Prior to the five cities project, treatment for drug users generally involved counseling,, residential detoxification or residential rehabilitation. The drop in center model of providing harm reduction services opens up accsess to much larger number of drug users.

Figure 2 illustrates how the five city project has at least doubled the availability of treatment places for drug users in each of the five cities. The emphasis on injecting drug use (involving opiates and pharmaceuticals) means that the opportunity for injecting drug users to access treatment, has increased even more dramatically. The variety of services offered and accessed, in addition to abstinence-oriented drug treatments, was an affirmation that drug users can and do care for their health while using drugs.