A shift in official strategy at Boston’s beleaguered “Mass. and Cass” neighborhood is pressuring people into addiction treatment, say health experts, who worry the new tactics will lead to more overdose deaths and disease.
Some people who frequent the area around Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard told WBUR that Boston police have been approaching those on the streets more often than usual in recent months. Many have been given an ultimatum: Go to jail, or check into detox.
But for many, detox is a revolving door, and they quickly end up back on the streets…