STATE HOUSE — The Massachusetts House on Wednesday morning gave initial approval to a bill aimed at reducing opioid abuse and deaths, setting the stage for consideration in the afternoon of nearly 80 amendments.
Aimed at curbing substance abuse and making addiction treatment easier to access, the bill sets a seven-day limit on new opiate prescriptions, requires doctors to crosscheck the state's prescription monitoring program database before prescribing any opioids, and requires schools to develop substance abuse education programs.
"Pare," "Stop." I tell a child as he is about to take a sip of brown, stagnant water. It is a natural reaction as a parent. That water can't possibly be good for him. Living in Guatemala, I have lived this scene over and over again. Like many people, my second reaction is "Where was the government? Why do these poor children have to drink parasite-infested liquid? Someone should fix this."
