NEW YORK — Shawn has spent the better part of the last hour injecting fentanyl. But he is not in any danger: After a brief scare, when his heart rate dropped considerably, the pulse oximeter on his left index finger now says his vital signs are nearly back to normal. The staff at OnPoint NYC, the harm reduction nonprofit whose back room is designated for precisely this purpose, are no longer worried. Instead of administering medical care, they bring him a cup of coffee and a candy bar.
It is late morning in East Harlem, a neighborhood long known not just for its cultural richness but also for the crime and drug use that often accompany poverty and neglect. Outside, it is 19 degrees. There is little telling what would befall Shawn, a 49-year-old originally from Columbus, Ohio, if he were to use outdoors, with his own syringe, by himself. But inside, he is warm. He is watched. He has a never-used sterile needle. And perhaps most importantly, he is not being judged. There is no police officer to harass or arrest him. There are no sidewalk passers-by to cast a disapproving stare. Here, Shawn, and other OnPoint participants, can use drugs as they please.
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