San Francisco has seen a 41% increase in drug-related deaths in the first quarter of 2021, which means that one person dies of accidental overdose every 10 hours. At least 200 people have died from fentanyl, a synthetic drug, over the past three months. Homeless people and Black Americans were adversely affected, with a third of overdose victims being from the Black community, despite only making up 5% of San Francisco’s population. Experts believe that punitive action, like increased policing and taking a law-and-order approach towards the problem, has contributed to the crisis.
San Francisco opened an outreach centre where drug users had medical supervision, which allowed drug use on-site but with medical professionals present to prevent accidental overdoses. Attendees used Narcan to reverse more than 330 opiate overdoses in the 11 months the centre was open. However, fewer than 1% of visits resulted in someone getting connected to addiction treatment services, and the low number of visitors at the centre who ultimately accepted help to get off drugs disappointed Mayor London Breed.
The centre was shut down because some residents felt that more drug abusers were coming to the area impacted due to drug abuse. Some also felt the approach was not right and some were repelled because they felt these centres were welcoming drug addicts to congregate and use drugs. Experts believe that it takes more than 11 months for results to show if one follows the approach where centres are set up for safe drug use. Data from other safe use sites across the world, such as a safe house site in Australia’s Melbourne, which opened five years ago, helped reduce overdoses, bring drug use off the streets and help get addicts into treatment.
