Tallahassee, Florida — The Office of Attorney General Ashley Moody reports that opioid-related deaths have reached a new low.
Moody and Mark Glass, Commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, were in Lake County on Thursday to release the most recent Florida Medical Examiners Drugs Identified in Deceased Persons report.
Moody’s said the report is the fourth in two years to show a decrease in opioid-related deaths. Her office also claims that the 11% decrease in fentanyl occurrences in 2023 is greater than the state-national average decrease of 2%.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drug overdose deaths have decreased by more than 17% in Florida.
The Leesburg Medical Examiners District, which covers Citrus, Lake, Hernando, Marion, and Sumter counties, reported a 40% decrease in fentanyl-related deaths by 2023.
Moody says the decrease can be attributed in part to Florida law enforcement’s efforts to combat the opioid crisis. It can also be attributed to life-saving medications like naloxone, which are lowering the death toll.
“This is extremely encouraging news. Florida is fighting hard to stop the flow of Mexican fentanyl into the state. Law enforcement officers are on the front lines of this fight, and we are developing novel strategies to target fentanyl traffickers and rescue overdose victims, putting them on the path to recovery.
However, far too many people continue to die from preventable causes, and we will continue to fight to put drug traffickers behind bars and help people struggling with substance abuse find resources,” Moody said.
According to the report, Florida experienced nearly 800 fewer opioid-related deaths in 2023 than the previous year. According to Moody’s, there was only a 2% decrease in opioid overdose deaths nationwide during the same period.
In addition to the decrease in fentanyl and opioid-related deaths, the Sunshine State experienced a 5% decrease in total drug-related deaths between 2022 and 2023.
Other districts in the state with significant decreases in Fentanyl deaths include the Florida Keys, Sanford, Gainesville, and Fort Myers.
