King County councilmember surprised by what she finds at injection site
Nov 20, 2017, 10:44 AM
Injection booths at Insite, a safe injection site in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
(Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
When Jeanne Kohl-Welles witnessed the Vancouver BC injection site with her own eyes she was surprised by what she saw.
The area around Insite wasn’t the wasteland the King County councilmember was expecting.
RELATED: Seattle poised to spend $2M on safe site
“I went up there with the anticipation that it was going to be a post-apocalyptic scene out of some movie; that it was so horrible there,” she said. “I didn’t find that.”
What she did find was a place for people to do drugs, in a safe, controlled environment, without having to worry about being arrested. She told KIRO 7 that fear and controversy over injection sites have been generated by “some stories.”
There are two injection sites slated for King County, one in Seattle and one elsewhere in the county. Kohl-Welles says Capitol Hill is the perfect place for the Seattle location.
“Capitol Hill is one that seems the most obvious for here in Seattle because the neighborhood wants to have it,” she told KIRO 7.
Meanwhile, the Snohomish County Council will hear public comment on a proposed ban of injection sites in unincorporated parts of the county. The Snohomish County Council passed a six-month moratorium on injection sites in September.
RELATED: Dwindling options for second safe site
Other cities in King and Snohomish counties have already issued temporary or permanent bans. Auburn, Bellevue, Burien, Federal Way, Kent, Renton, and Sammamish have all passed temporary or permanent bans.
Jeanne Kohl-Welles tweeted the following during her visit to Insite
Touring safe consumption sites in Vancouver, BC with my @KCCouncil colleagues @KathyLambert and Larry Gossett today pic.twitter.com/L5I49Iwb6w
— Jeanne Kohl-Welles (@KCCKohlWelles) November 17, 2017
The safe consumption site at Powell St. offers drug testing pic.twitter.com/LLXjcoUeZU
— Jeanne Kohl-Welles (@KCCKohlWelles) November 17, 2017
Next stop on the tour in Vancouver BC. Learning from doctors and service providers about response from surrounding community asking for increase in services (incl. safe consumption sites) b/c they have seen success in reducing crime, preventing death, getting ppl in treatment pic.twitter.com/qjG0x2q1Vs
— Jeanne Kohl-Welles (@KCCKohlWelles) November 17, 2017
Speaking with a downtown improvement area ambassador and law enforcement near Insite. pic.twitter.com/S8G4FBXRLp
— Jeanne Kohl-Welles (@KCCKohlWelles) November 17, 2017
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