King County, Seattle, Washington, will soon have two supervised drug consumption facilities. That recommendation is part of a final report by King County's Heroin and Prescription Opiate Task Force, which released its final report on Thursday Sept. 15. King County Executive Dow Constantine, Sheriff John Urquhart, and public health officials were joined by Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus, and Renton Mayor Denis Law at a news conference that day to discuss the report's recommendations. In addition to the supervised drug consumption facilities, called Community Health Engagement Locations (CHELs), the report calls for increased availability of the treatment drug Buprenorphine and increased access to the overdose reversal drug Naloxone in addition to other innovative prevention and treatment proposals.
King County Executive's news release about the report
King County Heroin and Prescription Opiate Task Force Final Report and Recommendations (PDF)
Drug War Facts: Supervised Consumption Facilities, Safe Injection Sites, and Drug Consumption Rooms
- KBOO