San Francisco lawmakers are hoping to introduce privately operated overdose prevention sites that would let drug users inject themselves in the presence of trained staff who can respond to any emergency.
The controversial measure comes after District Attorney Brooke Jenkins was elected in November, promising to clean up the street’s open drug dens that have been inhospitable to residents and businesses. Since then, Jenkins has enacted a plan of seeking felonies against repeated offenders and publicized a string of case filings and convictions.
One of her leading backers, Mayor London Breed (D), supports the prevention sites that aim for usage of such hardcore drugs as heroin and fentanyl.
“Overdose prevention sites can be part of a comprehensive strategy that can save lives and address open-air drug use in our communities,” Breed said in a statement. “Fentanyl is challenging us like never before, and in addition to opening up these sites, we have to work with law enforcement to close the open-air drug markets and ensure that our neighborhoods feel improvements as we bring these resources to bear.”
However, a hurdle exists before an ordinance can be enacted by the Board of Supervisors. A 2020 law must be repealed that allows the city to issue permits for such businesses to operate. The centers are against state and federal law, so Breed hopes to get through the red tape by allowing nonprofit groups to operate without government intervention.
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) vetoed a bill last year that would have created city-sponsored opioid abuse injection sites in three major cities.
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“It is possible that these sites would help improve the safety and health of our urban areas, but if done without a strong plan, they could work against this purpose,” Newsom said in a veto letter. “These unintended consequences in cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Oakland cannot be taken lightly. Worsening drug consumption challenges in these areas is not a risk we can take.”
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San Francisco reported 620 drug overdose deaths in 2022, which is a decrease of 20 from the year before. In 2020, the city’s drug deaths were at an all-time high with 725.
