[Fort Lauderdale, FL] – (November 7, 2023)  In a significant step towards strengthening its commitment to addressing the opioid crisis, Project Opioid South Florida is proud to announce its rebranding as the South Florida Opioid Alliance (SFOA). The strategic name change reflects a unified, tri-county force to bring together communities, resources, and experts to combat the opioid epidemic and financial insecurity which leads to harmful substance misuse.

The South Florida Opioid Alliance is a tri-county collaboration between the Miami-Dade Beacon Council, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, and the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, aiming to reduce the number of opioid-related fatalities by bringing together business, faith, and philanthropic leaders in key markets throughout South Florida. The Florida Blue Foundation is the chief financial supporter of the South Florida Opioid Alliance.

The South Florida Opioid Alliance is a tri-county collaboration between the Miami-Dade Beacon Council, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, and the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County aiming to reduce the number of opioid-related fatalities by bringing together business, faith, and philanthropic leaders in key markets throughout South Florida.

The Florida Blue Foundation is the primary financial supporter of the South Florida Opioid Alliance. In collaboration with David Wagner, Market President of Florida Blue, South Florida Opioid Alliance has provided education on fentanyl in illicit substances and has distributed over 1500 Narcan sprays across university campuses.

“The Florida Blue Foundation is proud to support the immense efforts being made to preserve the health of our South Florida communities. From 2022 till the present there has been a reduction in opioid overdose deaths due to the abundance of Naloxone that has been distributed into our tri-county; however, opioid overdose in general has risen. Public health initiatives, such as South Florida Opioid Alliance are leading the charge in reducing substance harm,” Dave Wagner, Florida Blue, South Florida Market President.

The South Florida Opioid Alliance will continue to offer a range of vital services, including education and awareness programs, harm reduction initiatives, access to treatment and recovery resources, and advocacy efforts to drive policy changes. As of 2023, the South Florida Opioid Alliance has distributed over 4000 Naloxone sprays within Broward County.

For more information about the South Florida Opioid Alliance and its mission, please visit SouthFloridaOpioidAlliance.org.