Do Supervised Drug Injection Sites Work?

“Drastic times call for drastic measures” might as well be the mantra of a growing number of cities and states in the U.S. that are considering a controversial and unconventional approach to the opioid epidemic: supervised drug injection sites.

Yes, trained medical staff assist drug users shoot up, and the evidence for this harm-reduction approach is promising: fewer needles on the street and fewer folks overdosing. Proponents say that these clinics — technically illegal in the U.S. — are also a pipeline into treatment.

To learn more, Sam Goldman hopped over to San Francisco, where there’s been plenty of interest.