XPost: alt.society.liberalism, alt.california, sac.politics
XPost: alt.politics.democrats

San Francisco is being engulfed by a �tidal wave� of overdoses with deadly fentanyl claiming 62 lives out of 71 total deaths from drug overdoses last month, according to grim statistics released by city�s Medical Examiner�s office.

The liberal Northern California city is in the midst of a crime, homeless
and drugs crisis and the results were released on the same day as a new
report which concluded �City hall is failing� its citizens.

The overdose figures also place San Francisco on course to break a 2020
record for total number of overdoses, when 712 people died according to
the San Francisco Chronicle.

�This tidal wave of fentanyl continues to overwhelm our communities,� Dr.
Grant Colfax, San Francisco health department director, told the
newspaper.

�The department recognizes that the tragic, continuing rise of overdose
deaths in San Francisco is unacceptable and we want everyone to know we
are responding with urgency and with our full attention.�

Colfax said his department plans to open 10 more �wellness hubs� where
drug users can get treatment, but that model has drawn criticism after the controversial $22 million Tenderloin Linkage Center was shut down last December.

Critics said the center only created more problems and crime as addicts
openly used drugs inside. City officials have said open use of narcotics
in such areas was never technically legally allowed.

San Francisco health officials are scrambling to find ways to address the uptick in overdose deaths, pushing to make medications such as methadone
and Narcan more available throughout the city.

However, former senior DEA special agent Michael Brown told The Post
liberal policies are a part of the problem that has lead to the explosion
of overdoses in cities across the country.

�At some point, you have to realize these drug reduction methods and
allowing open-drug use is a complete and utter failure.

�These progressive harm-reduction programs say, �It�s OK to use fentanyl.
We�ll help you use it safely. Come into my injection site location and we
will give you Narcan.� This isn�t a Lazarus moment. There is no safe way
to use drugs and we have to come out and say fentanyl is deadly. Period,�
said Brown, who is now global director of counter-narcotics technology at Rigaku Analytical Devices.

Open drug use continues at all hours in the Tenderloin area of San
Francisco, with homeless addicts passing out on the streets overnight, who
only move in the daytime when crews from local non-profits try to clean
the streets in the early morning.

San Francisco residents said the drug and homelessness problem, and the
exodus of businesses have contributed to the collapse of the once thriving Downtown area, according to a study released by TogetherSF and the Rose Institute of State and Local Government at Claremont McKenna College.

�San Franciscans are pessimistic about the future of their city, with more
than three-quarters of voters saying the City is headed down the �wrong
track�.

�In recent surveys, voters cite housing affordability, homelessness, and
crime as some of the most vexing problems facing the City,� the study
said, placing the blame on City Hall.

The study also noted San Francisco lost 7.5% of its population in a two
year period between 2020 and 2022, many more people than comparable urban
areas such as Los Angeles, which lost only 1.1% of its population in the
same time.

Brown said progressive policies which allow wellness hubs and harm-
reduction programs only serve as incubators for drug traffickers.

�When you look at the Tenderloin, these have become controlled
experimental groups for the cartel,� he said.

�When they have a new drug to test, they go to this open drug market
because there isn�t going to be any interference from the police. They
view addicts as limitless test rats who are willing to put something new
in their arm if you tell them it�s the next best thing to get that high.�

Another drug that has been introduced into the pipeline is flurofentanyl� another synthetic drug that appears as a white crystalline solid, but has
been blended into other drugs by traffickers.

Flurofentanyl � which has a side effect of slowing a user�s heart rate
down and causing irregular breathing � was found in dozens of overdoses in
San Francisco last year, according to the medical examiner�s office.

While San Francisco Mayor London Breed brought in the National Guard and California Highway Patrol officers to help combat trafficking and other drug-related crimes, critics said a lack of arrests and prosecution won�t
deter addicts and drug-traffickers.

�As long as we have these liberal policies that think you can put your
arms around a problem and just �hug� it away, this will only continue to
grow,� Brown said.

�All across the board, you see progressive policies in California,
Colorado, Portland, Washington, New York that support harm reduction. That
is like trying to train a rattlesnake not to bite you. It�s a political
issue at this point and until the politics are resolved, the criminality
won�t be resolved either.�

Yorkville90
22 August, 2023

This is the goal, so I don�t understand the complaints. Fentanyl is
allowed to come into our country. That�s what we want or we would stop it.
We don�t want to prosecute crimes and let criminals off with no
repercussions. That�s what we have. We are achieving what was set out to
be accomplished. We should be rejoicing, not complaining. Congratulations
on a job well done, American politicians!

