Public split over idea of supervised injection sites

While 92 percent of Massachusetts residents think addiction to heroin or opiates is either a crisis or a major problem, support and opposition to supervised drug injection sites is closely divided, a new poll found.

A new WBUR poll conducted by the MassINC Polling Group asked 660 Massachusetts adults what they think of "opening clinics where people using heroin and other opiates could take their drugs under medical supervision so that medical staff could revive anyone who overdoses." It's an idea that state lawmakers have flirted with in recent years.

Half of the respondents said they support the idea -- 28 percent said they strongly support it and another 22 percent said they are somewhat supportive, the poll found. Opposition totaled 43 percent, with 30 percent of all respondents saying they are strongly opposed. Another 8 percent of adults said they had no opinion or refused to answer.

Supervised injection sites have been used in places like Canada for individuals to use drugs under the watch of medical professionals without risk of arrest, and a special commission led by Gov. Charlie Baker's top health and human services official determined in February that Massachusetts should consider a pilot program.

(function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(d.getElementById(id))return;js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src='https://embed.playbuzz.com/sdk.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}(document,'script','playbuzz-sdk'));

Baker has rejected the idea and dismissed it as a waste of time after U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling made clear that he would prosecute any supervised drug use facility.

The WBUR/MassINC poll revealed the extent of the opioid misuse and overdose epidemic in Massachusetts.

Fifty-seven percent of people said they know someone who has struggled with an addiction to heroin or other opiates in the last year. Addiction to heroin and other opiates like prescription painkillers is a "crisis" in Massachusetts, 53 percent of respondents said. Another 39 percent said addiction is a "major problem." A total of 7 percent said it is either a "minor problem" or "not really a problem," the poll found.