New Bedford Mayor: Gloucester’s New Drug Program Goes ‘Too Far’

While New Bedford and Gloucester are homes to key fishing ports in the country, both communities also share the blight of opioid abuse.

This week, the Gloucester Police Department rolled out a new program that offers help to drug addicts instead of charging them with a crime.

New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell would not support a similar program in New Bedford if it were proposed. "I don't think that it's the right step. To effectively decriminalize opiate abuse here in the city, which is what I think is effectively happening in Gloucester, I think that goes a little bit too far," Mitchell stated.

Mitchell says the City's Health Department has launched a substance abuse prevention program, which aims to educate children on the dangers of drug abuse. He adds Governor Charlie Baker is also focusing on reducing drug addiction in the state.