Public restrooms are on the front line of the opioid epidemic. The opioid epidemic has impacted countless families and individuals. In any public restroom people can wander in and out as much as they like, doing as they please, and nobody knows the difference. Business owners are taking notice after seeing the restrooms littered with used syringes, drugs, and even people who overdosed while taking drugs. Learn more about this crushing epidemic and how to be part of the solution.

Taking Back Restrooms

Using public restrooms to do drugs has put business owners in a quandary. Either they restrict access or continue hosting open facilities but figure out another way to curb drug use. While some establishments have closed public bathrooms, others have taken a different approach. There is one business that installed a blue light, making it hard for people to shoot up. Another removed a drop ceiling in the bathroom where paraphernalia was tucked inside. One trained baristas to use naloxone in case someone overdosed.

Making Restrooms Safe

There are ways to make restrooms a safe zone for people who are struggling with addiction and have not found somewhere safe to use drugs. Shutting off people from access to public spaces is not the right answer. A model answer to the restroom question may be a well-lit, stainless-steel surfaced bathroom that is stocked with naloxone in case of overdose. It would have a biohazard box for needles and swabs. It may also be monitored by a nurse or EMT with access to unlocking the doors.

Currently, few bathrooms fit this model in the United States. People are not going to magically stop showing up to get high in public restrooms. The epidemic has gotten to far out of hand for that but there can be unique, interesting ways of solving the crisis which puts intervention on the frontline and supports finding people the help they need, even if it is just an open ear to listen to what the person is struggling with and trying to find help. Perhaps some helpline numbers and places to see support if they are addicted could be helpful but the reality is addiction has many facets. This is just one place that has seen an increase in the number of people coming to get high and is trying to find a way of offering help where they can in the best, most respectable way, possible.

The Springboard Center’s addiction treatment programs are tailored to meet the needs of each client. By utilizing a set of diverse methods of addiction treatment, we are able to deal with your addiction from all angles and concentrate on every aspect of your healing process. It is important to recognize that many of our services offer a group setting and environment, so that the client spends time with other people affected by the same chronic disease and problems. 432-620-0255