[Global Times special correspondent Liu Haoran] The United States will use Rhode Island as a "pilot" to open a legal drug injection center, which has recently triggered a heated debate in that country. Many critics say that this move is tantamount to "doing the wrong thing" and making the problem of drug crimes more serious.
According to media reports such as The Wall Street Journal, in July this year, Rhode Island passed a bill to allow local "addicts" to use illegal drugs and drugs under the guidance of designated places and medical staff, which pushed the legalization of drug abuse in the United States to a new height.
Not only that, the state recently launched a two-year pilot program to set up the first legal "drug injection center" in the state, and the relevant management regulations and site selection of the center are expected to be completed in March 2022.
At present, American officials refer to such places as "Safe Injection Center" (SCS), and some media also refer to them as "Drug Injection Guidance Center" or "Drug Overdose Prevention Center". Addicts who patronize such places can bring their own drugs and drugs and inject them under the guidance of on-site staff.
In addition to "drug abuse guidance", such places can also provide "patients" with physical examinations to detect whether they are infected with AIDS or other diseases due to drug abuse.
During the COVID-19 outbreak, as many as 96,000 people in the United States died of drug overdose. Members who proposed this pilot program said that the son of a good friend died of drug overdose during the epidemic, prompting him to realize the necessity of setting up SCS. "This reflects the humanitarian spirit." At present, Massachusetts and California are also considering "follow-up".
The American news website "Marijuana Moment" said that Biden’s government is "open-minded" to SCS. The website quoted Becerra, the US Secretary of Health and Human Services, as saying that the federal government departments will not prevent States from opening so-called "safe injection centers". He also said: "Even if we can’t stop a person from becoming an addict, at least we can save them before they take drugs."
In the American media, Rhode Island’s move has caused fierce controversy. Supporters believe that the establishment of SCS can effectively prevent accidental death caused by drug overdose. Opponents say that such institutions will lead to a soaring crime rate. It is understood that heroin and other drugs are contraband in Rhode Island, but the "Drug Injection Center" openly encourages addicts to take such drugs, which is tantamount to providing a "shelter" for drug criminals. On social media, many netizens said that the ultimate destination of addicts should be drug rehabilitation centers or prisons, rather than using taxpayers’ money to make them "take drugs healthily".