Resolution 2018 - 05

Supporting safe consumption sites in Snohomish County and all municipalities

WHEREAS communities in the United State are experiencing opioid related drug use, overdose, crime, and health disparities that have negative socioeconomic impacts;

WHEREAS in Washington State's Snohomish County has some of the largest adverse impacts compared to other communities in Washington State;

WHEREAS the Snohomish County Sheriff's Department reports that 18% of all heroin-related deaths in Washington State occur in Snohomish County; and from 2011 - 2013 approximately 1 out of every 5 heroin deaths in Washington State occurred in Snohomish County; and in 2013 alone, heroin and prescription opioid overdoses represented 2 out of 3 of the 130 accidental overdose deaths in the county;

WHEREAS the Snohomish County Sheriff's Department is calling on collaborative partnerships, and approaches to intervene and reverse the effect of opioid addiction in Snohomish County;

WHEREAS the Snohomish County Sheriff's Department is equipping officers with the overdose intervention drug naloxone, and turning away criminal bookings that have opioid induced medical issues, because they overcrowd the medical unit at the Snohomish County Jail;

WHEREAS other Snohomish County based agencies such as the Everett Police Department, are deploying embedded social workers to provide resources to to address opioid addicts in the field;

WHEREAS these are partial solutions that contribute to addressing the opioid crisis in Snohomish County but do not comprehensively mitigate the adverse impact of opioid addiction in the community;

WHEREAS safe injection sites are a researched method of harm reduction that have been utilized in many different countries including Canada, Australia, and European Countries;

WHEREAS King County and the City of Seattle are discussing the viability of being the United State's first safe injection site;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the 32nd District Democrats support the use of safe consumption sites as a harm reduction strategy to address opioid addiction in the county; and

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the 32nd District Democrats are opposed to the Snohomish County Council's current, and any future, ban of safe consumption sites in Snohomish County; and

THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the 32nd District Democrats urge municipalities and elected officials to utilize safe consumption sites as a harm reduction strategy to reduce the impact of opioid use in Snohomish County.

Adopted by the 32nd Legislative District Democratic Organization on 2018-02-14.
Carin Chase, Chair.
Submitted by the Young Democrats of Snohomish County.