FILE NO. 1 RESOLUTION NO. [Resolution Declaring Public Health Crisis on Drug Overdoses and Drug Use] 2 3 Resolution declaring a public health crisis on drug overdoses and drug use and urging 4 the Department of Public Health to present a comprehensive plan on how to address 5 this crisis. 6 7 WHEREAS, 70,237 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States in 2017; and 8 WHEREAS, Drug overdoses in San Francisco has claimed the lives of 259 people in 9 10 2018; and WHEREAS, Fentanyl, a synthetic painkiller is up to 100 times more potent than 11 morphine and has surpassed prescription pills and heroin as the leading cause of opioid 12 overdose deaths in the city; and 13 WHEREAS, Until recently Fentanyl was mainly concentrated in the East Coast and did 14 not take the lives of Californians because it was used in such low levels that public health 15 officials could not trace it as the cause of death in overdoses; and 16 17 18 WHEREAS, In San Francisco in 2015, multiple overdose deaths were attributed to one batch of white powder that users hadn’t known contained fentanyl; and WHEREAS, In 2016, multiple deaths in San Francisco were attributed to a single 19 supply of Xanax tablets that contained fentanyl. That same year higher amounts of fentanyl 20 was found in crack cocaine and methamphetamine; and 21 22 23 WHEREAS, The San Francisco Department of Public Health (“DPH”) released data showing that 89 people died of fentanyl overdoses in 2018--a 300% increase from 2016; and WHEREAS, The same DPH report also found that 39 people overdosed on fentanyl 24 within the first quarter of 2019 alone, putting 2019 on track to surpass even last year’s 25 numbers; and Supervisor Haney BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Page 1 1 WHEREAS According to a 2015 report on overdoses published by DPH, overdose 2 related deaths were clustered largely within the Tenderloin/Civic Center (32.5 %) and South of 3 Market (12.4 %) neighborhoods, both of which have a high proportion of residents living in 4 poverty, single room occupancy hotels, and opioid-related drug arrests; and 5 WHEREAS, 44.9 % of opioid-related deaths occurred in these two neighborhoods 6 while the remaining deaths were spread throughout the city, with each neighborhood 7 recording at least one opioid overdose death; and 8 9 10 11 WHEREAS, Methamphetamine use, and associated morbidity and mortality, has been on the rise in San Francisco; and WHEREAS, From 2011 to 2016, emergency room visits related to methamphetamine use increased by 600%, and hospital admissions rose by 400%; and 12 WHEREAS, According to data from Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and 13 Trauma Center's (ZSFG) of the 7,000 psychiatric emergency visits in 2018, nearly half were 14 individuals who were under the influence of methamphetamine; and 15 WHEREAS, Substance use disorder treatment admissions for methamphetamine have 16 been increasing, with methamphetamine accounting for 19% of total admissions (third behind 17 heroin and alcohol); and 18 19 20 WHEREAS, Overdose deaths involving methamphetamine have also been increasing, with 87 overdose deaths involving methamphetamine in 2017; and WHEREAS, Methamphetamine use is highly prevalent among people experiencing 21 homelessness, with more than 50% of new clients for homeless services reporting 22 methamphetamine use in 2015; and 23 24 WHEREAS, When a treatment bed is not available when someone is ready for care, the opportunity for engagement in treatment options is often lost; and 25 Supervisor Haney BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Page 2 1 2 3 WHEREAS, In addition, if a stabilization bed is not available post-treatment, the benefits of treatment can decrease; and WHEREAS, A recent study of our current substance use treatment and post-treatment 4 options revealed that there is a demand for 1) mental health and co-occurring (mental health 5 and substance use) residential treatment beds; 2) medical detox beds, including more flexible 6 options for length of stay; 3) shorter-stay substance abuse treatment beds (offering 3, 5, or 7- 7 day options); 4) extended observation beds for people leaving psychiatric emergency 8 services; and 9 10 11 RESOLVED, That our City is currently suffering from a public health crisis caused by rampant substance use and overdose deaths; and, be it FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Board of Supervisors requests the Department of 12 Public Health to present a comprehensive plan on how to address this public health crisis 13 including but not limited to: 1) improve street level crisis response to address people who are 14 using drugs, in psychosis, or overdosing; 2) provide regular reporting of overdoses and 15 overdose deaths; 3) additional support for front line emergency responders and public safety 16 personnel; 4) identify existing models of detox and drop-in centers and how to best expand 17 those services; 5) stopping the flow of deadly drugs into San Francisco, and 18 19 20 21 22 FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Board of Supervisors urges the Mayor of San Francisco to join the Board of Supervisors in declaring a public health crisis; and FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Board of Supervisors urges the Governor and the State of California to take emergency actions to respond to this crisis; and, be it FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Board of Supervisors urges the Mayor and our state 23 representatives to prioritize moving forward policies that strongly support reducing the amount 24 of overdose deaths in San Francisco. 25 Supervisor Haney BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Page 3