Broward County joined the statewide effort to develop and implement ways to reduce the prescription drug epidemic by launching Project Opioid Broward. The initiative will enable local government, business and community leaders to establish a county-wide coalition to provide resources for the epidemic impacting the entire state.
With stress and isolation from the COVID-19 pandemic leading to an increase in alcohol and drug abuse, 545 people in the county died in 2020 from January to September, a 24% increase over 2019, which was 22.3 per 100,000 population.
One of the deadliest opioids is fentanyl, which is often added to other drugs increasing the effect, leading to an overdose. With the epidemic impacting millions of Americans, the economic devastation nears $97.1 billion lost each year in gross regional product.
The Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance Foundation will lead Project Opioid Broward along with the United Way of Broward County and The Florida Blue Foundation to implement action and raise awareness on the urgency of the crisis Broward faces.
For more information, visit Projectopioid.org.
