A San Francisco program aims to curb emergency room visits and hospital stays by mitigating the effects of alcohol withdrawal with a "Managed Alcohol Program." The program provides limited quantities of alcohol to prevent serious side effects of withdrawal. However, one addict-turned-recovery advocate says the effort misses the mark and only delays recovery for those who need it.
San Francisco's "Managed Alcohol Program" is a $5 million pilot program that brings free beer, wine, and vodka shots to the city's homeless alcoholics. The program aims to relieve the city's emergency services by reducing the number of alcohol-related emergency room visits and hospital stays. However, one addict-turned-recovery advocate says the effort misses the mark and only delays recovery for those who need it.
Tom Wolf, founder of the Pacific Alliance for Prevention and Recovery, told "Fox & Friends First" that the program is not a good idea, especially considering the amount of money San Francisco has already spent on similar efforts.
"Over the last four years, San Francisco spent $20 million to basically service a total of a couple of hundred people… by giving them free vodka and beer," Wolf said. "For that amount of money, we could have funded 60 drug treatment beds instead."
Wolf, a recovering heroin addict, once lived on the street. He said a similar program tailored toward his addiction would have either kept him on the street or he would be dead by now.
"I don't really see what the benefit is of all of this, and I'm glad it was exposed," he said.
The program also offers life skills classes and cultural outings for patients, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The outlet also said the city's public health department claims to have found a drop in emergency room visits as well as a reduced hospital stays and emergency calls as a result of the program.
However, Wolf insists the taxpayer funds would be better suited for treatment and sobriety programs.
"What also accomplishes that goal is actually drug treatment," he said of its efficacy. "It may reduce those [emergency] calls and thereby save money but, again, we're spending $5 million a year to give people free alcohol…"
The program has also drawn criticism from other experts. Dr. Mark Willenbring, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, told the San Francisco Chronicle that the program is "not a solution" to the city's homelessness problem.
"It's a Band-Aid," Willenbring said. "It's not going to solve the underlying problems that lead to homelessness."
The program is set to expire in June 2024. It is unclear if the city will renew the program after that date.
