Rhode Island is opening the nation's first state-sanctioned overdose prevention center. Could Massachusetts be next?

The country’s first state-regulated overdose prevention center, where people can use pre-obtained drugs under the supervision of health and recovery professionals, will be opening in Rhode Island this summer.

The more than 20,000 square foot space will be at 45 Willard Ave. near the Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, according to the organization running the center. There, the drugs will be tested for fentanyl and other substances, and professionals will be on-hand to prevent and reverse overdoses, advocacy group Project Weber/RENEW said.

The controversial centers, made possible by a 2021 law in Rhode Island, are illegal on a federal level. Rhode Island’s center will have a two-year pilot before the law “sunsets” in 2026, allowing time to evaluate the center’s operations, funded by opioid settlement funds.

Rhode Island had more than 400 overdose deaths in 2021 and 2022, which Gov. Dan McKee called a “crisis” level.

Project Weber/RENEW is working with clinical organization VICTA at the new center to provide behavioral health and medical services. Rhode Island’s Department of Public will regulate the center, Project Weber/RENEW said.

The new overdose prevention center will offer services and supplies like food, water, hygiene products, naloxone, HIV and hepatitis C testing, and housing support, the organization said. The center, which will be operational on weekdays, will also provide laundry and showers.

Overdose prevention centers, also known as safe consumption sites, safe injection sites, or harm reduction centers, are new to states, but New York City launched their own privately run center in 2021. According to Project Weber/RENEW, their two overdose centers reversed more than 1,300 overdoses over two years.

“This overdose prevention center is a pivotal element in the state’s comprehensive efforts to combat this crisis,” Executive Director of Project Weber/RENEW Colleen Daley Ndoye said in a release. “It’s imperative to take decisive action to save lives.”

What about Massachusetts?

The state’s Department of Public Health released an overdose prevention center feasibility report in December that advocated for the implementation of centers in Massachusetts.

Opioid-related overdose deaths remained at a record high in Massachusetts last year, with an average 3% increase each year since 2015, new data from the Department of Public Health showed.

In 2022, 2,359 people died because of opioid-related overdose deaths, and the figure in 2023 is projected to be the same, DPH said. The same data shows that fentanyl was present in 93% of deaths in both years.

Internationally, these centers have existed for more than 30 years, and no overdose death has ever been recorded at one, the report said. 

“Overdose deaths are preventable. Despite significant investment in harm reduction services, the Commonwealth continues to observe missed opportunities to adequately engage people who use drugs, meet their needs, and prevent fatal overdoses, with devastating impacts to our residents,” The report said. “Establishing OPCs would enable the Commonwealth to reach individuals who may not otherwise be accessing healthcare services, reduce disease transmission, and prevent deaths.”