{"id":524632,"date":"2022-12-10T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-10T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/why-safe-injection-sites-put-nyc-communities-in-danger\/"},"modified":"2022-12-10T16:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-12-10T13:00:00","slug":"why-safe-injection-sites-put-nyc-communities-in-danger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-safe-injection-sites-put-nyc-communities-in-danger\/","title":{"rendered":"#Why \u2018safe\u2019 injection sites put NYC communities in danger"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2ed560b2a0f\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg 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class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-safe-injection-sites-put-nyc-communities-in-danger\/#%E2%80%9CWhy_%E2%80%98safe_injection_sites_put_NYC_communities_in_danger%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Why \u2018safe\u2019 injection sites put NYC communities in danger&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CWhy_%E2%80%98safe_injection_sites_put_NYC_communities_in_danger%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Why \u2018safe\u2019 injection sites put NYC communities in danger&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n        <\/aside>\n<p>Just over a year ago, New York City opened the nation\u2019s first \u201csafe injection\u201d sites (SIS) \u2014 two taxpayer-funded locations (one in Harlem, the other in Washington Heights) where people can use drugs while overseen by a medic.<\/p>\n<p>Supporters claim that allowing drug addicts to shoot up with clean needles in a supervised setting is the most compassionate way to<strong> <\/strong><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/harmreduction.org\/about-us\/principles-of-harm-reduction\/\">\u201creduce negative consequences associated with drug use\u201d <\/a>They argue these sites will address the nation\u2019s growing addiction crisis, which claimed the lives of 109,000 Americans in 2022 \u2014<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kktv.com\/2022\/09\/14\/us-drug-overdose-deaths-remain-near-record-highs-cdc-says\/\"> a 44% increase over 2020<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>To the surprise of few who understand these diseases, hardly any the SIS customers \u2014 <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/sf.gov\/data\/increasing-connections-care-people-tenderloin#visits-to-the-tenderloin-center\">less than 1% <\/a>\u2014 request treatment once they are comfortably able to engage in continued drug use. <\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2021%2F11%2F30%2Fnyregion%2Fsupervised-injection-sites-nyc.html&amp;data=05%7C01%7Cmsteeb%40texaspolicy.com%7Cb62bb3e870c2406bad9608dad7a5de8d%7Ca09e2cb6dde84dd8ae3df1e84f57dd50%7C0%7C0%7C638059404670487933%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=ZXVHE7ClDrz1Yd9jjdtsNs%2B3b8IXHJC6%2Fqf4y%2B1Mabg%3D&amp;reserved=0\">New York Times<\/a>,\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fnycpa%2Fstatus%2F1480632692563759104%3Fs%3D20%26t%3DzcPpxpqVQ06HCRvDbkv9zg&amp;data=05%7C01%7Cmsteeb%40texaspolicy.com%7Cb62bb3e870c2406bad9608dad7a5de8d%7Ca09e2cb6dde84dd8ae3df1e84f57dd50%7C0%7C0%7C638059404670487933%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=hc6yQ9X4IybMgtKZfcF9T2l4R9ROsQsy9D%2B%2F26Mw27E%3D&amp;reserved=0\">Jumaane Williams<\/a>,\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fvotejgr%2Fstatus%2F1534945754543968256&amp;data=05%7C01%7Cmsteeb%40texaspolicy.com%7Cb62bb3e870c2406bad9608dad7a5de8d%7Ca09e2cb6dde84dd8ae3df1e84f57dd50%7C0%7C0%7C638059404670487933%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=%2FRVKXPtKcG6Ak%2BfGUDXLlEsgkB1PFOQIFbeoK5bDSrI%3D&amp;reserved=0\">Jessica Rojas-Gonzales<\/a>, NYC Health Commissioner\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FNYCHealthCommr%2Fstatus%2F1535361476088811521&amp;data=05%7C01%7Cmsteeb%40texaspolicy.com%7Cb62bb3e870c2406bad9608dad7a5de8d%7Ca09e2cb6dde84dd8ae3df1e84f57dd50%7C0%7C0%7C638059404670487933%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=J837I1kVN6sTSR7lTuq6UG4AtR2S0sZVLjiPKQoudw4%3D&amp;reserved=0\">Ashwin Vasan<\/a> and fellow harm reduction advocates praised the launch of the sites and im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>tely called for more such facilities in every borough. Indeed, the City Council is now requesting $8 million to fund four additional sites in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/drug-center2.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Drug users gather in front of the East Harlem site awaiting the chance to use drugs in a supervised setting without the worry of arrest or interference. Few users ultimately seek treatment to end their addiction.\" class=\"wp-image-24926536\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/drug-center2.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/drug-center2.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/drug-center2.