- New York City opened the nation's first two safe injection sites for opioid users.
- Trained staff at the centers have already reversed two overdoses that could have been fatal.
- Overdose prevention centers have shown success at reducing deaths in Europe, Canada, and Australia.
New York City opened two supervised injection sites Tuesday to reduce the risk of overdose for opioid users — the first official sites in the nation.
The overdose prevention centers, located in East Harlem and Washington Heights, represent a shift towards harm reduction in addressing the country's opioid crisis.
More than 2,000 people died of drug overdoses in New York City in 2020. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported more than 90,000 overdose deaths across the country last year, and 2021 is on track to be even deadlier.
People who visit the new prevention centers can use drugs under the supervision of nurses or clinical staff, who are trained to recognize signs of an overdose and prepared to reverse overdoses with a medication called naloxone, which is also sold under the brand name Narcan.
During the centers' first day of operation, OnPoint NYC staff told the New York Times they reversed two overdoses that could have killed. More than 70 people visited the two centers before 2 p.m. on Tuesday.
A study conducted by the city concluded these two spaces could save the lives of more than 130 people per year.
Similar sites have been successful at reducing fatal overdoses in cities in Europe, Canada, and Australia. Experts say the main draw of the centers is to prevent people from using drugs alone, which greatly increases their risk of dying of an overdose.
"The national overdose epidemic is a five-alarm fire in public health, and we have to tackle this crisis concurrently with our COVID fight," New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi said in a statement. "Giving people a safe, supportive space will save lives and bring people in from the streets, improving life for everyone involved. Overdose prevention centers are a key part of broader harm reduction."