OVERDOSE PREVENTION CENTERS:

SAVE LIVES

INCREASE ACCESS TO HARM REDUCTION METHODS

LINK PEOPLE TO TREATMENT

About the Bill

Overdose prevention centers are evidence-based, legally sanctioned harm reduction facilities where people who use drugs can safely consume pre-obtained drugs under supervision of trained health care workers. In addition to preventing lethal overdoses, such facilities are designed to reduce the transmission of infectious diseases like HIV and hepatitis, and connect patients with social services, including drug treatment and recovery services. Several communities across Massachusetts are interested in opening overdose prevention sites, but legislation is needed to establish the legal and regulatory framework for them to operate successfully.

About the Coalition

Massachusetts for Overdose Prevention Centers (MA4OPC) is a statewide coalition of more than 30 organizations committed to establishing overdose prevention centers in Massachusetts. We believe every person who uses drugs deserves to be treated with dignity, respect, and trust. The coalition supports efforts to save lives, establish a culture of harm reduction and expand harm reduction strategies, and link people to treatment and recovery support services.

MA4OPC is the result of a growing grassroots movement that has been fighting for overdose prevention centers in our state for many years. We especially acknowledge the pioneering work of SIFMA NOW! and SIFMA NOW co-founder and activist, Aubri Esters, who passed away in June 2020. MA4OPC builds on their steadfast efforts to raise awareness and a sense of urgency among decision-makers to implement OPCs.

Sponsoring Organizations

ACLU Massachusetts logo: 'ACLU' in large, bold, capital blue letters above the word 'Massachusetts,' which is not all capitalized, and is written in red, the font size is small enough that it takes the same width as the 'ACLU Boston Medical Center logo: The words 'Boston Medical' in bold, black, capital letters, stacked on top of each other with no spacing between the words; in the upper right corner is a semicircle that goes through the second 'O' in 'Boston' and ends just before the 'L' in 'Medical' - above the semicircle, in much smaller capital letters and a simpler font, following the curve, is the word 'Center' logo for Fenway Health: long, horizontal logo with the words 'Fenway Health' in dark grey caps, in between the two words is the pictorial logo, which is a horizontal, light blue rectangle with two white equal signs, the first one as it usually appears and the second flipped 90 degrees logo: text that says 'Grayken Center for Addiction' in large gray letters, with smaller font below that says 'Boston Medical Center'; to the left of the words is a graphic of two leaf-shaped elements tilted up and to the right, the top one, larger and periwinkle, the bottom, a darker shad of bluish-purple with three semicircles in 3 shades of purple logo for Massachusetts Medical Society: oval crest white and blue, around the oval it says 'SIGILL : SOC : MED : MASSACHUSETT. A.D. 1781' with a man holding a staff with a snake wrapped around it, other arm outstretched, palm up, facing a deer that's been pierced in the side with an arrow; below the seal are the words 'Massachusetts Medical Society' in black caps. RIZE Massachusetts logo: the words 'rize massachusetts' are in blue, lowercase letters justified left - the word 'rize' is much bigger font and placed over 'massachusetts'; in the right portion of the logo is a dark yellow sun, but only the upper, right quadrant