Fear won’t be enough to stop safe injection sites

Fear is all that stands between proposed safe injection sites in Denver and reality. Fear of the unknown. Fear of what might be. Fear fomented by stereotypes and political opponents. Fear of change and fear of failure.

Colorado shouldn’t be governed by fear. In this policy debate, fear is folly.

To be clear, we are not talking about some ill-conceived “Hamsterdam” project highlighted in HBO’s “The Wire.” Neither Denver nor the state suggest that whole city blocks should become a “free zone” for rampant crime. To the contrary, the proposals on the table would provide clean, staffed sites with professionals providing a safety net for users.

Read the rest of this column in the Colorado Sun.