SEATTLE — Supporters of safe injection sites were out on the streets of Seattle Wednesday, one day after San Francisco approved a plan to create its own site by this summer.
They say even though the Seattle City Council has approved the plan to create sites here, it’s not a done deal just yet.
Last year, the City Council allotted $1.3 million to create safe injection sites where drug users can shoot up under the supervision of health professionals.
But there are still no solid plans on where these locations will be located.
The City Council is set to release a feasibility report by the end of the month.
A registered nurse who works with Public Health Seattle and King County said the support is out there.
“We are worried about the process being stuck in government bureaucracy,” said Mandy Sladky. “So we want to keep the momentum going."
Quanshie Maxwell, a mother of four from Seattle, stopped by to talk to the volunteers.
She said she doesn’t mind an injection site set up in her neighborhood, she just wants addicts off the streets.
“I would rather have a place they can do it on their own time. If you do drugs, that’s on you,” said Maxwell.
The San Francisco safe injection sites could be up and running by July.
In Olympia, there’s an effort to ban these sites in Washington with Senate Bill 5223.
Right now it’s not expected to pass.
KIRO 7 also reached to Mayor Jenny Durkan’s office.
She had expressed support for the safe injection sites during her campaign. Her spokesperson told us that is still true.
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