Florida fentanyl deaths dropped 46% in the first half of 2025 according to official state data . Research shows the decline is driven primarily by drug supply changes—xylazine and medetomidine replacing fentanyl—rather than law enforcement alone, though these substitutes carry different overdose risks . The post presents the number as evidence of policy success without acknowledging that harm reduction and supply-side factors appear to be doing more lifting than enforcement.