DENVER – The bill that would have allowed supervised injection sites in Colorado was voted down in the legislature Wednesday.
State Rep. Jonathan Singer, D-Boulder, said the bill died on a party line vote in a committee with Republicans voting it down.
Senate bill 18-040 was postponed indefinitely, according to a tweet from the General Assembly’s Legislative Council. That effectively killed the bill for this legislative session.
Senate: Postpone Senate Bill 18-040 indefinitely, Substance Use Disorder Harm Reduction. The motion passed on a vote of 3-2. #coleg
— Legislative Council (@COStateAffComm) February 15, 2018
The concept of supervised injection sites is controversial. Supervised injection sites allow drug users to bring their own drugs, purchased illegally, and shoot up using clean needles that are provided on location.
Supervisors watch users and intervene when necessary with the overdose-reversing drug Narcan.
A 360 perspective: 7 things to know about supervised drug injection sites
Supporters of the idea say the sites reduce overdose deaths and keep drug use off the streets, while opponents say they encourage illegal drug use.
Supervised injection sites operate in Vancouver, British Columbia, and some lawmakers wanted to bring a similar approach to Colorado. No sites currently exist in the United States.
