Written by T. Logan Dayne
The former jewel of the nation, San Francisco, has fallen on hard times and seems to be slipping further. Mayor London Breed of San Francisco, famous for violating her own mask mandates because she was ‘feeling the spirit’, allowed a drug injection site known as Tenderloin Center to open during the pandemic. The idea was to provide “safe consumption” of drugs on-site in an effort to address the city’s homelessness crisis. The facility has received mixed reactions.
The staff and the facility provide food and clothes to the homeless and those who suffer from drug addiction. According to its accounting, the facility has reversed 92 overdoses, provided 35,000 meals, and 5,000 showers. What is not being accounted for is how many individuals have actually gotten off these harmful and addictive substances. An ongoing debate is being headed on whether or not this is simply enabling drug addiction rather than trying to provide a way for users to quit and rehabilitate individuals. “When there is no accountability for drug addiction and crime, and, in fact, policies that encourage or promote it, common sense dictates you get more of it, not less.,” Assembly GOP Leader James Gallagher had to say on the matter.
Regardless of data, numbers, or longitudinal studies on the success of the facility, California Senator Wiener is determined to bring this project statewide, promising similar drug injection centers in L.A. and Oakland. Only 32% of San Francisco voters actually say they approve of a “safe consumption” site. Other groups advocate for a harm reduction facility that doesn’t promote drug use.
Photo Cred: Streets of San Francisco on Twitter/ @sfstreets1