Weasel1
22 August, 2023

At the risk of being callous, isn�t this attrition benefitting society?
Every man�s death diminishes me, as the saying goes, but for the most part these deaths are not sudden nor unexpected, those participating in the
hard drug culture are assuming that risk when they choose to indulge.
Sadly, death happens. But we have to assign responsibility where it lies,
at the fully aware user level.

https://nypost.com/2023/08/22/san-francisco-hit-with-tidal-wave-of- overdose-deaths/

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

XPost: alt.society.liberalism, alt.california, sac.politics
XPost: alt.politics.democrats

On 8/28/23 22:41, useapen wrote:

San Francisco is being engulfed by a “tidal wave” of overdoses with deadly
fentanyl claiming 62 lives out of 71 total deaths from drug overdoses last month, according to grim statistics released by city’s Medical Examiner’s office.

Yes and I understand that fentanyl is all over the nation. Because these drug abusers are unsightly attempts have been underway
for years to get them into treatment. This is resisted and is generally
a failure until the individual realizes the enomity of his error in
judgement. This has been true of opiate, alcohol, caffeine, sugar and
most drugs of abuse. Since law enforcement by prohibition of opiates
and then of alcohol the number of addicted people has risen immensely.

The liberal Northern California city is in the midst of a crime, homeless
and drugs crisis and the results were released on the same day as a new report which concluded “City hall is failing” its citizens.

It is a limited government and cannot do everything that might
be good for the citizens. The infrastructure is aging and some areas
are flooded at very high tides. Because of the drive for LEOS of
character there are absent positions all around the SF Bay Area the
last I heard.

The overdose figures also place San Francisco on course to break a 2020 record for total number of overdoses, when 712 people died according to
the San Francisco Chronicle.

“This tidal wave of fentanyl continues to overwhelm our communities,” Dr. Grant Colfax, San Francisco health department director, told the
newspaper.

“The department recognizes that the tragic, continuing rise of overdose deaths in San Francisco is unacceptable and we want everyone to know we
are responding with urgency and with our full attention.”

Colfax said his department plans to open 10 more “wellness hubs” where drug users can get treatment, but that model has drawn criticism after the controversial $22 million Tenderloin Linkage Center was shut down last December.

Critics said the center only created more problems and crime as addicts openly used drugs inside. City officials have said open use of narcotics
in such areas was never technically legally allowed.

San Francisco health officials are scrambling to find ways to address the uptick in overdose deaths, pushing to make medications such as methadone
and Narcan more available throughout the city.

However, former senior DEA special agent Michael Brown told The Post
liberal policies are a part of the problem that has lead to the explosion
of overdoses in cities across the country.

“At some point, you have to realize these drug reduction methods and allowing open-drug use is a complete and utter failure.

“These progressive harm-reduction programs say, ‘It’s OK to use fentanyl.
We’ll help you use it safely. Come into my injection site location and we will give you Narcan.’ This isn’t a Lazarus moment. There is no safe way to use drugs and we have to come out and say fentanyl is deadly. Period,” said Brown, who is now global director of counter-narcotics technology at Rigaku Analytical Devices.

I do not think anyone in the San Francisco government thinks that doing Fentanyl is a good idea. Injection sites have been discouraged due to
the legal complications. As to the addicted using
drugs within the hub at least medical supplies and personnel were at
hand to keep the OD deaths down.

Open drug use continues at all hours in the Tenderloin area of San
Francisco, with homeless addicts passing out on the streets overnight, who only move in the daytime when crews from local non-profits try to clean
the streets in the early morning.

San Francisco residents said the drug and homelessness problem, and the exodus of businesses have contributed to the collapse of the once thriving Downtown area, according to a study released by TogetherSF and the Rose Institute of State and Local Government at Claremont McKenna College.

Actually it was the prolonged shutdown of Covid which threw a wrench
into everyone's plans. Lots of local business have shut down which
means that eventually there will be just that many openings for new
businesses. There seems to be a lot of tourists in town or at least
last week when I was out and about more it seems so.
The Tenderloin is a relatively small area but the problem of
unhoused people is very visibly there but also in more residedental neighborhoods.

“San Franciscans are pessimistic about the future of their city, with more than three-quarters of voters saying the City is headed down the ‘wrong track’.

“In recent surveys, voters cite housing affordability, homelessness, and crime as some of the most vexing problems facing the City,” the study
said, placing the blame on City Hall.

