BOSTON — The top federal prosecutor in Massachusetts says supervised injection sites for drug users would violate U.S. law and could lead to criminal charges.
The strongly-worded statement from U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling on Thursday came as the Senate weighs a plan that would allow the state to set up injection sites on an experimental basis.
Lelling made no reference to the Senate proposal, but warned that regardless of any state law, drug users and employees at the sites would be exposed to federal criminal charges.
He warned against providing a “sanctuary” for illegal drug use.
The Senate is considering so-called “harm reduction” sites as part of a broader bill to address the opioid addiction crisis.
Under the supervision of health care professionals, individuals with substance use disorders could inject drugs they obtained elsewhere.