SAN FRANCISCO, November 17, 2021—San Francisco AIDS Foundation thanks Mayor London Breed and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for their bold commitment to open safe consumption services in San Francisco. As reported by The San Francisco Chronicle, Mayor Breed is pushing to open safe consumption services in San Francisco “as early as the spring.” 

“We have been wanting to do this for a long time, especially in light of the significant increase in the number of overdose deaths in our city. We have to get this site open,” said Mayor Breed in the Chronicle article. 

“I applaud the bold leadership of Mayor Breed in advancing solutions to address the worsening opioid overdose crisis here in San Francisco,” said Kevin Rogers, interim CEO of San Francisco AIDS Foundation. “I also extend my thanks to the many community members who have been advocating for these services for over a decade. San Francisco AIDS Foundation stands ready to implement these proven life-saving strategies when authorized to do so. We call on the Biden Administration including the Department of Justice to exhibit the same leadership as Mayor Breed, and allow jurisdictions such as San Francisco to move forward with these essential and life-saving services.”

“We cannot delay opening safe consumption services in San Francisco,” said Laura Thomas, San Francisco AIDS Foundation’s director of harm reduction policy. “Every day, we lose San Franciscans to overdose. We know from the experience of many other countries around the world that safe consumption services save lives. The time to act is now.” 

“In addition to preventing overdose, safe consumption services improve health,” said Ro Giuliano, director of Syringe Access Services at San Francisco AIDS Foundation. “Safe consumption services will be a beneficial extension of our already existing harm reduction services, and would make it even easier for us to make sure that all of our participants have access to the resources and information they need to reduce their risk of overdose, prevent HIV and hepatitis C infection, and get connected to other social and health services.” 

Research on safe consumption services in other countries shows that these services have a positive impact on the neighborhoods in which they are located. Giving people a safe and desirable space indoors reduces public drug use and also the amount of substance use-related litter in public spaces. 

San Francisco AIDS Foundation is firmly committed to opening safe consumption services. In the strategic plan for the organization covering years 2019 – 2024, establishing safe consumption services is specified in one of four strategic priorities. The Board of Directors at San Francisco AIDS Foundation has been leading SFAF forward in preparation for opening safe consumption services for more than two years.  

Have questions about supervised consumption services? Get some key info, here. 

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About San Francisco AIDS Foundation

San Francisco AIDS Foundation promotes health, wellness, and social justice for communities most impacted by HIV, through sexual health and substance use services, advocacy, and community partnerships. Founded in 1982, SFAF envisions a future where health justice is achieved for all people living with or at risk for HIV, ultimately striving for a day when race is not a barrier to health and wellness, substance use is not stigmatized, HIV status does not determine quality of life, and HIV transmission is eliminated. Each year more than 25,000 people rely on SFAF programs and services and millions more find advocacy tools and information they need online at sfaf.org.