Opposing Safe Injection Site Programs and Legislation
Submitted by: Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Committee
ndd.017.A11

WHEREAS, safe injection sites are legally sanctioned facilities for intravenous drug users to abuse controlled substances; and

WHEREAS, although these sites purport to be medically supervised and designed to provide a hygienic environment for drug users in an effort to reduce the nuisance from public drug usage, safe injection site programs, as well as the legislation that supports them, facilitate access to narcotics and dangerous drugs by drug abusers; and

WHEREAS, safe injection site programs convey an implicit acceptance of harmful drug use and exacerbate an already alarming drug abuse problem; and

WHEREAS, implementation of safe injection site programs at any level of government sends a contradictory and harmful message to all citizens, especially children, about the sincerity and necessity of the government's anti-drug policies and creates the appearance that the government endorses the illegal activity; and

WHEREAS, public and private funding best serves public safety and health when used to encourage drug treatment and rehabilitation rather than continued addiction; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police, duly assembled at its 118th Annual Conference in Chicago, Illinois, strongly opposes safe injection sites, and instead strongly supports law enforcement, prevention, education and treatment policies that result in the rejection of drug use.