City discussing possible misdemeanor status for public drug use

Tucson leaders are looking at a new way to handle drug use in the city.

Ward 4 council member Nicki Lee is asking the Mayor and Council to set aside half an hour to look into making public drug use a misdemeanor, she says as a tool to help more people reach treatment resources for addiction and substance use disorder.

Lee says she and her team often gets calls about public drug use.

Intersections, parks, buses, our transit systems, so people have a genuine concern about seeing so much drug use in our communities," Lee said. "At the same time, its really hard to see these individuals out there struggling.

She says she was under the impression that they city's hands were tied since drug use is a felony under Arizona state law.

When someone is picked up for public drug use, their case is