Philadelphia nonprofit opening nation's first supervised injection site next week

Safehouse officials say the federal government's planned appeal will not slow their plans, citing a deadly crisis that is showing no signs of abating
NPR (US)
Wednesday, February 26, 2020

us philly overdose prevention siteAfter a two-year battle, the Philadelphia nonprofit Safehouse says next week it will open the first space in the U.S. where people struggling with addiction can use opioids and other illegal drugs under the supervision of trained staff. The announcement comes one day after a U.S. district judge issued a final ruling declaring the facility does not violate federal drug laws. This solidified an October decision, which was the first time a federal court has weighed in on the legality of a supervised injection facility, or what advocates call an overdose prevention site. The planned launch of the controversial facility faces stiff opposition from the Justice Department. (See also: SF to introduce legislation authorizing safe injection sites)