Opioid Abuse and Addiction

The Massachusetts Good Samaritan Law encourages friends, family,or bystanders to assist people having an overdose and to seek emergency medical assistance. The law has significant potential to help reduce the impact of the opioid epidemic and save lives.

This 28-page toolkit offers strategies to health care providers, communities, and local governments for developing practices and policies to help prevent opioid-related overdoses and deaths. Access reports for community members, prescribers, patients and families, and those recovering from opioid overdose.

The stigma of drug misuse keeps people from seeking treatment. Words like “junkie,” “addict” and “druggie” can hurt, damaging self-image and standing in the way of recovery. Addiction is not a choice. It’s a chronic disease similar to diabetes, heart disease and arthritis. Get the facts and embrace a community that needs our support. Join the campaign to make Massachusetts a #StateWithoutStigMA.

The FBI and DEA have released "Chasing the Dragon: The Life of an Opiate Addict," a compilation of heart-wrenching first-person accounts by addicts and family members of addicts about their experiences. This powerful documentary is aimed at educating students and young adults about the dangers of addiction.