The opening of the first legalized safe consumption site in New York is allowing people who use drugs a safe place to consume drugs in the hopes of preventing overdoses.
Historically, drug policy has been written with racist intentions and fueled by hysteria over the war on drugs. This has led to racial disparities in sentencing for crack cocaine possession.
Opioid overdoses are rising during the COVID-19 pandemic and have disproportionately impacted Black people. Harm reduction programs can help mitigate the overdose epidemic.