For the first time, the U.S. government will pay for a large study measuring whether overdoses can be prevented by so-called safe injection sites, places where people can use heroin and other illegal drugs and be revived if they take too much.
The universities announced the grant Monday. The money will not be used to operate the sites, the universities said. "There is a lot of discussion about overdose prevention centers, but ultimately, we need data to see if they are working or not, and what impact they may have on the community," said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which awarded the grant.
States including Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico have considered allowing them. The governors of California and Vermont vetoed safe injection site bills last year, and Pennsylvania's Senate last week voted for a ban on them.