In the shadows of Boston Medical Center, at the intersection of Melnea Cass Boulevard and Massachusetts Avenue, drug deals are a prevalent sight. Up and down Melnea Cass, countless people panhandle drivers for change as they saunter between cars. Needles line the streets. Addicts cook heroin and shoot up in plain sight. They do not even try to hide it.
This strip of Boston is known as Methadone Mile. It is the location of various drug treatment centers, including methadone clinics, from which the area derives its name, halfway houses, and two homeless shelters that attract opioid addicts from all throughout the city and suburbs.