<<<Insert why you are supportive of a healthier and safer Denver - in your own words. Why you care? Why this is needed now?!?!>>>>
Supervised use sites (SUSs) are controlled health care settings where people can more safely inject drugs under clinical supervision and receive health care, counseling, and referrals to health and social services, including drug treatment. SUSs have been rigorously studied and found to reduce the spread of infectious disease, overdose deaths, and improperly discarded injection equipment, and to increase public order, access to drug treatment and other services, and to save taxpayer money.
Also called safer injection sites, drug consumption rooms, and supervised injecting centers, overdose prevention sites, (& locally, supervised use sites/supervised consumption sites). SUSs are designed to reduce the health and public order issues often associated with public injection by providing a space for people to inject pre-obtained drugs in a hygienic environment with access to sterile injecting equipment and under the supervision of trained medical staff.
There are at least 102 SUSs operating in 63 cities around the world in ten countries (Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, Spain, Denmark, Greece, Australia and Canada)- but none in the United States. France recently approved the development of four SUSs.
Numerous peer-reviewed scientific studies have proven the positive impacts of SUSs. These benefits include:
Increased access to drug treatment, especially among people who distrust the treatment system and are unlikely to seek treatment on their own.
Reduced public disorder, reduced public injecting, and increased public safety.
Attracting and retaining a high risk population of people who inject drugs, who are at heightened risk for infectious disease and overdose.
Reduced HIV and Hepatitis C risk behavior (e.g. syringe and other injection equipment sharing, unsafe sex).
Reducing the prevalence and harms of bacterial infections (e.g. staph infection, endocarditis).
Successfully managing overdoses and reducing overdose death rates.
Cost savings resulting from reduced disease, overdoses, and need for emergency medical services, and increased preventive healthcare and drug treatment utilization.
Not increasing community drug use.
Not increasing initiation into injection drug use.
Not increasing drug-related crime.
Sincerely,
Your Constituent - XX of District X Your address (or at least your street and zip code)
STEP 4: PLEASE TWEET (or include your own personal message to each):
