By Erin Murphy

Copyright bostonherald

Our city is at a breaking point in the addiction crisis. Residents are living with the daily consequences of unchecked drug use: families finding needles in their yards and parks, people sleeping in neighbors’ homes and cars, break-ins and trespassing, public urination and defecation, human trafficking, and shoplifting. The last thing our city needs is legalized safe injection sites.

On Sept. 15, the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use, and Recovery held a hearing on Bill S1393, which would authorize safe injection sites. Boston already has one of the most extensive harm reduction programs in the country, yet neighborhoods remain overwhelmed by discarded needles and public drug activity. Expanding into sanctioned injection sites will only deepen the cycle of addiction and destabilize our communities.

Early in September, nearly 200 residents and stakeholders spoke at a Council hearing near Mass and Cass, sharing the real impact on their neighborhoods. The message was clear: Boston does not need safe injection sites. We need real recovery opportunities, accountability, and a treatment-first approach.

The answer is not to normalize or incentivize drug use. The answer is to prioritize a Recovery Campus, expand treatment access, and make sure people struggling with substance use disorder have a real pathway out of addiction. At the same time, we must stand with the residents, families, and small businesses who are bearing the burden of this crisis every day.

I urge my colleagues to oppose safe injection sites and to stand with residents while prioritizing a Recovery Campus as the real path forward.

Erin Murphy is a Boston City Councilor At-Large