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 folks can use heroin and different unlawful medicine and be revived in the event that they take an excessive amount of.
The grant supplies greater than $5 million over 4 years to New York University and Brown University to check two websites in New York City and one opening subsequent 12 months in Providence, 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 legal justice techniques.
The universities introduced the grant Monday. The cash is not going to be used to function the websites, the schools 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 providers and medical care.
Opponents fear the websites encourage drug use and that they’ll result in the deterioration of surrounding neighborhoods.
“There is a lot of discussion about overdose prevention centers, but ultimately, we need data to see if they are working or not, and what impact they may have on the community,” mentioned Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which awarded the grant.
Sites function in 14 nations, together with Canada, Australia and France, based on the Drug Policy Alliance, a gaggle working for decriminalization and protected drug use insurance policies.
In the U.S., New York City 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 of 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 targeted on stopping loss of life and sickness in drug customers whereas serving to them get care, versus punishment.
The White House’s drug management technique is the primary to emphasise hurt discount, and the Justice Department has signaled it can permit protected injection websites.
In December, the National Institutes of Health established a hurt discount analysis community to check packages offering providers and provides equivalent to naloxone, a drug that may reverse overdoses, and supplies to check medicine for fentanyl, a strong opioid driving report numbers of overdoses. The new research will probably be a part of that venture.
• The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives assist from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely accountable for all content material.
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