Issue Position: Combatting Drug Dependency

Issue Position

A Public Health Crisis
While the Legislature took a great step forward with recent legislation at the end of this past session, our Commonwealth's current response to the scourge of drug dependency is ineffective and costly. Too often in my practice as an attorney I am forced to petition an overburdened judge to intervene in an individual's life when that person is in the height of addiction. The measures available at this stage are reactive and limited. I will be a relentless advocate for new alternatives to treat drug dependency and ensure our local communities receive the funding they need to combat this growing public health crisis.

Judicial Initiatives
I will champion the extension of drug court diversion programs that allow our court system the flexibility necessary in dealing with crimes resulting from drug dependency and provide individuals with a true path to recovery instead of incarceration. I will push to re-examine mandatory minimum sentencing laws to gauge their effectiveness in drug cases and, where appropriate, implement improved guidelines for the efficient and just operation of our criminal justice system.

Community Initiatives
Community groups like the Substance Abuse Coalitions in both Stoneham and Winchester offer invaluable education, advice and resources to our residents. I will bolster and partner with these Coalitions to help the state remain vigilant and updated on what is happening in our neighborhoods and schools, to provide the information necessary to properly reshape prevention and treatment approaches, and to advise the Legislature, treatment facilities and law enforcement on best practices in combatting drug dependency.

Prevention & Treatment Initiatives
Drug dependency is often the end result of the self-treatment of mental health problems. I will advocate for extended insurance coverage for mental health evaluation, treatment and access to specialized facilities and programs.

Painkilling drugs, like oxycodone, are powerful and highly addictive. They also act as a gateway to other opiates. I will strengthen and increase the Commonwealth's ability to audit the frequency and quantities of prescriptions for painkillers and empower the proper authorities to discipline physicians who routinely over prescribe certain pharmaceuticals.

I will advocate for the implementation of harm reduction programs and the authorization of new treatments that can counter, or even eliminate, physical dependency on opioids and other highly addictive drugs. We must increase the availability of overdose reversal drugs so that our first responders are well equipped with these life-saving treatments that have already saved thousands of lives.

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