Studies find that safe injection sites offering a clean medically-supervised place to consume illicit recreational drugs help to reduce overdoses, unhealthy behavior and strain on the medical system.
A 2014 review of 75 studies, covering primarily the experiences of Sydney and Vancouver, found no increase in drug injecting, drug trafficking, or crime in surrounding communities. Another study found that during the course of the study, 23% of respondents stopped injecting and up to 57% entered addiction treatment. A review of European openings found very few supervised overdoses and no on-site overdose fatalities.
When looking at a single facility in Canada, researchers estimated net savings of $18 million and 1,175 life-years gained over a 10-year period.