Topline
New York City will become the first city in the nation to greenlight two supervised drug injection facilities in Manhattan, the New York Times reported Tuesday, after a record number of people died from drug overdoses during the pandemic.
(Getty)
Key Facts
Users can bring their substances to sites in Manhattan’s East Harlem and Washington Heights that already offer clean needles, the Times reported.
While using at the facilities, people can undergo treatment for addiction and, if necessary, treatment for an overdose.
The sites will be run by two nonprofits that oversee the needle exchange programs, while the city will provide the funding, according to the report.
The program, first suggested by Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2018, had been stalled due to controversy around providing a place where people can openly inject illegal drugs, and concerns that the city could face federal prosecution, Politico reported.
The authorization comes as de Blasio eyes a run for governor of New York next year.
Dr. Dave A. Chokshi, the health commissioner of New York City, told the Times: “We feel a deep conviction and also a sense of urgency in opening overdose prevention centers.”
Big Number
100,306. That was the number of drug overdose deaths in the U.S. between April 2020 and April 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It was the first time deaths from a drug overdose exceeded the 100,000 mark. More than 75,000 of the deaths were caused by opioids, according to the CDC.
Key Background
De Blasio, pushing the program during his last weeks in office, has reportedly told the providers that law enforcement will not take action against them, according to the Times. Mayor-elect Eric Adams had said at a mayoral forum that he was in support of the centers. San Francisco, Boston and Philadelphia are also working to open similar facilities.
Tangent
Under federal law, supervised injection centers are illegal. In 2018, former President Donald Trump’s Justice Department sued a nonprofit that was willing to open a facility in Philadelphia. In October, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up a case involving the nonprofit Safehouse’s plan for a supervised injection center in that state.
Further Reading
Supervised Injection Sites for Drug Users to Open in New York City (New York Times)
U.S. Sets Record For Drug Overdose Deaths—These Three States Had The Biggest Increases (Forbes)
De Blasio administration pushes to approve supervised injection sites (Politico)
De Blasio Wants To Fast-Track Supervised Injection Sites. So What’s Holding Them Back? (Gothamist)
