Published: 06/30/2026 | Author: Eric Owens

Florida is among the states putting the most opioid settlement money to work against opioid addiction. The Sunshine State already features a wide range of care, from treatment and recovery programs to local grassroots Narcotics Anonymous chapters for community members. The incoming $3 billion, dispersed over the coming years, will greatly build up these services.

One community turning those dollars into services is Pasco County, where a local task force in New Port Richey says it is making measurable progress.

Florida’s Opioid Crisis

Residents in Pasco County experienced 2,500+ overdoses in 2024. Unfortunately, more than 200 of those overdoses were fatal; clinicians and first responders administered naloxone, the opioid-overdose reversal medication, more than 1,200 times. “We were actually one of the counties that were really hit hard,” recalled Missy Coyle, a nurse affiliated with the Alliance for Healthy Communities.

The Settlement Money

Five years after it was created, the Pasco County Opioid Task Force now channels settlement dollars into prevention, treatment and recovery. Coyle stocks a self-serve Narcan vending machine and connects folks to mental health services, recovery housing, and basic needs like clothing. 

The All Ways Center in New Port Richey brings interventions and recovery under one roof through a partnership between the Alliance for Healthy Communities and The Hope Shot, supported by a federal grant.

Paula Baracaldo chairs the task force and noted the goal is an effective use of funds and to improve the county’s overall system of care. The task force recently partnered with the University of South Florida on a gap analysis and identified the high cost of services and unequal access across the county as key challenges. 

Understanding Opioids & Naloxone

Opioid drugs include heroin and prescription pain medications. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid and is responsible for much of the current overdose risks. Naloxone, sold under brand names including Narcan, can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose if given in time. That’s why community access is so important.

Naloxone is available without a prescription at many pharmacies and through community programs like the ones in Pasco County. Carrying it, and knowing the signs of an opioid overdose such as slowed or stopped breathing and unresponsiveness, can save a life. 

Fentanyl test strips can also help people check for contamination in the drug supply.

Recovery from opioid addiction can take more than one form, including medications for opioid use disorder such as methadone and buprenorphine paired with counseling.

NA: The First Step

Narcotics Anonymous is one widely available, free peer-support option. 

You can search for NA meetings in Pasco County and across Florida and the rest of the country through our directory. Or, call 800-934-1582(Sponsored) and ask an expert about local treatment options. The point is that recovery is not only possible, but can start today.