Tomorrow, Philadelphia City Council members will vote on Bill #240665

The proposed ordinance banning vehicular mobile service providers in the Seventh Councilman District is a dangerous step toward criminalizing essential public health services. Instead of addressing systemic issues like poverty, racial health disparities, and the overdose crisis, this legislation targets life-saving providers who serve Kensington’s most vulnerable residents. Urge City Councilmembers to vote NO on this harmful bill.

Key Reasons to Oppose the Ban:

Criminalization of Essential Services: This ordinance treats mobile medical providers as a public nuisance, rather than recognizing them as critical healthcare workers. Restricting their ability to operate will push people further into crisis, increasing preventable deaths and hospitalizations.

Protecting Children with Real Solutions: Families and children in Kensington deserve safe, dignified spaces. The presence of discarded syringes and human waste is a public health concern, but cutting off healthcare providers exacerbates these conditions rather than solving them. A collaborative effort between harm reduction providers, sanitation teams, and youth support programs is the right path forward.

Community Safety Requires Engagement, Not Exclusion: Many residents are rightfully concerned about public drug use and crime. However, banning mobile services will not stop these issues—it will only push people further into crisis. Investment in 24/7 behavioral health response teams, permanent housing solutions, and violence prevention programs is far more effective.

Disproportionate Impact on Marginalized Communities: Kensington is one of the most racially diverse neighborhoods in Philadelphia, yet Black and Hispanic residents face the highest rates of overdose and poverty.

• 49.9% of Kensington residents are White, 34.4% are Hispanic, and 6.5% are Black.
• The overdose crisis disproportionately affects Black Philadelphians, with fatal overdoses among Black residents increasing nearly 20% from 2021 to 2022.
• Restricting mobile services will worsen racial health disparities, cutting off lifesaving care for those most in need.

Positive Impact of Mobile Providers: Mobile harm reduction teams reduce overdose deaths, prevent infections, and connect people to long-term care.

• In 2023, Philadelphia’s Health Department distributed over 100,000 doses of naloxone, nearly doubling the previous year’s efforts. Mobile providers played a key role in this outreach.

• Mobile wound care teams treat soft tissue infections caused by xylazine, preventing amputations and life-threatening complications.

• Harm reduction services lower emergency room visits, reducing strain on hospitals and public health costs.