Why Medically Supervised Drug Use May Not Be As Bad As You Think

This is a guest post by Trisha Miller.

Recently, the BBC released information stating France is 10th country that will allow people with a substance use disorder an area to safely inject inside of hospitals.

France is welcomed by other European countries who have already employed this practice such as Switzerland, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, and Spain as well as Canada and Australia.

The entire cost to run the operation will cost about $1.3 million annually. Despite the costs to the government, there are fair arguments for and against supervised drug use. Let’s take an unbiased look at both the positives and negatives for people struggling with addictions around the world.

The Benefits

Medical supervision will always be readily available if needed. This means that doctors will be monitoring the dosage administered to each patient, which could save countless lives from the possibility of overdose.

Street drugs are being replaced with medicinal alternatives. While still addictive, the unknown has been removed from the situation. Regularly, distributors will cut their products with additional harmful materials that have potentially fatal effects on the body.

The intent of those running the room is to bring each patient closer to social workers who can help them on the road to recovery. The goal is to get each user on a regimen, get them going to meetings, or send them to a rehab facility that will safely detox and start them on their road to recovery.

Users are also not forced to use their real name when they register into the room. Police have agreed that they will not prosecute anyone for using the room or use this information against them in any way, which could separate dangerous criminals from non-violent drug users. It will free up space in prisons and jails for those who have committed violent acts.

Lastly, this method could possibly stop the increase of disease, specifically STIs that are regularly linked to sharing needles such as HIV and Hepatitis C. France has reported that more than 10% of drug users in the country have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. What’s more, More than 40% have contracted Hepatitis C.

The Negatives

This system could possibly enable and perpetuate rampant drug use throughout the city instead of help people work on their rehabilitation. Since rehabilitation is a choice and not mandatory, it is hard to say if folks will choose to use the resources that will be offered to them.

The rooms may give the impression of legitimizing the use of drugs around the world instead of trying to stamp it out, which could also eventually lead to the legalization of all drugs. It could possibly be counterproductive to curing addiction.

Depending on the drug, some users may turn down this service based on the fact that they do not want to use a medical alternative to their drug of choice. For example, methamphetamine is made from a slew of chemical ingredients. This fact is what gives the user that unique effect from the drug. Some alternatives may not give the user what they are looking for. So, they might skip it and go elsewhere.

As is the situation with some methadone clinics, users may simply focus their efforts on a different drug (that the hospital is supplying) instead of trying to end their drug use altogether. If the rooms are not heavily guarded, it could also be at risk for break in and robbery.

In conclusion, people with substance use issues are simply human and should be treated as such. Culturally, most users feel villainized due to their crippling addiction. Often times, the initial reaction to someone with a substance use issue is to condemn them or to not treat them as well as we would a sober person.

Undoubtedly, there is conflict in whether we should hold someone struggling with addiction accountable for their actions and/or get them the help that they so desperately need – in many cases it is difficult to do both.  With or without the help of these shooting rooms, people who are dependent will continue to use drugs. It’s up to us on which path we choose in order to help them get clean and stay clean.

Trisha Miller is a writer from Boise, ID. She is a dedicated vegan who promotes an all-around healthy lifestyle. You can find her on twitter @thatdangvegan and check out her blog thatdangvegan.com.

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