In an effort to reduce the death toll from drug overdoses, two Overdose Prevention Centers or Supervised Injection Facilities (SIFs) opened in New York City at the end of 2021. Operated by a private non-profit organization, and endorsed by four of the five New York City borough District Attorneys, the facilities monitor drug use in safe and hygienic facilities, and rapidly respond to overdoses to prevent fatalities. The facilities also provide education to people who use drugs on safer practices and connect them to needed health care and other resources, including drug treatment if desired.
Informing New York City government policies that led to the establishment of these facilities was a report, “The Feasibility of Supervised Injection Facilities (SIFs) in New York City”, commissioned by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The study was conducted by Peter Schafer, then of the New York Academy of Medicine, and Michele Calvo. Members of the Peer Network of New York served as invaluable research assistants.
The purpose of the SIF Feasibility Study was to examine a range of issues regarding the establishment of Overdose Prevention Centers in New York City as a strategy to address the city’s drug overdose crisis. Evidence from other countries of the impact of SIFs on fatal drug overdoses and the health of people who use drugs, and SIFs' impact on broader community concerns such as public disorder and crime, is presented in the literature review summarized in the Introduction.
The study aimed to collect and present the opinions of an array of local stakeholders regarding the prospect of SIFs opening in NYC; to examine relevant operational issues to maximize the benefits of SIFs; and to understand concerns about possible negative consequences from opening SIFs in order to effectively address them. Collected were stakeholder opinions surrounding the anticipated effects of SIFs for both individuals who use drugs and the broader communities in which they live and work, including their impact on public safety and public health; desired services and features of SIFs, including integration with and linkages to health care, mental health, and drug treatment services; operational issues such as staffing, location, and hours of operation; and issues of risk management related to the uncertain legal environment in which SIFs would operate in NYC. Stakeholders included: people who use drugs who also participate in New York City harm reduction programs; harm reduction program staff members and senior management; addictions medicine and emergency medicine physicians; drug treatment services providers; faith community leaders; and business owners and business community leaders.