Resilient, Unbreakable, Strong

Sonya Johnson Overcame Decades of Drug Addiction

“I live my recovery out loud in both my professional and personal lives,” Johnson says.

07/02/2025 By Stephanie Churn Lubow

Inability to Cope

Sarasota's Mental Health Crisis Isn't Going Away, and Families Are Struggling to Stay Together

Drug addiction, financial insecurity and unaddressed mental health problems are leading to high numbers of children being removed from their parents' care.

03/13/2023 By Matthew Gutierrez

Analysis

Why Are Police Officers Overdosing From Fentanyl?

Despite medical evidence that shows that incidental contact with the opioid is not enough to cause an overdose, fear of doing so persists.

02/09/2023 By Isaac Eger

New Wave

Drug Overdoses Are Rising Again. Why?

There have been 134 overdoses in Sarasota and 309 in Manatee since just this May, and the numbers keep growing.

09/16/2022 By Allison Forsyth

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

New Data Shows Progress in the Effort to Help Babies Born Addicted to Opiates

Sarasota Memorial Hospital has changed how it treats babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome, and the results so far look promising.

10/19/2020 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Keifer's House

Sarasota Nonprofit Opens New Residential Program for People Leaving Incarceration

Project 180 gives stable housing to people being released from jail and prison and also helps them with transportation, employment and addiction recovery.

09/16/2020 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Legislation

DeSantis, Health and Human Services Secretary Announce Advancement of Prescription Drug Import Plan

The plan aims to lower U.S. prescription drug prices.

12/18/2019 By Staff

Health Report

Addicted at Birth: Newborns Struggle With the Legacy of Opioids

As the number of overdoses has increased, so has the number of babies born suffering from withdrawal, the pain of addiction cascading from one generation to the next.

09/02/2019 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Prescription X

New Documentary Will Cover How Sarasota Influenced the Future of Trauma Therapy

The career of aspiring psychotherapist and New College graduate Rick Doblin is being chronicled by documentary filmmaker Nirvan Mullick.

07/15/2019 By Giulia Heyward

Take Back

Sarasota Police Collect 38 Pounds of Unwanted Drugs During National Take-Back Day

Members of the DEA will collect the drugs that were dropped off from the Sarasota Police Department property unit and dispose of them properly.

04/30/2019 By Staff

Take Back

Sarasota Police Department Will Take Back Unwanted Prescription Drugs

This is the 17th opportunity in nine years for the local public to rid their homes of potentially dangerous unused, expired, and unwanted prescription drugs.

04/23/2019 By Staff

Limelight

First Step Caring Hearts Luncheon

The luncheon at Michael's on East celebrated over 450 babies born drug-free.

02/21/2019 Photography by Lori Sax

Conferences

USFSM to Host Conference on Opioid Abuse

Manatee County has been especially hard hit by the opioid crisis, with one of the nation’s highest rates of opioid overdose deaths.

02/11/2019 By Staff

Health

Teen Vaping Up in 2018

The number of American high school students vaping nicotine rose dramatically between 2017 and 2018, according to new survey results.

01/10/2019 By Staff

Data

Drug Overdose Deaths Up

The number of reported drug overdose deaths in America topped 70,400 in 2017, a 10.2 percent increase over 2016.

08/15/2018 By Staff

Drugs

Agencies Hosting Summit on Opioids and Pregnancy Sept. 13 and 14

The summit is focused on the topic of pregnant women addicted to opioids and newborns born with neonatal abstinence syndrome.

07/11/2018 By Staff

Health care

Physician Honored for Work Combating Prescription Drug Abuse

Dr. Fabian Ramos recently received the Sarasota Medical Alliance Foundation and Society's 2018 Community Health Advocacy Award.

06/19/2018 By Staff

Public health

State Sues Opioid Makers, Distributers

The office of Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday filed a lawsuit aimed at 20 opioid manufacturers and distributers.

05/16/2018 By Staff

Health care

Company Introduces High-Tech Opioid Dispenser

Robrady Design recently launched Pill, a 'smart' drug dispenser it says could be used to combat the opioid addiction crisis.

05/09/2018 By Staff

Do The Math

How Much Has the Opioid Epidemic Cost Sarasota?

Sarasota is joining more than 400 cities, counties, states and Native American tribes that are pursuing legal action against companies like Purdue Pharma, the creator of OxyContin, and Endo Pharmaceuticals, the maker of Percocet.

04/26/2018 By Cooper Levey-Baker