Sanctioned centers that allow people to use illegal drugs freely, indoors, under the care of trained staff, could soon become a reality in San Francisco. On Thursday, a trio of lawmakers on the city’s Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee approved legislation that would clear the way for the opening of supervised injection sites throughout the city.
The legislation would revamp permitting rules in order to allow such centers to open. Supervisors Catherine Stefani, Matt Dorsey, and Joel Engardio voted to move the proposal onto the full board for a vote next Tuesday.
While critics argue the sites condone illegal drug use, proponents say the centers save lives by taking drug users off the streets and into sanitary spaces where they can learn about rehabilitation services. Staff members are also able to intervene in an emergency by administering Naloxone, a drug overdose antidote that has been repeatedly proven to prevent drug-related deaths.
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The Drug Enforcement Administration has long maintained that supervised injection sites violate federal law, meaning anyone using them or even working inside could face prosecution. The centers also violate state law. Governor Newsom, despite being known for his progressive politics, vetoed a plan last year that would have allowed injection sites to open on a trial basis in select cities, including San Francisco.
In spite of the ongoing legal hurdles, the legislation’s main sponsors, Mayor Breed and Supervisor Hillary Ronen, have said they hope to limit liability against the city by emulating what New York City accomplished in Nov. 2021 – the Big Apple opened the nation’s first supervised injection site without relying on any taxpayer dollars, instead utilizing private funds.
Similar sites have been operating in other countries for decades in an effort to reduce drug overdose deaths. To better understand how these centers work, the NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit traveled to Canada in 2018 to get a firsthand look at the sites and speak directly with center staff and drug users who utilize the facilities. Today, Vancouver has roughly a dozen supervised injection sites.
Ronen’s office said it hopes to open three supervised injection centers in San Francisco by the end of the year.
If a majority of supervisors approve the plan next Tuesday, the legislation would require a second majority vote during the subsequent board meeting on Feb. 28, as is typical for proposed ordinances.