The study also noted San Francisco lost 7.5% of its population in a two
year period between 2020 and 2022, many more people than comparable urban areas such as Los Angeles, which lost only 1.1% of its population in the
same time.

Brown said progressive policies which allow wellness hubs and harm-
reduction programs only serve as incubators for drug traffickers.

“When you look at the Tenderloin, these have become controlled
experimental groups for the cartel,” he said.

“When they have a new drug to test, they go to this open drug market because there isn’t going to be any interference from the police. They
view addicts as limitless test rats who are willing to put something new
in their arm if you tell them it’s the next best thing to get that high.”

Another drug that has been introduced into the pipeline is flurofentanyl— another synthetic drug that appears as a white crystalline solid, but has been blended into other drugs by traffickers.

Flurofentanyl — which has a side effect of slowing a user’s heart rate down and causing irregular breathing — was found in dozens of overdoses in San Francisco last year, according to the medical examiner’s office.

While San Francisco Mayor London Breed brought in the National Guard and California Highway Patrol officers to help combat trafficking and other drug-related crimes, critics said a lack of arrests and prosecution won’t deter addicts and drug-traffickers.

“As long as we have these liberal policies that think you can put your
arms around a problem and just ‘hug’ it away, this will only continue to grow,” Brown said.

“All across the board, you see progressive policies in California, Colorado, Portland, Washington, New York that support harm reduction. That
is like trying to train a rattlesnake not to bite you. It’s a political issue at this point and until the politics are resolved, the criminality won’t be resolved either.”

Yorkville90
22 August, 2023

This is the goal, so I don’t understand the complaints. Fentanyl is
allowed to come into our country. That’s what we want or we would stop it. We don’t want to prosecute crimes and let criminals off with no repercussions. That’s what we have. We are achieving what was set out to
be accomplished. We should be rejoicing, not complaining. Congratulations
on a job well done, American politicians!

Weasel1
22 August, 2023

At the risk of being callous, isn’t this attrition benefitting society? Every man’s death diminishes me, as the saying goes, but for the most part these deaths are not sudden nor unexpected, those participating in the
hard drug culture are assuming that risk when they choose to indulge.
Sadly, death happens. But we have to assign responsibility where it lies,
at the fully aware user level.

https://nypost.com/2023/08/22/san-francisco-hit-with-tidal-wave-of- overdose-deaths/

We want to save as many of the youthful lives as we can. People who are un-housed have too much stimulus toward drug use as they hope
to eliminate the constant discomfort experienced there.
And we had a long article in the Chronicle about what we need to do about the drug problems. Certain humanitarian laws passed years ago
do not permit forced treatment and would have to be repealed. Then
maybe comfortable isolation and reduction of dosage of opiate and use
of other drugs to help reduce the pain of withdrawal from opiates.

Good nite.
Be happy that California has a good economy because the money we
don't get back goes to support red states many of which are dependent on Federal Funding.

bliss

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

XPost: alt.society.liberalism, alt.california, sac.politics
XPost: alt.politics.democrats

San Francisco is being engulfed by a �tidal wave� of overdoses with deadly fentanyl claiming 62 lives out of 71 total deaths from drug overdoses last month, according to grim statistics released by city�s Medical Examiner�s office.

The liberal Northern California city is in the midst of a crime, homeless
and drugs crisis and the results were released on the same day as a new
report which concluded �City hall is failing� its citizens.

The overdose figures also place San Francisco on course to break a 2020
record for total number of overdoses, when 712 people died according to
the San Francisco Chronicle.

�This tidal wave of fentanyl continues to overwhelm our communities,� Dr.
Grant Colfax, San Francisco health department director, told the
newspaper.

�The department recognizes that the tragic, continuing rise of overdose
deaths in San Francisco is unacceptable and we want everyone to know we
are responding with urgency and with our full attention.�

Colfax said his department plans to open 10 more �wellness hubs� where
drug users can get treatment, but that model has drawn criticism after the controversial $22 million Tenderloin Linkage Center was shut down last December.

Critics said the center only created more problems and crime as addicts
openly used drugs inside. City officials have said open use of narcotics
in such areas was never technically legally allowed.

San Francisco health officials are scrambling to find ways to address the uptick in overdose deaths, pushing to make medications such as methadone
and Narcan more available throughout the city.

However, former senior DEA special agent Michael Brown told The Post
liberal policies are a part of the problem that has lead to the explosion
of overdoses in cities across the country.

�At some point, you have to realize these drug reduction methods and
allowing open-drug use is a complete and utter failure.

