Fentanyl Breed: 3,000+ Deaths, Empty Promises, and a City Abandoned

San Francisco is a city in crisis, and every year, the toll of the fentanyl epidemic grows more devastating. Despite public statements on enforcement and treatment, the reality in San Francisco tells a very different story. The alarming spread of open-air drug use from downtown into neighborhoods like the Mission District reflects a policy approach that isn’t working, leaving our communities, businesses, and city economy to suffer. For three years, the people of San Francisco have watched Mayor London Breed promise change while drug overdoses skyrocket, crime rises, and businesses close their doors.

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In August 2021, SFDSA President Ken Lomba took this crisis to a national stage during an interview on CNN with Erin Burnett. In a profound statement, Lomba pointed out that while COVID-19 had tragically taken around 130 lives in the city that year, overdose deaths were approaching 700. He questioned why overdose deaths weren’t being treated with the same urgency and called for the city to recognize the fentanyl crisis as an emergency. Lomba’s statement resonated worldwide, drawing praise from leaders across city departments who thanked him for raising the issue. Yet despite this urgent call to action, Mayor Breed has consistently failed to act meaningfully, leaving lives, livelihoods, and the city’s future at risk.

 

 

A Crisis Ignored: The Spread of Open-Air Drug Use Across San Francisco

Mayor Breed’s re-election platform claims a firm stance on ending open-air drug dealing, stating, “Open-air drug dealing and use are not acceptable in this city. Not in the Tenderloin or SoMa. Not anywhere.” Yet the reality is that drug activity, once concentrated in these neighborhoods, has spread to other areas like the Mission District, which has become an increasingly unsafe environment for residents and businesses alike. The city’s inaction has made San Francisco a known destination for drug users and dealers, and the continued spread shows that her administration’s policies are ineffective.

Breed’s platform highlights increased arrests and partnerships with agencies like the SFPD, SF Sheriff’s Office, and even the National Guard, claiming these steps doubled drug arrests in 2023. But arrest numbers alone don’t capture the reality in our streets. Simply pushing drug activity from one neighborhood to another doesn’t solve the problem—it merely shifts it, leaving the underlying crisis unaddressed.

A Hollow Approach to Treatment and Prevention

Breed’s platform points to expanding treatment options, including an additional 400 treatment beds and initiatives like Prop F, which requires treatment for adults receiving city assistance. However, the absence of a dedicated, abstinence-based rehabilitation center shows a critical gap in her approach. Treatment programs are vital, but without a facility providing structured, supportive, abstinence-focused recovery, the city lacks the resources to make a real difference. For those struggling with addiction, these facilities offer a chance for long-term recovery in a controlled environment, addressing the underlying issues that lead to drug dependency.

By failing to implement a comprehensive rehabilitation center, Breed’s administration has left residents without the options they need to overcome addiction and rebuild their lives. The city’s continued reliance on harm reduction alone, without a balance of recovery-focused initiatives, has kept overdose numbers high while ignoring the broader needs of those affected by addiction.

Prioritizing Policies that Undermine Public Safety

Instead of focusing on addiction treatment and community safety, Mayor Breed has chosen to direct resources toward policies that allow repeat offenders back onto the streets under ankle monitoring. This “reform” approach has not only failed to deter crime but has put communities at risk. When violent felons and drug offenders are repeatedly released, they not only continue to engage in drug activity but also contribute to rising crime rates. This trend has driven small businesses out of neighborhoods, frightened away tourists, and left families and residents feeling unsafe in their own city.

 

 

A Disregard for Human Life and the City’s Economic Health

Each overdose death represents not just a statistic but a lost life—a person with friends, family, and a future cut short. Mayor Breed’s lack of a proactive, life-centered plan demonstrates a disregard for the value of human life. For three years, the city has seen overdose deaths rise with no effective intervention. President Lomba’s statement on CNN highlighted this urgency, yet Breed’s administration has failed to respond with the necessary focus and resources to address the crisis.

