Firefighters in Palm Beach County, Fla., have been responding to an average of five opioid-related overdoses every day this year.
The Palm Beach Post reports that county firefighters are handling 75 percent more opioid-related overdoses than they did during the last eight months of 2015. There have been 1,246 opioid-related overdoses since Jan. 1, up from 711 during the last eight months last year.
So far this year, 14 overdoses have been fatal.
The figures include overdoses from heroin and prescription pills.
Similar jumps have been recorded in other parts of South Florida. Delray Beach experienced a record 66 heroin overdoses in July.
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue and Delray Beach police both carry naloxone, an overdose-reversing drug they have credited with saving lives.
Topics Florida
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