The veto comes not only as California and San Francisco attempt to get a grasp on a wide-reaching opioid overdose crisis, but also as Newsom appears to possibly be positioning himself for a future presidential run.
Newsom had previously supported such facilities, which have been implemented and studied in other overdose hot spots around the globe. The governor's veto signaled to some that he has his sights set for a presidential bid.
In 2018, Newsom expressed support for the supervised drug consumption model — a notable shift from his predecessor, former Gov. Jerry Brown, who vetoed a bill similar to SB 57. Brown agreed with critics who say supervised consumption sites can enable drug use, while Newsom said concerns were over how local jurisdictions would carry out the policy.
The U.S. Department of Justice has expressed that it was open to safe injection earlier this year. President Joe Biden’s new drug czar, Dr. Rahul Gupta, recently told the New York Times he is “enthusiastically waiting” for a decision on sanctioned drug use sites. “Issues around drugs and homelessness are “bigger than Newsom, it’s bigger than California,” said Taylor. “This is a national problem. But Gavin Newsom’s management of it, if he can produce a positive outcome, then it could strengthen his position running for president.
Beginning in 2018, after a potent synthetic opioid called fentanyl entered San Francisco’s illicit drug supply, overdose deaths soared to a historic high of 711 in 2020. So far in 2022, nearly 300 people in San Francisco have died of drug overdose, with fentanyl and methamphetamine being the most commonly found substances, according to data from the Office of the Medical Examiner.
At least 141 overdoses have been reversed on-site at the Tenderloin Center, and zero overdose deaths have taken place, matching outcomes at similar facilities in Canada and parts of Europe.
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