Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that statewide drug-related deaths dropped by 19% from January to June 2025, as well as specific drops for opioids and fentanyl, as Florida continues to tackle the epidemic, while speaking at a press conference in Titusville this week.
The Intermin Drugs Identified in Deceased Persons Report from the Florida Medical Examiner's Commission, released by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), also showed a decrease in opioid and fentanyl-related deaths.
Opioid: -42%
Fenantyl: -46%
"That is a huge, huge success story. Everyone that has been involved in that should be awfully proud to see those figures," DeSantis said.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl is the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States, despite a decline in recent years.
Gov. DeSantis also noted that cocaine-related deaths dropped by 24% and methamphetamine-related deaths by 31%.
Moreover, DeSantis touted the success of Operation Vigilant Sentry in preventing narcotics from reaching Florida shores.
FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass thanked Gov. DeSantis's leadership for saving lives in combating the drug crisis. According to Glass, more than 5700 people died in Florida from fentanyl in 2021.
Specifically, Glass praised DeSantis for implementing the State Assistance for Fentanyl Eradication (S.A.F.E.) to combat illegal fentanyl trafficking, which DeSantis noted has resulted in 3000 arrests, the removal of 600 pounds of fentanyl and 65,000 fentanyl pills, and other drugs since its implementation in 2023.
Glass also praised DeSantis for increasing penalties for drug traffickers and making Narcan, a drug used to reverse opioid overdoses, more accessible. He also predicted a drop in drug-related deaths from the report for the second half of 2025.
"No baby in the state of Florida has to grow up without a dad or a mom. And that's what we're doing, we are trying to keep these families together, trying to do better, trying to do the greater good," Glass said.
