‘I just can’t go to any more funerals;’ Supervised injection sites in Massachusetts pushed as practical plan for fighting overdoses

A panel of experts on opioid addiction treatment urged lawmakers this week to push for drug consumption sites in Massachusetts, an idea that Gov. Charlie Baker has said he will not pursue because such sites are “illegal under federal law.”

The panel included representatives from Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Medical Center and certified recovery coaches, and officials discussed personal experiences before taking questions from the audience about the next steps to address the opioid epidemic and its deadly toll.

Sen. Cindy Friedman said the first step is to get the Legislature on board with safe injection sites, then deal with the governor. Panelists also discussed increasing access to fentanyl strips, and in general, working to reduce stigma.

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