Blue cities U-turn on distributing drug supplies to addicts after progressive policies fail to stem epidemic
Seattle and San Francisco scale back harm reduction policies distributing drug supplies, signaling a shift in how West Coast cities combat the drug crisis.
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At least two major West Coast cities are rethinking their so-called harm reduction policies that have sought to address addiction, signaling that these areas are overhauling their strategy to combat the drug crisis as addiction challenges persist.
While cities including San Francisco and Seattle have previously adopted policies to distribute "safer" drug supplies like clean foil and pipes that could be used to smoke fentanyl or other substances, these cities are now implementing a new approach that imposes new limitations on the distribution of these supplies.
Seattle’s City Council passed its 2026 budget in November and included a provision that will "preclude any City support for the purchase or distribution of supplies for the consumption of illegal drugs, with the exception of needles."
The provision was championed by City Council Member Sara Nelson, who said that while she supports needle exchange programs because they reduce the spread of diseases like HIV and Hepatitis C, she said she doesn’t see the benefit in using public resources to "help people get high" by distributing certain drug supplies.
Several packages containing drugs, possibly laced with fentanyl, displayed on a bed. (U.S. District Court of Rhode Island)
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"I fail to see, however, the harm that’s being reduced by distributing supplies such as pipes and foil that are used to consume deadly drugs like meth and fentanyl," Nelson said during a Nov. 16 budget committee meeting. "To me, it feels like it’s giving a loaded gun to somebody who is suicidal."
Seattle isn’t the only city taking such steps to scale back how it distributes "safe" drug supplies to its community.
Earlier in 2025, San Francisco unveiled a new policy that would require individuals to receive treatment counseling — or be connected with such services to receive treatment options — before receiving any drug use supplies from the city or city-funded programs. Additionally, the new policy barred providing these supplies in public spaces.
San Francisco unveiled a new policy that would require individuals to receive treatment counseling before receiving any drug use supplies from the city or city-funded programs. (Jeff Chiu, File/The Associated Press )
