FLORIDA — State and federal data show overdose deaths are dropping significantly in Florida, but a closer look at the data reveals why a drop in deaths may not be telling the full story about the state's fentanyl crisis.
On Sept. 26, 2022, 29-year-old Gage Taylor died of fentanyl poisoning.
"It never gets better. As time goes on, it gets worse,” explained his mom, Gretchin Murray. “I miss him so much, and I'm missing all the things that he should be here living and doing," she said.
Murray says her only child's death was not the result of an addiction.
"Gage decided to experiment with what him and a couple of friends thought was cocaine, but it ended up being laced with fentanyl," Murray said.
That year, Taylor was among more than 5,620 people in Florida who died of an overdose caused by the highly potent opioid, according to the Florida Medical Examiners annual report. Since then, the numbers have continued to steadily decrease. Just two years after Taylor died, fentanyl deaths in Florida dropped by more than 40%, according to the Medical Examiners Commission.
"That’s so remarkable, even unbelievable," explained Dr. Bruce Goldberger, who tracks drug use and new drug trends for the state of Florida. Goldberger is also a clinical professor at the UF’s College of Medicine.
But the downward trend of fentanyl deaths in Florida may just be half the story. Fentanyl busts are still prompting local press conferences, and routine traffic stops are still leading to fentanyl discoveries.
And while the number of people dying from fentanyl is down, the number of people surviving the drug is up.
Health experts point to awareness campaigns, interruptions in the drug supply at the border, and most notably, Narcan, a lifesaving, over-the-counter nasal spray that reverses opioid overdoses. First responders call it a game changer.
"In our world, we see somebody overdosed, we’re going to give that Narcan to reverse that narcotic agent," said Rob Herrin, public information chief for Hillsborough County Fire Rescue. Since the beginning of the year, of approximately 400 overdoses his agency has responded to, Herrin said Narcan was used in about 385 cases.
"I think of it like an AED or a fire extinguisher," explained Dr. Justin Arnold, medical director for the Florida Poison Control Center in Tampa. Arnold is also an ER doctor at Tampa General Hospital. He said drug overdoses remain a daily battle, with fentanyl still a top threat.
When asked how we know if fentanyl use is on the decline while deaths are dropping, he noted the challenges in tracking the drug among survivors.
"That's a lot harder question, because there are things that are mixed in with fentanyl and testing is still limited," Arnold said.
Fentanyl survivors don’t always go to the hospital, and if they do, testing is not always done.
"It is difficult to track the exact use of fentanyl," added Goldberger.
"We have no mechanism to self-report, and people are not going to self-report that they’re using fentanyl. So, the best measure we have is really looking at the information we get from the medical examiners and the information that we get from public health," Goldberger said.
After her son’s death, Gretchin Murray became dedicated to tightening up laws on fentanyl testing in Florida. Last year, she helped champion Gage’s Law, which requires hospitals to test for fentanyl if they are testing for other drugs. A confirmation blood test may also be initiated.
“We're behind in the game still," Murray said.
While there are wins in this drug war the state has been fighting for more than a decade, it’s the unknowns that have many still concerned about the current scope of the fentanyl crisis in Florida.
"I want to see all the numbers firmed up, because I don't think we have a true reading on what they really are, what they still are," Murray said.
For any general questions about drugs or medications, contact Florida Poison Control Centers: 800.222.1222 or click here.
For getting help with addiction or substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) at 1-800-662-HELP or click here.
For access to naloxone (Narcan) - which is available OTC at pharmacies for around $50, click here for details in Florida.
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