At overdose prevention center bill hearing, some recovery centers believe it would enable ongoing opioid crisis
Derrik Bunyon had been battling addiction his entire life.
That is, until he turn to STEP Denver, a men's no-cost peer recovery center for help.
"I've had been struggling with addiction and alcoholism since a very young age, I started getting drunk and high before I was six years old," said Bunyon.
He added that at some point, his addiction got so bad, that even when he felt like he was in a successful place in his life, he'd feel helpless.
"Whatever point I reached, I didn't see a way out, but once I came here to STEP they gave me the tools to show me the way out," said Bunyon.
The program is different than other rehab or addiction recovery centers.
They don't offer medical services and the men in their program are required to stay sober, have jobs and are not allowed to be receive any government financial assistance other than Medicaid.
STEP Denver Executive Director Paul Scudo believes they're mission is to help, not enable.
"Without responsibility, without accountability, without effort, goals and milestones and e assistance, people will stay in the cycle of dependency forever," added Scudo.
Breeah Kinsella, executive director of Colorado Providers Association, believes this is a solid model, but says it doesn't work for everyone.
"Other people don't have the same level of recovery capitol and so what we know about the word enabling is this word was brought up when we thought this was a choice and what we have learned is substance abuse is can be a disorder," said Kinsella.
She supports safe injection sites because she believes this bill can save lives.
"In the states where overdose prevention centers have been implemented, not a single person has died of an overdose and with the on-going state of Colorado it will be strategy that can work in Colorado," said Kinsella.
State lawmakers have been working to consider a bill that would make setting up safe injection sites easier.
House Bill 1202 would let local governments decide whether to allow people to use illicit drugs such as Heroin and Fentanyl under the supervision of medical professionals. The bill refers to the sites as "overdose prevention centers" and was in a state senate committee Thursday.
Supporters say that these sites would help get "harm reduction services" to the people most in need, those against it do not believe this works.
Right now centers like STEP which are operating at 51% of their available capacity, which is pretty low in comparison to other centers, which are nearly full.
To read the full bill and follow its progress, click here: leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb23-1202
