Amid a presidential call for ominous commercials and increased use of the death penalty to curb the U.S. opioid crisis, areas around the country are toying with a different idea to stop the deadly scourge: letting people use drugs freely, but under supervision.
The notion of so-called safe injection or consumption sites butts heads with what critics of President Donald Trump's recently announced plan to battle the epidemic consider a return to the "war on drugs" policies of the past. Such facilities allow people to use previously obtained drugs like heroin in a sterile environment under the supervision of medical professionals or trained staff, who would be available to educate on safe drug use, administer the counteracting drug naloxone in the event of an overdose and offer access to treatment or other social services if requested.
