First U.S. Supervised Injection Site to Open in Philly... But Landlord Quickly Backs Out

[Meloish]

Harm Reduction moves forward in America. Fun fact- there has never been a fatal overdose in a supervised injection site worldwide. Think about that. Never is a powerful word. Here’s the link.

Philadelphia Nonprofit Opening Nation's 1st Supervised Injection Site Next Week

After a two-year legal saga, Safehouse says it will open next week, allowing users to administer illegal drugs under supervision. Federal officials say they will try to stop the site from opening.

www.npr.org

 

[S.J.B.]

That's terrific news! I hope they will be allowed to keep it open.

 

[sekio]

about damn time

 

[Burnt Offerings]

Yeah this is good news. Philadelphia is a city that could definitely use a resource like this.

 

[Painful One]

Moving in the right direction!

Now, the government needs to provide addicts with prescription grade products.
Why not?
It would be great harm reduction and reduce crime.
It might actually help people to get their lives back who are consumed by constantly having to score drugs!
It would work like a Methadone program where people could legally go obtain their daily needs.
That would help people to gain control back in my opinion.

 

[Branggen]

Now, the government needs to provide addicts with prescription grade products.
Why not?
It would be great harm reduction and reduce crime.
It might actually help people to get their lives back who are consumed by constantly having to score drugs!
It would work like a Methadone program where people could legally go obtain their daily needs.
That would help people to gain control back in my opinion.

They have this in canada and you're right it does work I remember reading an article saying the people on this "IV maintenance" tended to reduce their dose over time

 

[PriestTheyCalledHim]

If you do not follow the news from Philadelphia, the injection site is not going to open.

Hundreds celebrate in South Philly, warn the city against supervised injection sites

Despite the reprieve, those who oppose the concept of providing a place for drug users to inject say they will not back down until the city drops all plans to support such sites.

www.inquirer.com

'We'll shut these sites down': Protesters say safe injection sites not welcome in Philadelphia

Protesters say no safe injection sites are not welcome in Philadelphia.

6abc.com

 

[Cream Gravy?]

And the streets are still packed full of fentalogues. Yay.

 

[S.J.B.]

Supervised Injection Site No Longer Opening at South Philly Plaza
Brian X. McCrone
NBC10 Philadelphia
February 27th, 2020

Plans to open what would have been the first supervised injection site in the United States at a plaza in South Philadelphia have been canceled, one day after the facility was publicly announced.

Safehouse, the nonprofit behind the facility that would allow heroin users to inject themselves with clean needles under supervision of medical personnel, will no longer open a facility at Constitution Health Plaza on South Broad Street, a spokesman for the plaza said Thursday night.

"We have made the decision to cancel plans to locate a supervised injection site at Constitution Health Plaza," plaza spokesman Anthony Campisi said in a statement. "We believe in the good intentions of all involved – on both sides of this issue – and want to thank you for your honest communications with us over the past few days."

Safehouse officials did not respond to emails seeking comment.

Mayor Jim Kenney said that Safehouse had voluntarily agreed earlier Thursday to delay the opening of the facility in South Philadelphia after mounting public backlash from both residents and local lawmakers.

Read the full story here.

 

[S.J.B.]

Well, this is no unusual hurdle for this type of operation. I hope they persevere!

 

[sekio]

Many at the rally said they did not see anything positive about the proposed supervised injection site, while they cited fears that the site would lead to more crime from more people in addiction and drug dealers in the community, and more people staying hooked on deadly drugs.
[...]
“If you want them not to die, get them off drugs. This is not the way to do that,” said Lo’Scalzo, who noted that his first cousin died from drugs last year and his wife’s father also died from addiction.

Oh THAT'S the solution. Just get them to not do drugs any more. Right. Don't know why nobody's thought of doing that before.

Classic NIMBY nonsense. It seems to me a safe injection site would reduce crime, needle litter, and (though I don't relish the thought) give the police a focal point to patrol around. I doubt you'd have an issue if staff don't allow loitering/drug exchanges in the facility and there was a policeman/security guard out front making sure you don't have an open air drug market forming.

Though from what I recall, the injection site in my city didn't result in a massive increase in crime or drug use, just got the people shooting up in public out of the view of tourists and kids, under the safe supervision of someone with Narcan nearby, and gave them somewhere to throw their dirty needle out aside from the gutter.