Beacon Hill Anti-Opioid Bill Calls For Screening 7th and 10th Graders

The State Senate will wade into the battle to stem the opiate epidemic with legislation Senate President Stanley Rosenberg plans to put to a vote next week.

Seventh and Tenth graders in public schools would be screened for drug use under the Senate’s bill. Students would have a verbal, one-on-one conversation with a counselor that would cover their experiences with prescription or illegal drugs. Parents could chose not to have their children evaluated.

The bill also adds new requirements for doctors who prescribe addictive pain treatment to justify why the medication is necessary.