Council Legislation

Resolution No. R2018-32

Title: A Resolution of the Pierce County Council Expressing its Intention to Prohibit the Siting of Supervised Drug Consumption Sites in Unincorporated Pierce County; Requesting the Planning and Public Works Department to Conduct an Evaluation of Potential Amendments to Title 18 and Title 18A of the Pierce County Code, Conduct the Necessary Environmental Review, and Forward the Proposal to the Planning Commission for Review and Recommendations Back to the County Council by a Date Certain. (Initiating an Evaluation of a Prohibition of the Siting of Supervised Drug Consumption Sites)

Status: Passed

Sponsors: Councilmembers Jim McCune, Pam Roach

Final votes

April 3, 2018
Aye Aye Aye Nay Nay Aye Aye


Documents
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Public Comments

Name Date Comment
Joe Blanz 3/20/18 8:45 AM Vote no for safe injection sites we don't need this in our county.
Chelsea Wood 4/2/18 7:20 PM I call on the Pierce County Council to recognize Supervised Consumption Sites as a public health intervention to reduce HIV and viral hepatitis transmission and overdose deaths, promote access to chemical dependency treatment and other supportive care, and increase public safety, and to not preemptively ban their use. Supervised consumption facilities are controlled health care settings where people can more safely use pre-obtained drugs in a hygienic environment with access to sterile injecting equipment and under the supervision of trained care staff. Safe consumption spaces provide an array of support including health care, counseling, and referrals to health and social services, including drug treatment. Numerous peer-reviewed scientific studies have proven the positive impacts of safe consumption and injection spaces. These benefits include: Increased access to drug treatment, especially among people who distrust the treatment system and are unlikely to seek treatment on their own; Reduced public disorder, reduced public injecting, and increased public safety; Reduced HIV and viral hepatitis risk behavior (e.g. syringe and other injection equipment sharing, unsafe sex) and bacterial infections (e.g. staph infection, endocarditis). Successful management of overdoses and reducing overdose deaths; Cost savings resulting from reduced disease, overdose, and need for emergency medical services, and increased preventive healthcare and drug treatment utilization; Not increasing community drug use, initiation into injection drug use, or drug-related crime. Safe consumption spaces are a vital part of a comprehensive public health approach to reducing the harms of drug use. Safe consumption spaces, of course, cannot prevent all risky drug use or related harms. However, evidence demonstrates that they can be remarkably effective, generate cost-saving, and improve the lives of people who use drugs and the safety and health of our communities. I believe that the lives of people who use drugs matter and that it is important not to cut ourselves off from the possibility of using an effective public health intervention as we address the opioid crisis in Pierce County.
Ashley Primer 4/3/18 10:17 AM I call on the Pierce County Council to recognize Supervised Consumption Sites as a public health intervention to reduce HIV and viral hepatitis transmission and overdose deaths, promote access to chemical dependency treatment and other supportive care, and increase public safety, and to not preemptively ban their use. Supervised consumption facilities are controlled health care settings where people can more safely use pre-obtained drugs in a hygienic environment with access to sterile injecting equipment and under the supervision of trained care staff. Safe consumption spaces provide an array of support including health care, counseling, and referrals to health and social services, including drug treatment. Numerous peer-reviewed scientific studies have proven the positive impacts of safe consumption and injection spaces. These benefits include: Increased access to drug treatment, especially among people who distrust the treatment system and are unlikely to seek treatment on their own; Reduced public disorder, reduced public injecting, and increased public safety; Reduced HIV and viral hepatitis risk behavior (e.g. syringe and other injection equipment sharing, unsafe sex) and bacterial infections (e.g. staph infection, endocarditis). Successful management of overdoses and reducing overdose deaths; Cost savings resulting from reduced disease, overdose, and need for emergency medical services, and increased preventive healthcare and drug treatment utilization; Not increasing community drug use, initiation into injection drug use, or drug-related crime. Safe consumption spaces are a vital part of a comprehensive public health approach to reducing the harms of drug use. Safe consumption spaces, of course, cannot prevent all risky drug use or related harms. However, evidence demonstrates that they can be remarkably effective, generate cost-saving, and improve the lives of people who use drugs and the safety and health of our communities. I believe that the lives of people who use drugs matter and that it is important not to cut ourselves off from the possibility of using an effective public health intervention as we address the opioid crisis in Pierce County.
Patricia Wood 4/3/18 4:26 PM The Proposal will be heard and debated at the next meeting of the Pierce County Council on April 3rd at 3:00PM at 930 Tacoma Avenue South, Room 1045 Tacoma, WA 98402
Patricia Wood 4/3/18 4:29 PM I call on the Pierce County Council to recognize Supervised Consumption Sites as a public health intervention to reduce HIV and viral hepatitis transmission and overdose deaths, promote access to chemical dependency treatment and other supportive care, and increase public safety, and to not preemptively ban their use. Supervised consumption facilities are controlled health care settings where people can more safely use pre-obtained drugs in a hygienic environment with access to sterile injecting equipment and under the supervision of trained care staff. Safe consumption spaces provide an array of support including health care, counseling, and referrals to health and social services, including drug treatment. Numerous peer-reviewed scientific studies have proven the positive impacts of safe consumption and injection spaces. These benefits include: Increased access to drug treatment, especially among people who distrust the treatment system and are unlikely to seek treatment on their own; Reduced public disorder, reduced public injecting, and increased public safety; Reduced HIV and viral hepatitis risk behavior (e.g. syringe and other injection equipment sharing, unsafe sex) and bacterial infections (e.g. staph infection, endocarditis). Successful management of overdoses and reducing overdose deaths; Cost savings resulting from reduced disease, overdose, and need for emergency medical services, and increased preventive healthcare and drug treatment utilization; Not increasing community drug use, initiation into injection drug use, or drug-related crime. Safe consumption spaces are a vital part of a comprehensive public health approach to reducing the harms of drug use. Safe consumption spaces, of course, cannot prevent all risky drug use or related harms. However, evidence demonstrates that they can be remarkably effective, generate cost-saving, and improve the lives of people who use drugs and the safety and health of our communities. I believe that the lives of people who use drugs matter and that it is important not to cut ourselves off from the possibility of using an effective public health intervention as we address the opioid crisis in Pierce County.