SAN FRANCISCO– The most stolen books from the shelves of San Francisco’s public libraries aren’t the hottest new novels or sappy memoirs, they’re books about recovering from addiction. Now, city officials want to provide universal access to free drug recovery books, including Alcoholics Anonymous’ 12-step recovery book.
San Francisco City Supervisor Matt Dorsey introduced legislation Tuesday to create a program to distribute free addiction recovery books at the city’s 27 public libraries. If approved, San Francisco would be the first city in the country to do so, as communities from coast to coast face an unprecedented fentanyl crisis.
Dorsey said library staff found they had to keep restocking books on substance abuse recovery, especially Alcoholics Anonymous’ 12-step program, known as the “Big Book.”
“Drug and alcohol treatment can certainly save lives, but recovery programs truly change lives in the long term,” says Dorsey, a recovering meth addict.
The library launched a pilot program last April to distribute such materials at three public library branches. Since then, they have distributed more than 2,600 books on overcoming addiction.
The books offered include AA’s 12-step program, as well as publications from Narcotics Anonymous and Crystal Meth Anonymous. The texts will be offered in all available languages and those who want them will not need a library card, according to Dorsey’s proposed legislation.
San Francisco, like many other American cities, is in the grip of a fentanyl drug crisis. Last year, a record number of 806 people died from drug overdoses.
Drug addicts in San Francisco have access to free lifesaving Narcan, and clean syringes and other drug paraphernalia to prevent disease transmission.
Having access to recovery literature could be an entry point into one of the dozens of in-person recovery programs offered in San Francisco, where more than 560 weekly AA meetings take place, recovery experts say.
“There are many paths to recovery, and this admirable program will help more people with addiction find the path that works for them,” said Keith Humphreys, professor of psychiatry at Stanford University and former White House Senior Drug Policy Advisor in the Administration. Obama.