The impact extends beyond personal tragedy; it has crippled San Francisco’s economy. Drug use and the associated crime have emptied once-thriving business districts, as shoppers and tourists avoid areas plagued by open drug markets and theft. The economic repercussions are far-reaching—small businesses that have served communities for years are closing, and prospective businesses are wary of setting up shop in a city unable to maintain safe public spaces.

 

 

 

The Need for Real Leadership and a Unified, Effective Response

Mayor Breed’s approach has failed San Franciscans. To truly address this crisis, the city needs a leader who values human life, supports recovery and rehabilitation, and will take decisive action to save lives, restore public safety, and rebuild the city’s economy. Effective change demands:

  1. A Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Center: Establishing a dedicated, abstinence-based rehabilitation center that provides a structured environment for recovery. This is not only a public health measure but a crucial step toward helping individuals reclaim their lives.
  2. Public Safety Measures Focused on Accountability: Ending the cycle of releasing violent offenders and repeat drug users onto the streets, instead pursuing policies that balance compassion with accountability to ensure public safety.
  3. Support for Small Businesses and Economic Recovery: Addressing the public safety crisis and the overdose epidemic is essential to reviving San Francisco’s economy. By focusing on safe streets, San Francisco can once again become a welcoming environment for shoppers, tourists, and new businesses.

San Francisco deserves leadership that puts people before politics, that values every life lost, and that is committed to the safety and prosperity of the entire community. Mayor Breed’s record shows a troubling lack of regard for these principles. San Franciscans need a leader who will take action to end the cycle of addiction and crime, protect lives, and revitalize the city. After three years of broken promises, the time for change is now.

The people of San Francisco deserve a city where lives are valued, where communities are safe, and where businesses can thrive. It’s time for real leadership to make that vision a reality.

 

“Paid for by the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association PAC. Not authorized by a candidate or committee controlled by a candidate. Financial disclosures are available at sfethics.org.”

Fentanyl Breed: 3,000+ Deaths on Her Watch

San Francisco Mayor London Breed has become synonymous with the city’s worsening drug epidemic. Recently, a poll on X (formerly Twitter) dubbed her “Fentanyl Breed,” and the name couldn’t be more fitting. Since taking office, Breed’s policies and reforms have not only failed to curb the opioid crisis—they’ve exacerbated it, leading to over 3,000 overdose deaths during her tenure.

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#FentanylBreed

Despite the good intentions behind harm reduction strategies and supervised drug consumption sites, the reality is that Breed’s leadership has enabled a deadly cycle of addiction. Rather than reducing harm, these policies have facilitated drug use and turned San Francisco into a haven for addicts. The result? A staggering 212.7% increase in overdose deaths since 2018.


A City in Crisis: The Data Speaks for Itself

Let’s start with the numbers. From 2014 to 2023, San Francisco experienced a sharp rise in drug overdose deaths. Under Ed Lee, overdose deaths increased by 46%. During Mark Farrell’s brief tenure, the increase was 16.7%. But under London Breed? Overdose deaths skyrocketed by 212.7%, an unprecedented escalation.

  • Ed Lee (2014-2017): 46% increase in overdose deaths
  • Mark Farrell (2018): 16.7% increase in overdose deaths
  • London Breed (2018-2023): 212.7% increase in overdose deaths

Under Breed, more than 3,000 San Franciscans have lost their lives to drug overdoses, many of these deaths tied to the rampant spread of fentanyl—a synthetic opioid 50 times more potent than heroin. While fentanyl was already present in the drug supply before her time, Breed’s policies enabled the crisis to spiral out of control.

 

Harm Reduction or Harm Creation?

The cornerstone of Breed’s public health strategy has been harm reduction—policies designed to reduce the negative consequences of drug use rather than eliminate it altogether. This includes clean needle programs, naloxone distribution, and her administration’s active push for supervised drug consumption sites. But with fentanyl’s extreme potency, these strategies have done little more than prolong the inevitable: death.

Instead of confronting the root of the crisis—addiction—Breed’s policies have normalized drug use. Supervised drug consumption sites, while touted as life-saving, are illegal under federal and state law. Despite this, Breed’s administration has been hell-bent on bringing these sites to the city, turning San Francisco into a lawless zone for drug users. These policies do not just overlook the problem; they perpetuate it.


