Supervised injection site

Supervised injection sites (SIS) (also known as supervised injection facilities,safe injection sitesfix rooms,safer injection facilities (SIF), drug consumption facilities (DCF) or medically supervised injection centers (MSIC)) are legally-sanctioned, medically-supervised facilities designed to reduce nuisance from public drug use and provide a hygienic and stress-free environment in which individuals are able to consume illicit recreational drugs intravenously.

They are part of a harm reduction approach towards drug problems. The facilities provide sterile injection equipment, information about drugs and basic health care, treatment referrals, and access to medical staff. Some offer counseling, hygienic and other services of use to itinerant and impoverished individuals. Most programs prohibit the sale or purchase of recreational drugs. Many require identification cards. Some restrict access to local residents and apply other admission criteria, such as only allowing injection drug users, but generally in Europe they do not exclude addicts who consume by other means.

What disparagingly are called "shooting galleries" have existed for a long time; there were illicit for-profit facilities in New York City during the 1980s and in Sydney during the 1990s. What differs these from the legally sanctioned is the care they provide. While the operators of the facilities in New York and Sydney had little regard for the health of their clients, modern supervised injection facilities are a professionally staffed health and welfare service.

The first professionally staffed service where drug injection was accepted emerged in the Netherlands during the early 1970s as part of the "alternative youth service" provided by the St. Paul's church in Rotterdam. At its peak it had two centers that combined an informal meeting place with a drop-in center providing basic health care, food and a laundering service. One of the centers was also a pioneer in providing needle-exchange. Its purpose was to improve the psychosocial function and health of its clients. The centers received some support from law enforcement and local government officials, although they were not officially sanctioned until 1996.

In 1986 a café was set up in Berne for injecting drug users who were unwanted at other cafés. Part of a project combatting HIV, the general concept of the café was a place where simple meals and beverages would be served, and information on safe sex, safe drug use, condoms and clean needles provided. Social workers providing counselling and referrals were also present. An injection room was not originally conceived, however, drug users began to use the facility for this purpose, and this soon became the most attractive aspect of the café. After discussions with the police and legislature, the café was turned into the first legally sanctioned drug consumption facility provided that no one under the age of 18 was admitted.

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