The Mayor of San Francisco, Daniel Lurie, made the announcement on Wednesday that the city would no longer provide free paraphernalia to drug users so that they might consume drugs without also giving treatment counseling.
The action represents a departure from the long-standing policy of providing supplies, such as clean foil and needles, to individuals so that they can take narcotics in a more secure manner without risking their health. Long ago, San Francisco was condemned for its permissive attitude toward the usage of drugs in public places.
It is no longer possible for us to accept the fact that two individuals die every day as a result of an overdose. We have not been able to guarantee the health and safety of our entire community, even those who are in the throes of addiction, because we have maintained the status quo. Lurie stated in a press release that “fentanyl has changed the game,” and that “we have been relying on strategies that preceded this new drug epidemic, which ends today.”
Individuals are now required to obtain treatment counseling or be connected to services in order to receive safer drug use supplies, as per the new rules that were released by the Department of Public Health and Director of the Department of Public Health in the city and Dan Tsai.
“Distribution of foil, pipes and straws for safer-use supplies, we will no longer allow that in public spaces, meaning not in the street, not in parks, not on the sidewalks,” according to Tsai. “There is a place for that in a more indoor, treatment-controlled setting, where someone can have a high-quality discussion to try to get someone plugged into treatment.”
It is part of Mayor Lurie’s “Breaking the Cycle” initiative to address issues like as homelessness, opioid addiction, and mental health treatment that the policy change has been implemented. The situation with fentanyl will now be tackled with a greater emphasis on drug treatment as opposed to harm reduction and abuse prevention.
When clean pipes and other drug paraphernalia are distributed, the goal is to reduce the risk of accidental overdoses or infections that could be caused by the sharing of contaminated equipment. On the other hand, the mayor has issued an order to nonprofit organizations that receive financing from the city to cease the practice. In addition, he has an ally in City Hall named Supervisor Matt Dorsey who has prior experience dealing with drug addiction.
As an individual who is in the process of recovering from addiction, Dorsey is of the opinion that the harm reduction effort is being driven by activists who have a political agenda.
“In the past few years, I have witnessed an excessive amount of instances in which individuals are dispensing drug paraphernalia and stating, “Good luck, go take your drugs in a more secure manner.” And we don’t want to declare that you shouldn’t use drugs because there are certain people who consider it to be a stigmatizing statement,” he elaborated.
On the other hand, Laura Guzman, who serves as the executive director of the National Harm Reduction Coalition, stated that current treatment options are insufficient for those individuals who might be interested in receiving them.
“It’s mandating or putting as a condition for people to receive life-saving supplies, to actually have long conversations about treatment that may not be available,” Guzman explained to reporters. This is not a good policy, according to those who are knowledgeable in the field, such as researchers and medical professionals. We are essentially going against the grain because what we are attempting to accomplish is to create the impression that there is no drug use on the streets. But this is not founded on science, nor is it related to public health. It is the complete antithesis of what we are aware of to be effective.
The city is of the opinion that the damage reduction program is merely providing individuals with the opportunity to retain their addiction. And Dorsey stated that he did not receive assistance until he was confronted with some difficult truths about himself by individuals who cared enough about him.
“Thank God is that it took place. It is possible that I would have agreed to the terms of the bargain if someone had handed me a hotel room, some money, and directed me to “go use your drugs.” And if I had done it, it’s possible that I wouldn’t be here today.”
The date of the policy’s implementation is April 30.
San Francisco ends policy of providing drug paraphernalia without treatment.
