Supporters of a free Narcan distribution box on Main Street crowded into the council chambers on Tuesday to ask Sebastopol city councilmembers to reconsider their vote
I am shocked at our mayor’s lack of education about narcan. Since substance abuse is such a big problem in our unhoused population maybe the city counsel should be able to to access a professional healthcare worker educated in substance abuse for questions in this area.
It's a shame that proponents were not at the City Council meeting when the issue was voted down, to address the critical knowledge gaps. It's a shame that the original discussion didn't delve more into why "city staff recommended that the council approve the co-sponsorship." It's a shame that discussion took our city attorney's statement that nothing is 100% liability free, and turned that into a reasonable chance that the city was signing up for all kinds of problems. Maybe that vote meeting should be subtitled "a series of unfortunate events."
The episode really reveals problems with the Brown Act. Under the Brown Act, it is difficult for a public body's majority of decision makers to efficiently educate themselves and come to basic agreements, prior to an issue getting introduced at a public forum. There are many democratic benefits to that, yet the Narcan issue highlights one of the downsides. When an issue requires technical knowledge, legal knowledge, and health & safety knowledge, you don't want simple impressions guiding decisions.
Hoping Narcan distribution boxes get addressed at Council again soon.
Bravo to Breanna Christensen for volunteering to host the box in front of her business…and bravo to the community members who showed up to share their stories and educate the council on the laws and medical relevance of using Narcan. My UCSF doc literally carries it in her purse everywhere she goes. Harm reduction is life.
Excellent reporting. Thank you for this important journalism.
Thank you for your detailed report! It is good to hear both sides' concerns and experiences.
I am shocked at our mayor’s lack of education about narcan. Since substance abuse is such a big problem in our unhoused population maybe the city counsel should be able to to access a professional healthcare worker educated in substance abuse for questions in this area.
FYI. The story in a song: https://youtu.be/nyem3gD6XN8
It's a shame that proponents were not at the City Council meeting when the issue was voted down, to address the critical knowledge gaps. It's a shame that the original discussion didn't delve more into why "city staff recommended that the council approve the co-sponsorship." It's a shame that discussion took our city attorney's statement that nothing is 100% liability free, and turned that into a reasonable chance that the city was signing up for all kinds of problems. Maybe that vote meeting should be subtitled "a series of unfortunate events."
The episode really reveals problems with the Brown Act. Under the Brown Act, it is difficult for a public body's majority of decision makers to efficiently educate themselves and come to basic agreements, prior to an issue getting introduced at a public forum. There are many democratic benefits to that, yet the Narcan issue highlights one of the downsides. When an issue requires technical knowledge, legal knowledge, and health & safety knowledge, you don't want simple impressions guiding decisions.
Hoping Narcan distribution boxes get addressed at Council again soon.
Bravo to Breanna Christensen for volunteering to host the box in front of her business…and bravo to the community members who showed up to share their stories and educate the council on the laws and medical relevance of using Narcan. My UCSF doc literally carries it in her purse everywhere she goes. Harm reduction is life.