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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — At Boston Healthcare for the Homeless, Senator Ed Markey took part in hands-on Narcan training administering the opioid overdose reversal medication to a mannequin.
Photo: Kim Tunnicliffe/ WBZ NewsRadio
After the training, Markey announced the reintroduction of the Stop Fentanyl Overdoses Act to empower the nation’s public health response against the opioid epidemic.
According to the CDC, the rate of fatal, fentanyl-related drug overdoses in the United States has risen rapidly in the past decade.
In 2013, fentanyl was involved in 1 death for every 100,000 people; in 2021, the drug was involved in about 22 deaths for every 100,000 people.
Markey said the bill is designed to provide communities the tools and training needed to help fight the opioid epidemic, a fight he said the country is losing.
And he said we need a healthcare system that doesn’t exclude patients based on how much money they make or whether they have a roof over their heads.
“This legislation is based on compassion, not fear-mongering,” Markey said. “It prioritizes patience, not punishment.”
Markey also announced a $450,000 federal grant awarded to Boston Healthcare for the Homeless to support its medical respite unit the Barbara McInnis House.
WBZ's Kim Tunnicliffe (@KimWBZ) reports
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