San Francisco's program offering free alcohol to homeless people struggling with alcoholism has come under fire, with a tech CEO questioning its effectiveness and ethics, the New York Post reported.
Adam Nathan, founder and CEO of Blaze and chair of the Salvation Army San Francisco Metro Advisory Board, ignited the debate with a post on social media platform X.
"Did you know San Francisco spends $2 million a year on a 'Managed Alcohol Program?' It provides free Alcohol to people struggling with chronic alcoholism who are mostly homeless. I stumbled upon the building where they have this program. This is what I saw," Nathan posted.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the 4-year-old program costs the city $5 million annually.
In another post, Nathan wrote: "I don't think we should subsidize keeping people sick. But for whatever reason, our Public Health department has decided we should. After learning more about this 'Managed Alcohol Program,' It's morally and ethically repugnant."
Operated out of a former hotel in the Tenderloin district, the program provides controlled doses of vodka and beer to homeless individuals with alcohol use disorder, administered by nurses at specific times of the day, according to the Post.
The program, which started with 10 beds and has since expanded to 20, purportedly aims to reduce the number of homeless people on the streets and minimize emergency room visits and interactions with law enforcement.
"This is what harm reduction refers to as 'safe supply' or 'safer supply,'" Nathan wrote in another post. "There's currently a huge debate in Canada about this idea as British Columbia has been 'expirimenting' on humans by giving them free Opioids in the hopes that they won't use fentanyl."
However, Nathan argues that it does not address the root causes of addiction or provide a pathway to recovery.
"The whole thing is very odd to me and just doesn't feel right," Nathan posted. "Providing free drugs to drug addicts doesn't solve their problems. It just stretches them out. Where's the recovery in all of this?"
Responding to criticism, San Francisco's health officials defended the program, stating that alcohol on the premises is not readily available to anyone who walks in and accusing Nathan of spreading misinformation.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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