City Hall Digest: The That’s Fentalife Campaign Launch and a Win For San Francisco in Walgreens Settlement

City Hall Digest is TogetherSF Action’s weekly dispatch from San Francisco’s City Hall, broken into bite-sized pieces—because understanding local government is your fundamental right.

That’s Fentalife

Last week, we launched a citywide ad campaign meant to grab attention and inspire action at City Hall on the drug crisis in San Francisco, centered around one slogan—That’s Fentalife! What is the Fentalife? When thousands of people with substance use disorder suffer in the street as people walk past on their way to work—that’s Fentalife. When drug dealers openly sell their product with no fear of repercussions—that’s Fentalife. It’s the norm. It’s just a fact of living in the city—that’s Fentalife. 

We thought it was time to put an end to that mindset. By calling attention to the Fentalife, we’re signaling to City Hall that San Francisco residents are not okay with the status quo. People who use drugs need treatment, and people selling fentanyl need to be held accountable by the law—simple as that. 

We launched this city-wide campaign, with some of our bigger postings in the two neighborhoods most affected by the drug crisis—the Tenderloin and South of Market. However, postings from the campaign can be found in the majority of districts across the city to reinforce the fact that the entire city is affected by drug overdoses—not just a neighborhood or two. When businesses leave San Francisco because of safety problems driven by drug markets, that affects the city’s ability to provide services for every neighborhood.

Some are upset with our tactics. We think people should be more upset at the fact that drug-addicted San Franciscans are dying on the street daily from drug overdoses and that City Hall is clearly failing them. This campaign is not calling for the prosecution or jailing of drug users, nor is it opposing Narcan. We are calling for law enforcement to tamp down drug dealing, and more investments in drug treatment programs so that people who need it can get the help they need to live healthy lives.

Each spring, City Hall aligns on a budget plan for the coming year. From new bike lanes to new housing, if it’s not in the budget, it’s probably not happening. This campaign is designed to drive clear budget requests from the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors, and ensure those requests make it into the next budget. See the full list of our budget priorities and send your own letter to our elected officials in City Hall here.

Walgreens Settlement Over Questionable Opioid Prescriptions Marks Victory for City

We know the city is facing a budget deficit this year. But a major legal settlement between the city and Walgreens could help secure the funding necessary to make the components of our budget requests work.

Last week, the city reached a $230 million settlement with Walgreens over its role in perpetuating the opioid epidemic facing the city and the nation. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer found that the company had engendered a culture of “fill, fill, fill” when it came to opioid prescriptions—between 2006 and 2020 San Francisco pharmacies received more than 1.2 million questionable opioid prescriptions, but only did due diligence inquiries on fewer than 5 percent of them before dispensing pills. 

The settlement, which will be paid out over the course of 15 years, includes $57 million in the first year. According to city attorneys, the funds will be “dedicated to remediating the opioid epidemic in San Francisco.” Mayor London Breed said in a separate statement the money will go toward programs that include “treatment beds, dual diagnosis beds, abstinence-based programming, and transitional housing.” We support using this funding for increased treatment options to assist people struggling with substance use disorder the help they need to live healthy, thriving lives.

Urban Alchemy a Beneficial Presence, But Faces Growing Pains

Urban Alchemy is perhaps the city’s most recognizable street-level ambassador organization, with staff clad in either safety vests stamped with their distinctive dark green logo, or more recently in camouflage-patterned jackets that have raised some eyebrows among residents. 

The organization has faced controversy in the past, as questions about their purpose have emerged—but has also added value, according to self-reported data from the organization released last week. In the last year, Urban Alchemy reports that their 225 ambassadors reversed 134 overdoses, filled 41,575 trash bags, and safely disposed of 78,494 needles.

Lena Miller, the founder of Urban Alchemy, said that an upcoming independent study from a local university on the effects of the organization will hopefully reinforce their self-reporting. 

Many wonder though if Urban Alchemy is ultimately a band-aid solution for much deeper structural issues that no organization alone can solve. The fact that Urban Alchemy works to deter antisocial behavior during hours of operation before the negative street conditions return at night is evidence. With that said, there is a clearly defined benefit of having hundreds of unarmed ambassadors keeping the streets clean in the day, de-escalating conflicts, and working as stewards to the community. We just wish it weren’t the case where programs like this were necessary to maintain social order.

TogetherSF Action is making advocating for an end to the drug epidemic in San Francisco a top priority this year. Our first step? Flooding inboxes at City Hall. We need thousands of concerned San Franciscans to send letters to their leaders demanding they end open-air drug markets in 2023. Are you in?