This Oct. 19, 2016 photo taken at Family Guidance Center, an addiction treatment center in Joliet, Ill, shows the packaging of Vivitrol, a high-priced monthly injection used to prevent relapse in opioid abusers. U.S. prisons are experimenting with the medication, which could help addicted inmates stay off heroin and other opioid drugs after they are released. (AP Photo/Carla K. Johnson)

DENVER  | Federal authorities say Denver’s proposal to host a facility where people can use drugs under the supervision of medical professionals is illegal.

The Denver Post reports the U.S. Attorney’s Office and a Drug Enforcement Administration field office sent a letter Tuesday to Denver officials, warning that people involved in the facility could face criminal and civil penalties.

The Denver City Council and Mayor Michael Hancock have approved a law that would allow the city to host a supervised drug-use facility in an effort to prevent overdose deaths and help connect people to services.

Councilman Albus Brooks defended the law, saying the city “cannot wait for federal action while the death toll rises.”

State legislators are considering taking up the question this session.

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Information from: The Denver Post, https://www.denverpost.com

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