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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — On Monday, Lawmakers on Beacon Hill will discuss proposals that would create supervised drug use sites in Massachusetts.
The sites would be an environment where drug users could take narcotics in the presence of medical professionals.
Proponents argue the sites would reduce the risk of transmissible diseases and prevent overdoses with treatments like Naloxone, oxygen, and other first-response care in the event of a medical emergency.
The bills make it clear that no illicit drugs are to be sold at the sites, only consumed there.
One of the proposals under consideration would create a 10-year pilot program that would feature two or more “Supervised Consumption Sites” throughout the state.
Momentum for the bill has been growing, gaining support from the Massachusetts Medical Society, the Massachusetts Hospital Association, and the ACLU of Massachusetts, according to boston.com.
Governor Baker signaled discomfort with the idea of supervised drug sites in 2019, saying the sites would be illegal under federal law, according to the AP.
Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee recently signed into law and authorized “harm reduction centers, ” where people dealing with addiction can take heroin and other illegal drugs under the supervision of medical professionals.
WBZ's Shari Small (@ShariSmallNews) reports:
Written by Jay Willett
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