Nine San Franciscans in different phases of recovery from drug addictions are the new faces of public-health officials’ awareness-raising campaign for treatment options in The City.
The nine people, recovering from addictions to substances including fentanyl, oxycodone and crack cocaine, agreed to have their faces and stories plastered on billboards, Muni bus shelters, and in Lyft cars throughout San Francisco as part of the Department of Public Health’s “Living Proof” initiative.
“If so many people know me, have seen my picture, maybe they’ll say, ‘If she can do it, I can do it,’” Jean Bruno, who said she is now two years into recovery after being addicted to fentanyl for several years, told The Examiner. “I was a mess.”
Public-health officials launched the campaign Tuesday, which includes videos and advertisements sharing residents’ personal recovery stories and the 24/7 phone line for The City’s behavioral health center in an effort to combat a citywide drug-overdose crisis.
San Francisco recorded more overdose deaths last year than any other since it started tallying fatalities in 2020. The City’s fatal drug overdoses through the first nine months of this year have fallen 20% compared to 2023.