The backers of a supervised injection site in South Philadelphia have temporarily halted their plans after meeting intense opposition.
The decision by officials at Safehouse, a nonprofit formed to open the supervised injection site, came just before the medical center set to rent them space announced it would no longer permit the site in its building, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
NPR noted the site was to be the first in the U.S. where people with addictions could use opioids and other illegal drugs under medical supervision.
Mayor Jim Kenney said that, in light of the developments, “and the strong concerns voiced over the past two days, it’s clear that no site will open imminently."
“I am glad that this will allow Safehouse more time to examine its options, and to engage the community,” he said. “It will allow those with concerns more time to get answers. And it will allow everyone to take a deep breath and focus on the ultimate goal of this effort: to save the lives of fellow Philadelphians who are struggling with addiction.”
A Safehouse official said the organization was uncertain how long the delay in eventually opening the site would be, the Inquirer noted.
“We want to talk to folks,” said Safehouse vice president Ronda Goldfein. “We heard, clearly, that people were concerned with the process, that people wanted more time to discuss it to get more details, and we want to honor all of that.”
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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