As San Francisco limits harm reduction initiatives during a crackdown on open-air drug markets, UCSF doctors stress that such strategies are critical for safety. They highlight how access to safer-use supplies fosters dignity among users, facilitating paths toward treatment like methadone for opioid addiction. Despite city efforts to clear drug presence from streets, experts warn that cutting these programs increases risks for vulnerable populations, advocating for integrated harm reduction and treatment services that mitigate intimidation and enhance safety for drug users.
"Having relationships with people who are offering safer-use supplies allowed him to feel valued and then think, 'I’m worth something. I can do this,' and get on methadone."
"Reducing distribution of safer drug supplies and medications that treat opioid addiction will make people less safe, emphasizing how critical harm reduction is for public health."
Collection
[
|
...
]