For the primary time, the U.S. authorities can pay for a big research measuring whether or not overdoses will be prevented by so-called protected injection websites, locations the place individuals can use heroin and different unlawful medication and be revived in the event that they take an excessive amount of.
The grant offers greater than $5 million over 4 years to New York College and Brown College to review two websites in New York Metropolis and one opening subsequent yr in Windfall, R.I.
Researchers hope to enroll 1,000 grownup drug customers to review the websites’ results on overdoses, to estimate their prices, and to gauge potential financial savings for the well being care and felony justice techniques.
The colleges introduced the grant Monday. The cash won’t be used to function the websites, the schools mentioned.
With U.S. drug overdose deaths reaching practically 107,000 in 2021, supporters contend protected injection websites, additionally referred to as overdose preventions facilities, can save lives and join individuals with dependancy remedy, psychological well being companies, and medical care.
Opponents fear the websites encourage drug use and that they may result in the deterioration of surrounding neighborhoods.
“There may be loads of dialogue about overdose prevention facilities, however finally, we want information to see if they’re working or not, and what influence they might have on the neighborhood,” mentioned Nora Volkow, director of the Nationwide Institute on Drug Abuse, which awarded the grant.
Websites function in 14 international locations, together with Canada, Australia, and France, in line with the Drug Coverage Alliance, a bunch working for decriminalization and protected drug use insurance policies.
Within the U.S., New York Metropolis opened the primary publicly acknowledged protected injection website in 2021 and Rhode Island turned the primary state to authorize them that yr.
States together with Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico have thought-about permitting them. The governors of California and Vermont vetoed protected injection website payments final yr, and Pennsylvania’s Senate final week voted for a ban on them.
The grant marks one other transfer by the Biden administration towards what is named hurt discount, a technique targeted on stopping demise and sickness in drug customers whereas serving to them get care, versus punishment.
The White Home’s drug management technique is the primary to emphasise hurt discount, and the Justice Division has signaled it’s going to enable protected injection websites.
In December, the Nationwide Institutes of Well being established a hurt discount analysis community to review applications offering companies and provides akin to naloxone, a drug that may reverse overdoses, and supplies to check medication for fentanyl, a strong opioid driving file numbers of overdoses. The brand new research can be a part of that undertaking.
— Carla Ok. Johnson