Nobody wants to make it easier to abuse drugs, but clean needle programs have helped control the spread of AIDS. We hear about a radical new plan to control deaths from drug overdoses.
Much of the Northeast is in the midst of a heroin epidemic, with four people in Massachusetts dying every day. Now a nonprofit in Boston plans to establish a place where addicts can ride out their highs with medical supervision. Martha Bebinger is reporting the story for WBUR, public radio in Boston and for the Atlantic.