Philadelphia, April 14, 2023 – State Senator Jimmy Dillon (D, Philadelphia) joined Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Whip Christine Tartaglione, Senator Sharif Street, and Senator Anthony Williams in filing an amicus brief in the US vs. Safehouse case. The US Justice Department is currently in settlement talks with Safehouse, the nonprofit which has proposed launching the site. The four Philadelphia Democrats hope to prevent Safehouse from opening a safe injection site in the city.
“My constituents are worried that safe injection sites will threaten the safety of their communities. They’ve made it clear to me that they don’t want these sites near their homes, schools, or places of worship,” said Dillon. “I want to address the root causes of the opioid epidemic, such as overprescribing pain medication and inadequate access to healthcare. We need to reduce opioid use and increase affordable recovery options. Safe injection sites do not address these underlying issues and may divert resources from vital prevention and treatment programs.
Senator Dillon will continue to work with fellow legislators, community leaders, and treatment experts to develop effective solutions to the opioid crisis.
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