(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries and letters to the Editor of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers.)

By Joseph A. Curtatone

Taking a closer look at notable city data—and interesting numbers.

2 sides: The debate over supervised consumption facilities for persons with opioid addiction has strong opinions on both sides. Some argue the facilities can prevent overdose deaths and connect users to recovery programs. Others argue that the facilities can legitimize drug use or draw crime to the area. In Somerville, we’ve reviewed the data, and we are now looking into supervised consumption as a harm reduction tool. Harm reduction strives to minimize the risks and harms caused by drug use. It is a strategy many doctors, researchers, and advocates are calling for as part of our response to the opioid epidemic.

70,000+: In 2017, more than 70,000 people died from overdoses in the United States. In Massachusetts alone, about four people are killed by opioids each day. Last year, seven Somerville residents were lost to overdoses. Whether you look at the national, state, or local numbers, it’s clear that the opioid epidemic is destroying lives. Each overdose death itself is tragic, and each death then impacts more than the person lost. After an overdose death, family and friends are left behind to grieve their loved one and their lost potential. Often overdose deaths, especially involving opioids, are preventable. Narcan is an effective medication that can reverse an overdose, but it isn’t usually available to people using drugs alone, especially those in isolated locations like public bathrooms or alleyways. Narcan is available, however, at supervised consumption facilities.

100+: There are more than 100 supervised consumption sites open around the world, including in Canada, Australia, and several European countries. Each of these medical facilities operates differently, but generally drug users are able to come into the site and use drugs under the supervision of trained staff who can intervene in case of an overdose. Often supervised consumption sites also offer additional harm reduction care – like providing new, clean needles – and some basic medical and first-aid services. While at the facility, clients can also get information about social service and recovery programs that they can access when they are ready.

35%: After opening a supervised consumption site, Vancouver saw a 35% decrease in overdose deaths in the neighborhood around the facility. One study found that about 50 overdose deaths had been averted in the first three to four years the facility was open. Along with saving lives, the supervised consumption site has had other positive public health benefits – clients of the facility were less likely to engage in behaviors that could result in HIV infections, and there was a 30% increase in clients seeking treatment for addiction.

0: To date, there have been no deaths reported at a supervised consumption facility, and only one death offsite has been linked to drugs used while at a supervised site. In that case, the person later died at a hospital from drugs that had been laced with a powerful fentanyl-like substance. To add some context, the Insite supervised consumption site in Vancouver has monitored at least 3.6 million injections between 2003 and 2018. In that time staff has responded to more than 6,000 overdoses, but there have been no deaths at the facility.

68%: No supervised consumption sites have opened in the U.S., but we do have some data that points to the success of other harm reduction strategies locally. In the late-1990s, organizations like Fenway Health started needle exchange programs in the hope of reducing the rate of HIV infection among people injecting drugs. At the time, it was a hotly debated new approach. Then in the mid-2000s, Massachusetts legalized over-the-counter sales of syringes. From 2006 to 2014, the Commonwealth saw a 68% decrease in new HIV infections linked to injection drug use.

One of many: Harm reduction is just one part of a much larger toolkit to combat the opioid epidemic. We will continue to also focus on prevention and helping people access addiction treatment. But we can’t ignore the reality that opioids are killing people every day. Harm reduction can save lives and that has to be our top priority.

Data-based decision making is at the core of how the City of Somerville develops policy and sets priorities. Every day we check the latest 311 stats, and throughout the week we meet for in-depth review of departmental data and city trends. The Data Download column shares some of the data we’ve been reviewing recently, as well as interesting updates. To see more Somerville Data, visit the online Somerville Data Farm at www.somervillema.gov/datafarm