ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — A new petition is calling for the creation of an overdose prevention center in Monroe County. These are spaces supervised by medical professionals and trained staff, where people can use drugs in a safe environment with other support services available on-site.
The petition, launched by Recovery All Ways board members Gary Harding and Stephanie Forrester, maps out the range of ways a safe consumption site can help. Those include cleaning up drug litter in the community, offering clean needles and drug testing strips, and building relationships with people actively using so that when they are ready for the next step, services are already available.
“I’ve been very passionate about harm reduction, no shame, no judgment, meeting people where they’re at,” Harding said…