Advocates for overdose prevention sites say their yearslong effort to provide places in Maryland where people can more safely consume illegal drugs finally may be gaining traction.
Also known as supervised injection sites, the facilities offer clean needles and other supplies to people who use drugs. Trained staff can intervene in opioid overdoses and connect people to treatment and other services. Similar sites in other countries have a track record of reducing fatal overdoses, which hit record numbers in the United States and in Maryland during the coronavirus pandemic.
…“I think this year we have our best chance yet of passing legislation due to years of community education by advocates and public officials,” said Michael Camlin, a program manager for Open Society Institute Baltimore, a nonprofit group also supporting the sites.