Vermont’s House of Representatives passed a bill that would create and fund overdose-prevention centers in the State, as part of a program pilot aimed at reducing the epidemic of drug-related death. This is another attempt to get the facilities approved after Gov. Phil Scott (R) ‘s veto in 2022 of a measure that would have created a taskforce to develop a plan for opening the sites.
H.72 would authorize Vermont to join Rhode Island, and Minnesota, in authorizing facilities where people could use illicit drugs under supervision and be connected with various support services including treatment.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Taylor Small, (D), and 28 others, would allocate $2 million for the creation of overdose prevention centres, along with $300,000.000 to study the impact of the program.
The full House adopted the measure Thursday after adopting several amendments. It now goes to the Senate.
Grey Gardner, Senior Policy Council for the Drug Policy Alliance, which supports this legislation, said: “People across the country acknowledge that old stigmatizing methods don’t work, but evidence shows overdose prevention centers can save lives.”
Gardner reported that Vermont overdose deaths have increased by more than 500 percent since 2010.
He said that the priority should be to save lives, improve connections to care and benefit communities. “Overdose prevention centers have been proven to accomplish this.”
One of the most notable changes made by Rep. Eric Maguire before the House passed the bill was the addition of a provision that allows sites to be opened “only after a positive vote from the local legislative body.”
House amendments earlier to the Bill increased funding for the sites from $1 million to $ 2 million and directed that the study of the pilot program be funded by a state fund to reduce opioid abuse.
Scott could veto the legislation even if it passes the Senate. The bill has been referred by the Health and Welfare Committee to the Senate.
According to WCAX, the governor stated that the government should not be in the business enabling people who are addicted to illegal drugs.
Scott wrote in the 2022 veto of the previous legislation that it “seems counterintuitive” to divert resources away from proven harm-reduction strategies to plan injection site without clear data about the effectiveness.
New York City, the first U.S. jurisdiction to open locally sanctioned harm-reduction centers, in November 2021. Officials have reported that the center has saved lives.
A study by the American Medical Association found that the centers had reduced the risk of overdose and discouraged people from using illicit substances in public. They also provided other ancillary services to those who use illicit drugs. Separate research by the AMA published late last year showed that the centers did not lead to an increase in crime despite a marked decrease in arrests.
The federal government is opposing an attempt to open an overdose-prevention center in Philadelphia. The Biden administration claims that these facilities are against federal law.
The Supreme Court has rejected a request that the case be heard in October 2021.
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Researchers in Congress have pointed out that the position of the federal government regarding such facilities is “uncertain”. They noted last November that legislators could resolve the issue temporarily by passing an amendment similar to the one which has allowed the medical marijuana laws be implemented without Justice Department intervention.
Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, has implicitly endorsed the idea to authorize safe consumption sites . She argues that evidence has shown that these facilities are effective in preventing overdose deaths.
Volkow refused to specify what she thinks should be done with the lawsuit. However, she did say that research on safe consumption sites “has shown that they have saved a significant (percentage) of patients from overdosing.”
Rahul Gupta is the White House Drug Czar. He has stated that the Biden administration is reviewing proposals for harm reduction in drug policy. This includes the authorization of sites with supervised consumption. Rahul even went as far as suggesting possible decriminalization.
In December 2021, the National Institutes of Health issued two requests for applications to examine how harm reduction policies and safe consumption sites could be used to address the drug epidemic.
Gupta is the director of White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. He has stated that it is important to explore “any option” in order to reduce the number of overdose deaths. This may include allowing the use of illegal substances at safe consumption sites if there are sufficient evidence to support their effectiveness.
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