Boston Mayor Walsh Testifies in Support of Opioid Abuse Legislation

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As the opioid epidemic in the Bay State continues to grow, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh is taking action in an effort to combat the crisis.

Walsh joined Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and 1st Assistant Attorney General Chris Barry-Smith to testify on Monday in support of House Bill 3817, an Act Relative to Substance Use Treatment, Education, and Prevention.

“In Boston we have been working hard to address the toll that opioids are taking in our Commonwealth and preventing and treating the devastating impact of addiction by creating the first municipal Office of Recovery Services and equipping first responders with Narcan. But despite our efforts, and despite sound legislative action in the past, opioid overdoses continue to rise,” said Mayor Walsh. I support this bill because I know from personal experience that to get people the help they need, we have to meet them where they are: whether that’s on the street, in the hospital, at home, at work, or in school. We need to work together towards a comprehensive continuum of care, we need to tackle this crisis on all fronts.”

Earlier this year, Walsh was named Chair of the U.S. Conference of Mayor’s Task Force on Substance Abuse, Prevention and Recovery Services. In May, the City of Boston released a report on the current status of substance abuse and addiction to serve as a road map for the Mayor’s Office of Recovery Services, the first-ever municipal-based office to focus on this issue.

The Office of Recovery Services works to improve existing addiction and recovery services and create a continuum of high quality services, help families and those fighting addiction navigate the city’s available resources, and work with City Departments, community partners and the recovery community to support a comprehensive response to the issue of substance abuse.

The Mayor’s full testimony can be found here.