Seattle's Struggle with Drug Use and Limited Treatment Resources.

The Seattle City Council rejected a bill that would have allowed the city attorney to prosecute public drug use and possession, despite overwhelming support from residents. The measure would have followed in the footsteps of Washington State's new drug possession law, which makes drug use and knowing possession a gross misdemeanor punishable by up to 180 days in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both. The move has been criticized by residents, the Downtown Seattle Association, and the city attorney, who said Seattle will now be the only municipality in the state where it is legal to use hard drugs in public.