In a city with an estimated homeless population of 8,000,<ref>https://sf.curbed.com/2019/5/17/18629080/san-francisco-homeless-population-count-numbers-2019-sf</ref> the taxpayers liberally hand out 4.5 million free syringes annually,<ref>https://sf.curbed.com/2018/5/9/17336090/san-francisco-needles-syringes-exchange-numbers-sf</ref> or roughly one every 16 hours, assuming (a) the needles are used exclusively by the homeless and (b) all 8,000 homeless are intravenous drug users. While homeowners and renters may take advantage of this taxpayer subsidy, there is no means testing. And the city leaders give little thought to the health and safety of children in public parks and elsewhere exposed to the careless disposal of dirty needles which are thrown away at a rate of some 12,000 daily. While the city has banned the use of plastics straws because they are a "threat to the environment."<ref>https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/No-more-slurping-through-plastic-straws-in-San-13102063.php</ref> the city continues the distribution of disposal plastic syringes which are a threat to everybody's health and the environment. | In a city with an estimated homeless population of 8,000,<ref>https://sf.curbed.com/2019/5/17/18629080/san-francisco-homeless-population-count-numbers-2019-sf</ref> the taxpayers liberally hand out 4.5 million free syringes annually,<ref>https://sf.curbed.com/2018/5/9/17336090/san-francisco-needles-syringes-exchange-numbers-sf</ref> or roughly one every 16 hours, assuming (a) the needles are used exclusively by the homeless and (b) all 8,000 homeless are intravenous drug users. While homeowners and renters may take advantage of this taxpayer subsidy, there is no means testing. And the city leaders give little thought to the health and safety of children in public parks and elsewhere exposed to the careless disposal of dirty needles which are thrown away at a rate of some 12,000 daily. While the city has banned the use of plastics straws because they are a "threat to the environment."<ref>https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/No-more-slurping-through-plastic-straws-in-San-13102063.php</ref> the city continues the distribution of disposal plastic syringes which are a threat to everybody's health and the environment. |