Opioid Crisis: State Senate Unanimously Passes Bill to Stem Abuse

By ALISON BAUTER (Patch Staff)

WILMINGTON, MA - State senators on Thursday unanimously passed a bill aimed at preventing opioid abuse, granting final approval to wide-ranging legislation meant to prevent addiction and death connected to prescription painkillers and heroin.

Like so many states across the nation, drug abuse and addiction stemming from opioid-based, prescription painkillers has ravaged Massachusetts. The bill is meant to empower doctors, patients and educators to prevent potential addiction before it begins, through new regulations and education.

Among other steps, it establishes a one-week limit for initial painkiller prescriptions, lets patients opt to fill only part of their prescriptions and implements screenings in schools to catch abuse at a young age.

"We know what used to be experimentation with kids now can end in destruction and addiction, and even death," said Sen. Jennifer Flanagan, a Democrat who represents the Middlesex and Worcester districts.

A joint Senate and House of Representatives committee drafted what became the final bill, passed unanimously Wednesday by the House and carried easily through the Senate Thursday. Senators, including Flanagan, recounted harrowing stories from constituents before passing the bill through a unanimous voice vote.

"Too many people are dying," said Sen. Viriato deMacedo, a Republican from Plymouth. "It's a scary time for all of us."

The legislation now goes to the desk of Gov. Charlie Baker, who is expected to sign the measure when he returns from vacation.

The governor tweeted his support Wednesday from Utah, where he is skiing with his family:

Nationally, the U.S. Senate passed similar legislation of its own on Thursday. With only one dissenting voice, the Associated Press reports, Senators passed a bill that includes money for training emergency workers, offering treatment programs as alternatives to incarceration and supporting local law enforcement efforts.

The rate of death by drug overdoses across the country has more than doubled since 2000, according to the AP. In Massachusetts alone, the opioid epidemic takes an estimated 100 lives a month.

Quincy Democrat John Keenan shared the emotional story of his own father's recovery from addiction on the floor Thursday in Massachusetts, calling on legislators to go further and ensure treatment for all who need it.

"Let's keep moving forward, let's not be afraid that something might cost too much, that something might not work," the senator said. "Let's not rest on this, as great as it is."

>> Photo by Alison Bauter, Patch staff