{"id":2607748,"date":"2026-05-28T08:23:01","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T12:23:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-janeese-lewis-george-backs-safe-injection-sites-in-dc-for-drug-use\/"},"modified":"2026-05-28T08:27:53","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T12:27:53","slug":"exclusive-janeese-lewis-george-backs-safe-injection-sites-in-dc-for-drug-use","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-janeese-lewis-george-backs-safe-injection-sites-in-dc-for-drug-use\/","title":{"rendered":"Exclusive: Janeese Lewis George backs safe injection sites in DC for drug use"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fexclusive-janeese-lewis-george-backs-safe-injection-sites-in-dc-for-drug-use%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2607748&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Janeese Lewis George, a leading candidate in Washington, D.C.\u2019s Democratic mayoral primary, has proposed opening safe injection sites (overdose prevention centers) to address the city\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/el-chapos-son-extradited-from-mexico-to-the-u-s\/\" title=\"El Chapo&#039;s son sent to the U.S. from Mexico.\">opioid overdose crisis<\/a>. She argues that these facilities-where trained staff supervise drug use-could <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-outlines-plan-to-curb-deaths-from-deadly-fentanyl-xylazine-combination\/\" title=\"White House reveals strategy to reduce fatalities caused by lethal fentanyl-xylazine mix.\">reduce overdose deaths<\/a> and says they should be paired with broader interventions such as treatment, recovery support, stable housing, and wraparound services.<\/p>\n<p>The article notes that safe injection sites exist in three U.S.locations: one in Providence, rhode Island, and two in New York City. It highlights that Rhode Island legalized such sites under a pilot program, while New York\u2019s sites have operated without state legalization and remain constrained by federal law. Several prominent Democrats and some city officials have opposed expanding the concept, and critics-along with some local residents-have raised concerns about whether the approach addresses addiction\u2019s root causes and about community impacts.<\/p>\n<p>The piece also places the proposal in a political context, saying D.C.\u2019s heavy federal involvement would make any expansion difficult under a GOP-controlled Congress and president Donald Trump\u2019s governance,which has taken action against \u201charm reduction\u201d and \u201csafe consumption\u201d efforts. It cites recent CDC data showing opioid overdose deaths declined in D.C. from 2024 to 2025, with the highest concentration in Wards 7 and 8.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>EXCLUSIVE \u2014<\/strong> <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Washington-DC\/\">Washington, D.C.<\/a> mayoral candidate Janeese Lewis George has floated the policy of opening safe injection sites in the district to help relieve its <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/opioids\/\">opioid<\/a> overdose crisis. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Safe injection sites, sometimes called overdose prevention centers, are places where people can go to use illegal drugs under professional supervision. The facilities are aimed at creating spots where people struggling with substance abuse can use illicit drugs in a spot where they are at a lower risk of overdosing. But the centers have also faced criticism from communities and neighbors, as blue cities have begun to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/08\/25\/health\/harm-reduction-san-francisco-trump.html\">distance themselves<\/a> from the strategy.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4583204\/spencer-pratt-may-be-answer-joe-concha\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Spencer Pratt may be the answer: Joe Concha<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4577833\/rising-gas-prices-gop-poll\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Rising gas prices are causing voters to reconsider voting for GOP: Poll<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4582813\/florida-judge-upholds-gop-congressional-map\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Florida judge strikes down challenge to new GOP congressional map<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lewis George, a current councilwoman and socialist, is a front-runner in the mayor\u2019s race, edging out her main opponent, former councilman <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Kenyan-McDuffie\/\">Kenyan McDuffie<\/a>, in the latest poll ahead of the June 16 Democratic primary. Lewis George <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3903922\/janeese-lewis-george-candidate-dc-mayor-beats-record-donation-requirements\/\">broke fundraising records<\/a> in the district when she launched her <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Zohran-Mamdani\/\">Zohran Mamdani<\/a>-style candidacy, aiming to attract young voters with liberal ideas. <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4576224\/janeese-lewis-george-lead-kenyan-mcduffie-dc-mayor-race\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"4576224\">JANEESE