To the Editor:
Recent data confirm what many of us in the recovery space feared: National data from 2020 shows opioid related overdoses are at an all-time high.
There are many reasons for this troubling statistic. Massachusetts is a national leader in curbing the opioid epidemic, but the ongoing pandemic continues to disconnect people from support services. Societal and political turbulence places an undue burden on mental and emotional health, driving people into the grips of addiction.
Simultaneously, recovery services are suffering labor shortages that hamper our ability to adequately staff programs and meet the growing demands on local services.
Thankfully, there is a movement afoot in Massachusetts to boost funding for recovery services, including Gov. Baker’s budget with a $53 million increase in addiction prevention and treatment. Also, more than half of Massachusetts municipalities filed a federal lawsuit seeking further damages from McKinsey for the Purdue Pharma settlement for their role marketing OxyContin.
But even with more funding, we must focus on getting more people into the recovery services workforce so municipalities can meet demand and again stem the tide of addiction. Opioids are a complicated issue without an easy solution, and we must work together to save more lives.
John McGahan
President and CEO of
South Boston-based Gavin Foundation.
