Drug Overdose Statistics Florida

There were more than 7000 recorded overdose deaths in Florida in 2023. In this post, we shed light on the drug overdose scene in the state. We’ll discuss statistics for different drugs, including heroin, cocaine, and synthetic opioids. We’ll also take a look at non-fatal overdose numbers. Let’s dive in.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• In Florida, there were 7,388 recorded overdose deaths in 2023. 
• In 2023, there were 10,186 non-fatal overdose emergency department visits related to all drugs.
• There were 5,180 opioid overdose deaths in Florida in December 2023, according to the CDC.
• The drug overdose death rate was 35.9 per 100,000 people in 2022. 
• In Florida, 6,157 people died from an opioid overdose in 2022, with the highest number of deaths recorded from July to September. 
• In 2022, 9,230 people died with one or more prescription drugs in their system—a decrease of 5% from 2021. 
• Fentanyl was the cause of 5,622 overdose deaths in 2022, according to the 2022 Drugs Identified in Deceased Persons by Florida Medical Examiners report released by FDLE. 
• ​​In 2022, there were 2,193 methamphetamine-caused overdose deaths in Florida, with 1,016 occurring among those aged 35 to 50.

General Insights 

General statistics about drug overdoses in Florida include:

• There were 7,388 overdose deaths in Florida in 2023 compared to 8,070 in 2022, according to provisional data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is an 8.45% decrease from 2022 to 2023.  
• According to the Drugs Identified in Deceased Persons by Florida Medical Examiners report by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), 7,769 individuals died from a drug overdose in 2022.

• In 2022, the drug overdose death rate was 35.9 per 100,000 people. 
• About 9,230 individuals died with one or more prescription drugs in their system in 2022, according to the Drugs Identified in Deceased Persons by Florida Medical Examiners report by FDLE. 
• In 2022, drug overdose deaths in Florida decreased by 5%, from 9,678 to 9,230, as per the FDLE.
• About 6,234 individuals died with at least one prescription drug in their system that was identified as the cause of death in 2022 in Florida. This is a 4.5% decrease from 2021. 
• Here are the drugs associated with the highest number of overdose deaths, according to the 2022 Drugs Identified in Deceased Persons by Florida Medical Examiners report. 

• In 2022, amphetamine (56%), cathinone (67%), cocaine (66%), fentanyl (90%), fentanyl analogs (84%), heroin (73%), methadone (59%), methamphetamine (75%), mitragynine (56%), and xylazine (57%) caused 50% of overdose deaths. 
• In 2022, oxycodone contributed to 432 overdose deaths in Florida. The hardest hit areas of Florida were St. Petersburg (75), Tampa (48), Ft. Lauderdale (39), West Palm Beach (34), and Jacksonville (28).
• Morphine led to 328 overdose deaths in 2022, with most people being affected in the Ft. Lauderdale (22), Pensacola (33), West Palm Beach (34), St. Petersburg (49), and Tampa (56) districts of Florida. 
• In Florida, two teenagers (<18) and 11 young adults aged 18 to 25 overdosed on morphine in 2022, according to the FDLE. 
• Fentanyl was the cause of 5,622 overdose deaths in 2022. St. Petersburg (718), Ft. Jacksonville (581), Lauderdale (555), Tampa (510), West Palm Beach (468), and Orlando (449) were the hardest-hit districts and areas. 
• In 2022, 22 teenagers (<18) and 336 young adults aged 18-24 overdosed on fentanyl, according to the FDLE. 
• Out of the 5,622 overdose deaths attributed to fentanyl, 2,460 occurred among individuals aged 35-50, while 1,533 affected those aged 50 and above.
• In 2022, there were 2,193 methamphetamine-caused overdose deaths in Florida. The areas hit hardest included St. Petersburg (359), Pensacola (256), Leesburg (207), and Jacksonville (202). 
• According to the FDLE report, 11 methamphetamine-caused deaths occurred among teenagers (<18), 96 among those aged 18-25, 426 among those aged 26-34, 1,016 among those aged 35-50, and 644 among those above 50 in 2022. 

Drug Overdoses by Type

Here are some insights into drug overdoses caused by opioids, heroin, and other substances in Florida:

Opioid

• There were 5,180 opioid overdose deaths in Florida as of December 2023, according to the CDC. 
• In 2023, 36,163 emergency medical service responses were suspected to be for an opioid-involved overdose, with the highest number (9,919) from April to June. 

