With the ongoing opioid crisis in Florida and the rise of heroin and fentanyl, it’s easy to forget coke, which still impacts our society.
Back in 2017, the Sun-Sentinel reported that cocaine production from Colombia exceeded the amount during the Miami drug wars during the 1980s, and was making its way to South Florida. This was new, giving the impression cocaine was back in business.
According to the 2019 National Drug Threat Assessment from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA):
“Cocaine is a resurgent threat in the United States as seizures, availability, coca cultivation, and cocaine production remain at elevated levels. Overall, availability levels increased and domestic prices decreased, with some regional variation due to local market forces. Continued heightened levels of coca cultivation and cocaine production in Colombia, the primary source for cocaine seized in the United States, has driven down the price of cocaine while increasing its availability, further widening the domestic cocaine market.”
Read on to find out more about cocaine in Florida, its impact on our society, and how to get help for cocaine addiction.
Is Cocaine Resurging in Florida?
The 2018 National Drug Assessment Test by the DEA regarding previous Florida Examiner’s reports with cocaine-related incidents state:
“According to the Florida Medical Examiners Commission, in 2016, cocaine caused the most deaths compared to other drugs analyzed, increasing 83 percent over 2015. Occurrences of cocaine in overdose deaths increased by 57.1 percent (1,834 to 2,882). The Miami Medical Examiner district saw a 51.9 percent increase in cocaine-related deaths (289 to 439), the most in any district and since at least 2002 (the earliest year for which data is available in this report). West Palm Beach saw the largest increase in deaths—134.1 percent—from 173 in 2015 to 405 in 2016.”
The DEA reports that Florida is in the top 10 states for the most cocaine.
Source: DEA
Florida is also amongst the highest in cocaine-involved overdose deaths. The chart below shows how Florida compares to the surrounding states, showing how severe the problem is.
Source: DEA
There is some good news, however. The 2018 Drugs Identified in Deceased Persons by Florida Medical Examiners Annual Report regarding cocaine-related deaths state:
“Occurrences of cocaine decreased by 9 percent (273 less), and deaths caused by cocaine decreased by 18 percent (368 less).”
While the years before were much worse, the latest Florida Medical Examiners report shows improvement with the reduction in cocaine-related deaths. However, the numbers are still high, with cocaine-related deaths being the second most in Florida, only behind ethanol (alcohol).
Source: 2018 Drugs Identified in Deceased Persons by Florida Medical Examiners Annual Report
Unfortunately, according to the DEA report, Florida is one of many states with the highest state drug removal for cocaine. This means the trafficking of cocaine and demand is still high.
Why is there a sudden spike in cocaine-related deaths? Besides the supply increasing, cocaine is susceptible to being mixed with more harmful drugs. According to the 2018 DEA report:
“The mixture of cocaine with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids remains a dangerous trend in an expanding number of markets. Previously, the threat was primarily concentrated in traditional cocaine markets, such as Florida, New York, Massachusetts, and Maryland; however, it has now moved beyond cocaine-dominated areas into states with high opiate proliferation, such as Ohio and West Virginia.”
Not only was the mixture of cocaine and fentanyl a problem in markets such as Florida and New York, but it has also expanded to other states. This growing trend is much more dangerous than anticipated.
How to Get Help for Cocaine Addiction in Florida
Cocaine in Florida is surging once again, more than the 1980s. More cocaine-related deaths have occurred in the past few years due to the mixture of fentanyl and cocaine, which is a fatal combination.
If you or someone you know is suffering from cocaine addiction, seek professional help now. Contact On Call Treatment FL today—we are available 24 Hours, 7 days a week, call us NOW 1(855)-492-1515.