New Bedford Mayor Sees Progress with State Opioid Legislation

Mayor Jon Mitchell says a bill forged by the House and Senate to curb opioid abuse is good progress.

The bill, pending approval by the Legislature and the Governor, would limit opioid prescriptions to a seven-day supply for each script. Mitchell says that was one of the most obvious and attainable solutions, since prescriptions are often the gateway to harder drugs. "That leads to heroin, and heroin mixed with fentanyl. So therein lies part of the solution, which is to say well you put greater restrictions on the ability for folks to get the substance that leads to the problem in the longrun," says Mitchell.

Mitchell says the effects of the legislation may not be immediate, but hopes addiction sees a sharp drop-off over the next few years thanks to that provision.