Tough Love in San Francisco
Last year, San Francisco had twice as many deaths from drug abuse as Covid. In the central \u2018Tenderloin\u2019 district alone, where thousands of homeless people have pitched tents, three people a week are dying. Meanwhile drugs, including highly addictive and dangerous fentanyl, are sold and consumed openly on the street. Many types of crime are rising, and the city is struggling to entice people back after the pandemic exodus. The situation has led some politicians to ask if so-called progressive approaches to policing, homelessness and drug-taking are appropriate \u2013 or making things worse. In December, San Francisco\u2019s Democratic Party Mayor said the city needed \u2018tough love\u2019 \u2013 and declared a state of emergency in the Tenderloin. For Assignment, the BBC\u2019s James Clayton meets addicts and their families, politicians, and charities, to tell the story of how one of America\u2019s most beloved cities is having a crisis of confidence.
(Image: Homeless people sitting on the street in the Tenderloin district in San Francisco, California, United States. Credit: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)