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385 died of fentanyl overdose in SF this year; could set record, health officials say

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385 died of fentanyl overdose in SF this year; could set record, health officials say


SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Despite efforts to curtail the fentanyl crisis on San Francisco streets, the health department is reporting that 71 people died of an accidental overdose in the month of July alone. This puts the city on target to surpass the number of deaths for the entire year compared to the previous year.

The number of deaths so far this year due to those accidental overdoses in San Francisco prompted the health department to call for an emergency press conference.

“80% of the deaths to date in 2023, overdose deaths are now caused by Fentanyl,” said San Francisco’s Director of Health Dr. Grant Colfax.

So far this year, 473 people have died of accidental overdoses, 385 of them due to fentanyl.

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MORE: SF supervisor calls to divert millions meant for wellness hubs to drug treatment programs in jail

That number could surpass 800 deaths for the entire year.

“It pains me to share that this is the highest overdose deaths San Francisco has experienced,” said Dr. Colfax

Why is San Francisco seeing more deaths due to fentanyl? When it was first introduced, people were mixing it with other drugs, but now according to a spokesperson for the Health Department, more drug users are opting for Fentanyl alone.

“Fentanyl has become cheaper, more potent and more available,” added Colfax.

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According to the health department, they are currently treating 25,000 people with substance and mental health issues and now expanding services and outreach, not to mention the distribution of more Narcan.

MORE: SF could soon mandate that overdose reversal drug Narcan be stocked in all pharmacies

Brett Rubin is a counselor who for years was addicted to heroin.

“We don’t give up on anyone. If people say ‘no thank you, go away, we don’t want your help today,’ we say how about a different day?” Rubin told us.

But as a matter of practicality, many more could die while waiting to decide if they are ready for treatment.

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MORE: Advocates say arresting SF Tenderloin’s drug users could set off even more overdose deaths

“What kind of life is this, exposed to the elements all the time trying to get by until your next fix, your next piece of life, you’ve got poop on the ground,” said Jim Rauh, with Families Against Fentanyl. He had not been to San Francisco in several years so we invited him to walk with us.

He lost his son, Tom to Fentanyl and on Tuesday, was speaking to the American Chemical Society about the proliferation of the synthetic drug.

“This material can be dispersed in the air, food, or water in the most rudimentary way and this needs to be stopped before it brings down our country from the inside,” said Rauh.

If you’re on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live

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San Francisco hotel workers approve new contract, ending 3-month strike

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San Francisco hotel workers approve new contract, ending 3-month strike


SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco Hilton hotel workers who have been on strike for the past three months voted Tuesday to approve a new union contract.

The approval by Unite Here Local 2 in San Francisco settles the last of three hotel strikes in San Francisco this year, union officials said.

The strikes at Marriott, Hyatt and Hilton hotels throughout the city began in the fall. Marriott workers reached agreements on Thursday, with Hyatt doing the same on Friday.

San Francisco Hyatt Hotel union workers unanimously approve new contract

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The Hilton agreement is the same as those ratified by striking Hyatt and Marriott workers last week, according to Ted Waechter, spokesperson for the Unite Here Local 2 union.

The agreement applies to about 900 workers, 650 of which have been on strike for over three months, according to Waechter. The hotels include the Hilton San Francisco Union Square and about 250 workers at Hilton’s Parc 55 hotel, who had been prepared to go on strike.

All the deals with hotels include keeping the workers’ health plan, wage increases, and protections against understaffing and workload increases.

Many of the 2,500 hotel workers had been striking for about 93 days, picketing daily in Union Square, which is the site of a Hilton and the nearby Grand Hyatt on Stockton Street.

SF Hyatt Hotel union workers on strike to vote on ratifying tentative agreement for new contract

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“These 93 days have not been easy, and I’m so proud that my coworkers and I never gave up,” said Bill Fung, a housekeeping attendant at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square for 29 years. “We stood together through the rain and cold, and even though there were some hard days, it was all worth it. We will go back to work with our health care, good raises, and the confidence of knowing that when we fight, we win.”

Hilton media representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

San Francisco Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie on Tuesday issued a statement welcoming an end to the strike, saying it came just in time for the holiday season and allows workers to return to work for key events such as the JP Morgan Health Care Conference and NBA All-Star Game.

Unite Here Local 2 represents about 15,000 hotel, airport and food service workers in San Francisco and San Mateo counties and represented the striking hotel workers.

Copyright 2024 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, re-transmission or reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. Is prohibited.

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San Francisco Giants Gold Glove Catcher Projected For Huge Season

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San Francisco Giants Gold Glove Catcher Projected For Huge Season


The San Francisco Giants have made some huge offseason moves already and hope they aren’t done just yet, but as is the case for every team that doesn’t win the World Series, the most important development will have to come from within.

One player who took a huge step from 2023 to 2024 and will try to improve even further in 2025 is Giants catcher Patrick Bailey. After a beyond solid rookie season in 2023 in which he finished in the top-ten for the National League Rookie of the Year, Bailey won a Gold Glove in 2024.

While the offensive output was similar to his rookie season and not anything to write home about, there’s confidence the bat will come along for the 25-year-old.

In an article naming breakout stars in 2024 who are due for a huge season in 2025, Bailey was one of the first names mentioned by Will Leitch of MLB.com.

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“Bailey led all players in Statcast’s fielding run value metric (plus-22), and FanGraphs, which factors pitch framing into its WAR calculation, had Bailey third among catchers with 4.3 WAR,” Leitch wrote. “At age 25, Bailey already has won as many Gold Gloves as Posey — now his team’s president of baseball operations — did over his whole career.”

Leitch pointed out that Bailey has established himself to be San Francisco’s catcher of the future, something that seems undeniable at this point. If the former first-round pick can develop his bat to the point where he is hitting at least close to the same rate as he was raking in the minor leagues, he will have a chance to become one of the best catchers in baseball.

Through 218 games over his first two seasons in MLB, Bailey has posted a batting average of .234, an OPS of .640, slugged .348, and has hit 15 home runs and 94 RBIs. Certainly not numbers that will blow you away at the plate, but his defense has more than made up for it and allowed the Giants to be patient with his bat.

In 193 minor league games since being drafted No. 13 overall in 2020, Bailey hit .251 across all levels and had an OPS of .779. He also showed an encouraging level of power with 25 home runs, but has struggled to replicate that in the big leagues thus far.

Having already established himself to be one of the best in the game on defense, Bailey will have a chance in 2025 to enter the upper echelon of catchers across the game if he can have the breakout season he appears poised to.

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Christmas gifts arrive early for children at San Francisco hospital

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Christmas gifts arrive early for children at San Francisco hospital


Christmas gifts arrive early for children at San Francisco hospital – CBS San Francisco

Watch CBS News


Kelsi Thorud reports on Operation Holiday Cheer, an event aimed at cheering up children staying at the hospital.

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