• In 2022, 6,157 people died from an opioid overdose in Florida, with the highest number of deaths recorded from July to September, according to the FDLE. 
• In 2022, the opioid overdose death rate in Florida was 29/100,000, which means that every 29 individuals out of 100,000 were likely to die of an overdose. 

Heroin

• In Florida, there were 67 heroin overdose deaths in December 2023, according to the Monthly Provisional Drug Overdose Death Counts report by the CDC. The highest number of heroin-involved deaths in a 12-month period in 2023 was 152 in January 2023. 
• In December 2022, heroin overdose deaths totaled 165, with the highest rates observed among individuals aged 35-50 (72) and those aged 50 and above (55). Additionally, a single teenager (<18) suffered a cocaine-related fatality. 
• The counties hardest hit by heroin overdose deaths included Tampa (32), Pensacola (22), West Palm Beach (21), and Ft. Lauderdale (15). 
• According to the FDLE, occurrences of deaths caused by heroin decreased by 55.5% between 2021 and 2022. 
• There were 365 heroin-involved deaths in a 12-month period in 2021, with the highest annual rate recorded in January 2021 at 644, according to the Monthly Provisional Drug Overdose Death Counts report by the CDC.  
• Heroin overdose-involved deaths have dropped by 81.6% from December 2021 to December 2023. 

Cocaine

• There were 2,065 cocaine-involved overdose deaths in Florida according to the CDC.
• The highest number of cocaine-involved deaths in a single month in 2023 was 2,199 in February.
• In 2022, there were 2,598 cocaine overdose deaths in Florida. The hardest-hit districts of the state were Ft. Lauderdale (204), Jacksonville (273), Miami (268), St. Petersburg (247), Orlando (238), West Palm Beach (172), and Tampa (168). 
• According to the 2022 Drugs Identified in Deceased Persons by Florida Medical Examiners report by FDLE, 2,042 people aged 35 to 50+ died from cocaine-caused overdose.  
• Among the 2,598 cocaine overdose deaths in Florida during 2022, 86% were accidental.

• Cocaine-involved deaths have decreased by 11.6% from December 2022 (2,216 deaths) to December 2023 (2,065 deaths), reflecting an overall downward trend in cocaine overdose fatalities over the past year.
• From 2021 to 2022, occurrences of cocaine deaths decreased from 4,015 in 2021 to 3,930—a 2.1% fall.  

Methadone

• In Florida, there were 135 methadone-involved overdose deaths in December 2023, according to the CDC. The highest rates (in a 12-month period) were seen in January 2023 at 146. 
• In 2022, there were 175 methadone overdose deaths, according to the FDLE. The districts hardest hit included St. Petersburg (33), Jacksonville (19), Tampa (18), Leesburg (16), Ft. Lauderdale (12), and West Palm Beach (11). 
• In 2022, one minor (<18) overdosed on methadone in St. Augustine, and three young adults aged 18 to 25 also overdosed on the drug in St. Petersburg, West Palm Beach, and Sanford.  
• Around 147 people aged 35 to 50+ overdosed on methadone in Florida in 2022. 
• According to the FDLE, the average age of individuals who died from a methadone overdose in 2022 was 50. 
• Out of the 175 methadone overdose deaths in 2022, 74% were accidental, 14% were natural, 7% were a result of suicide, 4% were undetermined, and 2% were caused by homicide. 
• There were 169 methadone-involved overdose deaths in 12 months in 2021, with the highest annual rate recorded in January 2021 at 188. 
• Methadone overdose deaths have dropped by 28.19% from January 2021 to December 2023. 

Synthetic Opioid

• In 2023, there were 4,728 overdose deaths caused by synthetic opioids, excluding methadone, in Florida, according to the Monthly Provisional Drug Overdose Death Counts report by the CDC.
• From January to December 2023, there was an 11.2% increase in synthetic opioids-related deaths in Florida. 
• In 2022, synthetic opioids led to 5,326 overdose deaths, with the highest 12-month rates in January at 5,559. 
• 2021 saw the highest rates of synthetic opioid overdose deaths at an average of 5,425 deaths over a 12-month period, while 2023 saw the lowest at 5,160.

