Early reports show San Francisco is headed for its deadliest year yet from opioid overdoses. While the Coastside isnât seeing the same sky-high numbers, a year of isolation has only made addiction problems worse, experts say.
âIt feels like everybody is in crisis,â said Mary Fullerton, supervisor of the San Mateo Countyâs Integrated Medication Assisted Treatment team, which helps people addicted to opioids. âThere is more at stake. There is a sense of desperation, loneliness and not as many ways to get help.â
According to data from the county coronerâs office, four people in Pacifica and two further down on the Coastside died from accidental opioid deaths in 2020, making up just 7 percent of the county total. The city with the most opioid deaths last year was Daly City at 12, and an additional 12 sheltered or unsheltered people without a listed city of residence died from opioids last year. Overall, the county saw 81 accidental opioid deaths in 20
Car-related crimes are on the rise on the Coastside, but local law enforcement officials say they can’t attribute local auto thefts and burglaries to the COVID-19 pandemic.