The opioid crisis continues to devastate the U.S. In 2021, over 107,000 people died from drug overdoses. The annual economic cost of this crisis exceeds one trillion annually.

To get an inside look, the News4JAX I-TEAM embedded with JSO’s Overdose Squad, made up of detectives from both homicide and narcotics, responding to some of the calls with them.

Their voices were a heartbreaking reminder that fentanyl continues to be the number one drug threat in Florida and across the country.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said this week that the state is making strides with a relatively new program that was started in 2022.

A drug made to treat animals is now being used by drug dealers to hook more addicts and it's killing people. The drug is called Xylazine and it's being mixed with fentanyl. A deadly combination that has put Duval county at the top of a list no county wants to be on. More people are dying here than any other county in the state.

For the first time in U.S. history, the White House has declared a drug to be an emerging threat to the United States. The DEA says Xylazine, which is an animal tranquilizer is being used with the synthetic opioid fentanyl, and the results are deadly.

Opioid addiction has been called a crisis. There’s now a shift away from opioid painkillers after a procedure.

For the first time in U.S. history, the White House has declared a drug to be an emerging threat to the United States. The DEA says Xylazine, which is an animal tranquilizer, is being used with the synthetic opioid fentanyl, and the results are deadly.

With spring break in full swing, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is reminding families about the dangers of synthetic opioids and other illegal drugs.

The Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee (NDAC) and the Anesthetic and Analgesic Drug Products Advisory Committee (AADPAC) is discussing supplemental new drug application 208411/S–006, for NARCAN (naloxone hydrochloride) nasal spray, submitted by Emergent BioSolutions Inc.

Fighting the opioid epidemic by making treatment more accessible and comprehensive.

In the wake of an epidemic of opioid addiction and deaths, there’s a growing movement among surgeons to find other ways to successfully manage post-surgery pain.

For 10 years, a Clay County man took so many prescription pills that he almost died the day his wife found him unconscious on their living room floor. Today, Matthan Poole is a local pastor, and he and his wife, Sara, are using his near-death experience to bring others hope.

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry and the Drug Enforcement Administration announced an effort to cut down on prescription drug abuse.

On the heels of a nationwide warning from the Drug Enforcement Administration about fentanyl-related mass-overdose deaths, News4JAX has learend that police in Southern California seized more than 20 pounds of the drug during a bust in Santa Ana.

If you have leftover or unwanted prescription medication sitting in your medicine cabinet, you can safely dispose of it Saturday during the DEA’s National Drug Take Back Day.

Clay County officials will work together to break opioid addiction in the community.

The CDC predicts there will be record breaking amount of drug overdoses as the number continues to rise.

Where to drop-off your old, unused prescriptions on National Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 24.

The Drug Enforcement Administration has now launched Operation Engage. DEA’s Miami Field Division Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jonathon White says Operation Engage will focus on preventing opioid overdoses. “So, Operation Engage, the timing couldn’t be more critical.”DEA Special Agent Amy Roderick is currently coordinating Operation Engage. Operation Engage started in South Florida and will eventually make its way to the northeastern part of the state. And just days after the DEA rolled out Operation Engage, DEA Acting Administrator D. Christopher Evans on Tuesday announced the release of the 2020 National Drug Threat Assessment.

In 2016, Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department said it responded to 356 overdose calls with 180 of those calls related to opioids. Fast forward to 2020 and the number is up to 385 overdose calls with 243 of the calls being opioid-related. Since 2017, 1,281 people have consented to program services and seven people died from opioids. To give some perspective, JFRD reported 1,703 overdose calls as of March 13, 2019. Chart of JFRD overdose calls since 2015.

The state later added CVS and Walgreens to the lengthy list of defendants in the case. Moodys lawyers accused the pharmacy companies of filing the third-party complaint in January to delay the already complex litigation. Adding hundreds of unidentified doctors to the case introduces new elements that are not already part of the lawsuit, Migdal said. Litigating these new issues and causes of action would take time and really would divert resources from the states case against the pharmacies, she added. Byrd agreed to strike the third-party complaint but said the pharmacy chains could try again, with the names of specific doctors.

When my father lost his battle to addiction last year, I knew I needed to speak about it. My deceased son battled drug addiction. That’s where I met Val Jordan White and Carroll Miniard. That both Val and Carroll believe kick-started their addiction Both lost girlfriends from overdoses while sleeping high right next to them. 10900 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville - (904) 641-2122Breakthroughs Counseling & RecoveryAlcohol and drug addiction rehab treatment in an intensive outpatient environment.

Over-prescribing opioids has fueled the opioid crisisPublished: November 5, 2019, 6:16 pmBut doctors are now finding innovative ways to reduce us and abuse, including new moms