San Francisco Hits Brakes on Free Crack Pipes

_WHAT’S HAPPENING_

For years, San Francisco spent taxpayer dollars distributing drug paraphernalia to fentanyl and crack users on the street under a “harm reduction” approach. Since dirty pipes and needles can lead to infections and spread diseases like AIDS, the city experimented with distributing safer materials to users.

But after years of rising overdoses and homelessness, newly elected Mayor Daniel Lurie has begun scaling back — but not entirely eliminating — the program and redirecting resources toward recovery. The move reflects San Francisco’s slow but steady push towards moderating away from progressive ideology.

_THE FACTS_

• Mayor Daniel Lurie declared a “Fentanyl State of Emergency” on his first day in office and committed to building 1,500 shelter beds in six months.

• Lurie also signed a directive ending the free distribution of drug-smoking supplies on city streets.

• Starting April 30, drug paraphernalia will only be handed out indoors and only to individuals who undergo counseling or accept referrals to treatment.

• The city will not directly distribute clean needles and crack pipes; instead, city-funded nonprofits will do so.

• Under the old system, outreach groups gave drug kits to users on the streets, often without offering treatment or asking their age.

• Lurie’s directive funds sober-living housing that bans drug use.

• In 2021, San Francisco had over 8,000 homeless residents and 720 overdose deaths.

• Three years later, in 2024, the city recorded over 1,000 overdose deaths and seized 132 kilos of fentanyl — prompting voter backlash and Lurie’s election on a moderate platform.

Insider Analysis Locked