A key legislative backer of supervised drug injection sites tells 9News it’s “highly likely” the first such site would be directly across the street from the state Capitol.

Democratic state Sen. Brittany Pettersen of Lakewood says the Harm Reduction Action Center, a needle exchange site at 213 E. Colfax Ave., is the likely location if the legislature allows Denver to create America’s first supervised injection site.

Opponents of supervised injection sites had suggested they would be put in suburban neighborhoods along with downtown Denver where open-air drug use is rampant.

“We know, statistically, people will not go beyond three blocks to actually use one of these facilities,” Pettersen said. “People aren’t going to be coming in from other places to use it. It’s not going to increase crime. These are people who are using now.”

Pettersen was interviewed on Next with Kyle Clark Thursday, a day after Denver Mayor Michael Hancock walked back his support for such sites, also in an interview on Next.

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