San Francisco Considers Establishing Safe Injection Site

The Tenderloin, a notorious San Francisco dwelling of injection drug users, is an obvious choice for a city-funded, legal center where intraveneous drug users can receive free needles and consume drugs in a safe environment according to an October 19, 2007 San Francisco Chronicle article ("S.F. Injection Center Idea Draws Support and Doubt"). The Chronicle reported that 'Momentum for such a center seems to be gaining strength among drug reform advocates and some public health workers, who say it will help stop the spread of HIV and hepatitis C, prevent deaths from drug overdoses and keep dirty needles off city streets.Supporters include the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, the Mission Neighborhood Resource Center, the Harm Reduction Coalition and San Francisco General Hospital's Opiate Treatment Outpatient Program. But so far, no San Francisco politician appears ready to champion the cause."

According to the Chronicle, "It took 10 years of community organizing for the Vancouver center to go from idea to reality, said Sarah Evans, the center's program coordinator, who spoke Thursday at the San Francisco symposium. Insite, which opened four years ago, is North America's only injection drug center, though many exist in Europe. Insite is a rather bland, sterile place used by 800 intravenous drug users every day. They bring their own drugs - most often heroin, crack, cocaine and crystal methamphetamine - but are given free needles by the center's staff. The center hands out and collects 2 million needles a year. Despite a lot of initial skepticism, the Vancouver center now has the backing of the majority of the public, the mayor, the police chief and local merchants, Evans said."

The Chronicle noted that "The center has proven it can help stop the spread of disease and prevent deaths from overdoses, said Dr. Thomas Kerr, an HIV/AIDS researcher at the University of British Columbia. He has studied Vancouver's injection facility since its inception, and spoke at Thursday's event. Kerr said 800 overdoses have happened at the facility, but they have resulted in no deaths because trained professionals are right there. Without the center, overdoses would happen in back alleys or single-room-occupancy hotel rooms where there would be no help, he and other supporters of the facility said.' It's really been studied to death - it's time to move on,' Kerr said. 'It's obvious this is something that works."