- HEALTH & FITNESS
SF overdose deaths decline as public health officials expand treatment, drug monitoring
ByGloria Rodríguez
Thursday, July 16, 2026 8:54PM
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) –Overdose deaths in San Francisco have declined compared to last year, a trend local public health officials say reflects both national patterns and the city’s ongoing efforts to expand treatment and other interventions
The San Francisco Department of Public Health announced that 40 people died from overdoses in June, a 9% decrease from the same month last year. Year to date, overdose deaths are down 27% compared with the same period in 2024, when there were 262 deaths
“This downward trend is encouraging,” said Dr. Naveena Bobba, deputy director of health for the San Francisco Department of Public Health
Despite the decline, Bobba said the number of overdose deaths remains too high
“It’s not enough to prevent deaths. We want people to flourish. That’s why we are focusing our efforts on high-impact interventions that increase access and effective treatment and provide and support people with the need to stabilize and recover,” Bobba said
MORE: SF County fatal drug overdoses rank 2nd highest in the country, CDC data shows
The department also announced an in-kind donation from Biobot Analytics to support wastewater testing for new and emerging drugs over the next year. Officials said the testing is intended to provide a more complete picture of local drug trends and help public health workers respond more quickly when new substances are identified. Xylazine is one substance they will now be able to test for
Health officials said the first wastewater samples were mailed earlier this month, and they are awaiting results. The data will cover the entire city except for Treasure Island
Dr. Jeffrey Hom, the department’s medical officer for science and policy for substance use services, said additional re
“People in San Francisco continue to die from overdoses at an unacceptably high rate. More investments are needed in treatment, housing, and evidence-based direct public health services and are needed to help reduce the harms from high-risk substances and save lives,” Hom said
Community organizations working with people struggling with addiction also welcomed the latest figures
MORE: How people in SF’s Tenderloin perceive reported progress in drug and homelessness issues
“Fantastic news, right? I mean, more deaths going down means people have more of a chance to recover,” said Dr. Larry Kwan, CEO of the St. Anthony Foundation. The foundation offers services that include a dining hall, a medical clinic and a one-year recovery program
Kwan said there may be multiple reasons behind the decline in overdose deaths but noted that harm-reduction efforts could be playing a role
“I don’t know why. I know I’ve read studies that there are multiple reasons that are potentially. But some of it is our work in the area of harm reduction in Narcan and things like that to prevent those deaths. In the end, where our group focuses is on, when they’re alive, how do we get you to that next step out of suffering from addiction,” Kwan said
Bobba said an increase in treatment capacity and reaching out so people have access to treatment are part of why the numbers are going down
The city’s RESET center is a place where law enforcement takes people who are intoxicated or doing drugs on the streets into custody, where they get access to treatment instead of jail time
MORE: San Francisco records 1st overdose death caused by new deadly opioid cychlorphine
People seeking immediate addiction treatment assistance in San Francisco can contact the Department of Public Health at (888) 246-3333
Report a correction or typo
Copyright © 2026 KGO-TV. All Rights Reserved.
