Senate weighs supervised drug use as part of opioid response

BOSTON — The state Senate is weighing a proposal to experiment with supervised injection sites for drug users in Massachusetts.

The provision is included in a wide-ranging bill scheduled for debate in the Senate on Thursday that would further address the opioid addiction crisis.

Language in the bill authorizes state public health officials to set up a test program for safe injection or “harm reduction” sites as they are more formally known.

At those sites, individuals with substance use disorders could inject drugs obtained elsewhere. Health care professionals would be around to prevent fatal overdoses and offer counseling and treatment referrals to drug users.

Republican Gov. Charlie Baker is among those strongly opposed to safe injection sites, which have also been proposed though not yet established in other U.S. cities.