As the opioid crisis continues to ravage the United States, nonprofits, city and state governments have turned to untraditional solutions.
Safe consumption sites, locations where people can use drugs under the supervision of medical professionals, are one possible solution. These sites have been successful in numerous countries, such as Canada, Switzerland and Portugal.1 Research shows that safe consumption sites successfully prevent overdose deaths and connect people who use drugs with wraparound services.2 This article examines the actions of governments and nonprofits in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Providence, Rhode Island; New York, New York; and San Francisco, California as they attempt to confront the public health crisis by opening safe consumption sites and the legal and political challenges they have faced.
Tags: Consumption Sites Legislation Opioid Epidemic Programs Safe Injection Sites
