Summary
More than one million people have died from accidental drug overdose in the United States (US) in the past 20 years. In response to this unabating crisis, New York City opened the first two publicly recognized overdose prevention centers (OPCs) in the nation in November 2021. Rhode Island became the first state to authorize OPCs through state legislation, with the third US OPC opening in January 2025. OPCs are fixed-site facilities where individuals may consume pre-obtained controlled substances under the supervision of trained personnel who can intervene in the event of an overdose. Staff at
