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Volusia medical examiner reports overdose deaths back to pre-COVID baseline; fentanyl remains dominant
Summary
The county medical examiner said overdose deaths fell from a 2021 peak (~400) back to a pre‑COVID baseline (~180). Fentanyl — often mixed with methamphetamine or cocaine — continues to be the leading driver; the office also reported increased tissue/eye donations. Council accepted the report 6-0.
The Volusia County Medical Examiner told the council that overdose deaths have fallen from a high in 2021 to roughly the pre-pandemic baseline, and that fentanyl remains the primary driver of drug fatalities.
"Overdoses are down to baseline," the Medical Examiner said, noting the office's prior peak around 400 deaths in a single year and a return to roughly 180 in the most recent reporting period. He said the average overdose age rose to 48 and that the majority of overdose victims were male. Fentanyl was described as "the big player," frequently found with methamphetamine and sometimes cocaine.
The office also reported 45 tissue donors and 76 eye donors (figures provided in the presentation), and said homicides remained low (about 21 in the year covered). The medical examiner credited local recovery programs and law-enforcement efforts among factors that likely helped reduce overdose deaths.
Council members thanked the office for the annual report and asked follow-up questions about falls among elderly residents, pedestrian and bicycle fatalities, and trends compared to peer counties. A motion to accept the medical examiner's report passed 6-0.
