Pennsylvania officials push involuntary treatment for substance abuse
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Philadelphia officials may have an aggressive new tactic to combat the opioid epidemic: involuntarily committing people suffering from substance use disorder.
The big picture: State lawmakers are pushing a controversial proposal to allow for involuntary substance abuse examinations and treatment — following similar laws in more than 30 states and Washington, D.C.
Driving the news: A proposal put forward in the state Senate this month would classify substance use disorder as a mental illness.
- That classification would make those in addiction liable to involuntary examinations and treatment under existing state law.
State of play: The state's involuntary commitment law requires people who are alcohol or drug dependent to be diagnosed as mentally ill in order to receive treatment.
- Otherwise, drug recovery services are voluntary.
Zoom out: Mayor Cherelle Parker has taken drastic steps to end Philadelphia's open-air drug markets, including dedicating $100 million for a drug recovery center and rolling out a neighborhood wellness court.
- But some of her measures have raised concerns about their low success rate and long-term viability.
Zoom in: The bill has bipartisan support.
- State Sen. Dan Laughlin, a Republican in Erie County, proposed the bill in the GOP-controlled chamber.
- And Philly Democratic Sen. Anthony Williams is co-sponsoring it, along with Democrats in Bucks and Allegheny counties.
The intrigue: Williams tells Axios that Parker approached him in January to back the proposal.
- That was around the same time Parker pitched her neighborhood wellness court, where people in addiction who are arrested for low-level offenses are given an option of treatment or criminal penalties.
- Vanessa Garrett Harley, the city's chief deputy mayor, tells Axios that the legislation is "another necessary tool" as the Parker administration works to get more people into long-term care and treatment.
Williams also says that Councilwoman Quetcy Lozada, who represents part of Kensington, has told him she backs the proposal.
- A spokesperson for Lozada declined to comment.
Worth noting: Williams backed a similar proposal in 2023.
How it works: Involuntary examinations and treatment are triggered if someone with a mental illness is found to pose a danger of harm to others or themselves, per current state law.
- They can be held for up to 120 hours.
- The classification may also open them up to other measures, including extended involuntary treatment, as well as court-ordered assisted outpatient treatment and medication management.
Between the lines: Involuntary holds have been found to be ineffective at getting people to abstain from alcohol or substance use, per a 2016 federally backed study.
- Plus: Compulsory treatment has the potential for human rights abuses, per the study.
What they're saying: Williams said people in addiction aren't in a position to make rational decisions.
- "This process at least gets them, maybe for the first time, into some form of medical assistance that can lead to recovery," he said.
The other side: Carla Sofronski, executive director of the nonprofit PA Harm Reduction Network, tells Axios forced treatment is ineffective and would overwhelm the city's existing recovery infrastructure.
- "Treating addiction like a criminal or psychiatric issue — rather than a public health concern — perpetuates stigma and ignores the evidence that harm-reduction strategies are most effective at saving lives," she says.