Press Release: Symposium to Explore Solutions to Injection Drug Use in SF, Including Feasibility of Legal Safe-Injection Facility

For Immediate Release: October 17, 2007 Contact: Laura Thomas 415-846-4614 Public Heath Officials, Injection Drug Users and Advocates Join to Explore Solutions to Injection Drug Use in San Francisco October 18 Symposium Will Examine Needs, Feasibility, Support and Options for Legal Safe-Injection Facility 27 Cities in Eight Countries Have Adopted Safe Injecting Sites; Evidence Shows they Reduce HIV, Crime and Drug Use Public health officials, injection drug users, drug war reform adovocates and others will convene for a day-long symposium to examine the needs, feasibility, support, and various options for a legal Safe Injection Facility in San Francisco. The envisioned Safe Injection Facility would serve homeless and marginally housed injection drug users, and the communities most affected by them. The symposium, which is free of charge, will be held on October 18, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at the Women's Building auditorium, 3543 18th St. & Valencia in San Francisco. Speakers include public health officials, service providers, legal experts, injection drug users, community groups, leaders in the faith community and evaluators from InSite, a safe injection facility in Vancouver, Canada. San Francisco has several large concentrations of injection drug users (IDUs), and while prevalence of HIV/AIDS remains relatively low among IDUs, rates of hepatitis C have reached epidemic levels, and fatal opiate overdose remains one of the leading causes of death in San Francisco. Community concerns regarding public drug use and improperly discarded syringes have been raised repeatedly over the last few decades. Twenty-seven other cities in eight countries around the world facing similar issues have opened Safe Injection Facilities, and this symposium will open a broad discussion about this option. The symposium is sponsored by the San Francisco Department of Public Health, and the Alliance for Saving Lives (ASL), a community consortium working to promote community and individual health through legal safer substance use sites. ASL members include the Harm Reduction Coalition, Tenderloin Health, Mission Neighborhood Resource Center, Homeless Youth Alliance, Drug Policy Alliance, and individual researchers and service providers throughout San Francisco. Continuing Education Units are available for a small fee for RN's, Certified Addiction Treatment Specialists, LCSW's and MFT's. As seating is limited, please RSVP to hrcwest@harmreduction.org [5] to reserve a space. ###