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Backers urge permanent harm reduction center; data collection and funding questioned by some members
Summary
Supporters told the House committee Rhode Island’s overdose prevention center has already connected clients to care and reversed overdoses; they urged removing the sunset or extending the pilot so services can continue and the research can collect longer-term data.
Representative Edwards presented House Bill 5,171 seeking legislative action on the state’s harm reduction center pilot. Edwards told the committee Rhode Island was among the first states to codify harm reduction centers and said the initiative has saved lives.
Project Weber Renew, the center operator, and clinical partner Victor described early operations. Dennis Baylor, Overdose Prevention Program Director at Project Weber Renew, said the center had been open about three weeks and reported reversing approximately six overdoses in…
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