Legislation that last year failed to garner the support needed to allow San Francisco to open "safe injection sites" for intravenous drug users has been reintroduced in the California Legislature.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the bill—AB362—was authored by Assemblywoman Susan Eggman and State Senator Scott Wiener.
A similar bill they co-authored was vetoed by then-Governor Jerry Brown in October, but Governor-elect Gavin Newsom has indicated that he is receptive to the idea of a safe injection site.
Advocates say these facilities would save lives that would otherwise be lost to overdoses and provide an avenue for addicts to get treatment and break their addiction. They argue that by providing access to meal services, showers, dental care, mental health and medical referrals, they can help guide people away from their addictions and toward more stable environments.
However, such facilities would be in direct conflict with federal law.
According to KTVU-TV, the City by the Bay has more drug users than students enrolled in public schools—there are about 24,500 injection drug users in San Francisco and 16,000 students enrolled in the San Francisco Unified School District.
