{"id":2316101,"date":"2024-07-30T15:01:02","date_gmt":"2024-07-30T19:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/london-breed-wants-to-pay-drug-users-on-welfare-100-a-week-to-kick-habit-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-07-30T15:09:20","modified_gmt":"2024-07-30T19:09:20","slug":"london-breed-wants-to-pay-drug-users-on-welfare-100-a-week-to-kick-habit-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/london-breed-wants-to-pay-drug-users-on-welfare-100-a-week-to-kick-habit-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"London Breed wants to pay drug users on welfare $100 a week to kick habit &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">36<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Flondon-breed-wants-to-pay-drug-users-on-welfare-100-a-week-to-kick-habit-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2316101&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>San Francisco Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Matt Dorsey have proposed a new initiative called &#8220;Cash Not Drugs,&#8221; which would\u200d incentivize welfare recipients to maintain sobriety by offering an additional $100 per week for staying drug-free.\u200d This legislation, revealed on Monday, aims to create\u200b a supportive approach focused on rewards rather than penalties to encourage recovery among <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/comfortably-dumb\/\" title=\"Comfortably Dumb\">substance users<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>During a rally in front \u2064of City Hall, Breed emphasized the importance of making treatment accessible, stating, \u201cI want to make it just as easy to get treatment as it is to go out there and buy dope.\u201d The program is designed to complement Proposition F, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/top-german-court-rules-lockdown-restrictions-were-constitutional\/\" title=\"Top German Court Rules Lockdown Restrictions Were Constitutional\">controversial measure<\/a> that \u200bmandates drug testing and treatment for welfare recipients, which passed in March 2023.<\/p>\n<p>The &#8220;Cash Not Drugs&#8221; \u200cprogram\u200c could provide \u2063recipients an increased monthly benefit of up to $1,112 if they test\u200c negative for drugs, boosting their\u2062 current welfare allowance of $712 under \u2062the County Adult Assistance Program. This \u2063initiative is considered part of a treatment strategy known as contingency \u200cmanagement, where individuals \u2062receive\u200b rewards for positive changes in behavior.<\/p>\n<p>Pending approval \u2064from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the pilot program would last for three\u200d years,\u2063 with \u2063an independent\u200c study \u200dassessing its impact and potential for expansion. \u2064Dorsey, a recovering \u2063drug user, expressed optimism about the program\u2019s potential\u2062 effects, suggesting it represents a more positive approach to tackling addiction.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">London Breed wants to pay drug users on welfare $100 a week to kick habit<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1651861\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/san-francisco\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"San Francisco\">San Francisco<\/a> Mayor <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/london-breed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"London Breed\">London Breed<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/sfbos.org\/supervisor-dorsey-district-6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Supervisor Matt Dorsey\">Supervisor Matt Dorsey<\/a> unveiled legislation on Monday that would reward some welfare recipients who stay drug-free an extra $100 per week.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The legislation, called &ldquo;Cash Not Drugs,&rdquo; relies on incentives rather than punishment to encourage sobriety.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">BART police Officer Eric Hofstein displays the fentanyl he confiscated while patrolling the Civic Center Station BART platform in San Francisco on Nov. 20, 2020. (Jessica Christian\/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;I want to make it just as easy to get treatment as it is to go out there and buy dope,&rdquo; Breed said during a rally in front of City&nbsp;Hall. &ldquo;Whatever it takes to get people on the right path &mdash; that&rsquo;s what we need to do.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Dorsey called the pilot program a complement to <a href=\"https:\/\/voterguide.sfelections.org\/local-ballot-measures\/measure-f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Proposition F\">Proposition F<\/a>, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/project-veritas-lisa-murkowski-secretly-backed-ranked-choice-voting-to-boost-reelection-odds\/\" title=\"Project Veritas: Lisa Murkowski Secretly Backed Ranked Choice Voting to Boost Reelection Odds\">controversial ballot measure<\/a> that mandates drug screening and treatment for welfare recipients if they want to continue to collect monetary assistance. <\/p>\n<p>Critics at the time argued it would lead people already struggling with poverty to lose vital assistance, while advocates said it would provide motivation to those addicted to drugs to stay clean.&nbsp;The measure passed in March with 58.5% of the vote. <\/p>\n<p>Under the &ldquo;Cash Not Drugs&rdquo; program, welfare recipients could get an extra $400 a month.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This is more carrot than stick,&rdquo; said Dorsey, a recovering drug user. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a pretty promising approach.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Dorsey added that the costs of the program could be reimbursable through Medi-Cal, California&rsquo;s Medicaid healthcare program.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco Mayor London Breed delivers her State of the City address at the Pier 27 cruise terminal in San Francisco on Thursday, March 7, 2024. (AP Photo\/Eric Risberg)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Currently, single adults without children on welfare receive&nbsp;$712 per month through the County Adult Assistance Program. Under Dorsey&rsquo;s plan, some people would see that number bumped to $1,112 when they test negative for illicit drugs. If the San Francisco Board of Supervisors signs off on the pilot program, it will go into effect for three years. An independent academic researcher would study the results, and upon the findings, the program could be expanded.