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Updated: Sep 2, 2025

Author Spotlight: An Efficient Methodology to Confidently Differentiate and Characterize Fentanyl Analogs
Published on: November 8, 2024
Opioid-Related Overdose Fatality Cases in Two Florida Counties
Anne T Powell1, Marie M Bourgeois1, Julie Lichterman1
1Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Center for Environmental and Occupational Risk Analysis and Management, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA,FL USA.
Introduction:
This study evaluates trends in drug-related death cases within both Pasco and Pinellas County, Florida, from the calendar years 2011 to 2016. Specifically, it focuses on opioids and the role of fentanyl in overdose-related mortality in rural versus suburban populations.
Methods:
Two sets of data from each calendar year were obtained from a Medical Examiner's Office. These data were compared by year to assess differences using the nonparametric ANOVA test with the statistical software SAS, University Edition. Binary logistic regression was performed to assess which drugs occurred most frequently in the presence or absence of fentanyl.
Results:
There was not a significant difference in the month of the year or the day of the week that drug-related fatalities occurred. More drug-related mortalities occurred during daylight hours (e.g., 8:00 AM-4:00 PM) and more fentanyl-related mortalities occurred in Pinellas County compared to Pasco County. Fentanyl and heroin tended to co-occur in mortalities, while ethanol, hydrocodone, morphine, oxycodone, and methadone were negatively associated with fentanyl-related overdose cases.
Conclusion:
The characteristics of drug-related mortalities identified here may be used to better target interventions against drug abuse and overdose.
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