Safe Injection Sites In Philly: Yea or Nay?

PHILADELPHIA – Drug policy reform advocates often push for supervised injection sites to provide drug users a safe place to use drugs, away from potentially dangerous situations. And Democratic candidate for Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner has now called for safe injection sites in the city.

Krasner, who emerged as the Democratic nominee for Philly's top prosecutor position in November, recently came out in favor of the controversial safe injection sites.

"I will support properly run and appropriately located supervised injection facilities," Krasner said Wednesday, according to NBC10. “No child should have to avoid dirty needles on the way to school. No mother should lose her son to a preventable overdose. No community should have to live with the problems of an entire society on its doorstep."

Safe injection sites provide clean, sterile settings for drug users. Advocates say the sites help keep needles of the street, prevent the spread of disease through needle sharing, limit overdoses, and potentially cut back on crime.

Not only did Krasner come out in favor of the controversial supervised injection sites, Republican DA candidate Beth Grossman also expressed interest in the topic, saying she would consider a pilot program for safe injection sites with community input.

"It's public health issue," she told NBC10.

A spokesperson for Mayor Jim Kenney's office told Philly.com that in the future the city will make a decision on advancing a potential safe injection site.

Do you think providing a safe injection site in Philadelphia is a good idea? Let us know in the comments.

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