Panel: Public Health Approaches to the Opioid Crisis: Overcoming Obstacles to Community-Driven Solutions– 4/1/2019

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health estimates that in 2018 alone, approximately 2,000 people died in the Commonwealth from opioid-related overdoses. The overwhelming majority of those who died of overdoses that year tested positive for substances banned under the Controlled Substances Act, such as fentanyl (89%), cocaine (48%), and heroin (34%).

This panel will discuss community-driven, evidence-based public health strategies aimed at reducing overdose deaths in hard-to-reach populations in Massachusetts, including fishing families, veterans, and individuals who are incarcerated. The panel will also examine federal, state, and local obstacles that undermine the implementation and success of community-driven approaches to the crisis.