California Gov. Gavin Newsom Vetoes Safe Injection Site Bill

At least 100 supervised injection sites have operated around the world for several decades.
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday vetoed a bill that would have allowed safe injection sites and other overdose prevention programs to open in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Oakland.

In a letter to legislators, the Democratic state leader said he feared allowing supervised consumption sites in those cities might lead to “a world of unintended consequences.”

“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,” he wrote. “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.”

Senate Bill 57 would have permitted localities to open hygienic sites for a five-year trial period where people could safely use their own drugs with sterile supplies.

Harm-reduction advocates have long pointed to needle sharing among drug users as a source of infectious disease transmission. Additionally, used needles often are improperly disposed of, exposing non-users to unnecessary risk when they encounter them in public spaces.

Safe injection sites also serve as a point of contact for drug users to access addiction treatment, and to prevent overdose deaths ― and have been shown to reduce costs associated with health care, emergency services and crime.

California’s legislation would have required local jurisdictions to consult with local law enforcement, public health officials and the broader public before opening a site.

State Sen. Scott Wiener (D), who sponsored the bill, called Newsom’s veto “tragic,” but pledged to continue advocating for injection sites.

“SB 57 is not a radical bill by any stretch of the imagination,” Wiener said in a statement. “It simply gives permission to cities — each of which has requested that permission — to pilot safe consumption sites to save lives and get people into treatment.”

He continued: “These sites are a proven strategy to reduce overdose deaths, pressure on emergency rooms, and public drug use, while expanding access to drug treatment.”

While at least 100 supervised injection sites have operated around the world for several decades, the U.S. had none until 2021, when New York City opened two safe injection sites in Manhattan.

In 2018, Newsom rejected a pilot program for the nation’s first safe injection site in San Francisco.

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