Supervisors recommend emergency declaration and urge rapid pilot of supervised consumption sites

The Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee on Oct. 14 recommended to the full Board of Supervisors a resolution urging the mayor to declare a local public health state of emergency on the overdose crisis and to move promptly toward piloting supervised consumption (overdose prevention) sites. Chair Gordon Marr moved the recommendation after Supervisor Matt Haney's presentation and a non-substantive amendment; the committee recorded ayes and sent the item to the Board with a positive recommendation.

Supervisor Matt Haney, sponsor of the resolution, told the committee San Francisco has seen hundreds of overdose deaths this year and called supervised consumption services a lifesaving public health tool. "We are saving lives, and we should do more, to prevent even more death in our city," Haney said, citing local and national evidence and the 2017 supervised injection services task force report. He proposed an amendment to change the resolution's language so the Board would "support the mayor by concurring with a mayoral proclamation of emergency," and said the city attorney confirmed the change is non-substantive.

Public health and community experts presented research and practice evidence. Alex Kral of RTI International summarized peer-reviewed analyses showing supervised consumption sites can prevent overdose deaths and reduce emergency department visits; his team's U.S. analysis estimated a single 13-booth site could yield approximately $3.5 million in annual net savings. Laura Thomas of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation reviewed the task force findings and current local permitting options. Daniella Watke of the Safer Inside Coalition described her experience as an overdose survivor and urged action "now," saying "No overdose deaths have ever happened in a safer consumption site anywhere in the world."

Scores of public commenters—clinicians, harm-reduction providers, community advocates and people with lived experience—urged the committee to act immediately rather than wait for state legislation. Callers cited local overdose counts (hundreds per year, with 712 recorded in 2020) and described greater impacts on people who are poor, unhoused, black, indigenous and people of color.

During committee action, Chair Marr moved to excuse Supervisor Haney from the remainder of the meeting and to accept Haney's non-substantive amendment and forward the resolution to the Board of Supervisors with a positive recommendation. The clerk recorded the motion, the amendment as presented, and no recorded opposition; the item will appear on the Board agenda on Oct. 26, 2021, unless otherwise noted.

What happens next: the resolution, as amended, will go to the full Board of Supervisors for consideration on Oct. 26, 2021; the committee recommended it be approved and urged the mayor to move quickly to provide legal and operational support for pilot overdose-prevention sites.

Speakers quoted in this article appear as identified in committee records and public comment.