Supporters Sue To Open Safe Injection Site In Philadelphia, Citing Religious Freedom

A nonprofit group in Philadelphia is fighting in court to be allowed to open the first facility in the country for people to use illegal opioids under medical supervision. The group, called Safehouse, has the backing of local government, yet faces a legal challenge from federal prosecutors.

The idea of supervised injection sites is to offer people a space where they can use drugs under the supervision of trained medical staff, who are prepared with the overdose-reversal drug naloxone. Such sites supply clean needles and other supplies, but users bring their own drugs.

After people are finished taking drugs, staff can talk to them about accessing treatment, legal counseling, housing and other social services.

"If you find a place that accepts the fact that you're going to be consuming drugs and still offers you services in a non-judgmental way, you're going to start to trust them," says Ronda Goldfein, the vice president and co-founder of Safehouse. "And once there's a trust relationship, you're more inclined to accept the range of treatment they're offering, which includes recovery."