On April 10th, the Northern New England Society of Addiction Medicine (NNESAM) sent a letter to members of the Maine Legislature’s Joint Committee on Health and Human Services in support of LD 1159. This bipartisan legislation would create a two-year pilot program to establish and operate overdose prevention sites (OPS), subject to municipal approval.

In the letter, NNESAM explained that establishing OPS is an evidence-based policy to improve public health outcomes. Specifically, NNESAM noted these facilities serve to prevent and treat overdose, prevent deaths and reduce harms from drug use (e.g., HIV, hepatitis B and C, and skin infections), as well as provide linkages to treatment, and reduce public disorder. As such, OPS have gained support from leading medical organizations such as the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM). Further, NNESAM noted that the nation’s first OPS in New York City have achieved positive results since opening, including reversing over 600 overdoses and reducing discarded syringes in nearby areas. In sum, establishing a pilot program for OPS is an intelligent policy to address the overdose epidemic.  

Read the letter here.