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Drug users gather in front of the East Harlem site awaiting the chance to use drugs in a supervised setting without the worry of arrest or interference. Few users ultimately seek treatment to end their addiction.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">J.C.Rice<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Yet as has been seen in similar efforts in <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/sf\/article\/Mayor-Breed-Tenderloin-Center-17631151.php\">San Francisco<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.vch.ca\/public-health\/harm-reduction\/supervised-consumption-sites\/insite-user-statistics\">Vancouver<\/a>, there is\u00a0little evidence these sites reduce overall harm to the addict.\u00a0What is certain, however, is the effect SISs have on the surrounding communities. <\/p>\n<p>People who live near the sites have watched as their neighborhoods have become open-air drug markets where dealers\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.city-journal.org%2Fa-trip-to-new-york-city-safe-injection-sites&amp;data=05%7C01%7Cmsteeb%40texaspolicy.com%7Cb62bb3e870c2406bad9608dad7a5de8d%7Ca09e2cb6dde84dd8ae3df1e84f57dd50%7C0%7C0%7C638059404670487933%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=6nzvK64Kkla%2BLstV1VDqBVPfeUst1u4uMXoFqe%2Bma8A%3D&amp;reserved=0\">openly sell drugs like ballpark vendors<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FHarlemVoice%2Fstatus%2F1489633729584762887%3Fs%3D20%26t%3DEidtNezKYZE_A1JRobVsgQ&amp;data=05%7C01%7Cmsteeb%40texaspolicy.com%7Cb62bb3e870c2406bad9608dad7a5de8d%7Ca09e2cb6dde84dd8ae3df1e84f57dd50%7C0%7C0%7C638059404670644165%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=ciUGlcs1lCiNZ70g%2FxPza0zGdAJ8RcAZ0zg8P0Johlo%3D&amp;reserved=0\">children step over used syringes<\/a>\u00a0on the bus and in their local playground. Unsurprisingly, their complaints have received scant media coverage, nor have their calls to the city adequately addressed.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/drug-needle.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Used hypodermic needles outside of the injection site have literally become everyday occurrences. \" class=\"wp-image-24926541\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/drug-needle.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/drug-needle.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/drug-needle.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Used hypodermic needles outside of the injection site have literally become everyday occurrences. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">@harlemvoice\/Twitter<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/drug-use-center.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"A drug user inside the Harlem injection site, one of two that opened in New York City just over a year ago. \" class=\"wp-image-24926544\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/drug-use-center.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/drug-use-center.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/drug-use-center.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>A drug user inside the Harlem injection site, one of two that opened in New York City just over a year ago. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Los Angeles Times via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The problem in NYC, and throughout the country, is that\u00a0harm reduction advocates \u2014 such as<strong> <\/strong>NYC Council member Diana Ayala, Gov. Hochul, President Biden and George Soros\u2019 Open Society Foundations<strong> <\/strong>\u2014 are the only ones allowed to sit at the \u201csuccess-defining\u201d table. We \u2014 the neighbors, the local business owners, the parents, the children, and the taxpayers \u2014 rightly deserve a seat at the success-defining table, too.<\/p>\n<p>In Steeb\u2019s case, she led one of Northern California\u2019s largest organizations for homeless women and children\u2014Saint John\u2019s Program for Real Change\u2014for 13 years.\u00a0During this time, 78% of the thousands of mothers she served struggled with addiction.\u00a0They needed support in overcoming their disease\u2014not in sustaining it\u2014in order to achieve productivity, employment and the ability to parent.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/playground-manhattan.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"A playground close to the Harlem injections site littered with used needles. \" class=\"wp-image-24926550\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/playground-manhattan.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/playground-manhattan.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/playground-manhattan.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>A playground close to the Harlem injections site littered with used needles. