OnPoint NYC

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OnPoint NYC
Formation2021
Merger ofNew York Harm Reduction Educators, Washington Heights Corner Project
TypeNonprofit
Purposesafe injection sites and other harm reduction services
Location
  • New York City
LeaderSam Rivera
Staff (2023)
~120[1]
Websiteonpointnyc.org

OnPoint NYC is a New York City nonprofit that operates two privately run safe injection sites (also known as Overdose Prevention Centers) in East Harlem and Washington Heights.[2] Placed at the sites of existing syringe service programs,[3] these were America's first safe injection facilities when they opened in November 2021.[2]

History

OnPoint was created in 2021 from the merger of two existing groups, New York Harm Reduction Educators and Washington Heights Corner Project.[3][4] OnPoint's workers voted to unionize with UNITE HERE in December 2022.[1] In their first year of operation, OnPoint's sites served over 2,100 clients and treated 672 overdoses, with no resulting deaths.[5]

New York mayor Bill de Blasio had been advocating for the city to open safe injection sites since 2018.[3] The opening of OnPoint's OPCs is one demonstration of a shift toward harm reduction in American drug policy, prompted by a worsening opioid overdose crisis and an illicit drug supply containing high levels of fentanyl.[4][6] Under President Joe Biden, the United States Department of Justice has taken a hands-off approach to safe injection sites,[7] although possession of opioids without a prescription remains illegal. On August 7, 2023, the top Federal prosecutor for Manhattan announced OnPoint's activities are illegal, because it is a violation of federal law to maintain property where controlled substances are consumed.[8]

Some Harlem activists and politicians (including Al Taylor, Inez Dickens, Yusef Salaam, Rev. Al Sharpton and Adriano Espaillat) have criticized the Harlem site, viewing it as part of an oversaturation of shelters and addiction treatment facilities in the neighborhood.[9][10][11] A December 2021 protest in Harlem against the site drew over 100 people.[9] Gothamist and WNYC reviewed 2019–2020 data of opioid clinic usage in Harlem and found that only 25% of patients were Harlem residents.[12]

Some Harlem residents have also complained of increased crime (including drug dealing and public drug use) in the area since the site opened.[13] The New York Times reported visible drug activities around the block at OnPoint's E 126th St location in August, 2023.[8] The consumption site is across the street from a child care center.[14] OnPoint also employs staff to collect discarded drug paraphernalia in parks and other public areas.[2]

Funding

OnPoint has received funding from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene,[15] the New York Community Trust[10] and the New York Health Foundation,[10] among other sources. As of June 2022 it had received no state or federal funding.[16] Counseling, syringe service programs and other services offered around the consumption sites receive city and state funding, but the consumption sites are privately funded.[9]

Research

In 2023 NYU Langone Health and Brown University announced that OnPoint would be included in the first federally-funded study to evaluate the effectiveness of OPCs.[17][6] This study will be funded by NIDA.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Murray, Nick. "OnPoint NYC, a Trailblazing Harm-Reduction Organization, May Soon Be a Union Shop". Jacobin.
  2. ^ a b c Kim, Phenix (2022-12-03). "New York City's first safe injection sites avert 633 drug overdoses on anniversary". NYN Media. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  3. ^ a b c Mays, Jeffery C.; Newman, Andy (2021-11-30). "Nation's First Supervised Drug-Injection Sites Open in New York". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  4. ^ a b Oladipo, Gloria (January 25, 2022). "'It's saved many lives': first US overdose prevention centers give safe spaces to people in crisis". The Guardian.
  5. ^ Whelan, Aubrey. "New York's supervised injection sites have halted nearly 700 overdoses in just over a year". Philadelphia Inquirer.
  6. ^ a b c Johnson, Steven Ross. "Safe Consumption Sites Study Aims to 'Rise Above the Politics'". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
  7. ^ "Justice Dept. signals it may allow safe injection sites". AP NEWS. February 7, 2022.
  8. ^ a b Otterman, Sharon (2023-08-08). "Federal Officials May Shut Down Overdose Prevention Centers in Manhattan". The New York Times. Retrieved 2023-08-11.
  9. ^ a b c "A look inside the 1st official 'safe injection sites' in US". Associated Press. 2022-03-09. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
  10. ^ a b c Wernau, Julie (March 2, 2023). "New York City Sanctioned Drug-Use Sites Reach a Crossroads". WSJ.
  11. ^ Guilfoil, Kyla (June 9, 2023). "Harlem City Council candidates all oppose proliferation of drug-related services". POLITICO.
  12. ^ O'Donnell, James (Dec 16, 2021). "Harlem Residents Protest Against Opioid Clinics After Data Shows Most Are Used By Non-Residents". Gothamist. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
  13. ^ Johnson, Stephon (December 13, 2022). "Saving Lives or Ruining the Neighborhood? East Harlem Locals at Odds as America's First Safe Injection Site Turns One". The City.
  14. ^ "Harlem City Council candidates all oppose proliferation of drug-related services". POLITICO. 2023-06-09. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
  15. ^ Harocopos, Alex; Gibson, Brent E.; Saha, Nilova; McRae, Michael T.; See, Kailin; Rivera, Sam; Chokshi, Dave A. (July 15, 2022). "First 2 Months of Operation at First Publicly Recognized Overdose Prevention Centers in US". JAMA Network Open. 5 (7): e2222149. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.22149. PMC 9287749. PMID 35838672 – via Silverchair.
  16. ^ https://www.npr.org/2022/06/04/1103114131/supervised-injection-sites-in-nyc-have-saved-lives-but-officials-wont-provide-fu
  17. ^ Kaufman, Maya (2023-05-08). "NYU Langone, Brown launch NIH-funded study of overdose prevention centers". POLITICO. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
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