Safe Injection Facilities

Thank you for your support of a safe injection facility in Massachusetts. My 30 year old son died in a detox center in May 2016. He had a very high level of Fentanyl in his toxicology report. I believe the detox took great care of him, which gives me comfort. In my support group, I hear of mistreatment/neglect of people with substance use disorder when they go to the emergency room/hospitals. I hear of people dying alone due to an overdose. I hear of people who have overdosed being abandoned by their peers due to fear of police involvement. I read about syringes being found in playgrounds and parks. SIFs will help both the people with addiction and people in the community. It is a win/win proposition and I thank you for your work on this issue. People with substance use disorder/addiction need effective treatment and based on the research, they have a better chance at SIFs.

3 replies on “Safe Injection Facilities”

  1. The vote by the State Senate on 7/19/2018 to form a commission to study a proposal to establish supervised injection sites was sound. There are many issues to be explored. Are users of the site free to bring all of their own supplies including needles, syringes and their drug. Any “supervisor” at such a site may then be overseeing the use of contaminated equipment, dangerous techniques of injecting with dire consequences and of course the administration of an untested, non-regulated substance of unknown origin. I cannot imagine any licensed medically trained person agreeing to supervise such an arrangement. In the event of a medical emergency, what will be the requirements for any supervisor to alert emergency personnel and institute life-saving activities before the arrival of emergency personnel? Will there be liability if the injecting user dies or suffers life-long debilitation due to the injection? There are continuing reports of individuals entering health care facilities and using closed door bathrooms to inject. Pity the unfortunate staff who find deceased overdosed individuals in bathrooms with their drug paraphernalia. The conundrum is unanswered: how do the helpers reach the individuals racked by addiction who cannot accept assistance from proffered resources but still want some recognition as they circle the abyss?

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