The most overdose deaths ever recorded in a one-year span happened in the year following the COVID-19 lockdowns, and areas of Northeast Florida have not been spared the national trend.
Clay County may have a smaller population than Duval but it's seeing an increase opioid-related deaths since 2019, more use of the deadly drug fentanyl, as well as an increase in the need for Narcan and other overdose preventatives.
In an effort to prevent overdoses, the Clay County Fire Department has partnered with the local health department, the Clay Behavioral Health Center and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to set up the Community Paramedicine Program using a $200,000 grant.
Read the rest of this story at WJCT News partner The Florida Times-Union.