The Boston City Council is worried about creating supervised safe injections sites for drug users.
The council met during a working session about opioid abuse. Currently, there are bills before the Legislature that would allow safe injection sites in the Commonwealth.
Some councilors worried about crime impacting the community because of these sites.
“They’re going to keep using, so how are they going to get the money to sustain that addiction,” asked councilor Ed Flynn.
Councilor Annissa Essaibi-George recently toured similar facilities in Vancouver and was fearful after what she saw. She is visiting Toronto next week to see more but so far, she said she is not in favor of those sites.
Some councilors worried that these sites would create a “Methadone Mile” and would just draw more drug abusers to the area.
However, other councilors said they could be in favor of the idea.
“This could prevent more deaths,” councilor Kim Janey said.
The council believes there needs to be more certified sober homes throughout the city. Currently, most of the sober homes are in Janey and councilor Frank Baker’s districts. For every bed available, there are 30 people looking for that bed according to the council.
“What are we doing for folks in other places,” Janey asked about residents dealing with substance issues who don’t live in her district. “Addiction knows no boundaries.”
Essaibi-George said Boston would most likely need more than 100 safe injection sites throughout the city in order for them to be useful to people.
“We need a lot,” she said. “We know people won’t travel far for them.”
She also said the council will need to have several more meetings surrounding these issues to learn more and develop local policies.
“This is sort of a data dump right now,” she said. “This is going to take a few sessions.”
Of all the stupid proposals the city has approved over the years they don’t come close to the stupidity of this idea.
Can’t believe I’m reading this. Are clean needles and drugs going to be made available? This should really deter people from looking for help and taking drugs.
The emphasis should be on treatment and recovery . Not convience for people to shoot up drugs.
It seems to be a competition. This new low level will eclipsed by next week. It’s only a matter of time until neighboring states start buying bus tickets and sending their problems here.
Please … not in our city.
This is disgusting! We have enough problems with drug abuse in our community. If this comes true I can Guarantee That drug dealers will be around the corner selling their poisonous Drugs praying on addicts before they enter Stupid Safe places! Doesn’t anyone do their homework! Makes no sense
Currently users OD in library bathroom. Safer for them and my children if there were safe injection sites. I’m torn. But it’s not so easy.
Neighbor, I understand your concern but by offering so called safe injection sites more addicts will be coming into the neighborhood bringing in a laundry list of problems.The City and the City Council is clueless just as they were when their “solution” to the drug issues in the seventies was to distribute methadone which is more addictive than heroin. Today the State gives them EBT card food stamps, money, and free needles. So it appears once again instead of solving a problem their creating a bigger one again just like the methadone failed experiment. Is the city going to provide them with the drugs as well?
” Is the city going to provide them with the drugs as well?”
Only if they can make a profit.