TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – The number of opioid and drug-related deaths in Florida decreased greatly in 2024, according to a Thursday press release from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
“Overall, total drug-related deaths decreased by 14% in 2024, with opioid-caused deaths dropping 32% and fentanyl-caused deaths down 35%,” the department said.
Per the press release, the number has been on a downward trend since peaking in 2021. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier credits the decline to President Trump’s “swift action.”
“These results speak to the importance of President Trump’s swift action to shut down our borders and declare the cartels as the foreign terrorist organizations that they are,” Uthmeier said in the media release.
“Governor DeSantis and the Florida Legislature brought tougher penalties for drug traffickers and ensured Florida was prepared to support the Trump Administration’s priorities. My office will continue to seek long prison sentences for the criminals who bring these poisons into our communities and hold them accountable.”
FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass said Gov. DeSantis’s 2023 State Assistance for Fentanyl Eradication (SAFE) program also played a role.
“We are incredibly encouraged to see these numbers continue to decline year after year. Thanks to initiatives like Governor DeSantis’ 2023 State Assistance for Fentanyl Eradication (SAFE) program, our law enforcement agencies have access to additional resources which contributed to the sharp decrease in fentanyl-related deaths,” Glass said.
“These results send a clear message: in Florida, we are steadfast in our commitment to protect our communities and will not allow harmful drugs to take hold.”
FDLE received the data from a Florida Medical Examiners Commission report on the 2024 annual drugs identified in deceased persons. It also found that fentanyl was the leading drug involved in deaths in 2024, per the release.
Cocaine was the second leading drug, which fell 19% from 2023 and after that methamphetamine, which also dropped 24% from the previous year, according to the media release.
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