In recent days Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings hosted the annual Crime Summit in which community leaders, law enforcement officers and other representatives of the community met to discuss crime. Though terrorism and Black Lives Matter were discussed at the event, one of the major issue on the minds of the community? Heroin overdoses.
The Orlando Weekly reports that “heroin-related deaths have quintupled since 2011.” Last year, according to WESH news, 84 people died of heroin overdoses. This continues a troubling trend and law enforcement officers are trying new approaches. In recent months they have started carrying Narcan which can counter the impact of a drug overdose. Drug overdose deaths are down this year so far but are still at a troubling level. The summit offered an opportunity to share a bit of good news about the epidemic. While it may take months to determine if Narcan is the reason for this drop in deaths, the efforts of law enforcement are welcome news.