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At 3 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon, the drop-in center at New York Harm Reduction Educators’ East Harlem site was bustling. A few people lingered at the back of the room, asking a staffer when it would be their turn to go into a closed-off area where they could use drugs such as heroin or cocaine under staff supervision. Others were hanging out watching TV, socializing or getting some rest on one of the plush yellow chairs that lined the space.
“This is people’s living room. We work with a lot of people who are street-entrenched and homeless and don’t have any place to be,” said Kailin See, senior director of programs at OnPoint NYC. The nonprofit recently gained national attention for opening the country’s first two overdose prevention centers – one here in Harlem and another at the Corner Project in Washington Heights.
Both locations have long provided clean syringes, harm reduction counseling, HIV testing and other services to people who use drugs. It wasn’t until November 30th that they got the green light from Mayor Bill de Blasio to openly allow supervised substance use onsite. The primary purpose of the new centers is to save lives by having someone on hand to intervene with a variety of treatments when an overdose occurs.
Switzerland has had on-site injection lounges for years. If done properly it could be a success but going by the past methadone clinics in NYC and surrounding areas I don't have much hope for this idea. Why would the situation be any different now ?
What we do need is access to Fentanyl testing strips. Not only for heroin but for other drugs as well.
Seems to me the only "success" would be if drug use actually dropped.
Is a junkie's life worth saving? I ask the hard questions that most people shy away from.
There are limited financial resources available. So, why decide to allocate money, time and energy to the dregs of society who WILLINGLY choose to live that way and engage in substance abuse to destroy their own and family/friends' lives? Why not use that money to fund daycare centers, GED classes, vocational training, etc.?
Before I get the holier than thou attitude from some posters who call me a heartless monster, consider the following: how many of you who decry this attitude have donated to a bum they see shaking a change cup on the street? How many of you go volunteer at a homeless shelter more than 1x or 2x a year because of a court ordered remediation or to feel good on the holidays? How many of you are a big Brother/Sister to neighborhood kids deprived of a RESPONSIBLE adult figure?
The solution is tough love: since junkies are incapable of making their own decisions - literally, b/c their brains are consumed by drugs especially the dopamine/seratonin centers which control pleasure and self control impulses - then the only solution is to round up the junkies and put them in a re-education camp in the wilderness where they can slowly wean themselves off the drugs. Then build a responsible career and lives for themselves. In between this time, they can work off their debts to society by engaging in hard, physical labor and go cold turkey on drugs.
This is my friend Lisa. She died from an overdose a year ago at age 38. She leaves behind a family and friends who loved her and grieve her immensely. Her life was definitely worth saving!
Lisa was a kind, caring person who loved interior decorating, animals and fashion. She had a lot to live for but she struggled for many years with deep depression and past trauma that often became too much to bare and she got relief from drugs.
She had tried getting clean several times and did okay for a while but the depression and past trauma always became too much to cope with and she relapsed. She didn't willingly choose to use drugs and destroy her life. She was desperate for relief from the pain of her demons.
She died alone in a hotel room. I'm disgusted that anyone thinks she and her family deserved this.
This is my friend Lisa. She died from an overdose a year ago at age 38. She leaves behind a family and friends who loved her and grieve her immensely. Her life was definitely worth saving!
Lisa was a kind, caring person who loved interior decorating, animals and fashion. She had a lot to live for but she struggled for many years with deep depression and past trauma that often became too much to bare and she got relief from drugs.
She had tried getting clean several times and did okay for a while but the depression and past trauma always became too much to cope with and she relapsed. She didn't willingly choose to use drugs and destroy her life. She was desperate for relief from the pain of her demons.
She died alone in a hotel room. I'm disgusted that anyone thinks she and her family deserved this.
No one deserves that and I wish it wouldn't happen.
On the other hand, I see drug addicts as weak people and many times friends and family abet or ignore their addictions (by excusing the behavior due to sympathy).instead of truly helping (which often times means zero tolerance and not being sympathetic).
Is a junkie's life worth saving? I ask the hard questions that most people shy away from.
There are limited financial resources available. So, why decide to allocate money, time and energy to the dregs of society who WILLINGLY choose to live that way and engage in substance abuse to destroy their own and family/friends' lives? Why not use that money to fund daycare centers, GED classes, vocational training, etc.?
Before I get the holier than thou attitude from some posters who call me a heartless monster, consider the following: how many of you who decry this attitude have donated to a bum they see shaking a change cup on the street? How many of you go volunteer at a homeless shelter more than 1x or 2x a year because of a court ordered remediation or to feel good on the holidays? How many of you are a big Brother/Sister to neighborhood kids deprived of a RESPONSIBLE adult figure?
The solution is tough love: since junkies are incapable of making their own decisions - literally, b/c their brains are consumed by drugs especially the dopamine/seratonin centers which control pleasure and self control impulses - then the only solution is to round up the junkies and put them in a re-education camp in the wilderness where they can slowly wean themselves off the drugs. Then build a responsible career and lives for themselves. In between this time, they can work off their debts to society by engaging in hard, physical labor and go cold turkey on drugs.
Great post. Unfortunately such drastic (but practical) measures aren't possible in lawyered up murica.
Way too much red tape and leeches who just want to waste taxpayer money on things that won't work.
They are only possible in countries like China.
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