White House drug czar signals the possibility of safer consumption locations to deal with the drug overdose crisis

By Nina Zdinjak

Compared to other countries, overdose death rates in the United States are three to four times higher. The CDC recently confirmed an estimated 100,306 drug overdose deaths during the 12 month period ended April 2021, an increase of 28.5% over the same period last year. This alarming increase is forcing federal health authorities to be more open to new ideas and suggestions on how to deal with the crisis.

About a month and a half after Minister of Health and Human Services (HHS) Xavier Becerra revealed that the Biden government’s strategy to fight the epidemic could include licensing of monitored places of consumption, White House drug czar Rahul Gupta told CNN, that it is essential to take this into account “every option” for overcoming the crisis.

Photo by Douglas Sacha / Getty Images

Gupta, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), confirmed that this could include approving safe injection sites for illegal substances only if there is evidence of their effectiveness, Marijuana Moment reported.

These sites already exist in Canada and Europe and are often viewed as a helpful tool in saving thousands of lives who otherwise would have accidentally overdosed. Those who oppose them claim that the facilities encourage drug use.

New York City is the first in the nation to attempt this

Just this month, New York City became the first country in the country to open two Overdose Prevention Centers (OPC), where people can use illicit drugs and receive medical care and services.

When asked if he supported New York’s historic move, Gupta replied, “I would be interested in exploring the science and data behind all of the emerging harm reduction practices. We want to learn and make sure that all possible doors are open to us that we can open to help people connect them to treatment. “

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Gupta continued, “When you want to save lives and have hit a historic death toll, you cannot avoid examining every option to save those lives.”

Rahul Gupta (R), Photo by Paul Morigi / Getty Images

Previously, the drug czar was unable to speak about harm reduction centers because of an ongoing legal battle related to a Philadelphia nonprofit that was having legal trouble opening such a center.

“We are in a crisis that makes harm reduction one of the very important tools in our toolkit, and it is for this very reason that this government made harm reduction a part of their federal policy for the first time,” noted Gupta.

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Prior to assuming the post of drug czar, Gupta, a medical doctor, had an important role in directing the implementation and development of West Virginia’s medical marijuana program. Now his comments raise hope for a possible shift in the standard approach to overdose crisis problems.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and was republished with permission.