Operation PAR

Drug-related deaths increased by 17% in 2020, and the Tampa Bay region suffered tremendously. The CEO of a Pinellas substance use treatment program said the trend is worrisome.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that overdose deaths last year increased nearly 30% across the country. In Florida, the rate increased more than 37%.

The state’s invalidated process for licensing new methadone clinics is delaying help for opioid addicts in rural communities.