POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Polk County will receive $30 million over the next 18 years to help fight the opioid epidemic.
In 2020, county commissioners tracked a 39% jump in overdose deaths in Polk County.
“Nothing touches this fentanyl because you can take an overdose of fentanyl and die immediately, and that’s what we’re seeing,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
Sheriff Judd said there is a clear need to fight opioid addiction in Polk County. On Oct. 21, 2022, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office seized 11 pounds of fentanyl. That is the largest amount of fentanyl in the history of the department.
“Enough to overdose and kill instantly 2.7 million people. So, at the end of the day, is there a crisis? Yes, there’s a crisis. There's a crisis across this entire nation,” said Judd.
The county just received its first installment of $400,000 to assist in fighting the opioid crisis. The funds are from settlements with the major national drug distribution companies, and they will be utilized by Polk County’s Opioid Abatement Program.
“Came at a wonderful time for the county because we want to make sure that we get to the people that need services the worst and we save their lives,” said Judd.
The sheriff said the department’s director of mental health services will be working with the county to get the funds to rehab centers and mental health providers. Judd said more resources will help people claim their lives back from opioids.
“I pray that the people will be just as shocked when a young person dies of a drug overdose as they were shocked when that young man went into that cardiac arrest in front of the entire nation,” said Judd.
