What are Safe Injection Sites? 
Safe injection sites allow drug users a space where they can use drugs with sterile equipment and be medically supervised.  
 
How Safe Injection Sites Can Be Beneficial  
Approximately 275,000 citizens of Massachusetts suffer from an opioid use disorder (Freyer, 2018). Our citizens are already addicted and already in danger, not bringing attention to this topic does not solve the problem. Having a safe place helps to reduce the stigma around drug addiction and allows those who need a safe place to use. If people use on the streets it puts themselves and others around them at risk. Having safe sites allows for safe a sterile injection which can prevent the spread diseases. Having a safe place also prevents needles from being discarded on the street. Those who use these sites might feel more comfortable and inclined to seek additional support. The harm reduction approach works with looking at preventing harm and working with what the person is ready for. We cannot stop people from using if they’re not ready, but we can have the door open and support them wherever they’re at.  
 
People’s Concerns 
According to Karunaratne (2021) there are some concerns about safe injection sites. People have mentioned a concern that having safe injection sites will bring crime to the area. That safe injection sites encourage the use of drugs. Or that safe injection sites have not been properly studied to see their effectiveness.  
Karunaratne (2021) discusses research done at a safe injection site in the U.S. from the years 2014-2016. The facility assisted with more than 2,574 injections, two of which had overdoses but were reversed from naloxone. From surveying clients, the study found that it prevented 1,725 syringes from being disposed of in the public, and 92.2 percent of the injections they administered would have been done elsewhere. 
Gordon (2018) talks about Insite, a safe injection site in downtown Vancouver. The research found that fatal overdoses around the facility had been prevented. The study also found that although people suspected that a facility like this would encourage drug use and encourage more people to populate the area, that wasn’t the case. The site was a resource to those who were already in the area. The research also found that people were more likely to enter a detox program and enroll in longer term recovery services.  
  
This petition seeks the support for Massachusetts to allow safe injection sites throughout the state. Many communities throughout Massachusetts have been impacted by addiction. Having safe injection sites available to communities who need it will help encourage those who are already struggling to get safe support.  
 
 
References  
Freyer, F. J. (2018). New Study suggests opioid addiction in Mass. is much worse than thought - The Boston Globe. BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved from https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/10/25/new-study-says-opioid-addiction-mass-much-worse-than-thought/x08PkYughh6IBJ2yASdUoL/story.html#:~:text=The%20study%20estimates%20that%20275%2C000%20Massachusetts%20residents%20suffered,as%20four%20times%20worse%2C%20according%20to%20new%20research 
Gordon, E. (2018). Lessons from Vancouver: U.S. cities consider supervised injection facilities. WHYY. Retrieved from https://whyy.org/segments/lessons-from-vancouver-u-s-cities-consider-supervised-injection-facilities/ 
Karunaratne, S. (2021). Safe injection sites: Are they helping or hurting? Nova Recovery Center Near Austin Texas. Retrieved from https://novarecoverycenter.com/addiction/safe-injection-sites/