JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — For the first time in five years, the United States saw a drop in overdose deaths in 2023, according to new preliminary CDC stats.
Overall, the U.S. saw a 3.1% drop in overdose deaths in 2023.
Florida outpaced that reduction with a nearly 8.5% drop, which represents nearly 700 fewer lives lost.
Roughly 20 people die each day in Florida from drug overdose.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
It’s a statistic that has steadily increased year after year, but the new stats represent a glimmer of hope.
“We’re cautiously optimistic that this trend will continue,” TJ Ward, Executive Director of Project Opioid North Florida, said.
Ward told Action News Jax increased awareness of the dangers of fentanyl and improved access to overdose reversal drugs like Narcan likely played a big part in bringing overdose deaths down.
“And then also utilizing peer support specialists. These are people that have lived experience that can help those who are struggling to navigate the recovery journey,” Ward said.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Additionally, Ward noted Florida in particular has taken an innovative approach to dealing with the overdose epidemic by creating the CORE Network, which helps connect overdose patients with addiction and mental health services.
“I think in the inaugural year it connected 25,000 overdose patients to long-term recovery, which is huge. Those individuals also received more than 550,000 services to help them in their recovery journey,” Ward said.
In 2022, the CORE Network was launched in 12 pilot counties, including Duval. In March of last year, using more than $26 million in opioid settlement funds, it was expanded to a total of 29 counties.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Between 2019 and 2023, the state spent a combined $13 billion on mental health and substance abuse initiatives. In the yet-to-be-signed 2024 state budget, a total of $4 billion for mental health and substance abuse is included.
Ward argued it’s that kind of funding that has helped put a dent in overdose deaths. Now, seeing the first signs of success, he hopes to see state lawmakers continue the momentum going forward.
“It’s something that we’ve got to be vigilant about. We can’t take our foot off the gas,” Ward said.
If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, you can find links to resources by clicking HERE.
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Sign Up
