SF nonprofits to stop providing drug paraphernalia without treatment under new city policy

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- On Wednesday, the mayor of San Francisco announced a major policy change that will stop nonprofits from distribution syringes and other drug supplies to people on the streets as a harm reduction strategy.

This is part of Mayor Lurie's "Breaking the Cycle" executive directive, which laid out his vision for tackling San Francisco's homelessness and behavioral health crisis.

Many of the harm reduction kits contain foil, pipes and syringes to do drugs. They are distributed for free on the streets by a number of San Francisco nonprofits.

"The evidence is clear. What we are doing is not working. We have two people a day dying of overdoses in San Francisco. Everyone can cite all the statistics that they want but, two years ago, we had 810 people die of overdose," said San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie.

After decades of this harm reduction approach, Mayor Lurie is putting a stop to this policy.

"There is nothing compassionate about letting people die on our streets or die of overdose. Two people a day, in our city, those are unacceptable numbers, and I think they're unacceptable to all of us and so we're making this change right now because of that. I think what changed is, is fentanyl. fentanyl is so incredibly deadly," said Mayor Lurie.

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Dan Tsai, the director for the city's Department of Public Health, explained the new approach.

"Any time any one of our nonprofits are providing safe or use supplies, whether it's sterile syringes or other supplies, they have to pair that with proactive counseling and attempts to connect an individual to treatment," said Tsai. He added, "We are really trying to get proactive here instead of waiting, watching folks die, watching folks are treated with mental illness and with, with addiction. We're getting much more proactive. That's the first piece. The second piece of the change in policy is that for distribution of foil pipes and straws for safer use supplies. We will no longer allow that in public spaces."

One of the largest providers of safer use supply in the city is the AIDS Foundation. Their concern is people having to share supplies now.

"We are deeply disappointed that the distribution of safer supplies will be limited throughout all public spaces," said Tyler TerMeer, CEO of San Francisco AIDS Foundation and added, "I have a great fear that people may, may switch back to injection and injection of drugs over time has told us that we will see an increase of a potential increase of fatality. So, increase in overdose, increase in HIV infection and increase in hepatitis C or things like soft tissue infection."

We went out to the Tenderloin to ask people what they thought. We met Joshua C. He has been sober for two years now. Here's what he said about services.

Luz Pena: "Has the city offered you supplies to get high?"

Joshua C: "Yes, mainly in the Mission and down at the Tenderloin area. I noticed they do that type of stuff. Also, like bandages, different needles and hygiene kits mainly."

Luz Pena: "Has the city ever offered you help?"

Joshua C: "Well no, there are places where you can go on 6th Street and 16th and Mission."

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This is a major shift that is giving nonprofits like Westside Community Services hope.

"Really excited to see that Mayor Lurie is taking a stand and saying no more to open air drug markets, no more sitting on the streets where you can defecate on the streets and use drugs openly on the streets and that you can do whatever you want because the sidewalks belong to everyone," said Cedric Akbar, Westside Community Services Director of Forensics.

DPH said they will closely monitor overdose rates and HIV transmissions.

"At the end of the day, people are still on the sidewalk. Saying it's OK to use and that is not really helping people," said Akbar.

San Francisco spends about $300K a year on providing syringes alone. The Department of Public Health has an annual budget of $3.2 billion. This policy goes into effect April 30.