The number of deaths related to Fentanyl, a synthetic opiate, has exploded for a year in the tenderloin district, known for its strong homeless population and drug addicts.
Fentanyl continues havoc in the United States. The Mayor of San Francisco said, on Friday, December 17, the state of emergency in a district of the center of the city which has known a outbreak of deaths by overdose since last year, mostly linked to this synthesis opiate.
The Tenserloin district, neighbor of Union Square and other high tourist places of San Francisco, has become a hot point for opioid consumption, with daily deaths at the key.
On average, “We lose more than two people a day because of overdoses, mainly due to Fentanyl,” said a municipal councilor, Matt Haney. “It’s a public health crisis, which requires an urgent response to coordination and determination,” he adds.
The number of overdoses in San Francisco has exploded since the mid-2010 and the arrival of synthetic opiates, much more powerful than heroin or morphine. A record was recorded last year with 711 deaths and the number of victims should not be far from this figure still in 2021, according to projections of the newspaper San Francisco Chronicle.
More than 100,000 Overdose death in the United States in one year
The emergency proclamation signed Friday by the Mayor, London Breed, allows local authorities to quickly open hosting and psychological care centers, in addition to the rules of urban planning or usual public procurement. The measure is inspired by that implemented in any San Francisco in February 2020 to stem the epidemic of COVID-19.
Between April 2020 and April 2021, the United States counted 100 306 fatal overdoses, an increase of 28.5% compared to the same period the previous year (78,056 deaths). This is the first time that the symbolic bar of 100,000 deaths is outdated, which amounts to a death every five minutes. This scourge is particularly fed by the circulation of counterfeit drugs, in particular through the Internet or social networks.
The tenderloin district has long known for its high density of homelessness, drug addicts and drug dealers. For London Breed, the state of emergency will allow “breaking illegal activities in the neighborhood” and “give people the treatment and support they need”.
Alcoholism and addiction has increased significantly since the beginning of the pandemic, which has caused the stops of many comprehensive aid programs and increased the general level of stress within the population.