FRESNO (KMJ) — The District Attorney of Fresno County has slammed the proposal of creating safe drug injection centers, describing them as only making the situation worse.
The comments come after Governor Jerry Brown vetoed the legislation on Sunday. In his message to the Members of the California State Assembly (click here), he wrote that supporters of AB 186 believe the facilities would help reduce infections and disease, but added that the disadvantages of the bill outweigh the benefits.
Governor Brown stated that there was no corresponding treatment requirement to reduce drug addiction, something Fresno County DA Lisa Smittcamp also said is necessary for the centers to make a positive long-term impact.
“People who are addicted to intravenous type drugs, and drugs that are used that way, tend to also have collateral problems such as no income, no jobs, sometimes they steal to feed that addiction,” said the District Attorney.
“So I am sure that it would exacerbate people’s addictive disorders, which would have an affect on the police, the sheriff, the courts, the District Attorney’s Office, the Department of Behavioral Health.
“There’s just nothing good that comes from it.”
San Francisco Mayor London Breed has publicly given her support for safe injection sites, believing that the city’s current situation is not acceptable.
Hear the report from KMJ’s Dominic McAndrew as it aired:
