The Benefits of Safe Injection Facilities

The Benefits of Safe Injection Facilities

Harm reduction is a philosophy which revolves around programs and policies that are aimed to reduce the harm done in various moral practices. Harm reduction can specifically be applied to drug use. The first safe injection facility in North America was opened in Vancouver, on September 12, 2003 (MacPhee 5). The Vancouver safe injection facility is called Insite, and is located in the city’s Eastside, which is notorious for crime, poverty, and drug use. Insite was extremely controversial, considering these clinics allow the use of illegal substances. Safe injection facilities do not supply drugs to users, users only bring in their own street-drugs. Despite the controversy, the results of Insite have been exceptionally positive in many aspects. Safe injection facilities are beneficial, not only for drug users but for society as a whole.

Insite is important because it saves lives of drug users. Not a single death has occurred at Insite due to the trained medical staff in the building, despite over 500 accidental overdoses. (MacPhee 6). Saving lives is simply the humanitarian thing to do. All human beings, regardless of drug addictions and the related stigmas, deserve a chance for a better life. There is no reason for premature death due to unnecessary health complications from unsanitary drug use. More importantly, no non-users of intravenous drug usage have begun using such drugs at Insite, despite original fear over Insite encouraging drug use (MacPhee 6).

Safe injection facilities benefit society through stopping the spread of disease. Unsanitary drug injection is the reason for one third of all cumulative AIDS/HIV cases in the United States of America (Beletsky). Other diseases including most forms of hepatitis can also be acquired through the sharing of dirty needles. If drug-users acquire diseases such as hepatitis or HIV/AIDS through needle sharing, they can also pass these diseases on through non-protected sex (Pulsifer). There are various other programs that some clinics use, and all should implement into their methods. Methods on the rise include needle exchange programs, and education