Fewer people are dying from drug overdoses in Massachusetts, and one state lawmaker is working to bring the number even lower. State Representative Kate Donaghue of Westborough is on a mission in memory of a son lost to drugs.
The Community Advocate reported, “Brian Donaghue Simpson, 32, passed away unexpectedly Monday, March 12, 2018, after a long battle with addiction.”
How One Mother Turned Grief Into Action
Brian’s mom is training others to use Narcan, the brand name for naloxone, an overdose-reversing drug, hoping to prevent other mothers from losing a child to opioids.
Narcan: The Life-Saving Drug Changing Massachusetts
Rep. Donaghue keeps a dose of Narcan in a laminated pouch taped to her State House ID card. She told the Community Advocate, “It puts a face to some of these problems.”
A Statewide Push for Naloxone Access
State House News Service reported that Donaghue recently “hosted dozens of her colleagues, administration officials, public health workers and others for a training session about how and when to use naloxone.”
Massachusetts Sees Promising Drop in Overdose Deaths
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, using provisional data, estimated a nearly 33 percent drop in predicted overdose deaths in Massachusetts from 2023 to 2024, and Rep. Donaghue credits, in part, the availability of naloxone for the sharp decline.
The news is even more encouraging as the state Substance Addiction Services Bureau reported a 36 percent decrease in deaths in 2024…