Spokane: Proposal Would Make Public Drug Use Illegal
Washingtoner/10212087

~ The City of Spokane is taking steps to ensure that its public spaces remain safe and healthy for everyone. Mayor Nadine Woodward, along with councilmembers Jonathan Bingle and Michael Cathcart, have proposed the Safe Open Spaces Act, an ordinance that would make open drug use in public spaces illegal.

The ordinance, which was introduced Monday at the City Council's Finance and Administration Committee, would make use of a controlled substance in public spaces without a prescription a gross misdemeanor. If passed, it could be voted on next month.

"Open drug use in our public spaces while families, visitors, workers, and others who use our public spaces is not acceptable," said Woodward. "We need to re-establish the expectation that our sidewalks are safe and healthy for everyone."

Recent changes to state law based on a state Supreme Court case have made prohibitions on possessing user drug quantities enforceable only after police officers refer the individual to treatment twice. The state legislature is considering a fix to the so-called "Blake decision" that would make drug possession once again arrestable as a first offense, but that legislation still must be approved by the state House and signed by the governor.

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Bingle noted that open drug use is encroaching on others in their community against their will and Cathcart highlighted the extreme power of fentanyl which can lead to severe physical disfigurement, amputation, or death even with only small amounts.

Spokane is categorized as a High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area by the Office of National Drug Control Policy and open drug use is occurring at a greater rate in lower income neighborhoods including downtown. The Spokane Fire Department administers Narcan daily to counteract opioid overdose while the Spokane Police Department responds to about one-third of all overdose calls and also regularly uses Narcan.

Woodward has been part of the Spokane Alliance for Fentanyl Education Task Force and led the passage of a resolution at the U.S. Conference of Mayors seeking federal funding for fentanyl prevention efforts while Bingle and Cathcart have been staunch advocates for protecting open public spaces as drug-free areas for everyone to enjoy.

The proposed ordinance aligns with the Neighborhood Quality of Life and Downtown Neighborhood viability section of the City's Comprehensive Plan which calls for promoting actions designed to increase pedestrian use of streets, especially downtown, thereby creating a healthy street life. If passed it would be enforced citywide making it clear that community safety is their utmost priority and any behavior endangering them or their right to live in a safe community will not be tolerated.

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