose prevention centers.
For more information about MA4OPC, go to www.ma4opc.org
