One would think Covid-19 is the biggest problem in San Francisco if they listen to local media. It gets the bulk of the attention from press and is a constant topic of discussion in one of the most progressive cities within one of the most progressive states in the nation. But as far as deaths are concerned there’s a much bigger problem facing the iconic city.
In 2020, the city averaged less than one death per day from Covid-19. By comparison, the surging drug overdose problem was nearly triple that of Covid-19. Combine that with the fact that many deaths not directly caused by Covid-19 are logged by medical professionals as coronavirus deaths and one might think the city needs to adjust its priorities. According to the NY Times:
The drugs killed them in plain view — in front of the public library, at the spot on Powell Street where the cable car used to turn around. Others died alone in single-room apartments or in camping tents pitched on the pavement, each death adding to an overdose crisis that is one of the worst in the nation.
Drug overdoses rose across the country during the coronavirus pandemic. But in San Francisco, they skyrocketed, claiming 713 lives last year, more than double the 257 people here who died of the virus in 2020.
San Francisco’s overdose death rate is higher than West Virginia, the state with the most severe crisis, and three times the rates of New York and Los Angeles. Although overdose data from the past year is incomplete, one researcher found that San Francisco — where overdoses have more than tripled since 2017 — has more overdoses per capita than any major city on the West Coast.
The drug problem in San Francisco was exacerbated by the lockdowns, but they were already spiking since 2017. It’s time for the problem to get addressed instead of their standard operating procedure of ignoring it.
Article Source: 177% more people died from drug overdoses than Covid-19 in San Francisco last year