Ludlow Board of Health Votes to Seek Opioid Funds for Sharps Containers

Board of Health · Meeting of March 17, 2026

Ludlow Board of Health approves opioid settlement request for 240 sharps disposal containers. The board voted unanimously Tuesday to submit a request to the Select Board for opioid settlement funding to purchase 240 gallon-sized sharps containers, estimated at roughly $1,565, at about $6.52 per unit ordered in cases of 24. Health department staff reported 179 free sharps disposal encounters since August 2024, with 153 involving Ludlow residents, and said the board agreed to restrict the opioid-funded containers to Ludlow zip codes while continuing to offer Tapestry-supplied containers to all residents.

The board also welcomed Dr. Tiago Martins, a Bay State Health gastroenterologist who grew up in Ludlow, as the department's new medical director — a role required to maintain the town's Vaccines for Children program. Shared Services Coordinator Aaron McMurray warned that the state's Public Health Excellence grant, which funds regional public health staffing across Ludlow, Warren, Westbrook Field, and Palmer, faces an uncertain renewal, with state officials pointing to "braided funding" as a possible path forward with no specifics yet confirmed.

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Source: the Board of Health meeting of March 17, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.