This is an interview with Brandon Marshall, a professor of epidemiology at the Brown University School of Public Health. The interview covers the topic of overdose prevention centers and the data and research behind them.
In January 2025, Rhode Island opened the nation’s first state-sanctioned overdose prevention center. Learn more about the overdose prevention center and Project Weber/Renew at this website.
A website that explains in-depth what overdose prevention centers are, and has a repository of all research and articles about overdose prevention centers dating back to 2010.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health published their feasibility report on overdose prevention centers in December 2023. In this report, they have two main conclusions: 1) OPCs are a proven, evidence-based public health strategy that saves lives, and 2) the Legislature must act to make OPCs a reality.
The American Medical Association published their 2023 report on the overdose epidemic in the US. Within this report, they highlight overdose prevention centers as one of the harm reduction tools needed to combat the opioid epidemic.
This article dives into the opioid crisis in Massachusetts, personalizing the issue for many. The article includes a variety of graphics about opioid/overdose deaths, fentanyl overdose deaths, deaths stratified by gender and race, and more. The graphics highlight who is impacted, and these show the importance of swift and impactful action – one being the legalization and implementation of overdose prevention centers.
This is a review of a collection of studies performed on overdose prevention centers to determine their effectiveness in reducing overdose mortality, increasing access to treatment, and impact on crime and public safety. The review determined that in all cases, overdose prevention centers achieve lower rates of overdose morbidity and mortality, while increasing access to treatment and lowering crime – the evidence is clear and abundant in the efficacy of overdose prevention centers.
Related to the above article, this article is a comprehensive SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis of how overdose prevention centers would be implemented in Massachusetts. The findings of this analysis recommend that Massachusetts implement a pilot program for overdose prevention centers. The Massachusetts Medical Society is also a member of the MA4OPC Coalition, and this article highlights reasons why we need them now.