Supervised injection sites are a proven harm-reduction model. Currently, the entire city of Seattle is an unsafe injection site.
These supervised sites do nothing but good by reducing the number of used uncapped syringes littering sidewalks and providing an alternative to users injecting in public. Intravenous drug users are able to receive supervision, which saves lives because naloxone (Narcan and Evzio) is in supply to prevent fatal overdoses (which also saves significant emergency-services costs to city taxpayers). IV users are offered available treatment and health services.
Contrary to the belief that these services legitimize drug use, these places legitimize harm reduction, stem the spread of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, and other blood-borne diseases, and have proven results at limiting the harms and impact of illicit IV drug use on communities.
What we are doing now is not working. Kudos to the Seattle City Council and people like King County Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles for their forward thinking on proven harm-reduction methods to address our catastrophic opioid and meth crisis.
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Vivian McPeak, Seattle