San Francisco Considers Nation's First Safe Injection Site for Addicts

[Details]

I have a hard time visualizing a hard core heroin (or other) addict, spending all his time and effort running around during the day to try to scrounge up enough money for another "bag" or two or three or four, probably by now being in the throws of withdrawal and taking his last $1 or whatever to hop on a bus to go to one of these SAFE clinics.

That guy is gonna shoot up in the first place he can find - which is just around the corner!

IMO, the hard core drug users don't think twice about overdosing.

I don't think the clinics are about the hard core users. But there are many, many lightweights - and they're the most likely to go to rehab, still want to have a life. A hard-core - they're already dead in their own minds. But the cocaine addict that works as an accountant, still making a living - he might go to the clinic.

The clinic that exists is apparently a success, according to those living in the neighborhood with it - got rid of all the druggies injecting right there in the street. Sure, they're just indoors, but they aren't doing it around the general public when they do that.

 

[Nova]

Good points, Details. Drugs do a lot of damage to people. My question is - do drugs do more ancillary damage to innocent people (non-users) because they are illegal? My answer - maybe!!....

I don't think there's any "maybe" about it.

Between (i) illegality inflating the price of drugs and driving users to crimes against all of us, (ii) the tax burden used to pay for the War on Drugs, (iii) the inevitable corruption of the judicial system, and (iv) the extended sentences given for relatively minor drug offenses, there's no question we pay a crippling price in our desire to limit drug use. And there's little evidence that we are at all successful in doing so.

 

[Nova]

I'd say unquestionably. Make the drugs legal, and the cocaine user who is still holding a job will no longer be subsidizing the violent drug dealler for his stash, and prices will drop so less thieving is required to support a habit. No question about it to me...


But....


Then we have the people, I think a huge number, who never try drugs because they are illegal. You try alcohol, but not drugs. If it was legal, it'd be easier to get, and I think it'd be an enourmous quantity of additional people trying it - and once you try it, you're hooked, become a user, and become useless.

It isn't quite that immediate and direct for most people, despite what we hear from government propaganda. But that's not to say addiction isn't a terrible risk.

However, if we treat drug abuse as a health issue rather than a criminal one, then we should be able to erect barriers to discourage new addictions. It wouldn't be hard, for example, to restrict shelters like the one in S.F. to hardcore addicts and keep them from becoming places for the novice to drop by and shoot up for the first time. Something like a doctor's prescription could be required (if, of course, we make doctors available for that purpose). No such system would be foolproof, of course, but then we aren't able to prevent new users under our current system with all its draconian punishments.

 

[dingo]

Have the public been mislead..a call for closure..

http://www.drugfree.org.au/fileadmin/Media/Reference/DFA_Injecting_Room_Booklet.pdf

 

[southcitymom]

It isn't quite that immediate and direct for most people, despite what we hear from government propaganda. But that's not to say addiction isn't a terrible risk.

However, if we treat drug abuse as a health issue rather than a criminal one, then we should be able to erect barriers to discourage new addictions. It wouldn't be hard, for example, to restrict shelters like the one in S.F. to hardcore addicts and keep them from becoming places for the novice to drop by and shoot up for the first time. Something like a doctor's prescription could be required (if, of course, we make doctors available for that purpose). No such system would be foolproof, of course, but then we aren't able to prevent new users under our current system with all its draconian punishments.

This is the side of the line I fall on. While I can truly understand arguments from those concerned about legalizing drugs, I really think legalization, done correctly, would have positive far-reaching effects for all of society.

 

[Details]

It isn't quite that immediate and direct for most people, despite what we hear from government propaganda. But that's not to say addiction isn't a terrible risk...

Yep, most people. But even if addiction is only immediate for some, particularly susceptible people, to me, that's plenty. I know it's not for everyone - not quite anyway - nearly everyone gets the rush and whatever euphoric effects, and while that's not physical addiction, it'll draw them back to the drug.

 

[CyberLaw]

O.K., if a person is caught "miles away" from a "safe injection" site with drugs, then said person would be arrested. They are in possession of illegal drugs.

The purpose of this "safe injection site" is harm reduction. If an addict overdoes in front of your house, well it would take people time to call 911, pick him up, take him to hospital and then figure out what is wrong.

But if a person overdoses at this site, they will not be in plain public view and would receive immediate medical attention.

Lets not get into the "just say No to drugs" as we all know that is a failure.

The safe injection site in Vancouver has saved lives, and I am all for any method that is legal to "reduce" harm to a person if they inject drugs and possibly save them from death.

Also at this site, people are given "information regarding health services, and addiction services, along with their "harm reduction" program.