�These progressive harm-reduction programs say, �It�s OK to use fentanyl.
We�ll help you use it safely. Come into my injection site location and we
will give you Narcan.� This isn�t a Lazarus moment. There is no safe way
to use drugs and we have to come out and say fentanyl is deadly. Period,�
said Brown, who is now global director of counter-narcotics technology at Rigaku Analytical Devices.

Open drug use continues at all hours in the Tenderloin area of San
Francisco, with homeless addicts passing out on the streets overnight, who
only move in the daytime when crews from local non-profits try to clean
the streets in the early morning.

San Francisco residents said the drug and homelessness problem, and the
exodus of businesses have contributed to the collapse of the once thriving Downtown area, according to a study released by TogetherSF and the Rose Institute of State and Local Government at Claremont McKenna College.

�San Franciscans are pessimistic about the future of their city, with more
than three-quarters of voters saying the City is headed down the �wrong
track�.

�In recent surveys, voters cite housing affordability, homelessness, and
crime as some of the most vexing problems facing the City,� the study
said, placing the blame on City Hall.

The study also noted San Francisco lost 7.5% of its population in a two
year period between 2020 and 2022, many more people than comparable urban
areas such as Los Angeles, which lost only 1.1% of its population in the
same time.

Brown said progressive policies which allow wellness hubs and harm-
reduction programs only serve as incubators for drug traffickers.

�When you look at the Tenderloin, these have become controlled
experimental groups for the cartel,� he said.

�When they have a new drug to test, they go to this open drug market
because there isn�t going to be any interference from the police. They
view addicts as limitless test rats who are willing to put something new
in their arm if you tell them it�s the next best thing to get that high.�

Another drug that has been introduced into the pipeline is flurofentanyl� another synthetic drug that appears as a white crystalline solid, but has
been blended into other drugs by traffickers.

Flurofentanyl � which has a side effect of slowing a user�s heart rate
down and causing irregular breathing � was found in dozens of overdoses in
San Francisco last year, according to the medical examiner�s office.

While San Francisco Mayor London Breed brought in the National Guard and California Highway Patrol officers to help combat trafficking and other drug-related crimes, critics said a lack of arrests and prosecution won�t
deter addicts and drug-traffickers.

�As long as we have these liberal policies that think you can put your
arms around a problem and just �hug� it away, this will only continue to
grow,� Brown said.

�All across the board, you see progressive policies in California,
Colorado, Portland, Washington, New York that support harm reduction. That
is like trying to train a rattlesnake not to bite you. It�s a political
issue at this point and until the politics are resolved, the criminality
won�t be resolved either.�

Yorkville90
22 August, 2023

This is the goal, so I don�t understand the complaints. Fentanyl is
allowed to come into our country. That�s what we want or we would stop it.
We don�t want to prosecute crimes and let criminals off with no
repercussions. That�s what we have. We are achieving what was set out to
be accomplished. We should be rejoicing, not complaining. Congratulations
on a job well done, American politicians!

Weasel1
22 August, 2023

At the risk of being callous, isn�t this attrition benefitting society?
Every man�s death diminishes me, as the saying goes, but for the most part these deaths are not sudden nor unexpected, those participating in the
hard drug culture are assuming that risk when they choose to indulge.
Sadly, death happens. But we have to assign responsibility where it lies,
at the fully aware user level.

https://nypost.com/2023/08/22/san-francisco-hit-with-tidal-wave-of- overdose-deaths/

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

XPost: alt.society.liberalism, alt.california, sac.politics
XPost: alt.politics.democrats

On 8/30/23 23:21, useapen wrote:

Snip

However, former senior DEA special agent Michael Brown told The Post
liberal policies are a part of the problem that has lead to the explosion
of overdoses in cities across the country.

DEA agents wanted to keep their jobs so they lied about a lot
of things. Why should they stop now?

“At some point, you have to realize these drug reduction methods and allowing open-drug use is a complete and utter failure.

“These progressive harm-reduction programs say, ‘It’s OK to use fentanyl.
We’ll help you use it safely. Come into my injection site location and we will give you Narcan.’ This isn’t a Lazarus moment. There is no safe way to use drugs and we have to come out and say fentanyl is deadly. Period,” said Brown, who is now global director of counter-narcotics technology at Rigaku Analytical Devices.

Actually use of Fentanyl in anesthesia and in controlled hospital environments is quite safe.

Open drug use continues at all hours in the Tenderloin area of San
Francisco, with homeless addicts passing out on the streets overnight, who only move in the daytime when crews from local non-profits try to clean
the streets in the early morning.

