California Gov. Gavin Newsom rejects legal drug injection sites

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom rejected Monday’s bill that would have allowed “a whole world of unintended consequence” to allow Los Angeles, Oakland, and San Francisco locations where users can legally inject opioids under supervision.

” The bill authorizes an unlimited number of injection sites – which are facilities that could continue to exist into the future – and could have unintended consequences,” Newsom stated.

While he acknowledged that they can be useful, he was concerned about how they would work in the opposite direction of this goal if they were not accompanied by a solid plan. We don’t have to take .”

any risk of drug abuse increasing in these regions.

It was the most well-known and controversial measure of this legislative session.

The Proponents wanted people to be able to use drugs while having trained staff available to assist them in case of accidental overdoses.

The proposal was made amid an increase in opioid-related overdose deaths. Opponents argued that the proposal would in fact condone the use of harmful drugs.

” Each year, drug overdose deaths increase because of delayed legislation,” stated Scott Wiener (a state senator from San Francisco), who authored California’s legislation.

Newsom is a Democrat who previously stated that he would be open to the idea. His decision is coming as Newsom faces greater national scrutiny because he’s being perceived as a potential presidential candidate, even though he frequently denies any interest.

He stated that he supports cutting-edge harm reduction strategies but does not support “well-documented and vetted plans .”

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Newsom directed his secretary for Health and Human Services, to meet with county and city officials in order to review standards and best practice. He said that he was open to the idea once the lawmakers have made recommendations about how to run the site safely.

Wiener called Newsom’s veto “tragic,” and San Francisco Mayor London Breed said the veto by the former mayor of San Francisco is “disappointing.”

” “We don’t require additional studies or working group to establish whether safe consumption websites are effective,” Wiener stated. These sites have been proven to decrease overdose deaths and pressure on emergency departments, as well as increase access to treatment .

But Senate GOP leader Scott Wilk stated in a statement that while the bill is “giving people free needles, and a safe space to shoot up .”

,”

Wilk, along with other Senate Republicans, wrote to Newsom, a Democrat. They asked him to stop creating “drugdens,” which they claimed could expose local providers to federal prosecutions. However, U.S officials said that they may allow the sites to be operated by guardrails .”

“Allowing someone to take heroin or other dangerous drugs and then letting them go is crazy,” said Republican Senator Brian Jones.

Assembly Republican leader James Gallagher wrote his own letter and stated that Democrats who voted for the bill were “actively promoting crime .”

“.

The state Senate gave final approval to the bill on a 21-11 roll call, over GOP opposition and with eight Democrats not voting, after the Assembly advanced it in June on a 42-29 vote.

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The first two overdose prevention centers in America that were publicly acknowledged opened in New York City last December. They have been recognized for intervening in over a dozen overdoses. Similar centers were approved by Rhode Island for testing over two years.

More than 2 1/2 times as many San Franciscans died of accidental drug overdoses in 2020 – a record roughly 700 people – than died from COVID-19 that year, San Francisco Mayor London Breed said earlier. In December, she declared an emergency in Tenderloin because of the high drug overdose rate.

Nationwide, drug overdose deaths increased 28.5% to more than 100,000 during the 12-month period ending in April 2021 over the same period a year earlier, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including about 10,000 Californians.

The governing boards of each California jurisdiction have asked for inclusion. They will decide if they want to proceed and in what manner if Newsom passes the bill. These test programs will run through January 1, 2028.

Participating government would need to share the costs of an independent study about the program’s effectiveness and impact on communities. This is due to 2027.

But opposition crossed party lines. Critics claim that the site would encourage crime because users could buy or prostitution nearby to obtain drugs.

The legislation prohibits arresting and prosecuting any person associated with these sites, even clients, for drugs-related crimes.

Opponents point out that Jerry Brown, the former governor of California, vetoed a 2018 bill which would have permitted sites to be built in San Francisco.

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” Allowing illegal and harmful drug use is not going to work,” Brown (a Democrat) stated. Brown said that because the drug user was not required to undergo treatment, the proposal was “all carrots and no sticks”.

While there’s no legal requirement for it, advocates argue that staff at these sites can help patients get treatment and prevent HIV/hepatitis from spreading by giving clean needles. You could have them test for drug contamination such as fentanyl.

” Although there’s no magic bullet for our overdose epidemic they have been proven to decrease overdose deaths and get people in treatment. They also reduce the syringe litter which can make it unsafe or inappropriate for any of our citizens,” Wiener stated during Senate’s last consideration.

Opponents and supporters have promoted contradicting data about 170 success of similar sites in Australia, Canada, and Europe and whether or not they encourage crime nearby.

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