Postcard from San Francisco: A controversial war on fentanyl

 Kenneth Ray Russworm says he regrets ever taking fentanyl. The San Francisco native tried the synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin while living in a homeless shelter after his mother died last year and hasn't been able to setop using it since. king88bet Login Alternatif

‘I ain't never had a tipe of drug that had such a hold on me,' Russworm, 43, a father of seven, said, crouching beside tents that serve as homes. In his hand he holds the tinfoil he uses to smoke the drug that has taken over his life. king88bet Login

Fentanyl struck the East Coast of the United States first, driving up the number of drug-related deaths and hitting San Francisco in full force at the start of the Covid pandemi. King88Bet Situs Slot Tergacor

Last year, the city had the second highest overdose rate among US cities, after Philadelphia. In the first half of the year in San Francisco, 406 people died of accidental overdoses and more than three out of four deaths involved fentanyl.

The crisis cuts across class, race and geography, in a wealthy, largely quiet city. But nearly one in five deaths this year occurred in the Tenderloin, a low-income community near City Hall.

This is where the problems are most visible, with some pavements clogged with people selling drugs or in fentanyl-induced stupors.

Addressing the health crisis is a priority for London Breed, the mayor, and other city leaders as the political stakes are high with world leaders due to descend on San Francisco in November for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation konferensi.

Breed has pushed for a tougher stance on drug activity in response to concerns from residents and business owners. She has urged police to arrest drug dealers and recently directed officers to detain people who are high in publik and offer them treatment in usil.

Critics akise officials of recreating the War on Drugs that failed to eliminate crime or addiction in America.