The primary government-sanctioned overdose prevention facilities within the U.S. didn’t trigger a rise in crime, based on a brand new research.
In November 2021, two overdose prevention facilities (OPCs)—areas the place folks can use medicine with out being arrested and be revived in the event that they overdose—opened in Manhattan with the blessing of the town authorities. Since then, OnPoint NYC, the non-profit group working each areas, that are additionally known as protected drug consumption websites, stated it has reversed over 1,000 overdoses. However New York Governor Kathy Hochul has refused to make use of cash from opioid settlements to fund the websites, and extra not too long ago, has questioned their efficacy. One of many important criticisms of overdose prevention facilities is that they encourage drug use and legal exercise of their surrounding neighborhoods—an concept that’s been beforehand debunked in locations like British Columbia, Canada, the place they’re authorized.
The research about New York’s websites, printed in JAMA Community Open, tracked reported crime and dysfunction complaints, and 911 and 311 calls within the areas surrounding the 2 overdose prevention facilities from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2022. It in contrast that information to calls round 17 syringe trade applications across the metropolis and located that “no vital modifications had been detected in violent crimes or property crimes recorded by police, 911 requires crime or medical incidents, or 311 calls relating to drug use or unsanitary situations noticed within the neighborhood of the OPCs.”
“To those that fear that opening overdose prevention facilities will improve crime in neighborhoods that want a lot of these applications, I might say that our evaluation doesn’t bear that out,” stated lead research writer Brandon del Pozo, assistant professor of medication and of well being companies, coverage and apply at Brown College, in a information launch.
There was additionally an 82 p.c discount in low-level drug possession arrests across the websites and a 56 p.c discount in weapons possession arrests within the speedy vicinities of the 2 websites.
The research stated which will “replicate the municipality’s want to not deter shoppers from visiting OPCs in the event that they worry arrests for narcotics possession.”
It additionally stated the OPCs could also be absorbing “behaviors that will have generated 911 calls, 311 calls, and ensuing police exercise” since a couple of third of customers reported being homeless and 76 p.c stated they might use medicine in public in the event that they didn’t have entry to the websites.
Sam Rivera, government director of OnPoint, stated the outcomes are “thrilling” although not stunning contemplating the OPCs have been used almost 100,000 occasions.
“In fact public use has come down as a result of 100,000 occasions folks use with us indoors and never in the neighborhood,” he stated, including the OPCs have additionally collected 2 million items of hazardous waste materials, a few of which can have ended up within the neighborhoods as an alternative.
He stated working with New York police and seeing officers direct drug customers to the OPCs as an alternative of arresting them has been “thoughts blowing.”
The research comes after U.S. Legal professional for New York, Damian Williams, stated his workplace is keen to prosecute OPCs, which stay federally unlawful, except New York policymakers take motion.
“My workplace is ready to train all choices, together with enforcement, if this case doesn’t change briefly order,” he instructed the New York Instances in August.
Rivera stated he interpreted that as a problem for Hochul to guard OPCs beneath state regulation.
It’s been “painful” to look at the governor refuse to make use of opioid settlement funds on the websites, regardless of having champions of the websites like Dr. Chinazo Cunningham on her crew, he added.
“(Hochul) is making a choice to make use of {dollars} earmarked particularly on the misplaced lives of gorgeous folks within the state of New York and all through the nation who use opioids—she’s deciding to not use these {dollars} to maintain these folks alive.”
New York’s websites have been the exception throughout the U.S., as many state and metropolis governments have struck down safe-injection web site proposals.
Philadelphia, which is grappling with an overdose epidemic being fueled by tranq dope, was as soon as set to open the primary OPC within the nation however metropolis council not too long ago voted to pre-emptively ban the websites virtually all over the place. Final yr, California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a invoice that will have allowed some to open within the state, citing issues about “a world of unintended penalties.”
Rhode Island was the primary state to legally sanction overdose prevention facilities; at least one web site is slated to open in early 2024.
Along with reversing overdoses, the websites additionally join folks with detox and therapy companies and wound care, and present them tips on how to safely shoot up medicine.
The research on New York’s OPCs is in keeping with related not too long ago printed papers displaying that decriminalizing medicine doesn’t result in a rise in deadly overdoses or violent crime.
Rivera stated he expects extra overdose prevention facilities to open quickly in New York and across the nation, regardless of the opposition.
“Individuals are managing their ache of watching family members die by taking motion.”