"there are only two drugs common in this area, fentanyl and methamphetamine, and she doesn’t show signs of either, so it’s my medical opinion that she simply drank too much.”
This is an unfathomably stupid statement to the point that I hope it's just something they misremembered the fireman as having said.
Someone that stupid shouldn't be operating a garden hose let alone talking to people in distress.
GHB is almost as common as meth in San Francisco, as is Ketamine.
GHB could definitely cause the described experience. Overdosing on it is horrendous and terrifying. I'm sad to hear that someone put her through this and that our city resources didn't listen to her.
I'm also baffled by the claim that doing a standard issue drug test would take too many resources, since we have a for profit medical system. She, or her insurance, would have been responsible for paying the full, inflated, cost of those test. It's also not a resource intensive test, and there are multiple potential ways to test for it.
The bigger issue in this situation is that GHB is processed in the body quickly, so if you're in this type of situation it is important to test sooner and not wait.
https://www.publichealth.com.ng/can-ghb-be-detected-in-a-drug-test/
Anyway, this is just so bizarre to hear about in San Francisco.
The only part I'm not surprised by is the cops refusing to do their jobs. That is the San Francisco I know all too well, unfortunately.
I just expect more from our firefighters and emergency medical professionals. Especially about drugs for crying out loud.