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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2019 - 2020
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | October 7, 2019 08:31 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Anthony H. Williams and Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Prohibiting Supervised Injection Sites |
| In the immediate future, we will be introducing legislation to prohibit supervised injection sites from operating in Pennsylvania. Given yesterday’s federal court ruling upholding non-profit organization Safehouse’s plan to open a supervised injection site in the city of Philadelphia, it is paramount that this legislation moves quickly. Proponents of supervised injection sites claim that these facilities provide illegal drug users with clean needles and medical supervision, with the aim of harm reduction and eventual cessation. However, the vast majority of citizens residing in the neighborhoods where such sites will operate are not illegal drug users. Their children and families should not have to witness a constant flow of drug users wandering the streets of their neighborhood. And let us not forget that heroin remains an illegal drug and a deadly killer of Pennsylvanians across the Commonwealth. In the midst of an epidemic, we should not be providing spaces for users to continue to use without requiring treatment. Clearly, we must continue our efforts to rid Pennsylvania of the scourge of heroin, fentanyl, and other deadly drugs, but state-sanctioned drug use is not the way. Instead of dedicating resources to aid in the continued use of drugs, the General Assembly should seek to provide additional funding to treatment and use prevention, to mental health and trauma-informed education, and to reducing the amount of opioids on our streets. Please join us in co-sponsoring this extremely important bill. Questions or concerns may be directed to Senator Williams' Harrisburg office at 717-787-5970 or Senator Tartaglione's office at 717-787-1141. Thank you. |
Introduced as SB933