San Francisco residents said the drug and homelessness problem, and the exodus of businesses have contributed to the collapse of the once thriving Downtown area, according to a study released by TogetherSF and the Rose Institute of State and Local Government at Claremont McKenna College.

Actually the downtown collapse is due to the absense of office
workers now working from home. The AI business is coming to SF and will require millions of square feet of presently empty office space.

“San Franciscans are pessimistic about the future of their city, with more than three-quarters of voters saying the City is headed down the ‘wrong track’.

Some San Franciscans are but others are not.

“In recent surveys, voters cite housing affordability, homelessness, and crime as some of the most vexing problems facing the City,” the study
said, placing the blame on City Hall.

The study also noted San Francisco lost 7.5% of its population in a two
year period between 2020 and 2022, many more people than comparable urban areas such as Los Angeles, which lost only 1.1% of its population in the
same time.

Why people left San Francisco during the pandemic is simple. The
businesses they worked for and in were closed by the pandemic
restrictions. They lost their jobs and could not pay their rent.
So they moved back to their parents or other relatives in other places.
Since the 1960s when I move to San Francisco, property speculation has
been rampant. I moved into this building in 1974 at $125/mo and with
rent control the present rent is $625/mo. If I was to move in today to
a studio apartment the rent would be about $1500-$2000+/month. Los
Angeles probably has more home owners and did in the past even have
lower rent but it does not have the air conditioning supplied by the
geographic location of San Francisco between the Bay and the Pacific
Ocean

Brown said progressive policies which allow wellness hubs and harm-
reduction programs only serve as incubators for drug traffickers.

The opinions of law enforcement officers are inclined toward
punitive means which were in place for over 100 years during which
alcohol and other drug use soared.

“When you look at the Tenderloin, these have become controlled
experimental groups for the cartel,” he said.

“When they have a new drug to test, they go to this open drug market because there isn’t going to be any interference from the police. They
view addicts as limitless test rats who are willing to put something new
in their arm if you tell them it’s the next best thing to get that high.”

Another drug that has been introduced into the pipeline is flurofentanyl— another synthetic drug that appears as a white crystalline solid, but has been blended into other drugs by traffickers.

Flurofentanyl — which has a side effect of slowing a user’s heart rate down and causing irregular breathing — was found in dozens of overdoses in San Francisco last year, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Probably due to sloppy work in the labs.

While San Francisco Mayor London Breed brought in the National Guard and California Highway Patrol officers to help combat trafficking and other drug-related crimes, critics said a lack of arrests and prosecution won’t deter addicts and drug-traffickers.

“As long as we have these liberal policies that think you can put your
arms around a problem and just ‘hug’ it away, this will only continue to grow,” Brown said.

Well his approach failed for over 100 years since the 1916 Harrison Narcotics Act. People want to use drugs and since we fail
to properly educate them as to the dangers and side effects they pick
the most dangerous drugs to escape whatever mental or physical pain
they are suffering. America has had a drug culture since the first
European Colonists arrived and is/was a major producer of drugs and
alcohol. Tobacco was one of the first and lately the prescripion
opiates have caused immense harm due to marketing.

“All across the board, you see progressive policies in California, Colorado, Portland, Washington, New York that support harm reduction. That
is like trying to train a rattlesnake not to bite you. It’s a political issue at this point and until the politics are resolved, the criminality won’t be resolved either.”

Yorkville90
22 August, 2023

This is the goal, so I don’t understand the complaints. Fentanyl is
allowed to come into our country. That’s what we want or we would stop it. We don’t want to prosecute crimes and let criminals off with no repercussions. That’s what we have. We are achieving what was set out to
be accomplished. We should be rejoicing, not complaining. Congratulations
on a job well done, American politicians!

Weasel1
22 August, 2023

At the risk of being callous, isn’t this attrition benefitting society? Every man’s death diminishes me, as the saying goes, but for the most part these deaths are not sudden nor unexpected, those participating in the
hard drug culture are assuming that risk when they choose to indulge.
Sadly, death happens. But we have to assign responsibility where it lies,
at the fully aware user level.

https://nypost.com/2023/08/22/san-francisco-hit-with-tidal-wave-of- overdose-deaths/

Most places in the USA have suffered due to the prescription opiate prescribed and then withdrawn which lead people to pick up on
street drugs and the importers find that Fentanyl is more compact and
easier to smugged than heroin.

Bad drug policies were enacted under both Republican and Democratic administrations. Liberal policies in San Francisco are
employed to try to prevent more harm.

bliss

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)