7 in 10 Massachusetts residents believe Narcan should be widely available in workplaces, similar to automated external defibrillators.

1. ATTITUDES AND EXPERIENCES
RELATED TO THE OPIOID CRISIS
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 8
Prepared by Anderson Robbins Research

2. Telephone survey conducted by trained professional interviews from
a central, monitored location; respondents were interviewed on cell
phones and landlines
507 Massachusetts adults randomly selected for inclusion
September 5-13, 2018
Slight weights were applied to ensure the sample accurately reflects
the demographic profile of the Massachusetts population
±4 at the 95% confidence level for the entire sample; the margin
of error for subgroups is higher
Some data may not add to 100% due to rounding
Survey commissioned by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
and conducted by Anderson Robbins
About the survey
MODE
SAMPLE
INTERVIEWING DATES
WEIGHTS
MARGIN OF
ERROR
NOTE
SOURCE

3. Massachusetts residents remain optimistic
about the direction of the state
Q1: Do you feel things in Massachusetts are generally heading in the right direction, or do you feel things have gotten pretty seriously off on the wrong track?
Right Direction Wrong Track
50%
38%
44%
49%
40%
53%
31%
61%
25%
67%
28%
64%
26%
58%
Mar 2011 Jan 2012 Jan 2014 Jan 2015 Jan 2016 Jan 2018 Sept 2018
Note: Remainder Not
Sure / Refused

4. 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Half of residents think the opioid
epidemic is getting worse
Nothing Changing Getting WorseGetting Better
12%
26%
49%
9%
36%
47%
January 2018
September 2018
Note: Remainder
Not Sure / Refused
Q2: Do you think that the opioid epidemic in Massachusetts is [ROTATE: getting worse, getting better] or nothing is really changing?

5. 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
A majority knows someone who has been
addicted to opioids; four-in-ten know
someone who has overdosed
January 2018September 2018
52%
56%
43%
45%
Know someone who has
overdosed on opioids
Know someone who has been
addicted to opioids
% YES
Q3: Do you know anyone personally who has been addicted to opioids? AND Q4: Do you know anyone who has overdosed on opioids?

6. 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Nearly two-thirds of those under age 35 know someone
who has been addicted to opioids
Q3: Do you know anyone personally who has been addicted to opioids?
52%
Overall
51%
53%
Men Women
40%
Age 65+
47%
55-64
56%
35-54
65%
Under
age 35

7. 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
A majority of residents are not aware that
naloxone is available without a prescription
Q5: As far as you know, is a doctor’s prescription necessary to purchase the overdose reversal drug naloxone at a pharmacy? Note: Remainder Depends
(Not sure /
Refused)
41%
21%
Yes, prescription
is required
Know someone addicted: 41%
Do not know someone addicted: 30%
36%
No, prescription is
not required

8. 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Over half of residents are confident that
they could administer reversal drugs properly
Q6: If you were in a situation where someone was overdosing and you had the overdose reversal drug, what is your confidence level that you could
administer the reversal drug properly? Are you…
Note: Remainder Not Sure / Refused
Total Confident: 56%
Know someone addicted: 69%
Do not know someone addicted: 42%
Total Not Confident: 39%
Not very confident
14%
Not confident at all
25%
33%
Very confident
23%
Somewhat confident

9. 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Large majority believes naloxone should
be made widely available in workplaces
Q7: Would you favor or oppose making the overdose reversal drug naloxone widely available in workplaces, similar to heart defibrillators? Note: Remainder Depends / Not Sure / Refused
Total Favor: 70%
Total Oppose: 18%
Somewhat oppose
7%
Strongly oppose
11%
48%
Strongly favor
22%
Somewhat favor