HAVERHILL, Mass. (WHDH) — Gov. Charlie Baker (R-Mass.) addressed the opioid crisis on Tuesday, saying the fentanyl issue needs to be addressed with “some degree of urgency.”
Baker said fentanyl was present in 80 percent of overdose deaths in Massachusetts last year. He now wants to change the state’s fentanyl trafficking statute to make it easier to level tougher charges for those found with fentanyl.
Baker’s announcement comes one day after President Donald Trump visited New Hampshire to unveil his plan to fight the opioid epidemic. Trump’s plan includes educating children about drug abuse and tougher penalties against drug dealers. During his trip, Trump mentioned the city of Lawrence, saying it was “one of the primary sources of fentanyl for six New Hampshire counties.”
Baker, who served on Trump’s commission to address the opioid crisis, declined to criticize Trump, though he later released a statement saying that denigrating entire cities is wrong.
“I’m not a big believer in blame as a general rule, I sometimes wonder what it gets you,” said Baker. “I appreciated the fact that many of the recommendations made by the commission I served on are part of the overview of what the president has submitted to Congress.”
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