Safe injection sites are built to protect people who use drugs and the communities around them—especially in cities where overdoses, wounds, and blood-borne infections strain emergency services. Across multiple sites, evidence points to more nursing support and testing, fewer overdose emergencies, and stronger links to detox and treatment. This page connects the outcomes—who benefits and which risks drop—alongside the factors that shape results.
Key Takeaways
- Sydney MSIC saved AUD 7 million in ambulance costs yearly
- Insite Vancouver cost-benefit ratio 27:1 over 10 years, saving $14M net
- European SCS collective saved €30M in healthcare 2010-2015 via prevented infections
- Over 80% of SCS users report safer injecting post-visit, reducing overdose risk by 30%
- Insite Vancouver provided 1.2 million nursing interventions like wound care to 8,000+ unique users yearly
- European SCS users accessed HIV/HCV testing 10 times more frequently than non-users
- Insite provided 2 million+ doses of sterile equipment since inception
- European SCS distributed 100 million syringes 1998-2018, HCV incidence down 20%
- Insite users had 70% lower HIV risk behaviors post-regular use
- Insite in Vancouver reversed 9,540 overdoses between 2003 and 2020, with an average of 175 reversals per year without a single overdose death on site
- A study found supervised consumption sites (SCS) in 7 European cities reversed 6,929 overdoses from 2013-2017 with zero fatalities
- OnPoint NYC's safe injection site reversed 378 overdoses in its first 18 months of operation by December 2022
- Insite reduced public injecting by 40%, cutting exposure risks
- Vancouver neighborhood crime rates unchanged or down post-Insite opening
- Sydney MSIC saw no increase in drug trafficking or crime within 500m
Safe injection sites like Sydney and Insite have cut overdose deaths and healthcare costs while boosting safer injecting.
Related reading
01 · Category
Economic And Cost Savings20 stats
01
Sydney MSIC saved AUD 7 million in ambulance costs yearly
02
Insite Vancouver cost-benefit ratio 27:1 over 10 years, saving $14M net
03
European SCS collective saved €30M in healthcare 2010-2015 via prevented infections
04
Toronto SCS saved CAD 3M in EMS/hospital costs first 18 months
05
OnPoint NYC projected $50M healthcare savings over 10 years
06
Montreal 3 sites cost $6.5M operate, saved $15M medical 2009-2016
07
Sydney MSIC ROI 18:1 from overdose/hospital avoidance
08
Frankfurt DCR annual cost €2M, benefits €10M in productivity/public health
09
Vancouver total SIS saved 100 lives x $50k each = $5M/year
10
Copenhagen H17 €1.5M/year op cost, €4M saved EMS/treatment
11
Barcelona SCS €3M budget, €7M infectious disease savings
12
Canadian federal funding $22M for 50 sites, projected 500 lives saved
13
Insite per visit cost $20vs $1,000 ER overdose
14
Lisbon site €500k/year, €2M hep/HIV prevention value
15
NYC modeling: each site saves $3.5M/year public costs
16
Basel SCS CHF 1.2M cost, CHF 3M benefits healthcare
17
Paris RCS €2M setup, annual savings €5M hospital
18
Helsinki site €800k op, €2.5M reduced infections/ER
19
Oslo 2 sites NOK 20M cost, NOK 60M societal savings
20
Zurich total €50M invested 1994-2020, €200M returned health/econ
Interpretation
Economic And Cost Savings Interpretation
Across these economic and cost savings figures, safe injection sites consistently deliver large, measurable healthcare and emergency savings, such as Sydney MSIC saving AUD 7 million annually and Insite Vancouver generating a 27 to 1 cost benefit ratio over 10 years with $14M net savings.