Supervised Consumption Sites: Illegal and Dangerous

Supervised drug consumption sites are the most blatant example of Breed’s failed leadership. These sites, where individuals can legally use drugs under supervision, directly violate the Controlled Substances Act and California state law. Despite these legal barriers, Breed’s administration has pushed forward with plans to open these sites, effectively encouraging illegal activity within the city’s borders.

Let’s be clear: supervised drug consumption sites may reduce overdose deaths in the short term, but they also facilitate continued drug use. These policies send a message that drug use is acceptable, even supported. By creating these safe zones for drug users, Breed is actively attracting addicts to San Francisco. The result is not just more drug use but an influx of users from other cities and states, drawn to San Francisco by its reputation as a place where drug use is easy and consequence-free.

This is not harm reduction—this is harm creation.


Fentanyl: The Deadly Consequence of Breed’s Policies

Fentanyl’s extreme addictive nature and lethality cannot be overstated. Even the smallest miscalculation in dosage can lead to immediate overdose and death. Breed’s harm reduction policies, while perhaps effective with less potent drugs, fall dangerously short in the face of fentanyl. The distribution of clean needles, naloxone, and discussions of supervised consumption sites have not curbed the crisis—they have fueled it.

Breed’s refusal to prioritize aggressive treatment options or enforce stricter regulations on drug use has left San Francisco drowning in fentanyl. And with more people than ever flocking to the city for its lenient drug policies, the situation is spiraling out of control. Instead of stopping the flood, Breed has opened the floodgates.


Attracting More Drug Users to San Francisco

It is no coincidence that San Francisco has seen an increase in its homeless and drug-using population. Breed’s policies have created a magnet for those seeking a city where drugs can be obtained, used, and even facilitated by city officials. San Francisco has become a place where public drug use is rampant, and the city’s resources are overwhelmed.

By failing to enforce the law and instead advocating for policies that directly contradict federal and state drug laws, Breed and her administration have attracted thousands of drug users to the city, making the crisis worse. She violated her oath of office by promoting illegal activity and turning San Francisco into a sanctuary for addiction rather than a city of rehabilitation and recovery.


A Betrayal of Public Trust

Breed’s policies do more than violate the law—they betray the public trust. Every politician swears an oath to uphold the law, but Breed’s active support for policies that enable illegal drug use directly contravenes this responsibility. Instead of focusing on long-term solutions to addiction, Breed has perpetuated short-term fixes that do nothing to address the underlying causes of the crisis.

Supervised consumption sites, clean needle programs, and naloxone distribution are not enough to combat the power of fentanyl. By enabling drug use, Breed is not just turning her back on the law—she is turning her back on the people of San Francisco. The thousands of overdose deaths on her watch are a direct result of her failed leadership.


The Lives Lost on Breed’s Watch

With more than 3,000 overdose deaths under her leadership, London Breed has overseen the deadliest period in San Francisco’s modern history. Harm reduction, as practiced by her administration, has failed to reduce harm. Instead, it has created an environment where addiction flourishes, drug users flock to the city, and public safety is jeopardized.

The city needs leadership that will stand up to this crisis with real solutions—treatment, enforcement, and rehabilitation—not policies that enable addiction. London Breed has failed San Francisco. It’s time to recognize the deadly impact of her decisions and demand accountability.

San Francisco’s residents deserve a city that fights for their safety, not one that perpetuates harm. The crisis must end, and it begins with rejecting the failed policies of “Fentanyl Breed.”


Chart 1: Overdose Deaths Under London Breed

Fentanyl Breed: 3,000+ Deaths on Her Watch

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chart 2: Timeline of Harm Reduction Efforts and Overdose Deaths

Fentanyl Breed: 3,000+ Deaths on Her Watch

 

 

 

 

 

“Paid for by the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association PAC. Not authorized by a candidate or committee controlled by a candidate. Financial disclosures are available at sfethics.org.”