drug policy for sf d5

The open drug markets in the Tenderloin are a moral and economic disaster that killed 810 people last year, made our streets unsafe, and left us with blocks of empty storefronts instead of thriving small businesses.

Why is this happening?  Because our drug policies are not designed for fentanyl, which is extremely cheap, highly addictive, increasingly resistant to narcan, and fatal in tiny amounts.

Current Supervisor Dean Preston blames “capitalism” for this failure and wants to defund the police by $100 million. This policy would worsen the tragedy in the Tenderloin -- it's cruel, not compassionate, to let vulnerable people die on our streets.

It's time for practical approaches and new leadership to cut out the cancer of open drug markets.  

My Fenta-NIL plan will close the open drug markets and bring our city back.  We will reduce the supply, reduce the demand, and get the neighborhood help.

1/ We must curtail the supply by closing the open drug markets with methods effective against fentanyl markets, including jailing and deporting foreign dealers who repeatedly sell drugs on our streets.

2/ We must build more treatment beds and coax addicts into effective, compassionate treatment, including immediate access to medication-assisted treatment, so they can turn their lives around... while also banning the use of hard drugs on our streets.

3/ We must get the Tenderloin immediate help, so the streets are safe again and neighborhood businesses can recover, including keeping sidewalks safe and clear in front of open businesses.

We deserve a city where kids in every neighborhood can run out to the corner store without fear.  Where the Tenderloin’s nightlife is back and thriving.  Where small businesses are bustling.

Let’s change SF from “the place to get high” to “the place to get hope”.

‍Reduce the supply
‍* Go after their sales force in the most disruptive way possible. Give dealers strong incentives to shift to honest work, help the community delegitimize drug dealing, and coordinate with federal courts to jail and deport repeat foreign dealers
* Reduce drug market revenue by addressing shoplifting
* Increase penalties for drug dealing near sober housing sites

‍Reduce the demand
‍* Provide suboxone and other medication to treat addiction
* Train new staff in the most effective treatment methodologies, and work to reduce staff turnover
* Build and staff treatment beds with compassionate, effective treatment programs -- and track the effectiveness of every program
* Have street teams providing suboxone to drug users on the sidewalks
* Make housing and treatment a package deal
* For meth users, pay them for clean drug tests
* Do not allow public use of hard drugs

Get the neighborhood help
‍* Keep sidewalks clean and safe in front of open businesses and pathways to/from school
* Increase police staffing so we can get beat cops in the Tenderloin. (It takes 36 people to staff TL beats fully, and right now we're losing cops faster than we can train them)
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