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San Francisco Mandates Counseling for Access to Drug Supplies in New Policy Shift

Mayor Daniel Lurie’s 'Breaking the Cycle' plan aims to address the city’s fentanyl crisis by requiring treatment connections and restricting public distribution of smoking supplies starting April 30.

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and public health director Dan Tsai, pictured here in February, are trying to scale back some of the city’s harm reduction policies.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie addresses the city’s fentanyl crisis during a news briefing held Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025.
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Overview

  • The policy requires drug users to undergo counseling or connect to treatment services to access safer drug use supplies, effective April 30, 2025.
  • Public distribution of smoking supplies like foil and pipes will be prohibited, moving distribution to city-sanctioned indoor locations.
  • Critics warn the policy could increase injection drug use, raising risks of overdoses and disease transmission, including HIV and Hepatitis C.
  • The city acknowledges insufficient treatment capacity to meet demand but plans to add 1,500 treatment beds and open a stabilization center in the Tenderloin.
  • The San Francisco Department of Public Health will monitor overdose rates and disease transmission to evaluate the policy’s impact on public health goals.