San Francisco is at the heart of the nationwide opioid epidemic. According to NCDAS, the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, more than one million people have died because of opioids since 1999 in the US alone. This is a staggering number and has been motivation for many to raise awareness and make change. One way lawmakers in San Francisco have tried to combat this crisis is by supplying addicts with free drug paraphernalia. While you may be saying this is counterintuitive, experts believe that this is a step in the right direction.
The CDC and city of San Francisco allocated $18.6 million towards the establishment of these harm reduction facilities. This decision led to a lot of negative press and bashing from the media, but people don’t know the full picture. The logic behind these centers is this: having clean, sterilized supplies in a clean location for addicts is a much better solution than for them to use dirty supplies on the streets, alone. These people are addicted and almost nothing will stop them from getting their fix. Harm reduction centers serve as protection from overdoses, infections, and more trouble. A harm reduction consultant named Bill Buman spoke out about this; “I’m not trying to help anyone get high. I am trying to help them be as safe as possible, though, and reduce any secondary harm from drug use.” Bill also says that when people inject, they are creating a wound. These centers help addicts heal and seal these wounds so that they do not experience any unwanted consequences from their addiction. Many critics refuse to listen to this reasoning and view the city as trying to advance the opioid epidemic for some personal gain. People must instead encourage these efforts because keeping people alive, even if they are struggling and addicted to drugs, should be our goal.
The city of San Francisco has experienced record highs in homelessness and drug-related deaths and they believe these centers are a step forward. Innovative ideas such as harm reduction facilities must continue to be implemented. America’s fight against drugs is nowhere close to being over and cities must make efforts to clean up the streets and our country. The country’s perception of drug addicts must change and people should be more willing to help and save a life rather than being quick to judge and ignorant.