Florida’s Opioid Deaths Plummet — But Experts Dispute the Cause

Florida saw opioid overdose deaths drop 42 percent in the first half of 2025, with fentanyl-related deaths falling 46 percent, according to new state medical examiner data. Gov. DeSantis credited law enforcement crackdowns, including immigration enforcement, for the decline.

Harm reduction advocates and researchers disagree. They point instead to shifts in the drug supply — particularly the replacement of high-dose fentanyl with sedatives like xylazine and medetomidine, which don’t suppress breathing the way opioids do. Medetomidine has been detected statewide, from Pensacola to Miami.

Increased use of naloxone and fentanyl test strips has also contributed to fewer deaths, advocates say. However, federal SAMHSA guidelines now bar its funding from purchasing such test strips, raising concerns that life-saving tools may disappear. Nationally, overdose deaths dropped to roughly 70,000 in the past year — the lowest since 2019.