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">@harlemvoice\/Twitter<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Harm reduction advocates here in New York claim success is the reversal of<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FUptowncollectiv%2Fstatus%2F1572669750735474694%3Fs%3D20%26t%3DN-Sn9_tVpj9Di-_urwwi0Q&amp;data=05%7C01%7Cmsteeb%40texaspolicy.com%7Cb62bb3e870c2406bad9608dad7a5de8d%7Ca09e2cb6dde84dd8ae3df1e84f57dd50%7C0%7C0%7C638059404670644165%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=Ts6PlAOlZVO0S1CtZUbQrHaP8MKurltAohbo3la3OZk%3D&amp;reserved=0\">\u00a0500 overdoses<\/a>\u00a0to date. But this sole metric ignores any and all concerns for the tens of thousands of\u00a0Harlem residents\u00a0who are experiencing more frequent encounters with drug addicts and dealers every time they leave their homes. Success cannot be the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ropriate word to describe a parent witnessing\u00a0the types of yelling, screaming, unwanted advances and overdoses by emotionally disturbed people now commonplace in Harlem.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>An early September\u00a0video introduces a new but hardly surprising phenomenon:\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fharlemeastblock%2Fstatus%2F1569353962608009218%3Fs%3D20%26t%3DrcldoPBV202yfi8cNkhYMg&amp;data=05%7C01%7Cmsteeb%40texaspolicy.com%7Cb62bb3e870c2406bad9608dad7a5de8d%7Ca09e2cb6dde84dd8ae3df1e84f57dd50%7C0%7C0%7C638059404670644165%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=f9I3f1jFRVEZdkXarfqrnsrS2tC4a%2B21Qs4Rt7YcakA%3D&amp;reserved=0\">cars showing up<\/a>\u00a0from other parts of the country to \u201ccamp\u201d on the street near the Harlem East Block safe injection site. A nearby tent includes a<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FHarlemVoice%2Fstatus%2F1571260275638009856%3Fs%3D20%26t%3DrcldoPBV202yfi8cNkhYMg&amp;data=05%7C01%7Cmsteeb%40texaspolicy.com%7Cb62bb3e870c2406bad9608dad7a5de8d%7Ca09e2cb6dde84dd8ae3df1e84f57dd50%7C0%7C0%7C638059404670644165%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=1uMFMIbGRoxYUh5Gp4fGV6D4aAhSZJyeMbVA5hKwhOY%3D&amp;reserved=0\">\u00a0young, pregnant, drug-addicted mother\u00a0<\/a>living <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HarlemVoice\/status\/1571260275638009856?s=20&amp;t=rcldoPBV202yfi8cNkhYMg\">with a man who appears to be her pimp<\/a><strong>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/governor-hochul.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"New York State Gov. Hochul is one of many progressives who've expressed interest in exploring &quot;safe injection sites.&quot;\" class=\"wp-image-24926557\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/governor-hochul.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/governor-hochul.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/governor-hochul.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>New York State Gov. Hochul is one of many progressives who\u2019ve expressed interest in exploring \u201csafe injection sites.\u201d<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Dennis A. Clark<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/harlem-drug-use.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Although the sites were intended for indoor drug consumption, narcotics use regularly spills over onto the streets outside. \" class=\"wp-image-24926561\" width=\"618\" height=\"411\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/harlem-drug-use.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1233 1236w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/harlem-drug-use.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=925 927w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/harlem-drug-use.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=618 618w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/harlem-drug-use.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=308 309w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/harlem-drug-use.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 618px) 100vw, 618px\"\/><figcaption>Although the sites were intended for indoor drug consumption, narcotics use regularly spills over onto the streets outside. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">J.C.Rice<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Drug dealers likely agree with the harm reduction advocates that the experiment is a success \u2014 as they now have unfettered access to a highly motivated, lucrative customer base.\u00a0\u00a0But taxpayers are exasperated. They are footing the bill for drug use \u2014\u00a0 as well as Narcan injections to revive people who have overdosed.<\/p>\n<p>They\u00a0will also be on the hook<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>to fund a proposed \u201csyringe buyback program\u201d that allows drug users to<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FHarlemVoice%2Fstatus%2F1572057368955064320%3Fs%3D20%26t%3DjDju-oZzSxQw3D45Lv0-JA&amp;data=05%7C01%7Cmsteeb%40texaspolicy.com%7Cb62bb3e870c2406bad9608dad7a5de8d%7Ca09e2cb6dde84dd8ae3df1e84f57dd50%7C0%7C0%7C638059404670644165%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=G7Fsp53OHMitmdFORan4%2FHQBesVbYSYDl%2BzdEtBelX4%3D&amp;reserved=0\">\u00a0exchange taxpayer-funded syringes for money<\/a>, thereby billing taxpayers for the same needle twice. Last week, the City Council approved NYC Health Department proposal to establish a permanent needle buyback program intended to kick off in January.