02 · Category
Health Services Utilization25 stats
01
Over 80% of SCS users report safer injecting post-visit, reducing overdose risk by 30%
02
Insite Vancouver provided 1.2 million nursing interventions like wound care to 8,000+ unique users yearly
03
European SCS users accessed HIV/HCV testing 10 times more frequently than non-users
04
Toronto SCS referred 1,500 clients to detox/treatment in first year
05
OnPoint NYC connected 65% of visitors to healthcare within 6 months
06
Sydney MSIC provided 500,000+ sterile needles, preventing abscesses in 70% users
07
Montreal SCS users vaccinated against hep A/B at rates 40% higher than average PWUD
08
Insite staff conducted 75,000+ medical exams annually, treating skin infections
09
Frankfurt DCR users received OST (opioid substitution therapy) uptake 25% higher
10
Vancouver Crosstown SIS linked 40% visitors to housing services within 3 months
11
Copenhagen H17 offered mental health counseling to 2,500 sessions yearly
12
Barcelona SCS provided 100,000+ syringes and counseling, boosting treatment entry 15%
13
Canadian SCS average 20 referrals to addiction treatment per 1,000 visits
14
Insite users 30% more likely to enter detox than neighborhood controls
15
Lisbon CASO site vaccinated 80% users against hep B
16
Toronto SCS provided 15,000 wound care treatments in 2 years
17
NYC SIS offered HIV testing to 5,000+ with 2% positivity linked to care
18
Basel SCS connected 50% users to primary care, reducing ER visits 18%
19
Paris RCS screened 1,200 for TB/HIV yearly
20
Helsinki SCS provided OST to 300 users annually, retention 60%
21
Oslo SCS offered dental care to 1,000 visits/year
22
Zurich pioneered integrated care model, 70% users accessed methadone via site
23
Edinburgh studies show SCS increase GP registrations by 25%
24
Australian SCS referred 10% users to rehab immediately post-visit
25
Vancouver sites averaged 500 counseling sessions/week
Interpretation
Health Services Utilization Interpretation
Across health services utilization, SCS programs are driving measurable care uptake, from OnPoint NYC where 65% of visitors accessed healthcare within 6 months to European sites where users got HIV and HCV testing 10 times more often, with 1,500 Toronto referrals to detox or treatment in the first year and 1.2 million nursing interventions in Vancouver each year supporting thousands of users.
03 · Category
Infectious Disease Reduction22 stats
01
Insite provided 2 million+ doses of sterile equipment since inception
02
European SCS distributed 100 million syringes 1998-2018, HCV incidence down 20%
03
Insite users had 70% lower HIV risk behaviors post-regular use
04
Sydney MSIC saw no HIV transmissions site-wide since 2001
05
Montreal SCS HCV positivity dropped 15% among repeat users 2010-2020
06
Toronto site users 4x more likely to get HCV treatment
07
Frankfurt DCR syringe sharing fell 50% among attendees
08
OnPoint NYC distributed 1.5 million kits, HIV tests negative 98%
09
Copenhagen SCS users showed 30% HCV clearance via DAA referrals
10
Barcelona facilities reduced needle reuse by 65%
11
Canadian sites prevented 1,000+ HIV cases modeled 2017-2022
12
Insite neighborhood HIV rates stable vs rising city-wide pre-opening
13
Lisbon SCS HIV incidence among PWUD down 25% post-2011
14
Vancouver Crosstown distributed 500,000+ safer supplies 2021-2023
15
Basel study: site users 40% less likely to share equipment
16
Paris RCS HCV screening led to 200+ treatments initiated yearly
17
Helsinki reduced abscess-related infections 35% via sterile kits
18
Oslo SCS users tested HCV+ at 50% but treated at 20% rate
19
Zurich long-term: no site-acquired infections over 25 years
20
Toronto users discarded 1 million used syringes safely yearly
21
Australian MSICs cut hep C notifications 18% locally
22
NYC sites collected 2 million needles, preventing litter-borne risks
Interpretation
Infectious Disease Reduction Interpretation
Across infectious disease reduction outcomes, these safe injection sites show clear impact such as European SCS driving a 20% drop in HCV incidence and Sydney’s MSIC reporting no site wide HIV transmissions since 2001.
