Florida leads the nation in overdose deaths related to new synthetic drug, CDC data shows
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida is leading the nation in overdose deaths with a new synthetic drug called eutylone.
Eutylone is a synthetic psychoactive bath salt. Just last year it was listed as the seventh most identified drug detected in over 8,000 cases.
News4JAX learned that 77% of deaths involving the toxic drug have traces of fentanyl, which has been linked to a record spike in overdoses across the country and in the Jacksonville area.
Florida’s Eutylone-related overdoses make up more than 53% of the nation’s total, according to new data released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC also reported that the drug has resulted in 182 deaths in Florida from January to June of 2021, and 77% of eutylone-involved deaths involved illicitly manufactured fentanyl, cocaine or meth.
Authorities said they have detected it in drug seizures, arrests or undercover buys.
Several agencies, recovery centers and authorities are working to spread awareness about the drug in hopes to control the spread.
The CDC said one way to guide prevention efforts is to understand if eutylone exposure is intended or unintended. It also said there should be more efforts to inform the public, especially people who use other drugs with eutylone, support testing of illicit drugs, and increase harm reduction strategies.
