For two decades our region has been battling the opioid epidemic. Like my fellow first responders in Plymouth County communities, I have witnessed first-hand the deadly impact of the opioid epidemic. Two decades later, the sad fact remains that the epidemic has not gone away. In many ways, the impact today is even more acute due to the deadly potency of fentanyl.
Nationally and in Massachusetts, 2024 finally brought some welcome news in this fight. After a post-COVID surge, we saw a decline in overdose-related deaths. In the Commonwealth, overdose deaths decreased by about 10 percent. Although we saw a 19 percent decrease in overdose deaths here in Plymouth County, we still lost 154 souls to this crisis. The loss of life in Plymouth County is greater now than in 2007. We are making progress, but clearly not enough.
We still have much to do to further curb addiction and overdoses. One of the sad realities of this crisis is that it impacts each community differently. Sadly, Plymouth County continues to have high rates of opioid-related overdose deaths in the state.
Over the last two decades, we’ve learned a great deal about how to address the root causes of addiction. We’ve also learned what doesn’t work. We’ve learned that the most impactful solutions come from local communities, instead of blanket approaches enacted from Washington, D.C., and elsewhere.
Locally, one of our most effective strategies has been our focus on ensuring that our citizens have access to effective opioid treatment programs, like comprehensive treatment centers. Facilities like this utilize a “whole patient” approach to help people overcome addiction. The whole-patient approach ensures that those in need have access to effective opioid treatment programs, including incorporating medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) combined with personalized care, like counseling.
A National Institutes of Health-funded study found that methadone helped adults struggling with addiction decrease the risk of overdose deaths by 59 percent. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration outlines that the best way for our neighbors to sustain their recovery is to emphasize the whole person and incorporate the careful administration of these powerful medications with professional counseling. Recovery can be very painstaking for all involved and takes considerable time, but these treatment methods are beginning to see results.
Unfortunately, there remains a stigma in some circles and a wider acceptance of MOUD as a treatment for opioids. The reality, though, is the effectiveness of MOUD has been outlined in studies and personal experiences. And the evidence shows that folks in recovery that have access to MOUD show a much smaller likelihood of relapsing.
As our state legislators embark on a new session on Beacon Hill, I urge them to ensure that taxpayer funds are directed to proven programs that make treatment more accessible and promote policies to support treatment techniques like MOUD and individual counseling. The epidemic persists, but progress is beginning to be made. To continue this progress, we must fund and support effective treatment to fully combat this terrible epidemic.
– William Hill
Hill is president of the Plymouth-Bristol Central Labor Council.