San Francisco's new drug policy push.

[chldfknungrnd764]

Following a model established in Vancouver, city officials in San Francisco are considering whether to set up a supervised "safe-injection" site for IV-drug users, KTVU-TV (http://www.ktvu.com/news/14372284/detail.html) reported Oct. 18.

Officials and addiction experts held a symposium this week on the safe-injection site concept. "Having the conversation today will help us figure out whether this is a way to reduce the harms and improve the health of our community," said Grant Colfax, director of HIV prevention for the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

http://www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/inthenews/2007/safe-injection-site-could-be.html


This reminds me of Amsterdam on The Wire series on HBO.

[Sal Paradise]

Your post is the first I've heard about it, but I'm generally in favor of the decriminalization of drugs. This seems like a good progressive step in the right direction.

[chldfknungrnd764]

Your post is the first I've heard about it, but I'm generally in favor of the decriminalization of drugs. This seems like a good progressive step in the right direction.

I heard this on the news yesterday, folks might want to know about this.


http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5igtJIQAb0WxjrFAutPMAA1Y_PEVAD8SC1H400


San Francisco Considers Injection Room

By LISA LEFF – 1 day ago
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — City health officials took steps Thursday toward opening the nation's first legal safe-injection room, where addicts could shoot up heroin, cocaine and other drugs under the supervision of nurses.

Hoping to reduce San Francisco's high rate of fatal drug overdoses, the public health department co-sponsored a symposium on the only such facility in North America, a four-year-old Vancouver site where an estimated 700 intravenous users a day self-administer narcotics under the supervision of nurses.

"Having the conversation today will help us figure out whether this is a way to reduce the harms and improve the health of our community," said Grant Colfax, director of HIV prevention for the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

Organizers of the daylong forum, which also included a coalition of nonprofit health and social-service groups, acknowledge that it could take years to get an injection center up and running. Along with legal hurdles at the state and federal level, such an effort would be almost sure to face political opposition.

[david_mancuso]

Thank you for posting this chldfknungrnd764! :)

[chldfknungrnd764]

Thank you for posting this chldfknungrnd764! :)

Cool my friend.:respent:

[kaaos]

Your post is the first I've heard about it, but I'm generally in favor of the decriminalization of drugs. This seems like a good progressive step in the right direction.


all drugs?

that would be insane and totlay not the right way.

[Armento]

Amsterdam really is like that, not just on the Wire. This is good news. Cali is most progressive lately. This is the only way to go. Take all this crap out of taboo realm.

[kaaos]

some drugs yeah maybe but the hard shit like cocaine, X, meth and H should never become legal

[Armento]

some drugs yeah maybe but the hard shit like cocaine, X, meth and H should never become legal
that's what you think. I think everything should be legal. That's freedom. Make up your own mind about what goes into your body. And you do agree that people want to do shit much less if it's not prohibited right?

[kaaos]

that's what you think. I think everything should be legal. That's freedom. Make up your own mind about what goes into your body. And you do agree that people want to do shit much less if it's not prohibited right?

or get more people hooked on addictive drugs.

[Vinyl Deficit]

I wonder if they'll buy the stolen car stereo's from these folks at the "safe-injection" houses. I mean, if your gonna help em' out, help em' out.

[Armento]

or get more people hooked on addictive drugs.
They have no problem getting these drugs now. No difference. LESS people hooked. Because it's not taboo.

[Armento]

I wonder if they'll buy the stolen car stereo's from these folks at the "safe-injection" houses. I mean, if your gonna help em' out, help em' out.
It's deeper than just helping addicts. You're helping the society by regulating drugs.. Keeping them clean.. Keeping infection rates real low... keeping mofos off the streets trying to jack your wife's purse. Crime goes down.

The biggest freaking thing everyone needs to keep reminding themselves is that the war on drugs hasn't solved drug problems. .. Nothing will. Prohibition never works.. so... ligalization might... it has in more progressive places... i think