Safer Inside
Supports Safe Consumption Services
Responses to Supervisor Matt Dorsey’s proposal to divert funding from the Department of Public Health’s planned Wellness Hubs to the San Francisco County Jails:
San Francisco is in the midst of an overdose crisis: Every year, we lose hundreds of community members to drug overdose.
Each one of these overdose deaths is preventable.
We can make a difference in ending the overdose crisis by following the lead of many countries around the world who have implemented safe consumption services (also known as safe injection sites, or overdose prevention services). Safe drug consumption services are designated sites where people can use drugs under the safety and supervision of trained personnel. Over 130 safe consumption services exist around the world in Europe, Canada, Australia, and recently, the U.S.
More than 30 years of research proves that safe consumption services prevent fatal overdose, HIV and hepatitis C transmission, injection-related infection, and public disposal of syringes. They promote engagement and referrals to other support services, including housing placement and drug treatment. Contrary to popular belief, they do not increase drug use, crime, or bring drug use into communities. And they save millions of dollars a year.
Although we know that safe consumption services prevent overdose and improve the health of people who use drugs, there is currently only one jurisdiction in the U.S. operating legally sanctioned safe consumption services, and their use remains controversial.
