Rep. Jones Endorses Opioid Abuse Bill

BOSTON—The state's ever-threatening opioid crisis hits home for many residents, and legislators are beginning to act to fight back against the issue.

House Minority Leader Bradley Jones, who represents Lynnfield, announced Tuesday that he endorsed opioid abuse prevention legislation that unanimously passed through the House of Representatives Wednesday. Urged on by Gov. Charlie Baker, the bill has been working its way through the Legislature since last fall. It passed the House Wednesday after a joint committee pieced together proposals from the governor's office, House and Senate.

“Opioid abuse represents a serious public health threat that is impacting families and communities all across Massachusetts,” said Representative Jones in his announcement. “The bill we passed today goes a long way towards addressing this crisis, but there is still much work to be done.”

The bill was given initial house approval on a vote of 153-0.

Under the bill, The State's Prescription Monitoring Program will be utilized each time a prescription is issued for a Schedule 2 or 3 narcotic drug. According to the release, 240 million Schedule 2 and 3 pills were disbursed in the Commonwealth, a year in which Massachusetts recorded nearly 1,300 opioid-related deaths.