San Francisco public health officials said Tuesday they are focused on proactive approaches to get people into treatment and prevent fatal drug overdoses.

The City recorded 48 overdose deaths in August, according to data the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner published Tuesday. That was down from 53 deaths in July, and The City’s 460 deaths through August are six fewer than the same time last year. In 2024, San Francisco recorded less deadly overdoses than any other year since 2020, when the medical examiner started publishing monthly reports.

Department of Public Health Director Daniel Tsai and Dr. Hillary Kunins, the department’s director of behavioral health, spoke Tuesday following the publication of the data. Tsai said the department is working to “quickly get people treatment a

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