A proposed public drug use law will go before the full Seattle City Council after it passed out of the Public Safety & Human Services Committee on Tuesday.
The ordinance would allow the City Attorney to prosecute people for possessing or using drugs in public, designate diversion and treatment as the city's preferred approach after arrests have been made and provide guidance to Seattle police on what actions to take when encountering someone using drugs in public.
The city attempted to pass a different ordinance codifying a state law that made public drug use a gross misdemeanor back in June, but it was narrowly voted down. Councilmembers who opposed the ordinance expressed concern over a lack of concrete diversion and treatment options for people arrested under the ordinance.
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