Florida overdose deaths spike 37% during pandemic, CDC data shows

Overdose intervention teams see worst of drugs and pandemic

Catherine Hawley reports

TAMPA, Fla. - Drug overdose deaths surged across the country in 2020, hitting a record high. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports more than 93,000 people lost their lives.

In Florida, preliminary data from the CDC shows the death toll was up about 37% from 2019.

The alarming trend is being driven by an increase of the synthetic opioid fentanyl on the streets, and the coronavirus pandemic's impact on substance abuse and addiction. Not everyone received the support they needed.

"Addiction is literally wiping out my entire generation and the next generation at this point," said Stephen Sundquist with Clean Recovery Centers.

PREVIOUS: US overdose deaths hit record 93,000 in pandemic last year

CDC reports massive increase in overdose deaths

Overdose deaths soared to a record 93,000 last year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. government reported Wednesday. That estimate far eclipses the high of about 72,000 drug overdose deaths reached the previous year and amounts to a 29 percent increase.

Across the Tampa Bay region, it is the same dire story. Fatal drug overdoses spiked in 2020, with Sarasota and Pasco counties seeing sharp increases.

"It's just really disheartening that we can't do more," said Cpt. Toni Roach with the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

She oversees a team of 16 detectives, along with case managers from Baycare Behavioral Health, working to connect addicts with recovery services.

"The Behavioral Health Intervention Team works to make contact with people who have experienced an overdose within the first 24 to 48 hours of occurrence," Roach said.

They track drug trends and overdose hot spots, doing outreach when there is an uptick or troubled area.

The local numbers are at a record high, however, the fatalities only make up about 22% of all overdoses in the county.

"And we attribute that to the lifesaving Narcan that's being pushed out into the communities," said Roach.