A letter in the New England Journal of Medicine offers insights into health outcomes at an illegal safe injection site in the U.S., and its impact on substance abuse. The evaluation of the unsanctioned site in an undisclosed location found that after 5 years and some 10,000 injections, there were 33 opioid-involved overdoses—all of which were reversed by administering naloxone—and no deaths or referrals to an outside medical institution. Because the study was limited to one city and one site, the results cannot be generalized. But they do offer preliminary evidence that such sites could reduce mortality at a time when nearly 70,000 individuals die each year from drug overdose.
As is often the case with safe consumption models, what’s missing is the treatment component: this study concludes that safe sites could allow substance users to link to other services including treatment, but does not require it. The Rosenthal Center supports safe injection site pilot projects that would create a continuum of care allowing individuals to enter treatment and rebuild their lives—rather than offering only a safe and controlled environment to shoot up drugs.
Meanwhile, a new study from Finland analyzing vaping ads on Instagram shows that vaping companies clearly target young people. About 40 percent of the hundreds of thousands of images that appeared over 6 months promoted flavored e-liquid devices that are very popular with young people.
And finally, the New York City Council as approved a list of occupations that will still require pre-employment testing for cannabis—adding obvious categories such as workers who operate heavy machinery, fuel aircraft and regularly operate a motor vehicle. The original bill said police officers and anyone supervising or caring for children would be tested for pot use.