San Francisco Sets Record for Drug Overdose Deaths Amid National Decline

Fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid, is a major contributor to the crisis, with local and national efforts underway to combat the epidemic.

San Francisco has seen a record number of accidental drug overdose deaths in 2023, with 752 fatalities in the first 11 months, surpassing the previous record of 726 in 2020.
Of the 752 accidental overdoses in San Francisco, 613 contained fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid that is often unknowingly consumed by drug users.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed has sought to prioritize mental health-focused solutions to the drug epidemic in her city, and District Attorney Brooke Jenkins has made prosecuting drug dealers a core pillar of her agenda.
Despite the rise in overdose deaths in San Francisco, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that drug overdose deaths in the United States may be decreasing, with an estimated 111,964 Americans dying of a drug overdose from August 2022 to July 2023.
Washington and Oregon continue to experience the worst of the deadly surge, with Washington recording a 40.9% year-over-year increase in drug overdose deaths, leading the nation by a large margin.