Posted on 09/28/2016 7:30:20 PM PDT by EinNYC
The city will study whether to set up sites for drug addicts to shoot up safely with $100,000 approved by the City Council Wednesday.
The controversial program known as supervised injection facilities gives addicts a place to use drugs under medical supervision to avoid overdoses or spreading HIV and other diseases.
The study, which will be done by the Health Department, “will assess the feasibility and impact of NYC having a program that provides a safe, clean haven to high-risk, vulnerable New Yorkers and will help prevent drug overdoses and disease transmissions,” said Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito.
The money comes from $5.6 million approved to fight AIDS in the current city budget.
If the city moved forward with injection sites, it would raise a host of issues including where to put the facilities and how to square them with federal anti-drug laws.
“We don’t have all the answers. It’s a study to take a look at all of that, and I’m glad we’re doing it,” Mark-Viverito said.
Supervised injection facilities are used in Europe and in Canada, but there are none in American cities. Boston recently announced plans for a facility for drug users to go after they’ve already gotten high.
Meanwhile patients with chronic incurable illnesses with high chronic pain are being denied pain meds. This includes severely damaged wounded Veterans.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.