• Between December 2021 and 2023, synthetic opioid-related overdose deaths dropped by 15.60%, from 5,602 to 4,728. 

Non-fatal Overdose Emergency and Hospital Visits

Here’s what you need to know about non-fatal overdose emergency and hospital visits: 

• According to the Agency for Health Care Administration, there were 10,186 non-fatal overdose emergency department visits related to all drugs, with 8,422 being unintentional/undetermined and 1,769 intentional self-harm cases, in 2023. 
• In 2023, opioid-involved non-fatal overdose emergency department visits totaled 3,902, with 3,764 unintentional/undetermined cases and 137 intentional self-harm incidents.
• In Florida, heroin-involved non-fatal overdose emergency department visits reached 507 in 2023, including 498 unintentional/undetermined cases and 9 intentional self-harm cases.
• In 2023, stimulant-involved non-fatal overdose emergency department visits numbered 462 in Florida, with 406 cases being unintentional/undetermined and 54 cases involving intentional self-harm.
• Non-fatal overdose hospitalizations for all drugs in 2023 amounted to 7,012, with 4,397 cases being unintentional/undetermined and 2,707 cases resulting from intentional self-harm.
• Opioid-involved non-fatal overdose hospitalizations totaled 1,969 in 2023 in Florida. They included 1,695 unintentional/undetermined cases and 282 intentional self-harm cases.
• Heroin-involved non-fatal overdose hospitalizations in Florida were 154 in 2023. These included 138 unintentional/undetermined cases and 16 intentional self-harm cases.
• In 2023, stimulant-involved non-fatal overdose hospitalizations reached 875 in Florida, with 782 cases being unintentional/undetermined and 93 cases involving intentional self-harm.

What Is the Overdose Law in Florida?

According to Florida Statute 893.21, if someone seeks medical help for a person having an alcohol or drug overdose, they cannot be arrested, charged, or penalized for specific drug violations if the evidence is found due to seeking help.

Similarly, a person who is experiencing an alcohol or drug overdose and needs medical help cannot be arrested, charged, or penalized for specific drug violations if the evidence is found when seeking help.

Moreover, neither an overdose victim nor someone seeking help for them can be penalized for violating pretrial release, probation, or parole conditions if the evidence is found due to seeking medical help.

Lastly, the legal protections from arrest, charge, or penalties in these cases cannot be used to suppress evidence in other criminal cases.

What Is Overdose Data to Action in Florida?

The Florida Overdose Data to Action (FL-OD2A) program is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through the Overdose Data to Action cooperative agreement. It was started in September 2019. 

The program aims to improve overdose surveillance to gather comprehensive, real-time overdose data. This data will inform both prevention and response efforts by the state and local community partners.

What Is the Penalty for Drugs in Florida?

The penalty for possession of drugs in Florida depends on the type and amount. For instance, possessing Schedule I drugs like cocaine can lead to sentences of three to thirty years in prison and a $10,000 fine. 

Drug trafficking (selling and buying of drugs) that leads to deaths is punishable by life sentences and, in some cases, the death penalty. 

The penalty for DUI in Florida is a fine ranging from $500 to $5000 and imprisonment ranging from six months to five years.

Data Sources

1. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm

2. http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/MEC/Publications-and-Forms/Documents/Drugs-in-Deceased-Persons/2022-Annual-Drug-Report-FINAL-(1).aspx

3. https://www.flhealthcharts.gov/ChartsDashboards/rdPage.aspx?rdReport=SubstanceUse.Overdose&islCounty=69

4. http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0800-0899/0893/Sections/0893.21.html

5. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2020/893.21

6. https://www.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/opioid-response/index.html#:~:text=The%20Florida%20Overdose%20Data%20to,percent%20funded%20by%20CDC%2FHHS.

7. https://www.hubbslawfirm.com/florida-criminal-defense/drug-crimes/possession-of-a-controlled-substance/#:~:text=Penalties%20for%20possession%20of%20a%20controlled%20substance%20in%20Florida%20depend,or%20distribute%20carries%20harsher%20penalties.

8. https://patch.com/florida/southtampa/drug-overdose-rates-down-fl-cdc-says-report

9. https://data.cdc.gov/NCHS/VSRR-Provisional-Drug-Overdose-Death-Counts/xkb8-kh2a/