ITHACA – At least one community in New York State isn’t waiting for state and federal lawmakers to come up with a solution to prevent drug-related overdoses and overdose deaths.
Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick will introduce a new drug policy later today, calling for supervised heroin injection sites and heroin maintenance therapy. Proponents say the plan would reduce the number of overdoses and deaths caused by heroin, while also giving addicts an opportunity to seek treatment. Opponents say the plan only encourages heroin use and is also a violation of federal drug laws.
The proposal by Myrick is two years in the making. According to a report from the The Ithaca Voice, Mayor Myrick has been working with a committee including members of academia, law enforcement and drug recovery programs to put together a comprehensive, four-pillar drug policy, dubbed “The Ithaca Plan.”
The policy is based on four distinct pillars that each deal with a different element of the drug problem in Ithaca, specifically focusing on opioids and heroin. The four pillars are: Prevention, Treatment, Law Enforcement and Harm Reduction. This policy is modeled after one currently in use in Vancouver, that has seen positive results.
The fourth pillar is the most controversial. The idea behind harm reduction is to acknowledge the fact that people use drugs, yet it is the humane and compassionate choice to find ways to keep them safe and alive long enough to get treatment. As a result, Mayor Myrick hopes to establish a 24-hour crisis center where addicts can go if they are worried they might overdose or are facing withdrawal symptoms. Ultimately, Myrick hopes to adopt a model used in Vancouver: supervised injection facilities, where a person can go and use heroin under medical supervision. According to reports from Vancouver, there have been over 2 million uses at such facilities and not a single fatal overdose.
A press conference unveiling more details about the plan will be held at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday morning.
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