SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — Spokane's mayor and two city council members introduced an ordinance that would make drug use in public spaces illegal.
The ordinance was introduced by Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward and council members Jonathan Bingle and Michael Cathcart. If approved, 'Safe Open Spaces Act,' would make "use of a controlled substance in public spaces without a prescription" a gross misdemeanor.
The ordinance could be voted on next month.
“Open drug use in our public spaces while families, visitors, workers, and others who use our public spaces is not acceptable,” Woodward said in a statement. “We need to re-establish the expectation that our sidewalks are safe and healthy for everyone.”
With recent changes to state law, police officers can enforce prohibitions on possessing drugs, but this can only happen after police refer the individual to treatment twice.
The state is considering a fix to the “Blake decision” that would make drug possession an arrestable offense, but that legislation has to be approved by the state House and signed by the governor.
“Passage of the Safe Open Spaces Act is essential for protecting our community and setting a frankly bare minimum standard of conduct in our public areas," Cathcart said.
Spokane is categorized as a High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area by the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Open drug use is occurring at a greater rate in the lowest income, most diverse neighborhoods, including Spokane downtown, according to the statement.
According to the city, fentanyl and other synthetic opioids have contributed significantly to the amount of drug use in Spokane and nationwide.
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