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Cash Not Drugs&rdquo; is part of a drug treatment strategy known as &ldquo;contingency management,&rdquo; which is a type of behavioral&nbsp;therapy in which people are rewarded for evidence of positive behavioral changes. The San Francisco Department of Public Health oversees similar programs but on a smaller scale.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;If we can make progress to help people get on the other side of their addiction, we will see progress on all kinds of things &mdash; from street conditions to retail theft to, hopefully, and most importantly, reversing the level of overdoses,&rdquo; Dorsey said.<\/p>\n<p>Breed, who is facing a tough reelection in November, said before she took office, the city &ldquo;was not focused on abstinence-based solutions&rdquo; but that over the past three years, her administration has spent more than $20 million on such abstinence-based recovery programs.<\/p>\n<p>Drug use is a visible problem&nbsp;on the streets of San Francisco. Last year surpassed 2020 as the deadliest year on record for overdoses, with 2024 shaping up to match last year&rsquo;s numbers, according to the <em>San Francisco Chronicle&rsquo;s<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/projects\/san-francisco-drug-overdose-deaths\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"overdose tracker\">overdose tracker<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\" \"> <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The overdoses have largely been driven by fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid that is up to 100 times more potent than morphine and deadly.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In 2021, Breed declared a state of emergency in the city&rsquo;s Tenderloin district to address the growing epidemic, as well as San Francisco&rsquo;s open-air&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/video-shows-school-bus-full-of-children-get-off-in-front-of-open-air-drug-den-in-san-francisco\/\" title=\"Video Shows School Bus Full of Children Get Off in Front of Open Air Drug Den in San Francisco\">drug dens<\/a> that are still operating in plain sight on any given day.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1651861\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1651861\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>San Francisco Mayor London Breed, along with Supervisor Matt Dorsey, introduced a new bill on Monday aimed at providing financial incentives to certain welfare recipients who remain drug-free. The initiative, named &#8220;Cash Not Drugs,&#8221; focuses on encouraging sobriety through rewards instead of punitive measures. During a rally outside City Hall, Breed expressed her desire to make access to treatment as straightforward as obtaining drugs. She emphasized the need for any necessary actions that would help individuals find their way to recovery.<\/p>\n<p>Dorsey described the pilot program as a supportive measure alongside Proposition F, which requires drug testing and treatment for welfare recipients wishing to continue receiving assistance. While some critics argued this could jeopardize essential support for those already facing poverty, proponents believed it would motivate individuals struggling with addiction to maintain sobriety. The proposition was approved in March with 58.5% of votes.<\/p>\n<p>Under the &#8220;Cash Not Drugs&#8221; initiative, eligible welfare recipients could receive an additional $400 monthly if they test negative for illegal substances. Dorsey noted that this approach is more about positive reinforcement than punishment and suggested that costs might be covered by Medi-Cal, California&#8217;s Medicaid program.<\/p>\n<p>Currently, single adults without children on welfare receive $712 monthly through the County Adult Assistance Program; under this plan, those who meet the criteria could see their benefits rise to $1,112 upon passing drug tests. If approved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, this pilot program will last three years and will be evaluated by an independent researcher for potential expansion based on its outcomes.<\/p>\n<p>The &#8220;Cash Not Drugs&#8221; strategy is part of a broader behavioral therapy method known as contingency management that rewards individuals for demonstrating positive changes in behavior. The San Francisco Department of Public Health has similar but smaller-scale programs in place.<\/p>\n<p>Dorsey highlighted that progress in helping people overcome addiction would lead to improvements across various societal issues such as street conditions and retail theft while also aiming to reduce overdose rates\u2014an urgent concern given last year&#8217;s record-high overdose deaths primarily linked to fentanyl use.<\/p>\n<p>Breed has faced challenges regarding drug use in San Francisco streets and previously declared a state of emergency in response to rising overdoses and visible open-air drug activity within the Tenderloin district since taking office three years ago when she began investing significantly in abstinence-based recovery programs totaling over $20 million<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2646,"featured_media":2316102,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/fentanyl.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[36676,36675,36674,10263],"class_list":["post-2316101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-addiction-recovery","tag-drug-users","tag-london-breed","tag-welfare"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/fentanyl.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2316101","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2646"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2316101"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2316101\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2316102"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2316101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2316101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2316101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}