San Francisco saw the lowest monthly number of fatal drug overdoses in July since it started keeping track in 2020, the city’s Department of Public Health announced Friday.
The department recorded 34 preliminary overdose deaths in July, about 27% lower than the same month last year. The previous recorded lows were 35 overdose deaths back in April of this year and in October 2025.
“I am pleased and optimistic about the progress,” said San Francisco public health director Daniel Tsai at a briefing.
So far, this year is also seeing a downward trend of fatal overdoses compared to previous years. In the first seven months of 2026, there have been 296 overdose deaths in San Francisco. The same time period in 2025 saw 412 deaths.
Tsai attributed the decline to a combination of approaches the city is taking to address the overdose crisis, such as helping folks get access to medication-assisted treatment, opening up a sobering site as an alternative to jail for people arrested for public drug use, and establishing a crisis stabilization center.
“All of those things actually help at the end of the day,” Tsai said.
A few people who were able to get sober with the help of some of these initiatives were invited to share their stories.
“It makes me excited to come to work and that the work has an impact, and people are able to make it through their journey of recovery and inspire others,” Tsai said.
‘Planting the seed’ of sobriety
Beverly Lee, who grew up in the Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood, has been in recovery from drug addiction for one and a half years. It’s the longest period of sobriety since she started using.
Lee began her recovery journey by getting connected to a sobering center through Code Tenderloin, which offers substance use treatment resources. She previously knew about Code Tenderloin by stopping by for free coffee while she was unhoused, and workers from the organization would encourage her to try getting treatment.
“They planted the seed in my mind,” Lee said. “Then one day, I was out looking for fentanyl on the Muni bus, and I slipped and fell and broke my ankle while getting off the bus to try to cop and get some fentanyl. That was the last straw for me.”
“I want to tell others struggling out there: Don’t be ashamed to ask for help. If you believe in yourself and stick to the program, it will work.”
Beverly Lee, recovering drug addict
DPH’s sobering center connected Lee to medication-assisted treatment, and she began getting monthly injections of buprenorphine, a medication that is supposed to help curb opiate cravings.
“One year later, I’m out of the fog and seeing life through clear eyes,” she said. “I want to tell others struggling out there: Don’t be ashamed to ask for help. If you believe in yourself and stick to the program, it will work.”
While Tsai said this year’s overdose numbers show that the city is heading in the right direction, he emphasized that there is still an overdose crisis and more work needs to be done to build on the momentum.
“We continue to face a public health crisis around behavioral health, drug use, and homelessness,” he said. “Every death from an overdose is preventable and unacceptable.”
