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Historic drop in overdose deaths across Central Florida

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SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Overdose deaths are down in Central Florida. Last year in Seminole County, those deaths fell by a historic 42%.

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“When you see a 42% reduction in deaths in Seminole County in one year, it’s really a 42% reduction in fentanyl deaths,” Andrae Bailey, the Founder and President of Project Opioid, said.

“They’re dying from this illicit fentanyl that’s coming from Mexico and winding up on every street corner in Central Florida.”

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2023, there was a 7.3% decline in overdose deaths across Central Florida. That’s down from a high of 732 in 2021 to 682 in 2023.

Bailey said the progress is made possible in part by funding, advocacy, awareness, and leadership.

“Sheriff Dennis Lemma and the team in Seminole County have found strategies that work by both helping those who struggle with drugs and enforcing the law on drug dealers and bad actors who are killing our kids,” Bailey said.

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While the numbers are encouraging, he is warning against complacency.

“Every percentage point is lives lost, every dollar spent can go to impact a family, we need to do more,” Bailey said. “We need to take the playbook we see here in Central Florida and make sure we’re saving as many lives as possible.”

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Last year, Project Opioid distributed more than 100,000 units of naloxone, which is an opioid reversal drug. With that drug, Seminole County sheriff’s deputies saved nearly 100 lives.

“I think you need compassion and common sense,” Bailey said. “We’re seeing that in Central Florida and that’s why we’re seeing that historic drop in deaths.”

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