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Gov. Scott declares state of emergency to combat opioid epidemic

Central Florida law enforcement fighting overdoses

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency to combat Florida's opioid addiction epidemic, which will allow $27 million in federal funding to be spent for treatment and prevention services.

Following Scott's executive order Wednesday, the Florida Senate unanimously passed legislation creating tougher penalties for synthetic drug offenses. The measure could lead to murder charges for fentanyl drug dealers in cases in which the buyer overdoses and dies. The bill now heads to the House for consideration.

Fentanyl is a synthetic drug that can be 100 times more potent than morphine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 397 fentanyl-related deaths in Florida between 2013 and 2014. In 2015, more than 700 people died of a fentanyl overdose.

Central Florida law enforcement agencies have responded to the epidemic by arming their officers with naloxone, an opioid blocker also sold as Narcan, to reverse the affects of a drug overdose.

Four people in the violent street gang known as the “Oviedo Soldiers” were convicted in March on federal drug trafficking charges.

The organization distributed heroin, cocaine and other narcotics in Seminole and Orange Counties, Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation officials said.

Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said law enforcement were interested in the case because of the rise in heroin overdoses in Central Florida and throughout the country.

"Several times each week deputies carrying Narcan use it," Demings said.

Narcan is the nasal spray of naloxone. The emergency treatment blocks the effects of opioids and reverses an overdose, but must be administered within about four minutes of the overdose.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office used naloxone 56 times from July 2016 to February 2017, according to Carol Burkett, director of Orange County's Drug Free Coalition. Orlando police used the opioid blocker six times from July to December 2016.

Naloxone usage by Orange County first responders has almost doubled since 2012, according to Orange County officials.

Last Month, Lake County Sheriff Peyton Grinnell posted a video to Facebook telling heroin dealers “We are coming for you.”

Grinnell said a number of citizens have contacted him recently about the number of heroin overdoses in Lake County. He urged more citizens to call in anonymously.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.


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