ORLANDO, Fla. (WTXL) — Fentanyl-caused deaths in Florida have declined by nearly 60% since 2023, according to new data released by the state.
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the decline this week, citing the Florida Medical Examiners Commission’s 2025 Annual Drug Report.
State officials said fentanyl caused nearly 5,000 deaths in Florida in 2023. By 2025, that number had fallen to approximately 2,000, representing nearly 3,000 fewer deaths annually.
From 2024 to 2025 alone, fentanyl-caused deaths decreased by 37%, according to the state.
Florida also reported declines in other drug-related deaths during that same period. Total drug-related deaths fell 12%, while opioid-caused deaths declined 33%. Deaths caused by cocaine decreased 16%, and methamphetamine-caused deaths fell 23%.
State officials credited ongoing drug trafficking investigations and Florida’s State Assistance for Fentanyl Eradication, or S.A.F.E., grant program for helping drive the decline.
The program was created in 2023 to fund large-scale drug investigations and assist local law enforcement agencies targeting trafficking organizations.
According to the governor’s office, investigations supported by the program have resulted in nearly 3,000 arrests and the seizure of more than 600 pounds of fentanyl and more than 65,000 fentanyl pills.
Officials said law enforcement agencies will continue working with local, state and federal partners to target fentanyl and other illegal drug trafficking across Florida.
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