Graphic by Charlotte Lawson
Content notice: drug addiction
A couple of months ago, my roommate and I were hopping off the C train at 50th St. when we noticed a man sitting on the steps leading out of the train station. This was strange to us, given that the number one rule of New York City etiquette is to never block foot traffic, ever. It was only upon getting closer that we realized what was truly happening.
The man’s shoe laid off to the side, forgotten. His sock draped over the ledge of the stair he sat on. In one hand he held a needle; with the other hand, he spread out the toes on his left foot. We watched him insert the needle in between his first two toes, and press down on the syringe.
This sight was completely jarring. I’d never had to stare addiction in the face explicitly.
Head down, eyes lowered, keep walking. It’s the New York way.
New York City recently welcomed the nation’s first supervised drug injection sites: one in East Harlem, and one in Washington Heights. These are Overdose Prevention Centers, where people can bring and administer their own drugs under the watchful gaze of trained staff. The supervised staff are there to provide visitors with clean needles, administer naloxone in case of an overdose and share information with guests about addiction treatment.
Overdose Prevention Centers and harm reduction are proven to keep people alive and safe. Vancouver, Canada experienced a 35% reduction in fatal overdoses after a safe injection facility was opened, and Sydney, Australia reported an 80% decrease in overdose-related medical service calls in areas with safe-injection centers.
But not even two seconds after learning about these sites opening via a celebratory social media infographic did I see another Instagram story expressing opinions on the opposite side of the spectrum:
“NYC. The place where you can legally SMOKE CRACK & SHOOT HEROIN in a government facility paid for with OUR TAXES but you need a vaccination card to eat at a restaurant for your ‘health and safety.’ I’m moving.”
Then go. Bye!
There are so many things wrong with this post, but let’s put aside the complete ignorance regarding vaccines, public health and the pandemic for a rainy day, and focus on the core issue: a lack of understanding regarding harm reduction.
As defined by the National Harm Reduction Coalition, “Harm reduction is a set of practical strategies and ideas aimed at reducing negative consequences associated with drug use. Harm reduction is also a movement for social justice built on a belief in, and respect for, the rights of people who use drugs.”
One of harm reduction’s signature principles is “meeting people who use drugs ‘where’ they’re at,” which I argue is a rather necessary guiding principle given that 85% of individuals relapse while on the road to sobriety. In fact, relapse is now considered part of the recovery process, rather than an indication of failure in reaching sobriety. This is why creating spaces where people who use drugs can do so safely is incredibly important. Clean needles, trained nurses and Narcan won’t solve addiction, but it may keep our neighbors and loved ones alive if a dosage they take is lethal or laced.
Additionally, drug injection sites are not just physical spaces where people who use drugs can “legally SMOKE CRACK & SHOOT HEROIN.” They are spaces that provide health resources, such as medical care, mental health therapy, drug treatment and other social support for those who have addiction.
On Dec. 21, 2021, the city released a report about the program’s implementation. In the first three weeks of operation, the Overdose Prevention Centers have been used more than 2,000 times and have prevented at least 59 overdoses that could have led to serious injury or death.
This is remarkable, considering the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just reported that out of the “… 90,000 overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2020, over 2,000 of them occurred in New York City alone.”
Two thousand people. Two thousand people received proper treatment and care for their disease. Two thousand people were given a clean needle instead of having to play Russian fucking roulette with their instruments. Two thousand people were pointed towards health resources and social supports, including drug treatment.
Fifty-nine people were brought back from the point of no return. Someone’s father or classmate or peer — although relationship ties do not determine the worth of someone’s life, the fact that they are simply here, existing, does.
I would like to think that I don’t have to explain why saving 59 lives is a good thing, but apparently many people don’t share my thoughts on humanity. Just take a look at the comment section of this Staten Island Advance Instagram post — which is ironic, considering Staten Island is one of the epicenters of our country’s drug crisis, from prescription drugs to heroin; there’s a reason why Staten Island high school students joke about how you can’t walk on one of the borough’s beaches without stepping on a needle.
What’s also ironic to me is that there seems to be an overlap between people who rally for conservative public officials such as former President Ronald Reagan and those who foam at the mouth when you suggest that Overdose Prevention Centers are a good idea. Considering Reagan, and other conservative political leaders, have waged a “war on drugs” that intends to “clean up the streets,” you would think their fans would appreciate a campaign to move people who are injecting or experiencing a high to a monitored, contained location — albeit, Reagan did accomplish this through mass incarceration, in which he doubled the prison population during his eight years in office and beyond, which disproportionately impacted Black Americans. For lack of more explicit words: not cool, dude.
Therefore, harm reduction also keeps the general public safe by bringing drug usage off the street. But I want to be very clear: This argument is not based on the premise that people who use drugs are a blemish to society and need to be isolated, or that those who have addiction are morally corrupt and a danger to everyone. Drugs and addiction are not indicators of moral deficiency. Addiction is a disease and should be treated like any other physical ailment — something that indicates a need for compassion and medical treatment.
So yeah, I support harm reduction. I’m glad my hard-earned dollars go toward Overdose Prevention Centers — they’re doing what they’re supposed to: funding services that promote welfare and provide protection.
RESOURCES:
To learn more about harm reduction
To access free Narcan (Naloxone — administered to prevent opioid overdoses)