Florida's overall overdose deaths drop, but some lethal drugs are on the rise
While overdose deaths overall dropped slightly in 2022, fentanyl and fentanyl-related drugs killed 6,466 people in Florida, at least 81 more people than in the year before, a greater than 1% increase, according to a report from Florida medical examiners released Jan. 25.
Fentanyl, a prescription synthetic opioid drug that has driven a spike in overdose deaths in recent years, killed 3% fewer people, but deaths caused by fentanyl analogs — illicit altered versions of the drug with similar effects — rose by 42%. The data show that while fentanyl is still killing far more people than the altered versions of the drug, the proliferation of analogs is rising steeply.
Data in the report, which was released two months later than in previous years, highlights the importance of swift and informed responses to the spread of increasingly deadly illicit drugs.
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Released annually by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and produced by the state's Medical Examiners Commission, the report tracks the presence of substances that include opioids, amphetamines, alcohol and now the veterinary sedative xylazine — also known as “tranq” in toxicology reports from autopsies.
The just-released data for the first time tracks the presence of xyalazine in people whose deaths were investigated by medical examiners. The drug, a non-opioid known for inducing a zombie-like stupor, has shown devastating effects that include unhealed wounds leading to amputations and increased risks of death when taken, knowingly or not, with fentanyl. It was found in 471 autopsies across Florida in 2022.
Xylazine was found in 44 people who died in Palm Beach County, and, with other drugs, was recorded as the cause of 40 deaths. That is the third-highest number of deaths with xylazine present in the state. The drug was found in 95 autopsies in Jacksonville and 76 in Sarasota.
Prescription drugs killed 6,234 people in Florida in 2022 — 293 fewer deaths than the year before.
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Fentanyl, a prescription drug that is largely accessed illegally, caused the deaths of 5,622 people, which was 163 fewer lives lost to the drug than the year before. But at the same time, the 844 lives lost to fentanyl analogs — which can be more potent and deadly than fentanyl — were 250 higher than the year before.
Nearly 100 more people die from bath salts
The deaths of 370 people were caused by cathinones — synthetic stimulants, more commonly known as "bath salts." That figure reflects a 34.5% increase — 95 more deaths than the year before.
With data used by policymakers to identify emerging threats and gaps in responses as well as successful strategies, the report is usually released within the year following the collection of data, and numbers from the first six months of the preceding year are released in an interim July report.
Local drug treatment advocates have pointed to the importance of current data to crafting “real-time” responses.
“Data is a very powerful tool in efforts to improve policy,” Nikki Soda, a former state advocacy director for the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers and current member of the State Attorney’s Addiction Recovery Task Force. “Having accurate data is vital.”
She pointed to the release of data last year showing a more than 30% leap in opioid-caused deaths in Palm Beach County, which immediately preceded Sheriff Ric Bradshaw’s reversal of his longstanding refusal to equip his deputies with Narcan, a nasal spray that reverses opioid overdoses.
Report released after DeSantis withdraws presidential candidacy
The 2022 report, however, was not released until January.
As Gov. Ron DeSantis campaigned for the Republican presidential nomination, a news release from his office highlighted interim January-to-June 2022 Florida data and credited the governor’s CORE opioid response program, launched in the final two months of that period, with bringing a 4% drop to the overall drug overdoses, which it touted as the highest reduction in the nation.
The full Florida medical examiners' final report, however, showing the 3% overall drop, as well as the rise in fentanyl analog deaths, was not released during DeSantis’ presidential run.
Last week an FDLE spokesperson, acknowledging “a lot of folks” had asked about the report, said that while the report was completed, he did not know the reason for the delay or when the report would be released. DeSantis spokesperson Jeremy Redfern said he also could not “shed light” on when the report would be released. It was released the next day.
Palm Beach County numbers
Palm Beach County 2022 data in the report also showed:
Heroin-related deaths continued to decline from a peak of 215 lives lost in 2017, but the drug was still tied to 59 deaths, and with other drugs the cause of 21 deaths.
Fentanyl was reported as the cause of 405 deaths.
Fentanyl analogs were reported as the cause of 164 deaths.
Antigone Barton is a reporter with The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at avbarton@pbpost.com. Help support our work: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida report tracks fentanyl, and 'zombie' drug use for first time