LEWIS GEORGE HOLDS LEAD OVER KENYAN MCDUFFIE IN DC MAYOR RACE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Endorsed by the district\u2019s chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, she has centered her <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/janeesefordc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/JLG-Public-Safety-One-Pager.pdf\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/janeesefordc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/JLG-Public-Safety-One-Pager.pdf\">public safety platform<\/a> on coupling offender accountability with intervention and prevention techniques. She pointed to the idea of safe injection sites for addressing the opioid crisis in the Metro DC DSA\u2019s endorsement <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1kjCsijWww0t3VniqFwBBLv9Fui-k8JX2\/view\">questionnaire<\/a> in May 2025, calling opioid overdoses \u201cone of the most urgent public health crises\u201d that the district faces. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe need to confront this crisis head on with effective interventions aimed at increasing awareness, treatment, recovery, stable housing, and wrap-around support for those struggling with substance abuse,\u201d Lewis George wrote.\u00a0\u201cWe need safe injection sites and harm reduction centers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are currently three safe injection sites in the United States: one in Providence, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Rhode-Island\/\">Rhode Island<\/a>, and two in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/New-York-City\/\">New York City<\/a>. Each of the sites has opened in the past five years, with the two in New York opening in 2025. Lewis George visited one of the centers in New York City.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI traveled to OnPoint in NYC with fellow DSA elected official, NYC Councilperson Tiffany Cab\u00e1n, and saw how safe injection sites and harm reduction centers reduced addiction, reduced overdoses, and saved lives,\u201d Lewis George wrote.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every center in the U.S. is operated by nonprofit organizations, like OnPoint, as public officials have proceeded with caution on the policy. In Rhode Island, the state legislature backed the idea and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/rhodeislandcurrent.com\/2025\/04\/02\/four-years-after-r-i-lawmakers-ok-safe-injection-site-program-theyre-still-debating-its-merits\/\">legalized<\/a> these so-called \u201charm reduction centers\u201d under a pilot program in 2021, paving the way for the Providence center to open. But the sites in New York were<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/07\/30\/us-news\/trump-targets-injection-sites-where-drug-addicts-consume-with-new-yorks-blessing\/\"> launched under<\/a> former Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio and remain in legal limbo as the state never legalized them, and they remain illegal under federal law.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gov. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kathy-hochul\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"3278\">Kathy Hochul<\/a> (D-NY) has consistently opposed safe injection centers. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said late in his campaign that he did not want to see the number of facilities expanded beyond the two current centers in East Harlem and Washington Heights.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Other prominent Democrats, such as Govs. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/gavin-newsom\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1426\">Gavin Newsom<\/a> (D-CA), <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/josh-shapiro\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"5122\">Josh Shapiro<\/a> (D-PA), and Philadelphia Mayor <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/philadelphia\/news\/philadelphia-safe-injection-sites-kensington\/\">Cherelle Parker<\/a> have also <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/08\/25\/health\/harm-reduction-san-francisco-trump.html\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/08\/25\/health\/harm-reduction-san-francisco-trump.html\">opposed the concept<\/a> of safe injection sites. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The policy is a hot-button issue as critics say they do not provide solutions to the baseline problem of substance abuse, and they often catch the ire of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\/new-york-city-residents-slam-safe-injection-sites-after-drug-users-trash-neighborhood\">local residents frustrated with<\/a> the facilities going up in their neighborhoods. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNobody is going to be excited about a safe injection site opening up across the street from their house, near places that they go,\u201d Matt Yglesias, a criminal justice pundit and columnist, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. \u201cAnd so, absent overwhelming evidence of benefits, it\u2019s just inherently a hard sell. And I don\u2019t think that evidence has materialized in the places where it\u2019s been tried.