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BlakePetersen | 8 years ago

Not one mention of the plastic bag ban which many experts argue precipitated this whole mess. Great journalism.

discuss

order

Mz|8 years ago

There are people suggesting that it is a contributing factor. I am one of the people suggesting that. I do not know of any reliable sources saying it is the sole cause.

The link below to the San Diego Reader is the most strongly worded piece I have seen which makes such a claim. It starts with:

“The plastic bag ban is the main reason for the hepatitis outbreak,” says the homeless man who writes the Homeless Survival Guide. “The hepatitis outbreak was completely predictable — it's why I left San Diego.”

I am the author of the San Diego Homeless Survival Guide. The reporter interviewed me via email. I was misgendered and every quote from me in the piece is entirely fabricated. I wrote a piece addressing that and giving some actual quotes from the email interview:

http://sandiegohomelesssurvivalguide.blogspot.com/2017/09/fo...

I then wrote a follow up piece in which I suggested that the record rains from last winter may have also been a factor and may not be going away:

http://sandiegohomelesssurvivalguide.blogspot.com/2017/09/ps...

I have been interviewed by two other reporters about the epidemic. I was homeless in San Diego County for over three years. I left the county before the bag ban was instituted and the epidemic occurred. I was in the Central Valley at that time and still homeless. Last month, I left California and got back into housing.

I was at one time pursuing an environmental studies degree. I am a certified life and health insurance specialist and processed accident claims for over five years. I also have a deadly medical condition. So, I don't think I am completely clueless, but the reason I have been interviewed about the epidemic three times is that I am the author of the San Diego Homeless Survival Guide.

If you know of actual medical or epidemiological experts or similar who claim this, I would like to see your source. If your source is the San Diego Reader, nothing in that article should be trusted.

pc86|8 years ago

Feel free to cite one or more experts, since there's a cite below (from someone investigating this outbreak!) stating that the bag ban had nothing to do with this.

wu_tang_chris|8 years ago

If it's a state wide plastic bag ban causing this, why is it happening disproportionally in San Diego? That part doesn't make sense to me.

zghst|8 years ago

Very intriguing byproduct of the ban, however it is far from being the instigator of this crisis.