In response to a concerning rise in overdose deaths in the United States, Colorado lawmakers are considering a bill that will implement overdose prevention sites, also known as “supervised injection sites.” These are essentially areas where individuals can use substances in a closely monitored environment that poses less of a risk to their health. In this case, potential overdoses could be quickly prevented with life-saving treatment from medical professionals. This could be effective in reducing the harms associated with drug use, while also encouraging drug users to seek treatment if needed.
There are many supporters of this bill, considering the thousands of overdose deaths that occur each year across the country and the realization that little else has been done to address these serious numbers. From an economic standpoint, these sites are ultimately an investment, as they save money on future health care for these drug users who may require emergency room visits, hospitalizations and treatments for diseases.
Over the past few decades, these prevention sites have opened across more than a dozen countries. One of the first opened in Toronto, Canada in 2017, and since then no overdoses have been reported at the site. In Vancouver, another site location, the city’s fatal overdoses have since dropped by 30%, with at least 400 who utilized the site also having enrolled in adjoining treatment programs.
Even with the promising benefits to developing these sites, the U.S. federal government still considers them to be illegal. The U.S. Department of Justice argues that the sites violate the Controlled Substances Act, which “prohibits any person from knowingly and intentionally maintaining a place for the purpose of illegal drug use.” Despite the unchanging laws, two sites have since successfully opened and have been operating in New York City, documenting 701 overdose interventions that have saved lives. Perhaps if this decision could be put into the hands of individual states, there would be a chance for these sites to be tested in certain areas across the country.
Although an ordinance was passed in November of 2018, Colorado has yet to see one of these sites in use. Kevin Flynn, the only councilman to vote against the bill, contended that supervised injection sites are not the solution to the nation’s drug use problem. Some argue that these overdose prevention sites serve to enable drug use, rather than combat it. This could be justified in the sense that these sites support drug use, but most of the drug users would be doing so anyway and will not be able to improve their lives without help. Another hearing has been set for March 1 of this year, which will hopefully hint at progress.
We need a starting place to combat the overdose issue in the country. If overdose prevention sites can be implemented and successful, perhaps we can then turn our focus to prevention in the sense of mental health and improved quality of life. If we could begin to stabilize the concerning amount of illegal drug use, then perhaps that alone would reduce overdose deaths without needing to take subsequent measures.
