LEGALIZE EVERYTHING –
June 4, 2024 – He dropped a bottle of gin and then sucked the spilled liquid off the floor with a straw. She recently ventured out of the residential program in search of booze and promptly wound up in a hospital with a broken arm she still can’t explain. One fact they’re both clear on: Without the innovative city venture, they would be dead by now.
Under MAP, as the initiative is known, up to 20 homeless people with severe alcohol use disorder are housed in a former hotel and given predetermined doses of liquor at specific intervals.
It’s not exactly happy hour at the corner bar. The drinks, dispensed by nurses as a form of medication, are meant to prevent the clients from becoming overly intoxicated while avoiding the worst effects of withdrawal, which may lead to seizures and can be fatal for those physically dependent on alcohol.
The need goes well beyond San Francisco. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says about 178,000 Americans die every year of excessive alcohol use.
MAP focuses on a small subset of the homeless population with the most severe alcoholism – a group that drains a disproportionate share of the city’s emergency resources – and it has drawn fire from critics who contend San Francisco is spending millions of dollars enabling addiction.
Bruce and Lisa offer a counterpoint.
“Before I came to MAP, I was drinking my breakfast, lunch and dinner. I couldn’t even walk. I was a total mess,’’ said Bruce, 65, who along with Lisa spoke on condition their last names not be used because of safety concerns. “MAP has helped me take my medications, make my appointments. I wouldn’t be doing all that if it wasn’t for this program. They saved my life.’’
