Calling it a public health emergency, Gov. Charlie Baker has unveiled the first steps his administration plans to take in fighting heroin and prescription drug abuse and addiction.

During a stop Thursday at the Hope House treatment center in Boston, the governor announced the first-ever public release of data the state collects on the number of prescriptions written for painkillers and overdose deaths in each county.

Baker says the information will help identify ``concerning'' behavior, such as the number of people who are receiving opioid prescriptions from different doctors and having them dispensed from different pharmacies.

The governor also has formed a 16-member task force assigned to develop a statewide strategy for dealing with addiction, treatment and recovery. The group will hold four public hearings and submit recommendations in May.

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