Senate Republicans Vote Against Harm Reduction and Overdose Prevention Program
Contact Name: Marina Altschiller
Phone: (603) 271-3207
CONCORD – Yesterday, Senate Republicans approved the committee amendment to SB 149 that removed language to establish a harm reduction and overdose prevention program in the department of health and human services in a vote of 13-11.
After the vote, Senator David Watters (D-Dover) and Senator Tom Sherman (D-Rye) issued the following statement:
“New Hampshire has been fighting the deadly opioid epidemic for over a decade. The commonsense enabling legislation that Senate Republicans removed from SB 149 would have decreased use of emergency medical services, reduced public drug use, reduced syringe debris, all while requiring no state funding. Harm reduction means life and opens the door to recovery. It is extremely disappointing that our Republicans colleagues were not willing to support this fiscally sound, life saving, legislation.”
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