Issue Position: The Opioid Crisis

Issue Position

MA is leading the nation in enacting policy to address the scourge of addiction facing our residents. In our omnibus legislation we added funding for treatment centers, limited first time opioid prescriptions for adults and all opiate prescriptions for minors to a 7 day supply, and integrated substance use and addiction education into annual high school sports head injury prevention training and drivers education courses. Additional sections create a first in the nation drug stewardship program to be funded by the pharmaceutical industry and aimed at the collection, transportation and safe disposal of unwanted drugs. These are just a few of the provisions contained within the legislation and one of many ways in which the legislature is tackling this public health crisis head on.

Source