So an addict goes to this safe injection site, tell the Doctor on site, that he/she would like to enter a program and get off of drugs. They receive support, guidance and resources to attempt to "reach" their goal of being a non addicted person.

Would you rather see a person "shoot" up drugs on a street, or not see them shoot up drugs at a safe injection site.

 

[dingo]

I think the rooms make it too easy for the addict..theres no evidence that anyone has been rehabilitated due to the opening of these rooms...the more I think about it the more I am against them.

 

[Nova]

Yep, most people. But even if addiction is only immediate for some, particularly susceptible people, to me, that's plenty. I know it's not for everyone - not quite anyway - nearly everyone gets the rush and whatever euphoric effects, and while that's not physical addiction, it'll draw them back to the drug.

My personal experience is that the danger of addiction varies quite widely from person to person and, even among those of us who have personalities prone to addiction, from drug to drug. I can take or leave cocaine and alcohol and pot, but don't ever get between me and my cigarettes or coffee!

 

[Nova]

This is the side of the line I fall on. While I can truly understand arguments from those concerned about legalizing drugs, I really think legalization, done correctly, would have positive far-reaching effects for all of society.

I see no reason why coffee should be criminalized just because I sometimes drink too much of it. Likewise, I don't see why I shouldn't be able to smoke a joint now and then just because somebody else ruined his life with pot.

 

[southcitymom]

I see no reason why coffee should be criminalized just because I sometimes drink too much of it. Likewise, I don't see why I shouldn't be able to smoke a joint now and then just because somebody else ruined his life with pot.

Amen, Nova!

 

[southcitymom]

My personal experience is that the danger of addiction varies quite widely from person to person and, even among those of us who have personalities prone to addiction, from drug to drug. I can take or leave cocaine and alcohol and pot, but don't ever get between me and my cigarettes or coffee!

Even someone like me (with a proven track record of not being able to use addictive substances successfully - LOL!) can say that. I could never get addicted to cocaine or meth - those drugs make me yawn and scratch my head - I don't even "get" why some people like them.

Also, crazy as it sounds, I've known several functional junkies (ie - heroin addicts) - people with jobs and families and responsibilities that they meet. Addiction is as nuanced as any other human behavior - it can't always be painted with broad strokes.

 

[CyberLaw]

Dingo: With all due respect.

This room and facility just makes it "safe" to inject drugs. It is easy anywhere to prepare and inject drugs. From a public washroom to a public park.

But at least you and your kids will not see an addict overdose in the park or street. Because at this site if a person overdoses, it is done with people around that can save a person's life and "reduce" harm to that person.

It is not like drugs purchased off the street are of the same grade, same factors like a pharmacy. It varies, one day a person may take the drug and not overdose, the next day with the same type of drug, bought from a different person, but the same amount will lead to death.

It is all about harm reduction not attempting to "stop" the addict and counsel the addict. They are an addict, they need to stop if they are willing to, but "grabbing" an addict when they want to quit and not putting up obstacles to quitting and treatment is about offering the services when and how they are required.

As for pot, please it is not addictive, has less physical and social impacts and the associated social, financial, and human costs then booze.

I say: If Pot was sold and taxed in "outlets" are you kidding me, the "good" from those taxes to the general public as a whole and not making teenagers, mothers, and older people have to rely on "illicit" means to get pot would benefit society as a whole. Plus it would not "make" street dealers and organized crime profit, society as whole would profit by means of extra taxes.

Amsterdam got it right..........

 

[dingo]

Pot doesnt worry me Cyberlaw..to each his own with that one.
We are going to have different opinions on the rooms.....I would rather see the money spent on beds in rehabs for those users who truely want help,my link above provided some figures on the money spent to keep the rooms open..the same money could provide something like 120 full time beds to those who want to turn their life around.
If you inject heroin you take the risk of dying it as simple as that.....take away that risk and the world of a junkie becomes a whole lot brighter....I just gave up smoking because it was slowly killing me but if I thought I could smoke and not kill myself Id have one hanging out of my mouth now...they say nicotein is as addictive as heroin but Im not sure on that one.
The rooms are servicing 220 addicts per day very few of who are seeking referals for rehab....there are many many more addicts who are not using the rooms resulting in overdoses which are still occuring in public view and needles are still ending up in the streets.....nearly all public toilets here are set up with the user in mind.
Maybe my logic is very flawed on this one Cyber but I am very openminded to new ways to help an addict make a turn around in their lives and I just dont see the results that were expected when these rooms opened 5 years ago.
Heres a link with some interesting info.
http://www.drugfree.org.au/fileadmin/Media/Reference/DFA_Injecting_Room_Detailed_Research.pdf