Governor Gavin Newsom of California has been a progressive advocate for marijuana legalization in his state, but he is said to be on the fence about another drug-related issue: whether to allow three pilot projects to go ahead that would establish safe consumption sites for addicts. The sites—in Los Angels, San Francisco, and Oakland—would allow users to shoot up in a safe setting, with drug testing available, and medical personnel to help if they overdose. Such sites are illegal on the federal level, but New York City opened two such facilities last year without any of the legal problems that have dogged safe sites in the past. More than 10,000 people died in California last year from a drug overdose, and there is a desperate need for resources to reduce fatalities. Safe sites are considered the centerpiece of harm reduction strategy and can save lives. But they often fail to change lives—like the facilities in New York—because they are not specifically designed as a pathway to treatment. They offer information to patients but do not encourage them or provide incentives to enter treatment, which means the sites become a virtual revolving door for drug use. Republicans in California want Newsom to veto the bill, exaggeratingly calling safe sites “drug dens,” and saying the state should instead expand substance abuse programs for all who need them. Why not do both? Safe sites save lives, but it would be even more compassionate for the facilities to also provide a gateway to life-changing treatment.
Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone Number
Rosenthal Center for AddictIon Studies