The current debate about the need for the nation’s first safe injection site encompasses several important trends in our society. The war on drugs, criminal justice reform and of course the opioid crisis; are all involved in this debate. The question is whether we should allow such a site in Kensington, ground zero of the opioid crisis. The site would allow addicts to come with their drugs into a clinical setting and use clean needles, have opioid antidotes available and treatment options for the users. Our own Ronda Goldfein, executive director of the AIDS Law Project is leading the charge. Former governor and Mayor Ed Rendell is on the board of the Site Committee of Safehouse Inc. and is a strong supporter. U.S. Attorney William McSwain is leading the opposition. McSwain has filed a civil action on July 17, to stop the site. The matter has been assigned to Judge Gerald McHugh in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The Controlled Substance Act (CSA) also known as the crack house laws are being used to sanctify the legal action. He notes that criminal penalties are not at issue as it is a civil matter. They contend that the law prohibits drug use in such abodes.
I contend that such a site should be permitted and it is a step in the right direction when dealing with the national health emergency that the opioids have created. It is one of the most devastating public health crises in our history. Last year, there were 75,000 opioid-related deaths in the United States. This represents a 16% increase from 2016. In 2017, there were 5,456 deaths in Pennsylvania and 1,217 in Philadelphia. Sadly Philadelphia is the epicenter of the epidemic where opioid deaths outnumber homicides by three to one. Of those deaths, more than half were fentanyl related. Fentanyl, also readily available on the street, was first synthesized around 1960 by Janssen Pharmaceuticals of Belgium. Today’s version is usually illicitly manufactured, often in China and available in white powder form. It can be 100 times more powerful than morphine. It is often mixed with heroin to increase the effect, often with deadly consequences.
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