Justice Department sues Philadelphia over supervised injection facility that aims to prevent fatal d

[Demovictory9]

The federal government has filed a lawsuit to block the city of Philadelphia from opening a site where people can go to illegally use drugs while under supervision, an effort aimed at preventing overdoses amid the nationwide opioid epidemic. The lawsuit sets up a court battle over whether such facilities violate federal law or save lives.

The Justice Department sued Safehouse, a nonprofit organization that planned to open what is known as a supervised injection facility in Philadelphia. Such facilities allow illicit drug abuse but monitor users closely, getting them immediate help in the event of an overdose or adverse reaction. The idea has gained some traction elsewhere — including San Francisco, Seattle and New York — but has not yet resulted in official facilities for illicit drug use.

Philadelphia leaders have warmed to the idea, and the city is closest to opening one. The city’s district attorney has said he would not prosecute those who operate such a facility or those who use drugs there.

Advocates say that such drug sanctuaries could be an important tool in the fight to stem the opioid epidemic. Philadelphia, which has one of the nation’s most active heroin markets, has seen a high toll from opioid abuse. Supervised injection facilities exist in other countries, and advocates contend they save lives by allowing drug users to use in sanitary conditions where they are monitored for signs of overdose rather than overdosing on the street, where help might not be available. Advocates also believe safe injection sites curb the spread of HIV and hepatitis C by limiting needle sharing.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/justice-department-sues-philadelphia-over-supervised-injection-facility-that-aims-to-prevent-fatal-drug-overdoses/2019/02/06/ed9815a4-2a55-11e9-984d-9b8fba003e81_story.html?utm_term=.c5c17ca5c82a

[mr_lebowski]

1. This sort of thing really needs government imprimatur, not a 'non-profit' ...

along with a supposed 'look the other way' city/state government attitude.

I absolutely guarantee you ... people are going to show up at this place ... looking to cop. Think about it ... You're gonna drag your junkie ass down to this facility, spend bus/train fare ... just so you can be 'supervised' ... doing what you already do everyday? Where's the incentive IF YOU'RE HOLDING? You're just going to shoot wherever the hell you are. The people who WILL drag their ass down? Are people who are OUT.

Is there SOME motivation to get people to come down and use here? I mean do they at least give out clean needles? Is it warm, and clean, and they'll have a buncha TV's, tuned to a lot of different channels? Something?

What is the city going to do when the immediate vicinity becomes a haven for drug dealers and people looking to score? You know that's going to happen. In fact, it's going to happen IN THE PLACE. And what do you do if you're the non-profit? Call the cops? Do you REALLY want nobody to ever show up?

And if the cops come, what do THEY do, faced with a bunch of people with needles in their arms and bags of dope on their person?

This sort of thing can't be done half-ass, with a 'look the other way' government and nobody knowing WTF is legal and what is not.