Safe injection sites - Philly

Buckeye.nurse · Jan 24, 2018

I don't know...that's a tough one. Drug use is a fact of life, and quite frankly, the "war on drugs" isn't working. I am for needle exchange programs, especially when the programs link users with resources such as treatment options. Users are going to use, and preventing the spread of Hep C and HIV makes sense to me. Clean needles are also less likely to cause bacteremia...although the sterility of the injected substance matters just as much if not more. Clean needles don't have an impact on that.

But users injecting under the supervision of doctors and/or nurses? I don't know if I could watch another person inject themselves with a drug that I know is going to harm them. I'm also not sure how that would fit with the Hippocratic oath. We need more discussions on the subject though. Opioid overdoses are a huge cause of mortality. Here in Ohio, some counties are running low on Narcan...and the funds to buy more of it. I'm not sure if this is the right solution, but we need to keep thinking. I'm curious what other people have to say!

Triddin · Jan 24, 2018

Vancouver is one of the pilot cities of safe injection sites and they have actually decreased health care costs by decreasing deaths, hiv spread, and increased the number of those who go for rehabilitation. The truth is, people are going to do drugs. Why not give them a safe place, where if they overdose, you can administer narcan immediately. Many studies have shown them to be an effective harm reduction strategy.

I am personally all for safe injection sites. I've attached Insite's summary of the studies which have been performed since Insite opened. As a note, these studies have been independently peer reviewed and published.

As a highlight,

* in the first year and a half, 273 witnessed overdoses occurred with no deaths

* a year after it opened, there was a 33% increase in patients who went through detoxification

* there was no stastitical significant increase to drug trafficking and a decrease in vehicle thefts and BE in the neighborhood

*there were decreased used needles found in the neighborhood

* an increase in Condom use to prevent HIV

* lower skin infection rate in Ivdu

http://www.bccsu.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/insite_report-eng.pdf (2009)

Munch · Jan 24, 2018

I am all about harm reduction and think that something designated to save lives can't be a bad thing. Where I live they were going to put a mobile unit needle exchange in one of the towns in my county. Too many people made a not in my backyard fuss about it. Not realizing its their children that could be on these drugs. Now if someone wants to access a needle exchange program they need to go into one of the 5 boroughs. Luckily state law says a pharmacist can dispense10 syringes at a time without a prescription. Of course a pharmacist can refuse to dispense them.

Where I live opiate use has reached epidemic status. People are overdosing left and right. People are constantly coming into our ED either because of ODs or abscesses needing medical attention. Its sad. They get patched up and sent out to the front lines until the next time. Supervised injection sites would be a great step in the right direction. These poor souls lives are worth saving. They are worth helping. I read an article that Rikers island jail is handing out narcan to users upon discharge. That's a step in the right direction as well.