Canadian Club –
August 29, 2019 – Safe consumption sites, also known as overdose prevention sites, safe injection sites and supervised consumption services, are clinical but community-oriented spaces where people are provided clean supplies to use drugs, typically by injection, under the supervision of medical staff who are trained to provide first aid and reverse a potential overdose. Safe consumption sites also connect drug users to health care that offers a path toward addiction recovery if they wish. Hampton says that if he’d had access to clean syringes, first-aid supplies and medical help, he could have avoided long-lasting health problems. Some of his close friends would still be alive.
Research shows such facilities are highly effective at preventing overdose deaths and the spread of disease, while reducing drug use and increasing entry into addiction treatment. Proponents of safe consumption sites see them as a real public health solution to the nation’s opioid overdose crisis, but the Trump administration is actively working to stop the sites from taking root in major cities across the country.
