A hearing has been announced for one of our priority bills on September 15th at 11:00 am. Join us in supporting An act relative to preventing overdose deaths and increasing access to treatment, which allows towns and cities to open overdose prevention centers.
The Massachusetts for Overdose Prevention Coalition wants you to join us at the Statehouse and show your support. Can you sign up to provide in-person or virtual oral testimony? Click here to sign up and then let meknow! If you can't join us, can you share with me why overdose prevention centers are an important harm reduction tool? Your insight may be shared in our organizational testimony.
Overdose prevention centers (sometimes referred to as Safe Injection Sites) are evidence-based, legally sanctioned harm reduction facilities where people who use drugs can safely consume pre-obtained drugs under the supervision of trained health care workers. These settings are safe, stigma free spaces, that also provide access to counseling, behavioral health services, and sterile supplies.
If passed in Massachusetts, the bill would allow interested communities to open overdose prevention centers under the regulatory authority of the Department of Public Health.
There are four ways you can help:
- Sign up to provide oral testimony on September 15th in support of An Act relative to preventing overdose deaths and increasing access to treatment - sign up here!
- Submit written testimony in support of overdose prevention centers! Access the testimony template here, but please wait until September 15th to send it to the joint committee.
- Send me an email telling me why we need overdose prevention centers in Massachusetts. I may include your blurb in our organizational testimony.
- Fill out our Social Workers Interested in Advocacy Form - so you can stay up to date on more advocacy opportunities!
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