Latest news with #SanFranciscoDepartmentofPublicHealth
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
This California Carb Capital Has A Law About How You Carry Bread In Public
With some of the absolute best restaurants in the country and world-class bakeries popping up left and right, foodie culture reigns supreme in San Francisco. Arguably, the city's uniquely tangy sourdough bread is just as iconic as the city's skyline, or the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. Made with a special strain of bacteria that gives the bread its signature funkiness, it's hard to find a San Francisco bakery that doesn't carry the crusty delicacy. But believe it or not, there's one odd rule still on the books that might make even the most serious of bread connoisseurs scratch their heads. Despite being a mecca for all things carbohydrates, it's technically illegal to carry any bread, cakes, or pastries down the street in the city unless they're properly wrapped. That's right, after purchasing a freshly-baked loaf of sourdough bread, you must cover it up on public streets or even in your car to avoid breaking the law. If caught breaking Section 407 of the San Francisco Health Code, which has been on the books for over a century, you could potentially face legal punishment, although the exact details of such a punishment are not specified by law. Of course, the law is rarely (if ever) enforced nowadays, and is merely a remnant of a different era in the city's history. With that in mind, if you're walking down the streets of San Francisco eating a croissant, chances are you don't need to hide it from the police. Read more: 15 Vintage Snacks No One Remembers Anymore You might be wondering how such a strange law made its way into the San Francisco books. While the exact date of enactment and the specific reasoning behind it aren't explicitly detailed by the San Francisco Department of Public Health, it's speculated that the law traces back to the early 1900s, when an outbreak of the bubonic plague (yes, that bubonic plague) made its way to The Golden City. As the plague wreaked havoc throughout the city, its residents began to panic. Chinatown was quarantined, and a slew of government officials, including the Governor of California and then-President William McKinley, put forward public health measures that were aimed at stopping the spread of the plague. As the plague raged on, many San Franciscans believed that the infection was spread by city rats that picked up the plague from sick humans. In reality, the plague was actually spread by bacteria-ridden fleas. With all that confusion, it's not difficult to theorize why San Francisco's city officials enacted a law aimed at limiting food's exposure to the elements. It might be a bit overkill, but if breads, cakes, and pastries were covered up on the streets and during travel, they wouldn't be as likely to attract rats or accumulate any germs or pests that could cause infection. While the bubonic plague isn't of concern to San Francisco in the 21st century, this culinary leftover still serves as a reminder of a dark time in the city's history. Read the original article on Tasting Table.
San Francisco Chronicle
05-05-2025
- Health
- San Francisco Chronicle
Health inspectors shut down popular S.F. café over ‘large quantity' of rodent droppings
A popular downtown café, Coffee Bar, was shuttered Friday by the San Francisco Department of Public Health following a routine inspection that uncovered extensive health code violations, including rodent activity and unsanitary conditions. The closure was issued immediately after inspectors observed 'a large quantity of rodent droppings' in numerous areas of the facility, including food preparation tables, refrigeration units, beneath cash registers and in a communal storage space. According to the inspection report, authorities found rodent droppings 'between coffee beans' and 'on top of all the under-the-counter beverage refrigeration units.' In addition to evidence of vermin, the establishment was cited for unclean nonfood contact surfaces, improperly sealed entrances that may have allowed pests to enter, and the absence of a valid food safety manager certification on site. The health department issued a suspension of Coffee Bar's operating permit under California Health and Safety Code, requiring the business to cease all food handling until the violations are corrected. Operators must now clean and sanitize affected areas, seal entry points and provide updated pest control documentation before seeking reinspection.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
SF to end free distribution of fentanyl paraphernalia without treatment
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — San Francisco will no longer distribute fentanyl-smoking paraphernalia to drug users without them agreeing to counseling and treatment, Mayor Daniel Lurie announced Wednesday. The new policy, according to Lurie's office, marks a significant shift in the city's approach to public health and the fentanyl crisis in particular. 'We can no longer accept the reality of two people a day dying from overdose,' Lurie said. 'The status quo has failed to ensure the health and safety of our entire community, as well as those in the throes of addiction. Fentanyl has changed the game, and we've been relying on strategies that preceded this new drug epidemic, which ends today.' The policy shift is part of Lurie's 'Breaking the Cycle' plan, which is aimed at getting people off the streets and into drug treatment. It marks a departure from existing city policy, under which fentanyl-smoking supplies like foil, pipes and plastic straws are handed out to drug users with few conditions attached. Suspects nabbed after escaping burglary via boat in Solano County The new guidelines, issued by San Francisco Department of Public Health (DPH) Director Dan Tsai, mean people will need to agree to treatment, counseling, or be connected to services to receive safer drug use supplies. 'As public health, we are responsible for the health of the individual on the street and the health of the community impacted by this crisis. We are implementing strategic changes to build a more responsive system of care that moves people from the streets into effective treatment and sustained recovery,' said Tsai. The new policy, which goes into effect April 30, will mandate that drug paraphernalia, including fentanyl smoking supplies and clean needles for IV drug users, will only be distributed to people who undergo counseling designed to get them into treatment. The policy shift will also move distribution of drug supplies indoors, off the streets, and into city-sanctioned buildings. San Francisco first began distributing free needles decades ago to help stem the spread of HIV/AIDS. As part of the new policy, Lurie's office said the DPH will monitor overdose rates, and HIV/Hepatitis C transmission to 'ensure policy aligns with public health goals.' According to the New York Times, more than 3,000 people have died as a result of San Francisco's drug crisis over the past five years — more than COVID-19, homicide and car crashes combined. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
