Government sponsored heroin? New proposed legislation in Ithaca, New York that would offer government facilities for addicts shoot up in, and critics on both sides of the argument aren’t sure what to make of it.
According to ABC, Ithaca mayor Svante Myrick wants a government run facility where heroin addicts can shoot up under the supervision medical specialists.
It’s not surprise that this idea has proven to be divisive, with vocal critics both for and against the idea. For example, Dessa Bergen-Cico, a Syracuse University Professor, lauded the mayor’s proposal and called it “bold and challenging.”
While Ithaca would be the first U.S. city to open a supervised injection facility, this phenomena if far from new. The idea is that addicts can not only receive health care and counseling for their addiction, but a clean and safe environment as well. There are around 100 similar facilities around the world, located in countries like Switzerland, Germany, Norway, Spain, Canada and more.
Not everyone, however, is pleased with the controversial idea.
“If the mayor wants to do it, it’s up to him to do it,” said Bill Rusen, director of Cayuga Addiction Recovery services in Ithaca. “But me personally, I’m not willing to go out on that sort of limb.”
The proposal was developed with a committee of over 350 Ithaca community members and includes a recommendation that police stop arresting people for low-level drug possession and sales. Mayor Myrick’s hope is that drug offenses can be treated less severely and that offenders be offered treatment and other helpful services rather than jail.