Cambridge city council has given the green light to move ahead with finding a location for a safe consumption treatment services site.
Council voted 7-2 in favour of the motion.
Protesters for, and against the plan rallied outside city hall prior to the meeting.
Safe consumption has been a controversial subject in Cambridge.
Last year council passed an interim by-law that would keep an SCS out of the three core urban areas in Cambridge.
Those who support the site say it is critically needed.
“ I’ve seen people’s lives be saved, lives changed, families being put back together,” said Betty Williams, a harm reduction worker who saved her daughter’s life after an overdose just months ago.
For those against the site, they believe the entire concept is flawed, “we believe it lacks all common sense to believe that in order to ween somebody off poisoning themselves, we continue to help them poison themselves,” said Adam Cooper, a Cambridge resident against SCS.
No locations are currently on the table.
Council also passed a motion to set up an advisory committee to help council make social service decisions.
