PSA: Altogether in January and February of this year, 50 overdose deaths have involved cocaine — more than methamphetamine, heroin or other medicinal opioids. Many of those deaths also involved fentanyl, an opioid that is 50% stronger than heroin.
Health officials urge anyone using drugs to be cautious, following a number of accidental overdoses involving cocaine and fentanyl in recent months.
“Anyone who accesses drugs outside of their medical system should carry naloxone,” a fast-acting medicine that can reverse overdoses, said Dr. Philip Coffin, director of substance use research for the San Francisco Department of Public Health . “We don’t know how many deaths are accidental fentanyl exposure, but they are definitely happening and it’s really important to be aware of it and to make sure you have the reversal agent.
“Most of the time that someone is using cocaine, they won’t be using fentanyl, or at least not a harmful quantity. But even if it’s just 5% of the time, that could account for a substantial number of deaths,” said Coffin. Coffin, who produces reports and analyses on The City’s overdose trends, said that some variation is expected and isn’t indicative of any significant progress in reducing overdoses in the Tenderloin.
“February had a decrease in mortality in the TL, but there is too much variation month to month for me to feel confident that we have really achieved that reduction,” said Coffin. “I would love to say that our interventions and the Linkage Center are making a difference, and maybe they are, but I can’t rely on a month’s data.”
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