SF bakery shutters following discovery of rodent infestation
The Brief Destination Bakery in San Francisco's Glen Park neighborhood was shut down after the San Francisco Department of Public Health documented an extensive rodent infestation. The bakery will have to remain closed until all of the documented violations have been rectified. SAN FRANCISCO - Destination Bakery in the Glen Park neighborhood has been shut down by the San Francisco Department of Public Health after inspectors discovered severe violations at the establishment. An SFDPH official first inspected the bakery – located at 598 Chenery St. – on March 10, where they found "one live rodent in [the] kitchen area" and another fossilized rodent dead in a trap, according to a report. The health department report also revealed that the inspector found rodent droppings on the floor throughout the bakery, as well as on pie tins, cake boxes, in the railing of a door to a refrigerated display case and in the dry storage area located in the bakery's garage. The inspector also found two bags of flour with gnaw marks, causing some of the flour to spill out into a container that was also contaminated with rodent droppings. The SFDPH report indicated that the owner of the establishment had taken measures in an effort to alleviate the infestation, such as by repairing the bakery's garage door. However, the report also found that there were still several points of entry for vermin to utilize, and the department ordered the bakery to close until it could remove all rodent droppings, clean and sanitize all surfaces where the droppings were located, get professionally licensed pest control services to treat the bakery for rodents, seal all holes and gaps, discard all bags of produce that were found to be contaminated and rodent-proof the entire bakery. Upon a reinspection of Destination Bakery that was carried out Tuesday, the same inspector found another live rodent in the kitchen, as well as rodent droppings throughout the building. Destination Bakery – which opened in 2000 – will have to remain closed until all of the documented violations have been rectified and the bakery's permit has been reinstated. KTVU attempted to reach out to Destination Bakery for comment on the closure. However, the phone number listed on the bakery's website was disconnected. Local perspective Destination Bakery caused concern among patrons and locals in 2023 when the establishment abruptly became a Mexican restaurant named Mamacita's Café de Amor. The bakery's owner and workers, along with members of the Glen Park Association and the Glen Park Merchants Association, were assailed with messages from the community lamenting what appeared to be the loss of a neighborhood staple. However, it was later revealed that the bakery was the site of a film shoot by a crew of seven City College of San Francisco film students, who temporarily transformed Destination Bakery into Mamacita's for a 17-minute short film. The Source San Francisco Department of Public Health
CBS News
19-03-2025
- Health
- CBS News
San Francisco health officials reassess strategies as overdose deaths increase
The San Francisco Department of Public Health is planning to modify certain parts of its harm reduction strategies in tackling the city's drug overdose crisis, the department said Tuesday while announcing last month's number of drug overdose deaths. A preliminary count revealed that 61 people died last month from accidental drug overdose, nearly the same amount as February 2024 when 63 people died from overdose. February's preliminary number of overdose deaths is slightly higher than January 2025, when 57 people died. San Francisco Department of Public Health director Daniel Tsai made the announcement during a press conference on Tuesday, just three weeks into his new position after being appointed by Mayor Daniel Lurie. "What this really underscores is how urgent and important this work is that we have at the department," Tsai said. "Every one of those 61 deaths is unacceptable. It's preventable, and we as a department are going to be doing everything possible to tackling this epidemic." Tsai is attempting to navigate the city's response to preventing overdose deaths through reassessing strategies already in place, including aspects of harm reduction. "When I'm in discussions with our providers, clinicians, and others, people affirm the work happening with many of our providers and partners across the city," Tsai said. "But almost everyone agrees that something has to change." While he did not specify details of an exact plan, the department intends to alter its policy of handing out supplies like foil and straws in public areas used for smoking substances such as fentanyl. Fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid, has contributed to the majority of overdose deaths in recent years. "The policy that we will pivot on is distributing smoking supplies like foil, pipes, straws, particularly in public spaces," Tsai said. Researchers at University of California, San Francisco have found that smoking fentanyl increases the risk of fatal overdose due to the resin that accumulates in smoking paraphernalia. Sharing smoking devices that contain fentanyl residue could be just as if not more deadly than sharing needles, according to the 2024 paper authored by researchers at UCSF. Tsai made it clear that the department will continue its practice of supplying clean syringes used for injecting drugs in order to help reduce the spread of illnesses like hepatitis C and HIV. "San Francisco is not backing away in any way, shape or form from the tested, proven public health intervention of sterile syringe access, full stop," Tsai reaffirmed. Tsai's announcement comes one day after Lurie signed "Breaking the Cycle," a comprehensive strategy aimed at combating the overlapping issues of homelessness and drug addiction. The executive directive calls for more coordinated services, better measurement of outcomes, and accountability for government. The idea is to get more people off the street and connected to services, keep public spaces clean and safe, and better manage taxpayer resources. One aspect of the directive includes immediately modifying the city's policy of distributing clean smoking supplies, which garnered support from several supervisors. "Mayor Lurie's directive is taking aim at some sacred cows here -- from harm reduction to homelessness spending -- that quite frankly deserve scrutiny for why they've failed to achieve better outcomes," Supervisor Matt Dorsey said in a statement. "Reassessing fentanyl supply policies is a necessary step to prioritize treatment and recovery," said Supervisor Stephen Sherrill in the directive's press release. Tsai said that the department will release more details on its changes to supplying equipment used for smoking drugs in the near future. "My team will be meeting rapidly with a range of folks in the community over the coming week or week and a half before we roll out a more concrete policy pivot," Tsai said.
