Overview

• San Francisco will require drug users to agree to counseling or treatment to access fentanyl-smoking supplies, effective April 30, 2025.
• The policy, part of Mayor Daniel Lurie’s 'Breaking the Cycle' plan, aims to address the city’s fentanyl crisis and reduce overdose deaths.
• Distribution of drug paraphernalia will move indoors to city-approved spaces, ending public distribution practices.
• Harm reduction advocates warn the policy could push users toward riskier behaviors like sharing pipes or injection drug use, increasing health risks.
• The San Francisco Department of Public Health will monitor overdose rates and disease transmission to assess the policy’s public health impact.