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The facilities, part of a liberal approach to substance abuse dubbed harm reduction, are relatively new in the U.S. and had their first government-backed study <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/health\/effectiveness-of-safe-injection-sites-to-be-evaluated-in-government-backed-study\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/health\/effectiveness-of-safe-injection-sites-to-be-evaluated-in-government-backed-study\">authorized in 2023<\/a>. But the three facilities have touted their own numbers, with <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/onpointnyc.org\/impact-report\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/onpointnyc.org\/impact-report\/\">OnPoint reporting<\/a> that it has prevented over 680 fatal overdoses.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lewis George first discussed the idea of safe injection sites in the district in 2023, as she requested $15 million in the fiscal 2024 budget to open two centers in the district, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/dc-md-va\/2023\/08\/10\/dc-opioids-sobering-center\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/dc-md-va\/2023\/08\/10\/dc-opioids-sobering-center\/\">according to the <em>Washington Post<\/em><\/a>. This proposal didn\u2019t gain much traction or make it into the budget.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lewis George\u2019s campaign did not provide further comment to the<em> Washington Examiner<\/em> on her <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >policy ideas surrounding safe injection sites<\/a> beyond what she wrote in the 2026 DSA questionnaire. In her questionnaire response, Lewis George also mentioned that one of her uncles had struggled with addiction and noted how \u201cthis issue confronts so many families and ruins so many lives\u201d in the district.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Washington, D.C., is unlike other American cities as it is so closely intertwined with the federal government and federal jurisdiction. Under a GOP-controlled Congress and President Donald Trump\u2019s administration, any plans for facilities would likely not get far.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4579560\/bowser-emergency-order-reinstate-teen-curfew\/\">BOWSER SIGNS EMERGENCY ORDER REINSTATING TEEN CURFEW UNTIL DC COUNCIL\u2019S BILL GOES INTO EFFECT<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/07\/30\/us-news\/trump-targets-injection-sites-where-drug-addicts-consume-with-new-yorks-blessing\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/07\/30\/us-news\/trump-targets-injection-sites-where-drug-addicts-consume-with-new-yorks-blessing\/\">Trump has targeted<\/a> the idea of injection sites, signing an <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/07\/ending-crime-and-disorder-on-americas-streets\/\">executive order<\/a> in 2025 that warns against funding \u201c\u2018harm reduction\u2019 or \u2018safe consumption\u2019 efforts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2025, Washington, D.C., saw an estimated 355 opioid overdose deaths, which is about 13.8% lower than the estimated 412 fatal overdoses in 2024, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/nchs\/nvss\/vsrr\/drug-overdose-data.htm\">data<\/a>. The highest concentration of fatal and non-fatal overdoses <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/dataviz1.dc.gov\/t\/OCTO\/views\/DCHealthLiveLongDCDashboardFinal\/OpioidLandingPage?%3AshowAppBanner=false&#038;%3Adisplay_count=n&#038;%3AshowVizHome=n&#038;%3Aorigin=viz_share_link&#038;%3Aembed=yes&#038;%3Atoolbar=no\">occurred in <\/a>Wards 7 and 8. Overdoses disproportionately impact black residents in the district, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/local\/washington-dc\/2025\/05\/20\/overdose-deaths-decline-narcan\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/local\/washington-dc\/2025\/05\/20\/overdose-deaths-decline-narcan\">per Axios<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>EXCLUSIVE &#8211; DC mayoral candidate Janeese Lewis George proposes safe injection sites to address the opioid overdose crisis<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3976,"featured_media":2607749,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AP22123164760649.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[36747,52724,67995,80389,33224],"class_list":["post-2607748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-drug-policy","tag-harm-reduction-2","tag-janeese-lewis-george","tag-safe-injection-sites","tag-washington-dc"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AP22123164760649.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2607748","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3976"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2607748"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2607748\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2607752,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2607748\/revisions\/2607752"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2607749"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2607748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2607748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2607748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}