Following the possible overdose death of a teenager, San Francisco Supervisor Matt Haney is calling for the city to address its drug problem now.
It should be a wakeup call, Haney told KCBS Radio.
Friday, a 16-year-old girl was found dead in an alley in the South of Market neighborhood, sparking outrage throughout the city.
"It's tragic and really requires us to respond at a scale with the resources for treatment or outreach and to stop the sale of the drugs as well," Haney said.
There have been nearly 700 drug overdose deaths in San Francisco in 2020 and 2021.
The supervisor urged that action needs to be taken now to stop the spike in use, however, fighting the city’s pervasive drug problem has proven difficult.
Mayor London Breed declared a State of Emergency in the Tenderloin in December, asking for increased funds to combat the city's drug use. District Attorney Chesa Boudin, who has been accused of being soft on drug dealers, butted heads with the Mayor over her plan.
We need to cut through the red tape and complete what needs to be done, Haney said. "This is a state and federal issue. It's drugs that are coming in from outside our city. There are people who are addicted who are coming in and out of our city."
The 16-year-old's cause of death has not yet been revealed, but was ruled "suspicious" by police. Her identity was released by the San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner Tuesday.
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