RUSKIN, Fla. — Florida families are continuing to feel the effects of the opioid epidemic.

According to the CDC, the state saw 7,551 drug overdose deaths in 2022, the second highest number nationwide. California led the country with 10,952 deaths in 2022.

The CDC says synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, contribute to 70% of drug-related fatalities nationwide.

What You Need To Know

  • Wednesday was National Fentanyl Awareness and Prevention Day

  • Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that the DEA says is similar to morphine but 100 times more potent

  • According to the CDC, synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, contribute to 70% of drug-related fatalities nationwide

  • A group of Tampa Bay families gathered Wednesday to remember their loved ones and raise awareness about the deadly substance

Debra Flanigan said she had never heard of fentanyl until last year, when she lost her daughter Casey at 31 years old.

“I wouldn’t wish this pain on anybody at all,” said Flanigan. “She was given what she thought was a Xanax, but it was a straight fentanyl pill, and it killed her instantly.”

Casey was her mother’s caregiver. Flanigan said she has Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer, and when she lost her first-born, she gave up.

“But then one day, I really believe she did thump me on my head and said, ‘Mama, you gotta fight.’ So, I got up, missed a few treatments, but got back on track, and started fighting for her,” she said. “And that’s what my life is now — to fight for her, because she didn’t deserve to die the way she did.”

According to the DEA, an average of nearly 300 Americans a day die from overdoses — most caused by fentanyl.

Casey Flanigan is just one face behind the statistics.

Wednesday was Fentanyl Awareness and Prevention Day. According to the DEA, an average of nearly 300 Americans a day die from overdoses - most caused by fentanyl. (Spectrum News/Sarah Blazonis)

Showneen Hall lost her son, Walter Shumaker, at 27-years-old.

“They’re all very young,” said Hall, gesturing to framed photos she unloaded from her family’s vehicle at the Sunset Bar & Grill at Little Harbor Wednesday evening. “Twenty-seven years old seems to be a very popular age — and younger.”

Shumaker overdosed on fentanyl in October.

Hall displayed his photo, along with those others who died from fentanyl, in a grassy area on the restaurant’s property. Hall said she recently started organizing monthly meetings for family members of those lost to fentanyl. The latest one fell on National Fentanyl Awareness and Prevention Day.

“We just want to spread awareness about the fentanyl crisis and the addiction crisis,” Hall said.

Hall said she wants people to realize that any drug could be laced with fentanyl. She her son’s story will soon be told through NOPE Hillsborough, a program that teaches middle and high school students about the dangers of drugs.

Flanigan said one day focused on awareness isn’t enough, and more resources are needed to educate the public. For now, she hopes sharing her heartbreak can help another family.

“I couldn’t help my daughter because I didn’t know anything about it, but I know I can help someone else by making sure everybody knows her story,” Flanigan said.

If you or someone you know is struggling with opioid addiction, you can find resources by calling the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) and by visiting the CDC’s and DEA’s website.