80,000. That’s how many Americans died from drug overdoses in a 12-month period ending November 2024, according to the CDC. In Florida alone, the toll was roughly 5,400.

Every one of those people had a name. A story. Family members who still wake up in the middle of the night, longing for someone who isn’t coming home.

Lake County Sheriff Office Capt. Ron Patton says the numbers are not only devastating, but alarming. “It’s not just happening in big cities. It’s happening right here,” he says. “Every overdose we respond to is a tragedy that didn’t have to happen.”

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine, is at the center of this storm. It’s often mixed — without the user’s knowledge — with other drugs like heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana o

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