Overdose Prevention
Safe Consumption Sites
Safe Consumption Sites (SCS) or Overdose Prevention Centers (OPC) Have existed around the world for decades. Though, to date, there is only one non clandestine OPC in operation in the United States there are several underground locations throughout the country. These centers are safe spaces for drug takers to come and engage in substance use in the presence of on-site medical staff, social workers, and peer educators. OPCs function similarly to SSPs in the sense that they provide a stigma free environment for people who use drugs to engage peers, ask questions about recovery pathways, receive safer use supplies and education, and learn about overdose prevention and harm reduction. Federal legislation currently prohibits OPCs, however a non-profit organization called OnPoint in NYC has figured out a way to work with municipal policy makers to circumvent federal law and establish 2 separate OPC locations within the city limits. These centers are the first of their kind in the country and have been working to save lives since they opened their doors. OnPoint has several drop in SSP locations, 2 OPCs, and several harm reduction sites that focus on mutual aid, safer use, and sex worker safety. Michigan is in dire need of similar infrastructure, the pathway to achieving this goal starts with POLICY REFORM!
