If a person arrived at the emergency department having an asthma attack, it would be malpractice to withhold life-saving inhalers. If a person was hit by a car and unconscious, it would be illegal to deny them ambulance transport. This is because the evidence is strong that these interventions help keep people alive. Yet when discussing overdose prevention centers, we claim to “need more studies.”

The reality is that there are over 100 well-vetted articles, reviewed by experts, that have studied OPCs across the globe, and the evidence is robust. OPCs reduce mortality, reduce transmission of infectious disease and increase participation in recovery programs. None of this is new information.

The state of Maine has the opportunity to save lives by promoting the presence of OPCs. It is clearly the morally and medically right thing to do. By continuing to dither, we are doing the equivalent of standing over a person who is bleeding to death and refusing a bandage because “we need more research.”

The Maine State Legislature should do the right thing by passing legislation to authorize overdose prevention centers this session.

Dr. Merideth C. Norris
Kennebunk
Dr. Kathryn Brandt
Gardiner