On this edition of Century of Lies: The Harm Reduction Debate Continues.
The Massachusetts Legislature’s Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery held a hybrid public hearing September 15 on the topic of harm reduction.
Six bills were being considered, including: H.2235, An Act ensuring safe disposal of hypodermic needles and lancets in the Commonwealth; S.1410, An Act helping overdosing persons in emergencies; H.2225, An Act relative to harm reduction and racial justice, and the Senate version of that bill, same title, S.1391; and H.2196, An Act relative to preventing overdose deaths and increasing access to treatment, along with the Senate version of that bill, again same title, S.1393.
This week we hear some of the testimony from that hearing from witnesses including Doctor Alexander Walley, Professor of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine; Doctor Sarah Wakeman, Senior Medical Director for Substance Use Disorder at Mass General Brigham and Medical Director for the Massachusetts General Hospital Substance Use Disorder Initiative; and Doctor Jessie Gaeta, a physician at the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program; Laurie McDougall, Lynn Wencus, and Gary Carter, members of the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery.
- KBOO