San Francisco’s ‘Cash not Drugs’ legislation wants to gift people $100 a week to stay sober

Monday, July 29, 2024

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco city officials are proposing legislation that would pay residents up to $100 a week if they can prove they are not using drugs.

The initiative, dubbed the “Cash not Drugs” program, aims to encourage sobriety and provide financial incentives for people to seek help.

On the steps of City Hall, just blocks from one of the city’s drug overdose hotspots, Mayor London Breed shared her personal motivation for supporting the plan.

“I lost my sister to a drug overdose. She was down in the streets of the Tenderloin, and it was very difficult to get her the help she needed. I want to make it easier — just as easy to get treatment as it is to buy drugs,” Mayor Breed said.

The legislation, authored by Supervisor Matt Dorsey, is intended to complement Proposition F, a voter-approved measure requiring welfare recipients to undergo drug testing before receiving their monthly checks.

“I think this is more of a carrot than a stick,” Supervisor Dorsey said. “It’s based on strategies that we know work. It’s a contingency management approach that rewards people for positive behavior.”

Similar programs run by the VA showed strong results in their first five years, with more than 90% of participants testing negative for drugs.

However, some community leaders question whether this is the best use of city resources. Randy Shaw, Executive Director of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic, said, “The voters already said people should be in drug treatment to keep their benefits. Now we’re offering another incentive — $400, $500 a month — to do what they should be doing anyway. Some could even get up to $1,000 a month.”

Moushan Smith, who has been sober for a year, said money wouldn’t have influenced his own decision. “No, I wouldn’t have stopped using drugs just for $100. The money is not the issue. It’s my health, my well-being. I made the choice myself.” Still, Smith acknowledged the program could help others: “It’s a factor for some people, but ultimately it’s up to the individual.”

Experts recognize some people may try to game the system but believe the benefits outweigh the risks. “Some people will abuse the money — that’s a fact of life — but the percentage of those who won’t is much higher,” said Dale Seymour, Founder of Code Tenderloin.

Drug overdoses continue to be a serious issue in San Francisco. According to the city’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, 374 people have died from overdoses so far in 2024, including 48 in June alone.

Mayor Breed highlighted other recent city investments in recovery programs. “We know everyone’s journey is different. This city hasn’t focused solely on abstinence-based solutions. I’ve invested over $20 million in seven new abstinence-based recovery programs to meet people where they are,” she said.

The “Cash not Drugs” legislation still needs approval from the Board of Supervisors. If passed, the city would have six months to prepare, with potential implementation projected for mid-2025.

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