The first national overdose prevention centers are opening in New York

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 1, 2021 (HealthDay News) – The first overdose prevention centers in the United States opened in New York City in the Manhattan East Harlem and Washington Heights neighborhoods.

People will be able to carry their drugs and use them under the supervision of trained staff, who will provide clean needles, prevent overdoses and offer addiction services to those who are interested, city officials said.

Cities and states across the country have been pushing for overdose prevention sites in recent years as the nation’s opioid epidemic worsens.

“If you’re thinking about a public health response to a crisis and you want to sort people out to stop it, this is an intervention that’s likely to do that,” said Caleb Banta-Green, principal investigator at the University of Washington on Drug Addiction. and drugs. The Alcohol Institute, they said NBC News. “They do it in a lot of the world, so we’re really late with the game.”

Critics say such sites would create places that promote drug use, but Banta-Green said they are stopping people from using drugs on their own, something that significantly increases the risk of a fatal overdose. Similar programs, already in use in Australia, Europe and Canada, have already made a dent in deaths: NBC News, Vancouver overdose prevention sites reduce the rate of fatal overdoses there by 35%.

There were more than 90,000 overdose deaths in the United States in 2020, according to the USC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 2,000 of them were in New York, according to an official statement announcing the new centers.

“The national overdose epidemic is a fire with five public health alarms, and we must tackle this crisis at the same time as our fight against COVID,” New York Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi said in a statement. “Giving people a safe and supportive space will save lives and bring people off the streets, improving the lives of all involved. Overdose prevention centers are a key part of wider harm reduction. “

More info

Visit the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more information on opioids.

SOURCE: NBC News