LEE COUNTY, Fla. — With the recent deaths connected to fentanyl in Gadsden County, the state is looking to put an end to the use of the highly-fatal opiate.
To assist in the recovery efforts, the Department of Children and Families is deploying more than 200 Narcan kits to help treat overdoses in the county.
Under the direction of FDLE, the strike force will continue to target recovery in Northwest Florida.
In fact, in the first 3 days, the strike force has actually recovered almost 4 grams of fentanyl. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, only 2 mg is enough to kill an adult — meaning the recent seizure was enough to kill several thousand people.
Overdoses involving fentanyl have nearly doubled since 2018.
Florida Surgeon General, Dr. Joe Ladapo, expressed his concerns over the growing casualties because anyone exposed to the opiate could die.
"If I were exposed to something like that— even accidentally— it's terrifying to think of, but I could die," said Dr. Ladapo.
Those found trafficking fentanyl within the state will now serve a minimum of 7 to 20 years.
Law enforcement officials say they need tips from the public to help crack these cases.
Florida Health said they are going to start making sure they spread awareness on the dangers of fentanyl.
They'll start to focus on prevention and recovery resources.
