The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania/ PRO-ACT announced its sponsors for its annual fundraiser called “Recovery Walks!” in Philadelphia.

One of the Gold sponsors at an undisclosed sponsorship amount is none other than the PA Tobacco Free Recovery Initiative, the same entity behind the disastrous addiction treatment smoking ban pilot study in Philly from 2019-2022. Philly was the test site for what was and could still be a planned statewide rollout.

This policy was demonstrated by research, led by drug users, to be posing a significant treatment engagement and retention barrier. In other words, it caused some people to not go into or complete treatment in Philly - at the worst time ever.

The community hit hardest by this very unethical decision was Kensington. Many people who would have otherwise engaged in the inpatient level of care treatment they needed (due to severity of SUD, low pro-recovery support, physical health needs, mental health needs, housing needs, etc found in the Kensington drug user population) were deterred. And the City and State government was well aware of the issues. A Google search of “smoking ban Philadelphia” will also show press coverage detailing consequences of this pilot study.

It is beyond tone deaf to the needs of Kensington residents (especially children growing up there!), business owners, people who use drugs and/or are seeking recovery and/or in recovery in Philly for PRO-ACT to accept fundraising sponsorship money from a proven harmful entity and state initiative…for a policy Kensington community leaders and residents, people who use drugs, people in recovery, local harm reduction and recovery advocates, and loved ones all protested loudly against in Philly.

To that end and to repair the harms imposed on the community of Kensington due to orgs like PRO-ACT selling Philadelphians out, PRO-ACT should give that research or whatever money it got from the PA Tobacco Free Recovery Initiative to Kensington community leaders to decide what to do with it. That will be a first step to repairing the tremendous harm.