Impact of Providence’s Overdose Prevention Center on Drug Users

A nonprofit is opening a facility where people can use drugs under medical supervision. It also offers connections to drug treatment

More than 400 people died of a drug overdose in Rhode Island in 2023.
More than 400 people died of a drug overdose in Rhode Island in 2023.
Jeremy Bernfeld / The Public’s Radio
Share
More than 400 people died of a drug overdose in Rhode Island in 2023.
More than 400 people died of a drug overdose in Rhode Island in 2023.
Jeremy Bernfeld / The Public’s Radio
Impact of Providence’s Overdose Prevention Center on Drug Users
Copy

Jason first started using fentanyl a few years ago, when the pandemic threw his life off balance. By now, he’s used to hiding his drug use.

“You duck into, like, an alley, or behind a car or somewhere where no one’s going to see you,” he said.

The Public’s Radio is only using Jason’s first name because he uses illegal drugs. He knows that using alone, in tucked-away places, makes it even riskier to use a drug as dangerous as fentanyl.

“When no one sees you, no one’s going to find you if you overdose,” he said. “And, you know, I’ve lost a few friends, and no one’s found them.”

That’s the problem a new facility is hoping to solve.

This story was reported by The Public’s Radio. You can read the entire story here.

Meet your new brunch hero: a sweet-and-savory plantain breakfast hash topped with fresh chimichurri. It’s easy to make, packed with bold flavor, and perfect for feeding a crowd or meal-prepping a few breakfasts ahead of time.
If you’re craving something cozy, flavorful, and easy to make, these sweet potato empanadas check every box. A cheesy yam dough wrapped around a spiced black-bean filling? Yes, please. They fry up beautifully in just a few minutes and disappear even faster.
Looking for a quick treat that feels gourmet but requires almost no effort? Enter: maple-candied pecans. They’re crunchy, cinnamon-kissed, and dangerously munchable — perfect for topping salads, gifting to friends, or eating by the handful while you “wait for them to cool.”
The US only recycles about a third of the glass it produces. How do we get those numbers up?
Gillette Stadium — rebranded ‘Boston Stadium’ for the tournament — will host multiple marquee matches just 25 miles from Providence, as Rhode Island eyes a potential team basecamp at Bryant University
While she’s optimistic about the future of Rhode Island schools, Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green says she’s concerned about potential ICE raids in schools and the impacts of declining enrollment