Is SF getting a handle on overdoses?  If you’re judging by the number of overdose calls to 911, it seems to be the case. There were only 116 overdose 911 calls across San Francisco in June. That’s 62% below the two-year monthly average of 308 and an 18% decline from where we were in 2024.

So what changed on the streets during the past twelve months?  It looks like multiple strategies are in play. City health teams flooded neighborhoods with 158,000 Narcan kits, the emergency antidote to an opioid overdose. With more Narcan available, there’s a better chance a friend or a bartender can treat an overdose, so fewer incidents reach a 911 operator.

Same-day injectable buprenorphine is also now widely available. The shot lasts a week to a month and gets people started on their path off opioids right away rather than waiting for an appointment in a clinic.

And there’s more police action too.  Police actions tagged as “Drug Crime Incidents,” including narcotics arrests, are up 47.7% over 2024. It all adds up to fewer people calling 911 for overdoses.