Philadelphia is a step closer to opening what could be the nation's first supervised site for safe drug injection. But turning the idea into reality won't be easy.
City officials gave the proposition the green light Tuesday. They were armed with feasibility studies, harrowing overdose statistics and the backing of key leaders, including the mayor and a newly elected district attorney.
"There are many people who are hesitant to go into treatment, despite their addiction, and we don't want them to die," said Dr. Thomas Farley, Philadelphia's health commissioner and co-chair of the city's opioid task force. Supervised safe injection sites, he said, save lives by preventing overdose deaths and connecting people with treatment.
[For more on this story by ELANA GORDON, go to https://www.npr.org/sections/h...ites-in-philadelphia]
For more information on Supervised Injection Facilities, check out the Drug Policy Alliance.
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