Supervised Injection Sites Gain Ground in U.S.

Supervised Injection Sites Gain Ground in U.S.
by Liz Highleyman
Contributing Writer, MedPage Today
Evidence they can reduce overdose deaths and HIV and viral hepatitis transmission

Several cities are vying to become the first to open sanctioned supervised injection facilities in the United States in an effort to reduce overdose deaths, infectious disease transmission, and other drug-related harms.

Supervised injection services remain controversial, with some opponents fearing such facilities will encourage drug use and attract more drug users to an area -- the same arguments made against syringe exchange programs, which are now a widely accepted public health intervention. But opposition to supervised injection sites appears to be waning in the face of a growing overdose crisis and concern about visible public drug use.

San Francisco appears to be on track to open the first such sites this summer, but New York City, Baltimore, Boston, Denver, Philadelphia, and Seattle are also in the running. In addition, legislative efforts to allow supervised injection facilities are underway in several states.

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