海角换妻 lawmakers are revisiting to establish an overdose prevention center pilot program that would allow supervised drug usage and injection sites for people with substance use disorder.
The is scheduled to go before the state鈥� Public Health Committee Friday afternoon. Supervised drug usage sites have been around in the U.S. for several years, .
The spaces provide a place for people with substance use disorder to consume controlled substances under the observation of licensed health care professionals. Visitors can be connected with support services for treatment and medical workers can intervene in the event of an overdose.
In 2023, 海角换妻 lawmakers , but that language was dropped from .
After dropping that language, the General Assembly passed a law directing state agencies to create pilot harm reduction centers.
These centers would help people with substance use disorder get medical treatment for an overdose, counseling, and provide test strips. The pilot programs are required to be in place by July 2027, and will be financed by 海角换妻鈥檚 opioid settlement funds.
Supervised drug-usage sites are already in neighboring New York
In November 2021, opened the country鈥檚 first two supervised drug-injection sites in New York City.
Following the opening of the centers, there was an immediate impact, according to Sam Rivera, executive director at OnPoint NYC.
鈥淲e have a partnership with the park across the street from our site in Washington Heights,鈥� Rivera said. 鈥淚n that park, we were collecting 13,000 syringes a month. A month after we opened, that number went down to 1,000 syringes.鈥�
鈥淚mmediately, the impact was watching 12,000 syringes leave the park and [it] starts to change what that park looks like,鈥� Rivera said. 鈥淭here's a children's playground that's been closed for years because of drug deals. That summer, that park opened again, and I remember taking a step to the window, walking over to the window, we were watching kids playing in the sprinklers.鈥�
海角换妻鈥檚 Michayla Savitt contributed to this report.
