US judge: Injection sites don’t violate federal drug laws
Associated PressPHILADELPHIA — A federal judge ruled Wednesday that supervised injection sites designed to prevent overdoses do not violate federal drug laws, giving advocates in Philadelphia and perhaps elsewhere a boost in their efforts to open them. U.S. District Judge Gerald A. McHugh said there’s no evidence that Congress intended 1980s-era drug laws to cover sites where people could inject drugs and have medical help nearby if they need it. “Safe injection sites were not considered by Congress and could not have been, because their use as a possible harm reduction strategy among opioid users had not yet entered public discourse,” McHugh said in his ruling. Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen said the department was disappointed and would “take all available steps to pursue further judicial review.” “Any attempt to open illicit drug injection sites in other jurisdictions while this case is pending will continue to be met with immediate action by the department,” he said in a statement.
History of this topic
US backs study of safe injection sites, overdose prevention
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US backs study of safe injection sites, overdose prevention
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San Francisco moves to allow non-profits to operate supervised drug injection sites
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