We feel really strongly that it would have made a difference in some cases based on previous research, said Steve Hawks, a former state firefighter who now works for an insurance industry research group that supported the law. ... There's no guarantees, of course, particularly when you have a high intensity wildfire like these.
Dr. Hillary Kunins, the city's director of behavioral health, argued that the stigma and barriers caused by the overregulation of methadone prevent individuals from accessing and remaining in treatment. She compared this situation to requiring a person with heart disease to visit a specialized clinic daily for medication, emphasizing the absurdity of such rigid regulations for individuals seeking care for substance use disorders.