thegreenhand
Bluelight Crew
Newsom vetoes bill to set up drug overdose prevention programs in some California cities
Hannah WileyLA Times
22 Aug 2022
Excerpt:
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Mondayvetoed a controversial bill that would have allowed supervised injection site pilot programs in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Oakland, in efforts to prevent drug overdose deaths and connect people to treatment for addiction.
The number of safe-injection sites that would have been authorized by the bill could have induced a “world of unintended consequences,” Newsom wrote in his veto message.
“It is possible that these sites would help improve the safety and health of our urban areas, but if done without a strong plan, they could work against this purpose,” Newsom said. “These unintended consequences in cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Oakland cannot be taken lightly. Worsening drug consumption challenges in these areas is not a risk we can take.”
Newsom reiterated that he was committed to harm-reduction strategies, but said pilot programs need to be well planned and include strong local leadership. He said he would instruct California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly to convene city and county officials to “discuss minimum standards and best practices” that could then be recommended to the Legislature.