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Courtney O'Keefe submitting comments re: #212034, Supervised Consumption Sites.
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To the Honorable City Council:
Unfortunately, due to the rescheduling of this meeting, I am unable to attend in person, but wanted to offer my comments as this is a very personal topic for me.
Before there was a pandemic, Somerville has been battling an epidemic for years - an epidemic that has taken friends, Villens, and family alike. An epidemic that took my Mother. The "war on drugs" has proven nothing more than a war on our Black, Brown, Hispanic and Latino communities and has done NOTHING to slow the stranglehold that drugs have taken on Somerville and our world. When we have bold visions that require bold change we need to make bold decisions. Supervised consumption sites is one bold decision that I believe Somerville should implement to wage OUR war on drugs.
As a woman who once lived with multiple, active heroin users, I can tell you that there are two critically vulnerable times when attempting to intervene on an addict. The first is to convince the addict to go to treatment. The second is to place them in a detox facility. In comparison, the latter has proven the most difficult in my personal experience. This is a piece to the puzzle that needs to be put in place before a site is opened. With addiction, a "we'll call you when a bed is available," is absolutely not going to cut it. Coordination with facilities will expedite the treatment process and create a whole picture approach to this issue.
To the City Council: if you need someone to have your back on this discussion - I HAVE YOUR BACK ON THIS DISCUSSION. As you are all aware, I found my Mother dead from drugs and will do all I can so that no one has this horrific experience. Addiction has taken so many from our amazing City - It's time to fight back.
In solidarity,
Courtney K. O’Keefe
She/Her/Hers