SF says no more distribution of 'harm reduction kits' without option for treatment
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The City of San Francisco recently told nonprofits that if they wanted to continue distributing things like smoking kits, they must also offer counseling and information on treatment. Those that don't comply will lose city funding.
There was a time when drug use supplies and smoking kits were handed out freely on San Francisco city streets, no strings attached.
It's hard to argue that those were "the good old days." We first brought it to your attention in October 2023.
When asked if they had any pamphlets on detox or treatment, volunteers admitted they never carried any of that with them.
Meanwhile, the data cannot be ignored. Unintentional overdose deaths in San Francisco have continued.
Since January 2020 to March 2025, 3,524 people have died.
MORE: SF nonprofits to stop providing drug paraphernalia without treatment under new city policy
Now under Mayor Daniel Lurie, these supplies, things like syringes and Narcan, can no longer be distributed without counseling and connections to treatment.
The city says it has provided extra funding to nonprofits to hire skilled staff.
"When you see it, when you see it working, it's incredible. When you don't have the right trained skill-set and you're just throwing things at someone and barking things, that does not work either," insisted Dan Tsai, SF Health Department Director.
So a few days after the new policy was implemented, we set out to see if these nonprofits were complying.
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Glide had indeed several informational treatment brochures in their mobile carts but none on their folding tables until we asked them to place them there.
We then asked clients if Glide was offering counseling or a way for them to connect to treatment.
"They have brochures as you walk up and they offer you, they say we can help you if you ask," said Axel Bear, a client of Glide.
LYANNE: Have you ever accepted their help?
BEAR: "Not there's, but yes, I've gotten help."
At a San Francisco Aids Foundation mobile site in the Bayview district, the brochures were there but kept to one side and not prominently displayed.
And more changes are coming from the health department. As of May 30, these mobile sites will not be allowed to offer any smoking supplies in a public space, items such as pipes and aluminum foil used as a surface to smoke drugs like fentanyl.
"We are requiring that by May 30 that all of that come indoors, out of pubic spaces," said Tsai.
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Back in the Tenderloin, we met 34 year-old Liz Mahoney, who said she too has been offered help.
LYANNE: "'Have they ever said to you, there's treatment to quit using drugs?"
MAHONEY: "Yeah."
LYANNE: "So, how do they say it?"
MAHONEY: "Ah, if you ever need someone to talk to, if you ever need resources, just come talk to us, and we'll let you know what's available."
But it's not as black and white as people would like it to be.
Mahoney has a dog, so she refuses to go into a drug treatment facility. She's tried outpatient programs, but until now they haven't worked.
"The withdrawals are very severe. I use fentanyl and meth," said Mahoney.
While it's difficult to get people off drugs, nonetheless, the city recently partnered with the Salvation Army to secure 21 additional drug treatment beds at their residential facility South of Market called Harbor Light.
The city also opened a Crisis Stability Unit on Geary Street, it's far from enough. Tsai admitted, right now, the city doesn't have enough treatment beds.
"And the issue sometimes is the proactivity. Do we have the right skilled people to engage with and chat with someone, and do we have treatment actual(ly) readily available instead of saying, come tomorrow morning at 9:30 to this place and maybe there will be treatment," said Tsai.
"That is not going to help anybody. We're trying to get much more immediate and urgent about meeting people where they are at and helping them get quickly connected in that moment into treatment and services," insisted Tsai.
