Massachusetts declares heroin emergency, looks to anti-overdose drug

By Richard Valdmanis BOSTON (Reuters) – Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick on Thursday declared a public health emergency over rising heroin and opioid addiction in the state, and announced measures to make overdose reversal medication more widely available. The move comes as states across America report sharp increases in heroin use, a trend the Obama administration this month called an “urgent public health crisis.” “We have an epidemic of opiate abuse in Massachusetts, so we will treat it like the public health crisis it is,” Patrick said in a statement. Patrick said his administration would permit first responders to carry and administer overdose reversal medication naloxone, also known as narcan, and will make the drug available in pharmacies for those “who fear a loved one might overdose.” He said he would also temporarily prohibit hydrocodone-only formulation pain killers in the state, which he said pose “a significant risk to individuals already addicted to opiates and to the public at large.” U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said this month that heroin overdoses had become “an urgent public health crisis,” and reiterated the Obama administration’s call for more law enforcement to train and equip personnel with naxolone.