Safe injection facilities may reduce transmission of HIV, overdose deaths among drug users

The availability of safe injection facilities to intravenous drug users may help reduce the number of overdose-related deaths and slow the spread of communicable diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C, according to a recent study published in the journal The Lancet.

Researchers explained that an experimental establishment called Insite was opened in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 2003. The neighborhood is known for having an estimated 5,000 injection drug users. Nurses who work at the facility provide sterile syringes and emergency care, the investigators said.

The study's findings showed that the number of overdose deaths in the area decreased 35 percent by 2005.

"This study provides the first unequivocal scientific evidence of the benefits of supervised injection facilities, and clearly demonstrates that facilities such as Insite are saving lives and playing a vital role in reducing the harms associated with illicit drug use," researcher Julio Montaner said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, injection drug users account for more than 35 percent of the new AIDS diagnoses reported annually. The organization notes that more than 1 million Americans administer illegal substances with needles or syringes.