Massachusetts Mom Turned Lawmaker Helps Cut Opioid Deaths With Narcan

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.

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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.

Donaghue told SHNS, "When Narcan was first available, we were working on getting it into the hands of first responders and people interacting with those at high risk of overdose."

"Now, we try to get Narcan into the hands of everyone who is willing to carry this life-saving medication," she said.

Training Lawmakers to Save Lives

Donaghue conducted the first-ever naloxone training session at the State House in 2023.