On Tuesday, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott gave testimony in a Maryland State Senate Finance Committee hearing on Senate Bill 279, which would create a pilot to establish six Overdose Prevention Sites (OPS), where people can use drugs in a medically supervised environment to prevent overdose, around the state. “It is imperative that we consider harm reduction approaches and no longer criminalize drug use,” he said during the hearing, which begins at the 1:45:00 mark here.
Bill sponsor Senator Shelly Hettleman, a Democrat from District 11 in Baltimore County, talked about the tremendous benefits that communities around the world have seen from establishing OPS, including reduced overdoses and crime. “What saves lives should be guiding and driving our policy decisions,” she said.
OSI has long sought to educate people about the benefits of OPS, including during last session, when a similar bill was introduced during the COVID-shortened legislative session.
