#drug-use
#drug-use

San Francisco votes on measures to compel drug treatment and give police surveillance cameras

Voters in San Francisco considering public safety measures linked to crime and drug issues.

Mayor London Breed facing tough reelection battle over public safety concerns. [ more ]

Los Angeles Times

2 months ago

Nearly half of San Francisco drug users are visitors, fueling debate on aid to poor and addicted

Nearly half of individuals cited for drug use in San Francisco were non-residents.

Debate sparked over free money attracting substance abusers to the city. [ more ]

ABC7 San Francisco

Are SF's navigation centers a magnet for crime? Here's how data refutes public perception

San Francisco's navigation centers have been controversial, but data shows that they have not increased crime or drug use in the surrounding neighborhoods.

Residents near the navigation center have experienced a decline in property value, but this decline is consistent with other neighborhoods in San Francisco. [ more ]

New York Post

San Francisco Democrat says homelessness crisis in his district is 'absolutely the result of capitalism'

San Francisco Supervisor Dean Preston attributes the city's homelessness problems to capitalism.

Preston argues that arresting drug users and sweeping homeless encampments is counterproductive and increases safety risks. [ more ]

www.npr.org

In Philadelphia's Kensington neighborhood, heroin is far from 'chic'

High number of overdose-related deaths in the U.S. in 2021

Impact of opioid epidemic on families and communities [ more ]

time.com

Health

More People Die After Smoking Drugs Than Injecting Them

Smoking has surpassed injecting as the most common way of taking drugs in U.S. overdose deaths.

Smoking fentanyl is somewhat less deadly than injecting it, but both methods carry a substantial overdose risk. [ more ]

Los Angeles Times

Health

Opinion: 'Just say no' can kill kids. Teach them how to stay safe in the fentanyl era

Fentanyl has caused an increase in overdoses among teens, killing an average of 22 every week in the US.

Fatal overdoses among US teens aged 14-18 reached an all-time high in 2022. [ more ]

ABC7 San Francisco

2 San Francisco Superior Court judges being challenged by moderate candidates

Some judges in San Francisco are being challenged by more moderate candidates due to concerns over crime and public drug use.

Three in four voters believe that Superior Court judges are responsible for current crime levels in San Francisco. [ more ]

New York Post

Public health

Oregon's drug decriminalization law faces growing pushback amid fentanyl crisis

Oregon's law that decriminalized possession of small amounts of illicit drugs is facing criticism after a surge in drug use and opioid deaths.

Opponents argue that the law has led to an increase in public drug use and has not done enough to address addiction. [ more ]

www.mercurynews.com

Where did San Francisco's homeless people go during APEC? Not very far

Despite efforts to clean up San Francisco for the APEC summit, homelessness and open-air drug use persists in the city.

City officials cleared out tent encampments and promised new emergency shelter beds, but homeless individuals simply moved to other areas.

Open-air drug use has been noticeably quiet near major summit locations, but homeless residents note that this is only temporary. [ more ]

New York Post

6 months ago

US politics

Mother of 6-year-old boy who shot Virginia teacher gets 21 months for using marijuana while owning a gun

Deja Taylor, the mother of a 6-year-old boy who shot his teacher, has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for using marijuana while owning a firearm.

The incident revived a national conversation about gun violence and has led to a lawsuit against the school system.

The federal law banning drug users from having guns remains in effect in many states, including Virginia. [ more ]

moredrug use

Hudson Valley Post

NYC politics

These Are The 10 'Trashiest' Places To Live Or Visit In New York

RoadSnacks 2024 list of 'The 10 Trashiest Cities In New York' is trending.

Criteria for ranking include drug use, violence, welfare recipients, and other socioeconomic factors. [ more ]

www.independent.co.uk

UK news

Labour's Emily Thornberry laughs as she admits I smoked dope' in live interview

Emily Thornberry admitted to smoking dope during a live interview, emphasizing it was a long time ago.

The public fixation on politicians' past drug use was highlighted during the interview. [ more ]

www.independent.co.uk

UK news

Drug deaths riseby 80% in 10 years as services are cut back to the bone

MPs warn about the impact of cuts to local authorities on drug-related deaths

Annual spending on drug and alcohol treatment services has fallen by 40% [ more ]

www.independent.co.uk

UK news

Scottish prison officer wins payout after inhaling drugs used by inmates

A prison warden in Scotland won a payout from the Scottish Prison Service after suffering long-term health problems from inhaling drugs used by inmates.

Drug taking among inmates is a major issue in Scottish prisons, with concerns about wardens being exposed to second-hand smoke from substances like Spice. [ more ]

Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles

California communities are banning syringe programs. Now the state is fighting back in court

Pence reluctantly approved syringe program resulting in significant drop in HIV infections and hepatitis C cases in Indiana.

California faces pushback on harm reduction strategies like syringe programs despite proven success in disease prevention. [ more ]

Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles

Four men found dead at a Palmdale home. Authorities suspect drug use

Authorities suspect drug use as a factor in the deaths of four men found in a Palmdale home.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Overdose Response Task Force is investigating the deaths. [ more ]

New York Post

Public health

NYC plans to install anti-OD 'life alert' devices in apartments to connect drug users to 911

The city plans to install 'life alert' devices in apartments for high-risk drug users to prevent fatal overdoses.

The device, Lifeguard Lite, includes a physical timer that triggers alerts and calls emergency services if necessary. [ more ]

www.cbc.ca

Public health

East-end community health centre hosts facility tour to help ease residents' safety concerns | CBC News

A community organization in Toronto held a tour of its supervised injection site to address safety concerns in the area.

The organization hopes to show the importance of their work and address concerns around safety.

Violence and drug use have been on the rise in the neighborhood even before a fatal shooting incident occurred. [ more ]

www.standard.co.uk

London

What is spice' drug? Five children seriously ill after smoking e-cigs laced with Spice

Five children were hospitalized after smoking vapes containing Spice, a synthetic cannabinoid.

The Welsh Emerging Drugs and Identification of Novel Substances service found that almost a third of liquid samples submitted to them in 2023 contained the chemicals found in Spice. [ more ]

emptywheel

US politics

Smoking Gun! FBI Didn't Have "Sufficient Evidence" to Prosecute Firearms Crimes against Hunter Biden - emptywheel

Federal agents investigating Hunter Biden believe they have enough evidence to charge him with tax crimes and a false statement related to a gun purchase.

The gun purchase investigation stems from 2018 when Hunter Biden was using drugs heavily. [ more ]

Boston.com

US news

Mom once under investigation in Mass. now charged in her toddler's death in New Mexico

A former Massachusetts woman is facing child abuse charges in New Mexico after her 3-year-old daughter died.

Authorities discovered ligature marks and bruises on the toddler's body during the investigation. [ more ]

Above the Law

4 months ago

Law

Morning Docket: 01.12.24

Elon Musk's drug use is causing insurance issues for his board

Many law firms are implementing hoteling strategies [ more ]

WSJ

4 months ago

Tech industry

Elon Musk Criticizes WSJ Reporting on His Use of Illegal Drugs

Elon Musk denies failing drug tests and criticizes the Wall Street Journal for their article.

Musk jokes that if drugs improved his productivity, he would take them. [ more ]

www.theguardian.com