Dr. Melody Glenn, an addiction and emergency physician at The University of Arizona, recently expressed her concerns about the Arizona legislature’s decision to propose HB 2798, which would prohibit the development of overdose prevention centers (OPCs) in local communities. OPCs have been shown to reduce fatal overdoses, provide support for people who use drugs, and save taxpayer dollars. While OPCs have been constrained in the U.S. due to federal laws, they have been successful in various countries since the 1980s.
Dr. Glenn highlights the benefits of OPCs, including reducing HIV and hepatitis infections, public drug use, and 911 utilization while increasing rates of addiction treatment. She also references the successful implementation of OPCs in New York City, which resulted in a decrease in public drug use and improved access to healthcare for participants.
Despite the proven benefits of OPCs, the Arizona house passed HB 2798, potentially limiting their potential impact in the state. Dr. Glenn emphasizes the importance of OPCs as a complement to other preventative and treatment modalities in addressing the harms of drug use.
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