Plan for injection sites fails to receive governor’s support

BOSTON — The idea may seem jarring at first: Creating safe spaces where drug users can shoot up under the watchful eye of staff trained in helping counter the effect of potentially fatal overdoses — all with the approval of public health officials.

But the terrible toll taken by the state’s opioid battle in recent years has prompted some Massachusetts lawmakers, activists and medical groups to endorse the idea of “supervised injection sites” as another way to reduce overdose deaths.

Among those skeptical is Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, who said he doesn’t see the sites as gateways to treatment.

“As far as the data I’ve seen is concerned, it has not demonstrated any legitimate success in creating a pathway to treatment,” Baker said. “The harm-reduction argument I think is a much better one, but I’m kind of a hard sell on that one.”

The Massachusetts Medical Society and the Massachusetts Hospital Association back the idea.

In a report released last year, the medical society found supervised injection sites can reduce overdose mortality and increase access to drug treatment. Much of the research is based on two sites in Canada and Australia.

The report called for the creation of a pilot supervised injection facility program in Massachusetts. The group said the state should seek an exemption from federal drug laws to pursue the pilot program and consider partnering with other states.

In Massachusetts, legislation has been filed that would let state health officials permit injection sites. The bill, sponsored by Democratic state Sen. William Brownsberger, has just over a dozen co-sponsors out of a 200-member Legislature.

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