Florida\u2019s opioid crisis may be even larger than it seemed. A recent study from the University of South Florida (USF) found that past rates of opioid-related overdose<\/a> deaths may be underreported by nearly 40%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From 2003 to 2017, the study estimates<\/a> that opioids caused 34% more deaths than what was actually reported, and cocaine<\/a> caused 37%. The statistics account<\/a> for up to 39,304 deaths that were not reported as being caused by opioids. While overall death rates caused by overdose were accurate, the actual drugs involved were not always known. These findings show there are far more deaths related to opioids<\/a> than previously thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Florida drug problem has forced the state to take action by creating various overdose prevention programs. Like many other areas struggling with the U.S. opioid epidemic, Florida is now enforcing prescribing limits<\/a> and participating in needle exchange programs<\/a>. These approaches can help limit drug-related deaths, whether they\u2019re caused by overdose or by transmitting deadly diseases through needle sharing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See More:<\/strong> Prevent Overdose with Harm Reduction Therapy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Data gathered<\/a> between 2017 and 2018 shows that Florida opioid deaths increased year to year. A few notable opioid overdose statistics include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the USF study findings indicate that these rates may be much higher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The author of the study, Troy Quast, shared his thoughts<\/a> about possible causes behind the underreported opioid death rates. The main issues he found were in strained resources, lengthy toxicology tests and coroners with high backlogs of deaths to examine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Florida, toxicology tests are required before a cause of death is submitted to the state. Unfortunately, this rule isn\u2019t always followed, which creates a large discrepancy between reported opioid deaths and actual opioid deaths. The CDC receives death certificates from local authorities, but if these certificates do not list the correct cause of death, it\u2019s impossible for the CDC to compile accurate statistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Quast points out how inaccurate these rates are could be causing authorities to allocate resources in the wrong areas. However, the CDC has begun awarding funds<\/a> to states to help them gather more accurate data regarding drug-related deaths. By doing so, the U.S. can gain a better understanding of where drug prevention programs and resources are needed the most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you or someone you love is struggling with drug use such as opioids, The Recovery Village Palm Beach at Baptist Health is here to help. Contact us today<\/a> to explore treatment options<\/a> available to you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Florida may have been underreporting its opioid death rates for nearly two decades. Learn more about what a recent study discovered about the Florida opioid crisis. Florida\u2019s opioid crisis may be even larger than it seemed. A recent study from the University of South Florida (USF) found that past rates of opioid-related overdose deaths may be underreported […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":3688,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"categories":[70],"tags":[49],"class_list":["post-4628","blog","type-blog","status-publish","hentry","category-news","tag-opioids"],"acf":{"written_by":287,"enable_medically_and_up":"","medically_reviewed_by":null,"medically_reviewed_content":"This article was reviewed by a medical professional to guarantee the delivery of accurate and up-to- date information. View our research policy.<\/a>","up_to_date":"The Editorial Team at The Recovery Village Palm Beach at Baptist Health fact-checks, reviews, edits and continuously updates content we publish on this website.","page_first_published_date":"20221228","page_last_edit_date":"20221228","highlighted_description":"If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, help is available. Speak with a Recovery Advocate by calling 888-648-0738<\/b> now.","key_takeaways":"","source":{"source_label":"View Sources","source_content":"Quast, Troy. \u201cPotential undercounting of overdose deaths caused by specific drugs in vital statistics data: An analysis of Florida.<\/a>\u201d Drug and Alcohol Dependence, February 1, 2020. Accessed February 6, 2020.\r\n\r\nSunderland, Kelsey. \u201cUSF study uncovers federal under-reporting of Florida\u2019s opioid deaths, drug overdoses.<\/a>\u201d WFLA, January 7, 2020. Accessed February 6, 2020.\r\n\r\nFlorida Department of Health. \u201cTake Control of Controlled Substances.<\/a>\u201d Accessed February 6, 2020.\r\n\r\nMack, Sammy. \u201cKey Florida Republicans Now Say Yes To Clean Needles For Drug Users.<\/a>\u201d NPR, June 27, 2019. Accessed February 6, 2020.\r\n\r\nFlorida Health. \u201cPatterns and Trends of the Opioid Epidemic in Florida.<\/a>\u201d 2018. Accessed February 6, 2020.\r\n\r\nColombini, Stephanie. \u201cStudy Finds Federal Overdose Data Under-Reports Which Drugs Caused Deaths.<\/a>\u201d WUSF, January 23, 2020. Accessed February 6, 2020.\r\n\r\nCenters for Disease Control and Prevention. \u201cEnhanced State Opioid Overdose Surveillance.<\/a>\u201d July 16, 2019. Accessed February 6, 2020."},"staff_member_heading":"Authorship","staff_member":[{"staff_member_title":"Editor","select_staff_member":287}],"insurance_label":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/4628","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blog"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4628"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/4628\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/3688"}],"acf:post":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/staff\/287"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4628"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4628"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4628"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Florida Opioid Statistics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Causes of the Underreporting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n