San Francisco Mayor London Breed and other city officials who want to open the nation’s first facility where drug users would be able to shoot up in an enclosed and supervised environment.
Earlier this week, proponents of a proposal to open so-called "safe injection sites" gave a demonstration of what such a facility could look and feel like.
"San Francisco public health officials hope that by providing access to meal services, showers, dental care, mental health and medical referrals, they can help slowly guide people away from their addictions and street life and toward more stable environments," said a report by the San Francisco Chronicle.
But not everyone in San Francisco is in support of the idea.
Rick Andreotti, vice president of the San Francisco Police Officer's Association, told KRON News that while he's happy the city is concerned for people's well-being, he doesn't think this is the right way to stop the drug epidemic.
"Is this the proper solution? We don't believe so," Andreotti said. "We are concerned that an increase, or influx of addicts in San Francisco, will cause an increase in petty crimes, quality of life issues and we all know that's a major issue in San Francisco."
Opening day for the prototype site came less than 24 hours after the state Assembly signed off on a final round of amendments to AB186, a bill that would allow San Francisco to create a pilot program for safe injection sites through January 2022, according to the Chronicle.
The bill is now awaiting Governor Jerry Brown’s signature.