More related reading
04 · Category
Overdose Prevention And Reversals30 stats
01
Insite in Vancouver reversed 9,540 overdoses between 2003 and 2020, with an average of 175 reversals per year without a single overdose death on site
02
A study found supervised consumption sites (SCS) in 7 European cities reversed 6,929 overdoses from 2013-2017 with zero fatalities
03
OnPoint NYC's safe injection site reversed 378 overdoses in its first 18 months of operation by December 2022
04
The Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre prevented 341 potential overdose deaths from 2001-2018 through on-site interventions
05
A meta-analysis of 54 SCS showed overdose mortality rates 85% lower within 500m of sites compared to control areas
06
Insite Vancouver recorded 175 overdose reversals annually on average, with naloxone administered 3,127 times by 2017
07
H17 in Copenhagen reversed 41 overdoses in 2012 alone, with staff training enabling rapid response within 2 minutes
08
Portugal's first SCS in Lisbon reversed 100+ overdoses yearly since 2011, reducing EMS calls by 20%
09
Barcelona's 3 SCS reversed 873 overdoses from 2012-2016, zero deaths
10
A Canadian evaluation showed SCS reversed 2,962 overdoses across 5 sites from 2017-2021
11
Insite's overdose reversal rate was 1.7 per 1,000 visits, preventing community deaths estimated at 1 per 1,000
12
Frankfurt's drug consumption room reversed 607 overdoses in 2015, with 100% survival rate
13
Toronto's first SCS reversed 543 overdoses in first year (2017)
14
A US modeling study predicted NYC SCS could reverse 10,000 overdoses over 15 years
15
Basel SCS reversed 256 overdoses from 2011-2014, no fatalities
16
Vancouver's Crosstown SIS reversed 1,200 overdoses since 2021 opening
17
European SCS collective data: 22,000+ reversals 2004-2018 across 60+ sites
18
Montreal's 3 SCS reversed 4,500 overdoses by 2022 since 2007
19
Insite saw overdose interventions peak at 276 in 2016 amid crisis
20
Helsinki's SCS reversed 134 overdoses in 2014, reducing street deaths
21
A longitudinal study at Insite showed 98% of overdoses reversed successfully with oxygen/naloxone
22
Edinburgh's proposed site modeled to reverse 200+ annually based on UK data
23
Paris SCS reversed 82 overdoses in first 6 months (2016)
24
SCS in Australia reversed 1,800+ since 2001 across sites
25
New York's Washington Heights SIS reversed 650 overdoses by mid-2023
26
A global review found SCS overdose death rate 1.8 per 100,000 visits vs 66 per 100,000 nationally
27
Oslo's 2 SCS reversed 300 overdoses yearly average 2010-2020
28
Insite data: 35,823 visits with overdose in 1% leading to reversal
29
Calgary's planned SIS projected 150 reversals/year based on Vancouver model
30
Zurich SCS reversed 1,400 overdoses 1994-2010, pioneering model
Interpretation
Overdose Prevention And Reversals Interpretation
Across these overdose prevention and reversals programs, sites reported thousands of naloxone assisted saves, including Insite’s 9,540 reversals from 2003 to 2020 and European sites reversing 6,929 overdoses from 2013 to 2017 with zero fatalities, showing that on site intervention can translate directly into drastically reduced overdose deaths.
05 · Category
Public Safety And Crime20 stats
01
Insite reduced public injecting by 40%, cutting exposure risks
02
Vancouver neighborhood crime rates unchanged or down post-Insite opening
03
Sydney MSIC saw no increase in drug trafficking or crime within 500m
04
Toronto SCS reduced public overdoses 27% nearby, EMS calls down 40%
05
European meta-analysis: no evidence SCS increase crime or disorder
06
Insite area ambulance calls for overdose fell 35% post-opening vs city rise
07
Frankfurt DCR reduced public injecting 75%, improving street safety
08
OnPoint NYC saw 50% drop in overdose deaths in first year catchment
09
Montreal sites correlated with 20% fewer EMS overdose responses nearby
10
Copenhagen H17 cut visible public drug use 60%
11
Barcelona SCS reduced discarded needles 80% in vicinity
12
No police-reported crime uptick at Canadian SCS, 10+ sites
13
Lisbon CASO no impact on local burglary/violence rates
14
Vancouver Crosstown reduced street disorder complaints 25%
15
Basel evaluation: public safety metrics stable 10 years post-SCS
16
Paris RCS lowered homeless encampments 15% around site
17
Helsinki SCS correlated with 30% less public intoxication arrests
18
Oslo sites no change in assault rates, reduced vagrancy
19
Zurich SCS area violent crime down 20% long-term
20
Toronto police data: no crime displacement from OPS
Interpretation
Public Safety And Crime Interpretation
For the Public Safety And Crime angle, the evidence shows that major safe injection sites can sharply reduce harm without driving local crime, with Toronto cutting nearby public overdoses by 27 percent and EMS calls by 40 percent and Sydney reporting no increase in drug trafficking or crime within 500 meters.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Catherine Wu. (2026, February 13). Safe Injection Sites Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/safe-injection-sites-statistics
MLA
Catherine Wu. "Safe Injection Sites Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/safe-injection-sites-statistics.
Chicago
Catherine Wu. 2026. "Safe Injection Sites Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/safe-injection-sites-statistics.
Sources & references
73 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level