TITLE
Recommendation to request City Manager to provide a report within 90 days on drug use, addiction, overdose, and death statistics in Long Beach over the past 5 years, as well as the City's approach to this.
DISCUSSION
October 10, 2017 the City Council approved direction for City staff to complete a feasibility report on strategies to better address opioid addiction and reduce the number of Long Beach overdoses, and deaths and provide a report within 30 days.1 This direction was based on data from the Los Angeles County Health Department illustrating that prescription opioid death rates per 100,000 residents were higher in Long Beach than those deaths seen in Los Angeles County as a whole. The Third Council District then provided funding to cover the staff time necessary for this research to be completed by City staff. March 19, 2018 the Health and Human Services Department provided a memo with a number of proposed actions to respond to this pressing concern.2 With this issues first being raised by the City Council two years ago, it would be useful to follow up and understand what actions have been taken to pursue any or all of the enumerated proposed actions to better address opioid addiction in Long Beach. It would further be useful to receive data updating the Council on the state of the opioid issue in Long Beach as it relates to all forms of abuse, misuse, addiction, overdose, and death associated with illegal, prescription, or synthetic forms of opioids.
The harms associated with the nationwide epidemic of opioid addiction and deaths continues to be a significant concern to Cities across the nation and is a growing global issue. Cities must remain vigilant in protecting our residents and acting proactively to develop prudent policies, programs, and approaches to confronting this dangerous threat.
This matter has been reviewed by Budget Manager Grace H. Yoon on September 27, 2019.
FISCAL IMPACT
This recommendation requests that the City Manager pro...
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