Massachusetts
What's in the Massachusetts Senate bill to allow overdose prevention sites?
Jeremy Siegel: You’re listening to GBH’s Morning Edition. The Massachusetts Senate is set to pass a bill today that would give cities and towns the authority to open overdose prevention centers, facilities where people can use illegal drugs under the supervision of medical personnel. Supporters say overdose prevention centers, also known as safe injection sites, can be a way to help stem the tide of drug deaths. But there are a number of obstacles to opening them, including a rocky path ahead at the statehouse. We’re joined now for more by GBH statehouse reporter Katie Lannan. Good morning. Katie.
Katie Lannan: Hey, Jeremy. Good morning.
Siegel: So these types of overdose prevention centers are illegal under federal law. What exactly is the Senate looking to do here, at the state level?
Lannan: Yeah. So obviously the Senate can’t speak to federal law, but they’re looking at adding kind of explicit permission into Massachusetts state law for an array of things that goes beyond just overdose prevention centers. Their bill would give cities and towns the authority to pursue various harm reduction strategies to help decrease the negative consequences of substance use disorder and drug use. So that’s not just overdose prevention centers. It’s needle exchanges, drug testing programs, overdose reversal care using Narcan and treatments like that, and referral to treatment and other services. And under the Senate’s bill, the Department of Public Health would need to report how these programs work, study them in their first year up and running. And they couldn’t just open automatically. A city or town that wants to host a site like this would need to sign off from both its board of health and its city council or its select board. So it’s not a requirement that any community operate them, but it’s an option available for those that do want to try it out. The fact this is in the bill indicates that a majority of senators support the idea. And I talked to really the point person on this issue, State Senator Julian Cyr. Here’s what he had to say about why.
State Senator Julian Cyr: It’s about both saving lives. It’s also about providing a gateway to critical services, and helping getting people into treatment. I do want to really be clear, right. You know, there’s not one tool, including overdose prevention centers, that alone can solve this addiction crisis, but I’ve really come to believe that they are a crucial harm reduction tool.
Siegel: So it appears there is support in the Senate. A handful of cities in Massachusetts, including Cambridge and Somerville, have already been exploring the idea of opening overdose prevention centers. What’s stopped them from actually forging ahead?
Lannan: So one big barrier, at least as the state government sees it, is the risk of legal liability for health care providers, volunteers and other people who work at these sites. Last winter, a Department of Public Health report found that it would be feasible to open overdose prevention centers in Massachusetts and that they could be an effective intervention. But that report said that state legislators first would need to write some sort of liability protections into law. So that’s what the Senate is hoping to do here. Their bill would provide some limited legal protections for both people who work in overdose prevention centers and for the people who use there, who go there to use drugs, they’ve obtained from somewhere else.
Siegel: Now, as you mentioned, this bill goes beyond just overdose prevention centers. In the 30 seconds we have left here, Katie, what’s next for the bill after the Senate’s vote later today?
Lannan: Yeah. There’s no guarantee that the House and Senate are going to reach agreement here at all. The House has passed an overdose prevention bill that takes some different tacks, and they’re facing an extreme time crunch with a deadline to finish legislation by tomorrow. And the House seems pretty frustrated that the Senate is coming up with a new idea this late in the game.
Siegel: That is GBH statehouse reporter Katie Lannan on a push for overdose prevention centers in Massachusetts. Katie, thanks so much for your time.
Lannan: Thank you.
Siegel: You’re listening to GBH’s Morning Edition.
The Massachusetts Senate is set to pass a bill today that would give cities and towns the authority to open overdose prevention centers, facilities where people can use illegal drugs under the supervision of medical personnel.
Supporters say overdose prevention centers, also known as safe injection sites, can be a way to help stem the tide of drug deaths. They would allow people to use illegal drugs under the eye of trained medical workers and volunteers, who can step in to help in the event of an overdose.
But there are a number of obstacles to opening them, including a rocky path ahead at the State House.
Here’s what to know about the legislation.
It would permit supervised injection sites — and more
Overdose prevention centers are illegal under federal law.
The Massachusetts Legislature cannot amend federal law, but it can explicitly permit overdose prevention centers within state lines, GBH State House reporter Katie Lannan said.
“Their bill would give cities and towns the authority to pursue various harm reduction strategies to help decrease the negative consequences of substance use disorder and drug use,” Lannan said. “It’s needle exchanges, drug testing programs, overdose reversal care using Narcan and treatments like that, and referral to treatment and other services.”
The Senate’s bill would require the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to study such programs in their first year and report on their outcomes.
The bill doesn’t require supervised use sites to open, Lannan said. It only allows cities and towns to opt in if they wish, with support from both their local board of health and the city council or town select board.
State Senator Julian Cyr said the initiative is “about saving lives.”
“It’s also about providing a gateway to critical services, and helping getting people into treatment,” Cyr said. “There’s not one tool, including overdose prevention centers, that alone can solve this addiction crisis, but I’ve really come to believe that they are a crucial harm reduction tool.”
Legal liability is a hurdle
A handful of cities in Massachusetts, including Cambridge and Somerville, have already been exploring the idea of opening overdose prevention centers.
But one big barrier, at least in the eyes of state government, is legal liability for the medical professionals.
Last winter, a Department of Public Health report found that it would be feasible to open overdose prevention centers in Massachusetts and that they could be an effective intervention — but state legislators first would need to write some sort of liability protections into law.
“That’s what the Senate is hoping to do here,” Lannan said. “Their bill would provide some limited legal protections for both people who work in overdose prevention centers and for the people who use there, who go there to use drugs they’ve obtained from somewhere else.”
Next steps: No guarantee of passage
With two days left in this year’s session, legislators will have to act fast.
“The House has passed an overdose prevention bill that takes some different tacks, and they’re facing an extreme time crunch with a deadline to finish legislation by tomorrow,” Lannan said. “And the House seems pretty frustrated that the Senate is coming up with a new idea this late in the game.”
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