As Massachusetts continues to grapple with heroin overdoses, the conversation in Greenfield Friday morning turned to rehabilitation and job training. More than a hundred business owners and government officials were there, including Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan.
“I think we understand now [that] we can’t arrest or incarcerate our way out of this opioid crisis,” Sullivan says. “And here today, was about how business and communities can come together and help people who have substance abuse issues.”
Franklin County is still without a rehab facility, but funding and site location are in the works. For now, Sullivan says it’s like “scrambled eggs” for those seeking treatment.
“They could end up [in] New Bedford. They could end up in Pittsfield. They could end up anywhere in New England, and many times they can’t access those because they don’t have the insurance,” he says. “So my mantra is we need treatment-on-demand the way we have prison-on-demand.”
Governor Charlie Baker and Attorney General Maura Healey say the opioid crisis remains a top priority for the state.