For the primary time, the U.S. authorities can pay for a big examine measuring whether or not overdoses will be prevented by so-called protected injection websites, locations the place folks can use heroin and different unlawful medication and be revived in the event that they take an excessive amount of.
The grant gives greater than $5 million over 4 years to New York College and Brown College to check two websites in New York Metropolis and one opening subsequent 12 months in Windfall, Rhode Island.
Researchers hope to enroll 1,000 grownup drug customers to check the websites’ results on overdoses, to estimate their prices and to gauge potential financial savings for the well being care and felony justice methods.
The schools introduced the grant Monday. The cash won’t be used to function the websites, the colleges mentioned.
With U.S. drug overdose deaths reaching almost 107,000 in 2021, supporters contend protected injection websites, additionally referred to as overdose preventions facilities, can save lives and join folks with dependancy remedy, psychological well being companies and medical care.
Opponents fear the websites encourage drug use and that they’ll result in the deterioration of surrounding neighborhoods.
“There’s loads of dialogue about overdose prevention facilities, however in the end, we’d like information to see if they’re working or not, and what affect they could have on the group,” mentioned Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the Nationwide Institute on Drug Abuse, which awarded the grant.
Sites operate in 14 countries, together with Canada, Australia and France, in accordance with the Drug Coverage Alliance, a gaggle working for decriminalization and protected drug use insurance policies.
Within the U.S., New York Metropolis opened the primary publicly acknowledged protected injection web site in 2021 and Rhode Island turned the primary state to authorize them that 12 months.
States together with Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico have thought-about permitting them. The governors of California and Vermont vetoed protected injection web site payments final 12 months, 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 centered on stopping loss of life 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 would permit protected injection websites.
In December, the Nationwide Institutes of Well being established a hurt discount analysis community to check applications offering companies and provides equivalent to naloxone, a drug that may reverse overdoses, and supplies to check medication for fentanyl, a robust opioid driving report numbers of overdoses. The brand new examine can be a part of that challenge.
Extra Should-Reads From TIME
