Philadelphia’s rampant opioid crisis needs a recovery effort like the one seen in Europe after World War II, according to a new lawmaker in the city – who is proposing making addicts choose between treatment and criminal charges.
Freshman council member Quetcy Lozada said the out-of-control drug use in the region requires a holistic solution akin to the Marshall plan rolled out in the wake of the Second World War.
The lawmaker is pushing a policy that could see addicts involuntarily committed to ‘stabilization centers’, where they could choose to receive long-term treatment or face criminal charges.
It comes amid spiraling drug use in the Dem-led city, which saw a record 1,413 number of fatalities due to opioid overdoses in 2022 – a huge 11 per cent rise on the year before.
Lozada represents the district of Kensington, which has become known as ‘ground-zero’ for the city’s drug crisis, where crime has skyrocketed under self-professed ‘progressive prosecutor’ DA Larry Krasner.
Council member Quetcy Lozada is pushing for a controversial policy which could see addicts sent to ‘stabilization centers’ where they would be asked to choose between long term treatment and facing criminal charges
Lozada said the Dem-led city needs a holistic Marshall Plan-style solution to its drugs crisis, in a reference to the recovery package put together for Europe after World War Two
The freshman council member represents the Kensington district, one of the areas most affected by the city’s rampant drug use
She put forward the proposals amid concern that efforts to tackle the area’s problem have ‘moved too far off of people who are actually living and working there’, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
She told the outlet: ‘Enforcement is going to play a huge role in the work that we do in Kensington.
‘I know that folks are not comfortable having the enforcement conversation. But it is a priority.’
It is not the first time she has tried to get tough on drugs. Shortly after her election in November 2022, Lozada successfully drew up a bill to ban safe consumption sites from opening in her district.
She initially had backing from four colleagues but won over a further four, effectively banning the sites in around 90 per cent of the city.
Her enforcement-driven approach is at odds with the current harm reduction policies favored fellow Democrat, Mayor Jim Kenney, who unsuccessfully tried to veto the bill.
Kenney believes the focus should be on addicts’ safety and keeping them out of the penal system.
Under his stewardship, drug-related arrests have plummeted from more than 5,300 between January and October in 2019, to just 739 in the year to date.
Kensington’s streets are littered with syringes, garbage and homeless encampments, with addicts dealing and using drugs in broad daylight
Lozada’s pro enforcement stance puts her at odds with Mayor Jim Kenney and woke DA Larry Krasner, who describes himself as a ‘progressive prosecutor’
Meanwhile violent crime has surged, with the number of fatal shootings up from 311 in 2019 to 326 so far this year.
The crime wave has been blamed on Krasner – whose failure to clamp down on criminals and the city’s growing drug crisis led to his impeachment in 2022 for ‘dereliction of duty’.
At a meeting earlier this year, Lozada’s constituents testified about the horrifying reality of living alongside so much drug use, including children who spoke of avoiding windows out of fear of being hit by bullets.
At Lozada’s request, the city has now announced it will be launching a ’24-hour cleaning pilot’ with more sanitation staff assigned to Kensington’s streets.
It follows on from her previous work organizing community cleanups within the 7th District, which has become overrun by widespread abuse of an animal tranquilizer called xylazine.
Prior to her political career, Lozada worked for the faith based non-profit Esperanza which supports development in Hispanic communities.
Last year the city had a record number of fatal opioid overdoses which killed 1,413 people
Arrests for drug offences have slumped from 5,300 by this point in 2019, to just 739 in the year to date.
Sgt. Eric Gripp, a spokesperson for Philadelphia Police told the Philadelphia Inquirer that targeted raids have led to large seizures and a significant reduction in gun violence compared to last year.
He said more than 1,000 people have been diverted to treatment services in the year to date, which has partly led to a decreased number of arrests for drug possession.
He added that short-staffing and operational adjustments during the pandemic also impacted arrests.