Opioids

After years of work, a little-known advisory committee has submitted its recommendation to county commissioners on how to spend $148 million over 20 years from opioid lawsuit settlements.

Powerful synthetic opioids and drugs like meth and cocaine still flood U.S. communities, fueling historically high overdose deaths.

Overdose deaths have soared, and every state is being impacted. But research suggests states that haven’t expanded Medicaid coverage, such as Florida, are passing up an opportunity to lessen the toll.

The state's Coordinated Opioid Response network, established in 2022, will cover 17 more counties, including Lake, Orange, Polk and Seminole, for a total of 29.

Some spring break travelers misuse painkillers contaminated with fentanyl. Advocates hope equipping more people with Narcan will save lives.

Want to know how much opioid settlement money your city, county, or state has received so far? Or how much they’re expecting in the future? Use this new searchable database to find out.

For years, addiction response teams have traveled around Florida to connect people who have overdosed on opioids with resources and recovery centers. Now, a handful have a new tool in their kit.

The State Board of Education is slated this week to approve a proposal that would require public colleges to have supplies of emergency opioid antagonists in residence halls and dormitories.

A judge had ruled the state had the authority to enter settlements with the pharmaceutical industry that trumped lawsuits pursued by the hospital districts and school boards.

Illegal supplies of fentanyl are being cut with xylazine, a powerful horse tranquilizer. Overdoses involving this veterinary sedative are growing nationally and now Florida officials are tracking the deaths.