Overdose affects us all
We commemorate International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31, and throughout the month of August, to bring awareness to the realities of how drug overdose affects our communities, to honor the lives of those we’ve lost to overdose, to reduce the stigma associated with drug-related death, and to share information and resources to prevent drug-related harm.
Overdose is preventable
Drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the United States, with nearly 70,000 deaths occurring every year. To educate and provide our community with the resources and information to prevent overdose, we offer response training and supplies through our Harm Reduction Center and outreach sites.
Get resources
Mobile syringe & health sites
Our teams are out in neighborhoods across San Francisco providing safe injection and proper disposal supplies and services that help you manage your health, prevent overdose, and stop HIV and hepatitis C transmission.
Find us
Advocate for safe consumption spaces
Join the HIV Advocacy Network at San Francisco AIDS Foundation to help bring safe consumption spaces (also known as safe injection facilities and overdose prevention programs) to the San Francisco Bay Area.
Further reading
Words Matter: Ending stigmatizing language around drug use
Stigmatizing language around drug use sends the message that people who use drugs are lesser than; that their lives are worth less. It’s time for that to change.
June Updates from Syringe Access Services
We are welcoming back volunteers at our Syringe Access and Disposal sites, beginning June 1.
Advocating for life-saving services delivered by syringe access programs
Laura Thomas, our director of harm reduction policy, testified to the House Committee on Appropriations for federal funding to expand services offered by syringe service programs.
May Updates from Syringe Access Services
We are increasing the number of people we serve with harm reduction, overdose prevention, linkage to hepatitis C treatment, and COVID-19 testing and vaccines.
April Updates from Syringe Access Services
SAS is increasing outreach to communities who use drugs, continuing to cure people of hepatitis C, and looking for insights into who we’re serving at our mobile sites.
March Updates from Syringe Access Services
SAS introduced new services centering trans and non-binary clients, increased drug treatment and detox referrals, and is speaking up in support of a safe consumption services bill.
January Updates from Syringe Access Services
The SAS team offers programs recently endorsed by a CDC report and contingency management services may get a boost from Sacramento.
December Updates from Syringe Access Services
The SAS team shares that the Outreach and Mobile Health Access Van has returned after getting some amazing outfitting.
November Updates from Syringe Access Services
The SAS team reports a big increase in the number of people who access services last month, and talks about the technology that has contributed to the effort.
Expanding services for people who use meth
With fatal meth overdose on the rise, we are exploring new ways to help people make changes to their use of meth and other stimulants.
Updates from Syringe Access Services
John Halifax explains the tech behind onsite drug quality testing, Andrew Reynolds gives a history lesson, and Laura Thomas provides a policy update.
Glory holes, anonymous sex & safer cruising during COVID-19
Queer people have always have and always will find creative ways to get our needs met. So it’s no surprise that people are developing innovative harm reduction strategies to have safer sex as we live with COVID-19.