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/george-soros.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"George Soros\" class=\"wp-image-24926565\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/george-soros.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/george-soros.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/george-soros.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Progressive billionaire George Soros is another high-profile supporter of injection sites through his Open Society Foundations. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This, of course, is in addition to the existing subsidies such as TANF, <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General<\/a> Assistance and Medicaid that taxpayers<strong> <\/strong>already provide to this population due to their inability to pass a drug test and work.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, children and adults are exposed daily to destructive behaviors and the perishing of their fellow human beings. What effects will the normalization of drugs such as fentanyl, a deadly poison, have on those who regularly see the posters advocating for intravenous drug use?\u00a0<strong> <\/strong>We accept bans on cigarette use to protect nonsmokers from exposure to secondhand smoke. Why do we allow innocent bystanders to be exposed to the poisonous effects of deadly drugs?<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/narcotics-needles.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Stacks of needles and other drug paraphernalia await users at the injection site. \" class=\"wp-image-24926570\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/narcotics-needles.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/narcotics-needles.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/narcotics-needles.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Stacks of needles and other drug paraphernalia await users at the injection site. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Los Angeles Times via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The lose-lose in facilitating hard drug-use is that it results in stagnation, at best. Not only do the addicted lose years of their lives, if not life entirely, our communities also lose their sense of safety as drugs proliferate on the streets. This process is not just harmful, it\u2019s expensive. The two Harlem sites combined have received $3.4M of government funding though the non-profit- OnpointNYC, which claims to rely heavily on private donations.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Rather than investing in lose-lose scenarios, we propose a win-win: expand treatment centers\u2014not safe injection sites; abstain from normalizing the use of poisonous, illegal drugs; and by all means, stop encouraging behavior that leads to more human suffering.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><em>Michele Steeb is a senior fellow with the Texas Public Policy Foundation and oversees its initiative to transform homelessness policy in the US and Texas. She is the author of \u201cAnswers Behind the RED DOOR: Battling the Homelessness Epidemic.\u201d Co-author Jason Curtis Anderson is a writer and political consultant.<\/em>\n                        <\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/12\/10\/why-safe-injection-sites-put-nyc-communities-in-danger\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Why \u2018safe\u2019 injection sites put NYC communities in danger&#8221; Just over a year ago, New York City opened the nation\u2019s first \u201csafe injection\u201d sites (SIS) \u2014 two taxpayer-funded locations (one in Harlem, the other in Washington Heights) where people can use drugs while overseen by a medic. Supporters claim that allowing drug addicts to shoot&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":524633,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/onepoint-nyc-drug-center.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[137034,4998,73413,70948,4953,73472],"class_list":["post-524632","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-12-10-22","tag-crime","tag-drug-abuse","tag-harlem","tag-new-york-city","tag-washington-heights"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/524632","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=524632"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/524632\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/524633"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=524632"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=524632"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=524632"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}