Over 400 Accidental Overdose Deaths in San Francisco During First Half of 2023
San Francisco, CA — The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) has released their Report on Accidental Overdose Deaths for the first six months of 2023. The preliminary number of accidental overdose deaths in June is 53, which brings the total for the year up to 406. This is 101 accidental overdose deaths more than the […]
San Francisco Continues Record Accidental Overdose Mortality Rate With Highest May Overdose Deaths
San Francisco, CA — The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has released their Report on Accidental Overdose Deaths for the first five months of 2023. The preliminary number of accidental overdose deaths in May is 74, which brings the total for the year up to 346 — 100 more than the 246 that occurred […]
Shame on CNN and Anderson Cooper
Last night, CNN aired, “The Whole Story: What Happened to San Francisco” — it was anything but the whole story. Shame on CNN and Anderson Cooper for being so incredibly desperate for ratings that they have veered solidly away from journalistic integrity to a performative, one-sided hit piece on San Francisco. Glaringly missing from the […]
Statement on the Death of Banko Brown
San Francisco, CA — On Thursday, April 27, San Francisco experienced a tragic loss with the shooting and killing of Banko Brown, a young community organizer and transgender man, by a security guard outside of Walgreens at 825 Market Street. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. We believe, as Banko Brown’s […]
Joint Statement of Opposition to a Law Enforcement Response to the Overdose Crisis in San Francisco
As organizations that advocate to improve community health and provide associated direct services, we are deeply concerned about the overdose crisis and impact of increased law enforcement presence on the safety of our communities. All residents, including those in historically low-income neighborhoods, should feel safe walking the street, gathering outside, and bringing their children to […]
San Francisco Sees Significant Increase in Fatal Overdoses After Closure of the Tenderloin Center Without a Replacement, and With Increased Punitive Measures for People Who Use Drugs
San Francisco, CA — The San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has released their Report on Accidental Overdose Deaths for the first three months of this year. The preliminary number of accidental overdose deaths in March 2023 is 66, which brings the total accidental overdose deaths this year to 200. According to the San […]
How to Address the Overdose Crisis & Reduce Public Drug Use Without Compelling Treatment
STATEMENT BY VITKA EISEN, PRESIDENT & CEO, HEALTHRIGHT 360, IN ADVANCE OF PARTICIPATION AT TOGETHERSF ACTION “DOES SAN FRANCISCO ENABLE DRUG USE?” PANEL ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2023 For information on tonight’s TogetherSF Action Panel, visit: https://www.mobilize.us/tsfaction/event/552818/ San Francisco, CA — All opioid overdose deaths are preventable, and every year, thousands of lives are saved by […]
Outrage at Governor Newsom’s decision to veto SB 57, landmark overdose prevention bill
The Safer Inside coalition denounces the decision by Governor Newsom to turn his back on the drug overdose crisis and Californians dying from fatal overdose. SAN FRANCISCO, August 22, 2022–Today, the Safer Inside Coalition denounces Governor Gavin Newsom’s shocking decision to veto SB 57 (introduced by Senator Scott Wiener), which if passed would have allowed […]
Statement on Hateful Actions, Harmful Rhetoric, and Damaging Stigma
San Francisco – Over the July 4th weekend, a number of individuals all wearing “Blue Lives Matter” shirts attempted to gain unauthorized access to our two newest HealthRIGHT 360 programs—both programs offering low-barrier, loving, health-promoting, harm reduction services in San Francisco. The goal of their intrusion was to film our clients/guests with the intent of […]
Statement on the Supreme Court Ruling Upending Roe vs Wade
San Francisco – In the week between Juneteenth and Pride celebrations of liberation, the United States Supreme Court overturned 50 years of precedent guaranteeing reproductive rights and self-determination for people who are pregnant. Many studies have shown that this ruling will have the greatest impact on low-income people and people of color, Black people in particular – […]
Statement on the Leaked Supreme Court Draft Opinion on Roe vs Wade
San Francisco – The recently released draft Supreme Court opinion, if it stands as the court’s final ruling, would effectively end the protection of an individual’s right to choose as a federally guaranteed right under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. If this stands as the final ruling, which will be issued in June, people seeking […]
Statement in Response to Policing People Who Use Drugs
San Francisco – HealthRIGHT 360 continues to stand in opposition to the criminalization and policing of people who use drugs under the Mayor’s Declaration of Emergency in response to drug overdose deaths in the Tenderloin. The Tenderloin Linkage Center, a coordinated effort undertaken by multiple city departments and providers, shows great promise as a non-coercive space […]