Watch CBS News

U.S. Attorney General Speaks In Waltham On Opioid Crisis

WALTHAM, Mass. (CBS/AP) — U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch gave a keynote address at a Massachusetts summit on opioid addiction.

Lynch says the growing heroin problem is a public safety crisis that will require a multi-pronged approach to stop it.

"Those four points are enforcement, disposal, monitoring, and education," she said Friday at the headquarters of the Massachusetts Medical Society.

Her department is targeting the illegal supply chain of prescription drugs and disrupting so-called "pill mills."

"In addition to monitoring, we are working to expand medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders," Lynch says. "(It's) the key to solving this."

She says the summit is not just about reversing the spread of opioids, but also mending the basic fabric of our communities.

More than 300 physicians, pharmacists, police officers and others who deal with the problems caused by opioid abuse were expected to be in attendance. U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz and Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey were also expected to be there.

The summit was sponsored by the medical society and the U.S. Attorney's Office.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Bernice Corpuz reports

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.