JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Drug-related deaths are down in Florida, according to a new report from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The drops in total drug deaths and deaths caused by fentanyl were the greatest Florida has seen since 2016.
The statewide numbers tell a slightly different story from local data.
In the Jacksonville area, the numbers were largely flat, and there was actually a slight increase in deaths caused by fentanyl.
In Duval, Clay and Nassau counties, there were 797 total drug deaths in the first six months of 2023. That was down 1.7% from the same timeframe a year earlier.
There were 240 deaths caused by fentanyl during that period in 2023. That was up just over 1% from the year before.
Statewide, there was a 7% decrease in total drug-related deaths, a 10% drop in deaths caused by fentanyl, and a 10% decrease in opioid-caused deaths.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said this is the third straight decrease in statewide drug deaths.
The announcement comes on the heels of a nationwide report showing Florida leads the country in seizures of fentanyl.
“This news is encouraging,” Moody said. “I am optimistic about the work we are doing and the results that we are seeing, but the death toll is still way too high.”
Moody said one thing that has helped in the statewide decline of fentanyl deaths is a program called SAFE that the state started less than a year ago. It targets drug rings and traffickers to seize large amounts of drugs, money and weapons.