Communities are divided over Rhode Island's plan for safe drug injection sites

Communities are divided over Rhode Island's plan for safe drug injection sites

Transcript¹

Rhode Island was the first state to legalize sites where people can bring illegal drugs and use them while being monitored for overdose. Local communities still need to be convinced to host one.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Rhode Island is the first state to legalize supervised drug injection sites. The two-year pilot program calls for establishing safe places where people can use heroin² and other illicit³ drugs. But even with a green light from state government, Lynn Arditi of The Public's Radio says it may be months before the first supervised injection site can open.

LYNN ARDITI, BYLINE⁴: Representative Stephen Casey is an unlikely crusader for supervised injection sites. A Democrat⁵, he's also a Catholic and self-described conservative. He's against abortion⁶ rights, and he supports the Second Amendment⁷ right to own a gun.

STEPHEN CASEY: So my first reaction was, no way. As a rescue guy, I'm like, we can't give them a shoot-up center.

ARDITI: Casey is also a firefighter and licensed⁸ emergency medical technician in Woonsocket, R.I.

CASEY: Guy comes home from work and goes into the bathroom. His wife doesn't even know he's doing it. And he ODs in the bathroom.

ARDITI: EMTs try to revive people with naloxone, a medication that reverses an opioid overdose. But sometimes they don't get there in time. Last year, 430 people in Rhode Island died of drug overdoses, the highest on record. Studies of supervised injection sites in Canada and Australia show they reduced fatal overdoses and lowered the number of overdose-related 911 emergency calls. The sites also were associated with less use of drugs in public outdoor spaces, and there was no apparent increase in crime.

JOHN EDWARDS: Yeah, we're going to let them come in and use their drugs because that's when they have overdoses, and we want to be there to save them.

ARDITI: That's Representative John Edwards. A Democrat from Tiverton, Edwards sponsored the bill to create the new harm-reduction centers. Clients would bring their own drugs and be given clean needles and a safe space to use them. Clients also would be allowed to smoke their drugs. Staff would be trained to administer naloxone when someone overdoses. Representative Casey says they'd also offer information about drug treatment and other health services.

CASEY: This is something that - it just might work. And if it wasn't going to cost the state any money, we'd be crazy not to try it.

ARDITI: At least 100 supervised injection sites operate around the world, mainly in Canada, Europe and Australia. Last November, New York City opened the nation's first supervised injection site. Similar sites have been proposed in other cities. A plan to open one in Philadelphia is currently blocked in court, and the Biden administration hasn't taken a position on it yet. Scott Burris of the Center for Public Health Law and Research at Temple University says that while supporters of supervised injection sites are keeping their eye on what happens in Philadelphia, Rhode Island has a distinct advantage - supervised injection sites are already legal in the state. The next hurdle⁹ - finding a place to open the sites. The law requires anyone who wants to open a supervised injection site to first get approval from the local city or town council. The city council in Woonsocket, where Representative Casey is an EMT, recently proposed a resolution to prohibit the sites in their city.

Lisa Peterson is chief operating officer at VICTA, a private substance abuse and mental health treatment program that's looking to partner with other groups to open a supervised injection site in Providence¹⁰. Peterson says that even some elected officials who support the program are reluctant to say so publicly. That's because for much of the public...

LISA PETERSON: This does seem really radical¹¹, and an elected official who supports it in theory might worry about what their constituents¹² think.

ARDITI: So while Rhode Island was the first to legalize supervised injection sites, it's going to take work to persuade public officials to allow a site in their backyard.

For NPR News, I'm Lynn Arditi in Providence.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 heroin   

n.海洛因

参考例句：

• Customs have made their biggest ever seizure of heroin.海关查获了有史以来最大的一批海洛因。
• Heroin has been smuggled out by sea.海洛因已从海上偷运出境。

3 illicit   

adj.非法的，禁止的，不正当的

参考例句：

• He had an illicit association with Jane.他和简曾有过不正当关系。
• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year.今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

6 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

7 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

8 licensed   

adj.得到许可的v.许可，颁发执照(license的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The new drug has not yet been licensed in the US. 这种新药尚未在美国获得许可。
• Is that gun licensed? 那支枪有持枪执照吗？

9 hurdle   

n.跳栏，栏架；障碍，困难；vi.进行跨栏赛

参考例句：

• The weather will be the biggest hurdle so I have to be ready.天气将会是最大的障碍，所以我必须要作好准备。
• She clocked 11.6 seconds for the 80 metre hurdle.八十米跳栏赛跑她跑了十一秒六。

10 providence   

n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝

参考例句：

• It is tempting Providence to go in that old boat.乘那艘旧船前往是冒大险。
• To act as you have done is to fly in the face of Providence.照你的所作所为那样去行事，是违背上帝的意志的。

11 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

12 constituents   

n.选民( constituent的名词复数 )；成分；构成部分；要素

参考例句：

• She has the full support of her constituents. 她得到本区选民的全力支持。
• Hydrogen and oxygen are the constituents of water. 氢和氧是水的主要成分。 来自《简明英汉词典》