Behavioral Health Services should have a wider reach. Thus, driven by personal tragedy, San Francisco Mayor, London Breed has pledged to open what could be the first supervised drug injection site in the country.
But, California Governor, Jerry Brown made her resolve tougher to keep, when he vetoed legislation that would have given San Francisco some legal cover to open a site under a program.
This veto leaves Breed in a position of going it alone to deliver on a promise that she strongly believes would save lives and taxpayers’ money. Also, it would clean up streets littered with used syringes and slumped over addicts.
The site along with providing space for people to inject drugs and a “chill” room where they could recover, will also ensure medical care, counseling and treatment services.
Before moving ahead, Breed wants to make sure that nonprofits and workers operating such a facility are protected from federal prosecution. She has declined to declare a deadline.
San Francisco has an estimated 22,000 intravenous drug users and in recent years has reported about 200 overdose deaths a year, largely from opioid.
This effort comes at a time when the nation is struggling with an opioid epidemic.