BOSTON (WHDH) - The Harm Reduction Commission met more than a half dozen times since last fall to consider the many factors that contribute to the opioid crisis — and now they’re recommending a pilot program for safe injection sites.
A commission chaired by the secretary of Health and Human Services and appointed by the legislature is recommending “safe consumption sites” supervised by medical professionals as a way to help combat the opioid crisis.
“There is evidence-based and evidence-informed data around this issue that it is compelling when you talk about keeping people safe and keeping people alive,” said state Sen. Cindy F. Friedman.
Cambridge Mayor Marc McGovern said, “I get it that it sounds counterintuitive. I get it that it’s not the way that we think about substance abuse.”
In January, McGovern and others traveled to Montreal to view safe injection sites.
“There weren’t people using drugs on the sidewalk. We didn’t see anybody selling drugs. We didn’t see people congregating in front of these facilities,” McGovern said.
Members of the commission say no one has died of an overdose at safe injection sites and they help make a very dangerous activity safer.
“Ways to test drugs for fentanyl, there would be clean syringes, there would be a clean environment,” Friedman said.
Opposition remains strong.
Just this week, Gov. Charlie Baker said safe injection sites don’t make sense since they run afoul of federal law.
But those in favors say the state needs to use all the tools it can to help combat this devastating epidemic.
Friedman said, “Everybody wants to move people into treatment. It’s how you do it and first and foremost we have to keep them alive.”
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)