John’s only son was one of the fentanyl victims. The young man died of an overdose in 2013 when he was 21 years old.
“When I got that call in the morning telling me that my son had passed away, it was the most horrible feeling I’ve ever had in my life,” reveals John Emeroy. “I think he took a pill that was overrated by an illicit organization and he thought it was something else.”
The problem would become more apparent during spring break when thousands of teenagers travel from across the United States to Florida, a state that has become the epicenter of fentanyl-related deaths.
A synthetic opioid up to 100 times more potent than morphine but with heroin-like effects.
Authorities warn that a few grains of fentanyl the size of salt can cause rapid death, especially in young people.
Faced with the dramatic increase in deaths from the use of fentanyl in South Florida, this Thursday in Miami Beach, many gathered to raise awareness.
“We see people dying, especially young people in large numbers, we need to do more to save lives and that’s why we are holding this event.”
Fentanyl can be sold as a filler in illicit drugs and is sometimes found in pills that have been counterfeited.
Lisa Keeler, regional director of Project Opioid South Florida, says that “they go on social media and find pills on the market like Xanax or Aderol and they actually have fentanyl and they’re killing our kids.”
In Florida, Broward County leads in drug-related deaths.
In 2020 alone, 798 people died from accidental overdose, including 611 cases involving fentanyl.
“We need leaders from across South Florida to work together to save lives.”
In 2022, the DEA seized over 57.7 million fake fentanyl pills and over 13,700 pounds of fentanyl powder.