San Diego, CA
Overdose deaths decline in San Diego County, bringing hope to addiction experts
There’s a sense of hope on the horizon for people on the frontlines of San Diego County’s opioid epidemic now that the numbers appear to be dropping. Some of that credit is given to getting Narcan in the hands of more people.
A Narcan vending machine is located at the McAlister Institute in Chula Vista. It’s one of at least 16 across San Diego County. These machines are just one of many ways the county and its partners have been working to get the opioid overdose reversal medicine into as many people’s hands as possible.
“It’s one thing to know that there is a magical and lifesaving drug out there, and it’s a different thing to actually be able to access it,” said Marisa Varond, CEO of McAlister Institute, a facility that provides a full continuum of services for people with addictions.
Learn more about the impact of the fentanyl crisis on local communities in NBC 7’s in-depth project “Poison Pill: San Diego’s Battle With the Fentanyl Crisis.” Watch here.
Addiction experts credit access to Narcan for causing a drop in overdose deaths, along with other harm reduction strategies, such as making fentanyl testing strips more widely available and education campaigns, like the billboard that went up in Lakeside.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, deaths from opioid overdoses fell a little more than 10% from April of 2023 to 2024.
In San Diego, overdose deaths dropped about 7.5% between 2022 to 2023 — from 1,300 to 1,200 — according to data from the San Diego County Substance Use and Overdose Prevention Task Force Annual Report Card.
“Overdose deaths are preventable. The hope is that we get to a place where we are celebrating because there are zero. I think for now, our call to action is to continue to raise awareness and to make sure that treatment is readily available when folks are ready,” Varond said.
Tara Stamos-Buseig is effusive in her praise of Narcan’s role. It’s why the Harm Reduction Coalition CEO has also been instrumental in getting more than a dozen Narcan vending machines installed across the county.
But there’s another trend fueled by fentanyl-related deaths that’s caught her attention.
“People are also changing the way they use drugs,” Stamos-Buseig said.
She says that change includes users looking out for each other, ready to administer Narcan, in addition to being more measured in their drug use.
“We have individuals who are measuring their dose. So maybe they buy a certain amount, and they know that this much is how much I overdosed on last time, so let me decrease the amount that I’m going to use today,” she explained.
A change in behavior and a game-changing medicine are among the harm reduction strategies yielding lifesaving results.
Gloria relents on December Nights, some community cuts in budget revise, but arts funds still on chopping block
by City News Service | Times of San Diego
Some library and recreation center hours and December Nights support were restored in Mayor Todd Gloria’s revised Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Wednesday, but city funding for the arts could still be gutted.
Gloria was joined by civic leaders Wednesday morning to announce changes to his initial proposed budget, released last month. He added “targeted protections” of certain neighborhood priorities and maintained police and fire service levels while arriving at a balanced budget.
Proposed additions include protecting rec center and library hours in Council Districts 4, 8 and 9, represented by Henry L. Foster III, Vivian Moreno and Sean Elo-Rivera, respectively.
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The Learning Curve: He’s San Diego Unified’s Next Trustee – No Race Needed
By Jakob McWhinney | Voice of San Diego
The primary is still nearly a month away. The general election is even further out. Still, it’s already clear that Hayden Gore will be San Diego Unified’s next trustee. That’s because he’s running unopposed to fill the seat left open by current Trustee Cody Petterson, who opted not to run for re-election.
Though he’s a political newcomer, Gore was the early choice of San Diego Unified’s union. In fact, he was recruited by the former president of the San Diego Education Association to run for the seat.
It’s not hard to see why. He’s an avowed progressive and a longtime educator who led the then-newly formed union at High Tech High to its first contract. Exactly the kind of resume that would have SDEA champing at the bit.
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Join Us Friday, July 17, 2026 for the 11th Annual USD School of Law – RJS LAW Tax Institute
By RJS Law
The Institute is the premier annual tax event in San Diego. The region’s top tax attorneys, enrolled agents (EAs), certified public accountants (CPAs), law and business school professors will discuss topics including government loan relief and abuses, challenges in cross-border transactions, and practical and realistic solutions in trust, estate planning, and tax matters.
DATE AND TIME
Friday, July 17, 2026 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
LOCATION
Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, Theatre
5555 Marian Way, San Diego, CA 92110
EVENT STATUS
Open to the Public
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SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – For many families, libraries are a safe space for kids after school and a place to study.
After community outcry, the city is scaling down some of its proposed budget cuts, bringing the original $6.3 million in cuts to libraries down to $4.8 million.
Patrick Stewart, CEO of Library Foundation SD, said the change is a step in the right direction.
“We are very pleased. I think this moves the needle in the right direction.”
Mayor Gloria’s revised budget proposal restores funding focused on youth-centered programs, which includes bringing back library hours in Council Districts 4, 8, and 9 — those in underserved communities.
“This is City Heights and San Isidro, Barrio Logan, and Oak Park, and traditionally, those are smaller branches. And the kids and the families in those communities frankly, they use their library very differently than in a lot of other communities, and it’s a lifeline to them,” said Stewart.
The City Heights library is among those included in the mayor’s revised budget to restore funding. While library officials say this is a good first step, there is still concern about long-term financial challenges.
In order to voice concerns about how deep the cuts go, the Library Foundation has created a way for supporters to express that through postcards. Thousands of cards have been mailed directly to Mayor Gloria and councilmembers.
Stewart said the effort is making an impact.
“They’re seeing that this is hundreds and hundreds of people that are taking this very seriously, so it helps them to know immediately what their community feels like when it comes to these proposed cuts,” he added.
The restored funding would also keep Monday hours at Carmel Valley Library and protect the North Clairemont Library branch from closure.
Library officials remain optimistic as the revised budget heads back to the City Council.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
A man suspected of a fatal shooting in Barrio Logan was arrested Tuesday.
Benito Garcia Jr., 31, was arrested in the 3600 block of Grand Avenue in San Marcos at about 1 p.m. Tuesday for allegedly gunning down 64-year-old Raul Torres near the east end of the Coronado Bridge, according to the San Diego Police Department.
Patrol officers responding to an anonymous report of a shooting found the mortally wounded victim on a sidewalk in the 2000 block of National Avenue, near Chicano Park, shortly after 10 p.m. last Tuesday. Torres died at the scene, SDPD Lt. Lou Maggi said.
Police have not disclosed a suspected motive for the slaying.
Garcia was booked into San Diego Central Jail on suspicion of first- degree murder. He was being held without bail pending arraignment, scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
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