KNUS radio’s Steffan Tubbs Show will not provide promised studies allegedly backing up its claims that an overdose prevention program does not save lives as research has shown they do.
A little over a month ago, the conservative radio station gave a presentation at the Capitol on alleged “further devastation” caused by safe injection sites (SIS), which allow addicts to inject street drugs under the supervision of medical personnel.
The presentation showed images from a trip to one Canadian SIS facility and cited studies which supposedly support the No Safe Site campaign.
Although KNUS staffers who gave the presentation never specifically stated overdose deaths increase because of safe use sites, they most certainly — as Steffan Tubbs put it during a radio interview on his show — “are inferring this.”
At the event, KNUS presenters said flash drives with studies allegedly supporting their stance on SIS facilities would be available, but staff could not provide the flash drive as promised after the presentation.
Instead, KNUS staff promised that links to the studies cited in the KNUS presentation would be uploaded to the radio station’s website, but this never happened.
Later, in an on-air interview, Tubbs promised that the studies would be provided to the Colorado Times Recorder.
But after multiple requests for the studies, a producer of the Steffan Tubbs Show explained they were “done with” safe injection sites because the legislation was never introduced and the legislative session was coming to an end.
So, after asking for the promised evidence at the event, on the radio show itself, through e-mail, and over the phone, it was never provided.
Numerous credible studies show safe use sites have in fact decreased overdose deaths by roughly 30 percent and increased detoxification service use by 30 percent.
Medical professionals and researchers alike, conclude that safe injection sites would function as a part of a broader effort to help and better understand those who suffer from opioid addiction.
