Providence approves first state-sanctioned safe injection site in Rhode Island
Source: Associated Press
Providence approves first state-sanctioned safe injection site in Rhode Island
BY MICHAEL CASEY
Updated 5:44 PM EST, February 2, 2024
A Rhode Island city has approved the first state-sanctioned safe injection site, a place where people can use heroin and other illegal drugs and be revived if they overdose.
The Providence City Council voted Thursday to establish the site that will be run by a nonprofit and funded with money from opioid settlement money. It is expected to open later this year and be run by the harm reduction organization Project Weber/RENEW and VICTA. Among the services provided will be food and showers, access to the overdose-reversing drug naloxone, case management and housing support as well as HIV testing.
“I am grateful to Weber/RENEW for the vision, advocacy, and hard work they have put into making Rhode Island’s first harm reduction center a reality,” Council President Rachel Miller said in a statement.
Miller, who said she toured the facility a few weeks ago, added that she was confident the center “will save lives and prioritize the well-being of city residents” as it connects people to “healthcare, counseling, and outpatient services.”
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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/safe-injection-site-opioids-rhode-island-06f7483df7c12199c29587d2a86ffcd1
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