Boston charity plans to open US's first room for supervised heroin highs
The room would come with soft chairs, a nurse and basic life-saving equipment
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Your support makes all the difference.A charity in Boston is planning to open the US’s first “drop in centre” where heroin users could ride out a high under medical supervision.
In a proposal that has sparked both praise and criticism, the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Programme (BHCHP) wants to establish a room with a nurse, soft chairs and basic medical equipment for drug users to be safe while coming down off a heroin high.
The group stresses that it does not want the place to become a location where users would inject. But it would provide a safe environment away from the streets while people rode out the drug rush.
The planned centre - which does not yet have funding - would be located at the junction of Massachusetts Ave and Albany Street, an area that is known as a place where opiate users congregate. Local people call it “Methadone Mile”.
The workers involved in the project say the idea was borne out of the experience of stepping over overdosed drug users as they made their way to the clinic’s offices.
“The epidemic feels like it’s been crescendoing on this block,” Dr Jessie Gaeta, the BHCHP chief medical officer, told WBUR radio. “We’ve got to try new things.”
She added: “It really is the epicenter of opiate overdose in Boston.”
There have for months been conversations among opiate addiction providers about creating a Supervised Injection Facility in Boston. Nine countries around the world have such facilities — where men and women inject heroin or ingest other illegal drugs, under the guidance of a nurse or other medical professional. The only one in North America is in Vancouver.
HCHP has asked local foundations to help fund the $250,000 cost of the “safe space.” A nurse and street outreach worker would move among 10 or so users to check breathing, other vitals and general health.
“If you overdose, we’re going to be able to respond immediately, save your life,” said Ms Gaeta.
“We’re going to talk to you about treatment options, we’re going to offer it, ideally, on demand, like the moment you’re interested in methadone maintenance or Suboxone or a detox programme, we’re going to work like heck to get you in that day.”
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