“NOT A HORROR MOVIE — THIS IS REAL LIFE IN SAN FRANCISCO: SHOCKING VIDEO OF ‘PEOPLE LIVING LIKE THE ZOMBIES’” A viral clip shows a scene that sends chills down many people’s spines: long lines of people standing motionless, hunched over, staggering like “zombies” in the streets once considered an icon of America. In the Tenderloin area, considered the epicenter of the drug crisis, the filthy, desperate, and out-of-control images are unbelievable to viewers. Some admit they came here only because “drugs are cheaper”… and then got trapped in a vicious cycle with no way out. The video quickly went viral, with many calling it “the beginning of the apocalypse.” But what sparked even more heated debate is: Is this really just the past… or is it still the present that people don’t want to face?

Shocking video shows zombie-like state of SF drug addicts

Horrifying video shows zombie-like state of drug addicts in San Francisco

A newly resurfaced video from San Francisco showed the frightening zombie-like state of drug addicts in the once-shinning downtown portion of the city by the Bay.

In the clip posted on X, rows and rows of humans are drugged out, covered in filth, and frozen in strange positions. The video was taken on 7th and Market Street in the area known as the Tenderloin neighborhood.

It is unclear when it was shot, but longtime resident of the area, JJ Smith, posted the video on Thursday from the epicenter of the city’s drug and homelessness crises.

However, the San Francisco Police Department told The California Post they believe the video is from a number of years ago.

“For context, since we increased our drug enforcement efforts in June 2023, SFPD has made over 14,392 arrests and we’ve seized over 1,259 lbs. of narcotics,” Director of Strategic Communications Evan Sernoffsky said. “The city looks vastly different than when this video was taken.”

A man appearing disoriented and distressed on the streets of San Francisco.
A video from San Francisco showed the frightening zombie-like state of drug addicts in the city.X/@war24182236

At one point, the drugged out humans begin to sway and move a bit, as Smith tells one of them to pull their pants up.

Drug use can be seen throughout the clip, with one person holding a glass pipe stating that they were using fentanyl and crystal to get high.

Smith also spoke to one of the people who told them they were from Sacramento and came to SF because “the dope is cheaper” and better there.

People on social media reacted to the clip and said it looked like “the start of the apocalypse.”

A homeless man sleeping on a sidewalk in San Francisco.
In the clip posted on X, rows and rows of humans are drugged out, covered in filth, and frozen in strange positions.Anadolu via Getty Images

“Why do we let tweakers litter the streets of what used to be one of the nicest cities in America?” one person wrote.

“Billions are stolen from California taxpayers and problem still not solved. Voters, you need to pay attention.”

Another person added, “This isn’t compassion. This is a city government knowingly allowing people to waste away under a drug induced coma. People deserve so much better but better choices need to be made at the ballot box.”

The city continues to grapple with a staggering number of fatal drug overdoses. The latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data puts the city second on the list, trailing behind only Baltimore.

A homeless person pushing a handcart with belongings on a wet street in front of an Applebee's restaurant in San Francisco.
The city continues to grapple with a staggering number of fatal drug overdoses.VCG via Getty Images

Even as the opioid crisis drags on, federal figures show a modest shift: overall overdose deaths in San Francisco have begun to decline.

In 2025, fatalities fell to their lowest level in five years. Still, the city remains near the top nationally in per-capita overdose deaths.

San Francisco Board of Supervisor for the downtown area, Matt Dorsey, has acknowledged the grim state of the city.

“What we are seeing right now is other counties are improving faster than San Francisco is,” Dorsey told ABC7.

A homeless man stands on the street next to a cart filled with belongings.
San Francisco Board of Supervisor for the downtown area, Matt Dorsey, has acknowledged the grim state of the city.VCG via Getty Images

“What I’m hoping is that we have to do everything we can to turn off the magnet and stop being a destination city for drug related lawlessness.”

Smith — a San Francisco street videographer who captured viral footage exposing alleged ballot petition fraud — is known for documenting daily life in the city’s seedier areas.

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