On March 4th, the Colorado Society of Addiction Medicine (COSAM) sent letters to two house committees. One letter addressed to the House Committee on Health and Human Services supported HB24-1028, which would authorize local governments to establish overdose prevention centers. Additionally, COSAM sent a letter addressed to the House Judiciary committee expressing opposition to HB24-1306, which would enhance penalties for possession of any amount of fentanyl whether knowing or unknowing.

In the letter of support for HB24-1028, COSAM expressed support for pilot overdose prevention centers. COSAM pointed to initial evidence indicating that overdose prevention centers in the United States have reversed over one thousand overdoses. Additionally, research found that crime does not increase in surrounding areas after the opening of an overdose prevention center. Meanwhile, in its letter of opposition to HB24-1306, COSAM noted that stiffening criminal penalties for possession of fentanyl is a harmful policy. Instead, COSAM favors policies that shift away from criminalization and towards fully investing in expanding access to evidence-based treatments for opioid use disorder.

Read the letter here.