When will they ever learn? The Washington Post updates us on Federal efforts to prevent exploration of ways to cut down on drug overdose deaths.
Philadelphia plans to open supervised opioid injection facility despite federal lawsuit
"Though the plan for what is known as a safe injection site has garnered local support, the city now finds itself in the middle of a major legal fight with the federal government.
"The Justice Department sued the nonprofit Safehouse in February, arguing that opening the facility in Philadelphia — the first supervised consumption facility in the United States — would violate federal law. Likening the idea to a crack house, federal officials say allowing the use of illicit drugs with impunity enables and exacerbates the intractable opioid problem; the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania argued that opening Safehouse would violate the Controlled Substances Act, which makes it illegal to open or run a place where illegal drugs are knowingly used.
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"The overdose rate in Philadelphia is four times the homicide rate; were the statistics reversed “there’d be absolute citizen outcry, they’d have National Guard in the streets,” said former Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell, who is on the Safehouse board and said the organization plans to move forward even with federal opposition."
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see earlier posts
Philadelphia plans to open supervised opioid injection facility despite federal lawsuit
"Though the plan for what is known as a safe injection site has garnered local support, the city now finds itself in the middle of a major legal fight with the federal government.
"The Justice Department sued the nonprofit Safehouse in February, arguing that opening the facility in Philadelphia — the first supervised consumption facility in the United States — would violate federal law. Likening the idea to a crack house, federal officials say allowing the use of illicit drugs with impunity enables and exacerbates the intractable opioid problem; the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania argued that opening Safehouse would violate the Controlled Substances Act, which makes it illegal to open or run a place where illegal drugs are knowingly used.
...
"The overdose rate in Philadelphia is four times the homicide rate; were the statistics reversed “there’d be absolute citizen outcry, they’d have National Guard in the streets,” said former Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell, who is on the Safehouse board and said the organization plans to move forward even with federal opposition."
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see earlier posts