Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Site for Users



The city of San Francisco, known for its unorthodox way of doing things is in the beginning stages of opening a clinic for addicts. Sounds like a good plan right? The difference this is not a clinic for addicts to kick their habits but instead it is a clinic for them to continue using. That’s right it would be “America’s first legal safe user room.” The idea behind it is to have users safely shoot up under the supervision of nurses. It would not be targeted by law enforcement and it would be a step toward helping the addicts get clean.

At first glance this plan seems outrageous; why should these people have a safe place to do an illegal activity. If it works it may help them eventually get treatment. The problem is why the taxpayers should have to employ the staff and support the cost of running this place. While I tend to agree with the programs principles I disagree with who should be paying. Unfortunately it is not the type of thing that could be supported by private donations.

All in all it would seem that this program is theoretically ideal. The problem is the reality of the situation. To ask taxpayers to support drug habits with clean needles was asking a lot but now asking them to supply a facility to do their drugs may just be asking a little too much.

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