https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
Banking Technology
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Expert Insights
    • Back
    • Expert Insights
    • Commentaries
    • Smart Cities Council
    • Co-op Solutions
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • American City & County Awards
    • Events
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
  • Magazine
    • Back
    • Digital Editions
    • Reprints & Reuse
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Expert Insights
    • Back
    • Commentaries
    • Smart Cities Council
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • American City & County Awards
    • Events
    • Municipal Cost Index
  • Magazine
    • Back
    • Digital Editions
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • Subscribe to AC&C
    • Manage AC&C Subscription
    • Subscribe to GovPro
    • Manage GovPro Subscription
    • Advertise
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
acc.com

Administration


Article

Washington county, city stand opposed on safe injection sites for illegal drugs

Washington county, city stand opposed on safe injection sites for illegal drugs

Washington’s most populous county has come a little closer to establishing safe injection sites — where heroin users can inject drugs under medical professionals’ watch to reduce overdoses — while one of its cities effectively banned them.
  • Written by Jason Axelrod
  • 18th October 2017

Washington’s most populous county has come one step closer to establishing safe injection sites — where heroin users can inject drugs under medical professionals’ watch to reduce overdoses — while one of its cities effectively banned them. 

A King County, Wash. judge ruled on Oct. 16 that a ballot initiative that would prohibit public funding and operation of safe injection sites for illegal drugs is invalid, Washington TV station KING-TV reports. King County Superior Court Judge Veronica Alicea Galvan ruled that an initiative would breach the King County Board of Health’s authority, the Seattle Times reports. 

“I’m completely shocked about this ruling,” Washington State Senator Mark Miloscia (R) told the Times. “To say this drug epidemic is a public-health crisis and therefore it’s immune from the public having a say in it is completely unprecedented and wrong.”

Last year, a King County addiction task force had recommended safe injection sites in the area based on data obtained from one in Vancouver, B.C., according to the Times. In January, the King County Board of Health unanimously approved a recommendation for two safe injection sites, KING-TV reports.

On the same day of the King County ruling however, Bellevue, Wash. — which lies in King County — voted to permanently ban safe injection sites, according to the Bellevue Reporter. The new ordinance amends land use requirements to prohibit the sites, replacing an interim zoning control ordinance that was enacted over the summer to prevent such sites. 

Bellevue Deputy Mayor John Chelminiak said that safe injection sites in Bellevue “makes no sense,” and that the ordinance is “as permanent as legislation gets,” per the Reporter.

An August article in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine revealed that a social services agency has operated an unsanctioned supervised injection site at an undisclosed area in the U.S. since 2014, Vice News reports. In its three years of operation, the site monitored over 2,500 injections by about 100 people, and it has seen no deaths and four onsite reversal of overdoses.

The paper notes that supervised injection sites’ legality is unclear, but that the federal Controlled Substances Act might be able to be invoked to shut such sites down.

_____________

To get connected and stay up-to-date with similar content from American City & County:
Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter
Watch us on YouTube

Tags: Administration Article

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

White Papers


What is Your Plan for Cybersecurity?

5th February 2019

5 Best Practices for Utilizing GIS Data

5th February 2019

City of Stamford Saves $1-Million Via Car Sharing

1st February 2019
view all

Events


Twitter


AmerCityCounty

A new #report ranks the 52 American #metropolitan areas with over 1 million residents based on their… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

14th February 2019
AmerCityCounty

Today, we announced the six winners of American #City & #County's 2018 Crown Communities awards! Congratulations to… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

12th February 2019
AmerCityCounty

The @CityOfNOLA #CityCouncil is calling for the @NFL to review its rules after the @Saints lost the… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

29th January 2019
AmerCityCounty

Is your #city among #UHaul's top 25 #GrowthCities for 2018? buff.ly/2S8hptr https://t.co/rI4x0Lcdql

25th January 2019
AmerCityCounty

The personal information for approximately 1,470 #Knoxville, Tenn. #government employees was inadvertently posted o… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

25th January 2019
AmerCityCounty

““Seconded” staffers, or temporary #procurement professionals at #DallasAreaRapidTransit handle varying heavy workl… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

23rd January 2019
AmerCityCounty

As the longest #GovernmentShutdown in U.S. history continues with no sign of abating, city governments are stepping… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

15th January 2019
AmerCityCounty

Florida Governor @RonDeSantisFL formally suspended #BrowardCounty, Fla. Sheriff Scott Israel on Jan. 11, following… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

15th January 2019

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Expert Insights

Learn from experts in the public and private sectors about best practices and how to optimize your government’s operations.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital and print audiences? Learn more here.

American City and County

© American City and County 2019. All rights reserved.

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Cookies Policy
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service

Related Links

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

Follow us

Websites are now required by law to gain your consent before applying cookies. We use cookies to improve your browsing experience. Parts of the website may not work as expected without them. By closing or ignoring this message, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
X