ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – New data from Project Opioid shows a “historic” decline in overdose deaths across Central Florida, according to a news release.
Project Opioid said there was a 7.3% decline in overdose deaths in Central Florida, with deaths in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties falling from a record high of 732 in 2021 to 682 in 2023.
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“This local progress reflects broader trends, with CDC data showing a 1.5% decrease nationwide in 2023-the first decline in five years-and a 5.9% drop statewide in Florida,” a release said.
Despite the drop, overdose deaths still remain two to three times higher than a decade ago, according to Project Opioid.
“With roughly 100,000 Americans and close to 7,000 Floridians still losing their lives each year, this crisis is far from over,” Andrae Bailey, founder of Project Opioid, said in a release.
The report coincides with a recent medical examiners' commission report from the Florida Dept. of Law Enforcement, which found fentanyl-caused deaths fell 12% in 2023, and overall opioid-related deaths fell 10%.
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