Belltown residents report rampant drug use despite the new SODA law

SEATTLE- People who live and work in Belltown say drug trafficking in their neighborhood is as rampant as ever, even though Seattle passed a new law banning dealers and chronic users from the area.

The Seattle City Council passed the Stay Out of Drug Area (SODA) ordinance in mid-September, which went into effect just over two weeks ago. Neighbors said they still regularly see police in the area and observe frequent arrests, but the level of fentanyl use appears to be uncontrolled.

In Belltown, the exclusion zone extends between Second and Fourth Avenues and Blanchard and Battery Streets.

SODA orders allow Seattle Municipal Court judges to ban people accused of certain types of drug crimes from staying in those zones. These bans can be imposed both as a condition of provisional release and after a person has been convicted. Returning to this zone could result in the person being rearrested and charged with a gross misdemeanor for violating the order.

KOMO News checked Friday and learned from court officials that judges have not issued SODA bans against defendants in the little more than two weeks the law has been in effect. It is unclear how many arrests police made during that time period that would qualify for a SODA recommendation from prosecutors.

The approval of SODA zones in several neighborhoods of the city has been extremely controversial. Opponents said it would not help people overcome addiction and would further criminalize people already in vulnerable situations.

KOMO News continues to gather information on this topic and will update this report.