New Warning from the Florida Attorney General on the Fentanyl Crisis

 

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has issued a new warning regarding the fentanyl crisis highlighting a recent study by Families Against Fentanyl, which found that children under age 14 are dying from fentanyl poisoning at a higher rate than any other age group. Synthetic opioid (fentanyl) deaths among infants have increased ten-fold and risen fifteen-fold among children under age 14 – an increase of more than 1,400% since 2015.

Illicitly manufactured fentanyl is a synthetic opioid responsible for hundreds of thousands of overdose deaths in the U.S., surpassing the number of deaths caused by COVID-19, suicide, and car accidents. It is estimated that fentanyl takes the lives of 187 Americans each day, amounting to more than 200,000 fatalities since 2015. Closer to home, more than 8,000 Floridians have died from drug overdoses in the past year with synthetic opioids cited as the #1 killer of those in the 18-45 age group.

The amount of fentanyl that has been found across our country is astronomical, especially since such a small amount can kill someone. According to the DEA, fentanyl is so lethal that only 2 mg. of the drug can be deadly. When illicit fentanyl is laced into recreational drugs, it is impossible to determine the lethal potential. Many users of recreational drugs are unaware of the fentanyl content in the substances they use, putting them at a much greater risk of death by synthetic opioid poisoning.

Illicit fentanyl is a serious threat to our communities and the best prevention is staying informed. Find out more at https://www.familiesagainstfentanyl.org/