User:Lagunasunset/sandbox

Existing laws and their vagueness hinder efforts toward legalizing SIS in the United States. For instance, the Controlled Substances Act deems drug possession and management of areas utilized for drug consumption illegal. With the legality of SIS in question, facilities offering similar and/or underground services operate in the United States. In Boston, the Supportive Place for Observation and Treatment (SPOT) program does not allow drug use on site, but practices harm reduction strategies. SPOT provides a space for intoxicated individuals to seek medical care, education, and support. In September 2014, a social service agency developed an underground SIS to evaluate the impact and feasibility of implementing SIS in the United States. With “one large room dedicated solely to injection and an adjoining room that provides post-injection monitoring/supervision,” this underground SIS closely follows the models of SIS in European countries. Though there are no legally sanctioned SIS in the United States, underground SIS and harm reduction programs currently provide services to prevent health consequences associated with injection drug use.