The rise in opioid-related overdose deaths in the state is largely attributable to a sharp rise in fentanyl-related deaths. Fatal overdoses involving fentanyl surged 97 percent in Florida from 2015 to 2016.
“Imagine if we had a plane crashing in the state every month,” Sen. Jeff Brandes, state Senate criminal and civil justice appropriations chairman, R-St. Petersburg, told The News Service of Florida. “That’s about the amount of people who are dying every month due to opioid addiction. We must put the same effort that we would put into a plane crashing every month and stopping that into this opioid addiction. It’s going to take an all-hands-on-deck approach to this.”
Florida medical examiners tallied 5,725 deaths related to opioid overdoses in 2016.
More articles on opioids:
Cardinal Health rolls out Opioid Action Program
Baltimore physician defies federal law to deliver opioid addiction treatment via telemedicine
Opioid epidemic cost US $95B in 2016
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