House Bill No. 5171 SUB A as amended BY Edwards, Craven, Potter, Caldwell, Kislak, Bennett, Ajello, Batista, McEntee, Kazarian ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- HARM REDUCTION CENTER ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND PILOT PROGRAM (Extends the sunset provision of the four (4) year pilot program to prevent drug overdoses through the establishment of harm reduction centers for two (2) years to March 1, 2028.) {LC790/A/1} » http://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText25/HouseText25/H5171A.pdf
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As a psych and addictions nurse who has worked in acute care, has worked with the prison population,
the homeless population, acute care at Roger Williams Medical Center, this is my wheelhouse
and I do think that I have a bit of expertise to bring to this discussion. And I want to say
I have far too much compassion in my heart to participate in or facilitate anyone's drug use.
This bill is very well intentioned. I know the hearts and minds of the people that put forth
these type of care models and they're not what you think. They're not as ugly as some people
paint them. However, at the end of the day, safe is a word that implies free from harm.
There is no drug use that is free from harm. Life-saving and death prevention are two
different objectives and there is nothing life-saving about these care models.
This facility is not saving lives. Treatment saves lives. So I ask you, why are we not here today
discussing long-term care models, long-term treatment methods instead of a band-aid?
Believe me when I tell you this is not the way. I stand in opposition to this bill and I encourage
my colleagues to stand with me, trust me, and vote against it. Thank you.
