{"id":23760,"date":"2026-03-11T11:13:41","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T15:13:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsroom.ocfl.net\/?post_type=press-release&#038;p=23760"},"modified":"2026-03-11T13:51:02","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T17:51:02","slug":"orange-county-announces-major-decline-in-drug-fatalities","status":"publish","type":"press-release","link":"https:\/\/newsroom.ocfl.net\/media-advisories\/press-releases\/2026\/03\/orange-county-announces-major-decline-in-drug-fatalities\/","title":{"rendered":"Orange County Announces Major Decline in Drug Fatalities"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-23597\" src=\"https:\/\/newsroom.ocfl.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/26.01_OC-Logo-V-Color.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"197\" srcset=\"https:\/\/newsroom.ocfl.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/26.01_OC-Logo-V-Color.png 648w, https:\/\/newsroom.ocfl.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/26.01_OC-Logo-V-Color-228x300.png 228w, https:\/\/newsroom.ocfl.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/26.01_OC-Logo-V-Color-600x790.png 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/>Accidental drug deaths have dropped 52 percent since 2021<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Orange County, FL \u2013 <\/strong>Orange County announced today that finalized data from the Ninth District Medical Examiner\u2019s office shows significant decreases in drug-related deaths from 2021 to 2025. The data reveals a steep decline in all major categories of drug-related fatalities.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Key Reductions in Orange County (2021 -&gt; 2025): <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>All accidental drug deaths: 2021: 528, 2025: 251 &#8211; 52% decrease<\/li>\n<li>Fentanyl-related deaths: 2021: 424, 2025: 121 \u2013 71% decrease<\/li>\n<li>All Opioid-related deaths: 2021: 457, 2025: 143 &#8211; 69% decrease<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cThese numbers represent lives saved, and families spared tragic loss,\u201d said Dr. Raul Pino, director of Orange County Health Services. \u201cOrange County has invested heavily in prevention, treatment and recovery through partnerships built via the Orange County Drug-Free Coalition, and the community-wide approach is working.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Orange County Drug-Free Coalition oversees several programs, including expanded access to medication-assisted treatment, increased naloxone distribution and training, strengthened partnerships with behavioral health providers, and targeted outreach to high-risk populations.<\/p>\n<p>The county\u2019s data-driven approach also helped identify emerging trends to distribute Opioid Settlement Funds more effectively. Despite this progress, Dr. Thomas Hall, director for the Orange County Drug-Free Coalition, emphasized the fight against substance use disorder is ongoing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEvery life lost to overdose is one too many,\u201d said Dr. Hall. \u201cWe will continue to build on this momentum, expand clinical services, and work closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure residents have the support they need to recover and thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For more information about recovery and medication-assisted treatment resources in Orange County, please visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ocfl.net\/FamiliesHealthSocialSvcs\/OrangeCountyResponds.aspx\">Orange County Responds<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Accidental drug deaths have dropped 52 percent since 2021 Orange County, FL \u2013 Orange County announced today that finalized data from the Ninth District Medical Examiner\u2019s office shows significant decreases in drug-related deaths from 2021 to 2025. The data reveals a steep decline in all major categories of drug-related fatalities. Key Reductions in Orange County [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-23760","press-release","type-press-release","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Orange County Announces Major Decline in Drug Fatalities<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Accidental drug fatalities have dropped 52 percent since 2021 in Orange County, Fla.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.ocfl.net\/media-advisories\/press-releases\/2026\/03\/orange-county-announces-major-decline-in-drug-fatalities\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Orange County Announces Major 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