Fentanyl deaths are down across the Bay Area. One county's harm reduction group says it's proof their strategy is working.

"HRCSCC's Blanca Carrillo is working with a few volunteers as clients line up a few feet away, waiting to request a paper bag of supplies. As a former drug user, Carrillo wishes these services had been available during her time on the streets. I got Hep C when I was actively using, she said. I was grateful to get treatment, and now I don't have Hep C anymore. But it was from sharing needles."

"Across the Bay Area, coroners are reporting about half as many overdose deaths from the synthetic opioid fentanyl than during the peak of the crisis in 2023. In part, public health experts attribute this success to efforts by county public health departments and nonprofits to promote harm reduction strategies, which focus on reducing the risks of drug use without demanding abstinence."

A mobile syringe clinic in Santa Cruz distributes soap, toothpaste, electrolytes, syringes, condoms and naloxone to people who use drugs. Staff and volunteers provide supplies and counseling; some are former drug users who received hepatitis C treatment after infection from shared needles. Coroners across the Bay Area report roughly half as many fentanyl overdose deaths compared with the 2023 peak. Public health officials credit county and nonprofit harm reduction efforts for part of the decline. Harm reduction emphasizes reducing risks without requiring abstinence and focuses on naloxone distribution, clean syringes, condoms and testing for HIV and hepatitis. Legal challenges and new legislation have complicated harm reduction services in California.

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