Judges Rule Against Opening ‘Supervised’ Site To Inject Opioids in Philadelphia

Used syringes are discarded at a needle exchange clinic where users can pick up new syringes and other clean items for those dependent on heroin in St. Johnsbury, Vt. on Feb. 6, 2014. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

A divided federal appeals court on Jan. 12 ruled against the opening of what would be the first “supervised injection site” in the United States, saying plans for a site in Philadelphia ran afoul of a federal law originally passed to shut down drug dens.

“Though the opioid crisis may call for innovative solutions, local innovations may not break federal law,” wrote Judge Stephanos Bibas of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, siding with U.S. Attorney William McSwain of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, who had sued to block the site.