Drug Test - West Palm Beach, FL

West Palm Beach, Florida - Drug Testing

Substance Abuse Statistics for West Palm Beach, FL

Notable Events Relating to Substance Abuse in West Palm Beach, FL

In February 2022, West Palm Beach Police Chief Frank Adderley announced the arrest of 18 West Palm Beach residents following an 18-month organized crime investigation nicknamed Operation Goodfellas. The investigation involved a local street gang called the "4th Street Gang," which is being held responsible for city-wide drug dealing, particularly around the North Tamarind Avenue area of West Palm Beach.

The 18 people who were arrested during Operation Goodfellas ranged from 19-years-old to 58-years-old and have been charged through the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) with a wide range of offenses involving weapons, drugs, and gang violence. During the arrests, law enforcement seized trafficking amounts of various controlled substances including but not limited to cocaine, oxycodone, MDMA, and fentanyl.

Initiatives to Help Curb Substance in West Palm Beach, FL

A countrywide substance abuse program that was successfully piloted in West Palm Beach by the Health Care District of Palm Beach County roughly five years ago is now being expanded to 12 additional counties across the state of Florida. The program originally began with a partnership between Florida JFK North Hospital in West Palm Beach and the Palm Beach County Commission to provide outpatient care for those struggling with substance abuse.

Serving more than 1,500 patients since its start, the program works with local medical emergency personnel to bypass local emergency rooms and rather place overdose patients in the hospital's Addiction Stabilization Unit. This unit more efficiently targets and treats drug overdose patients by directly supplying them with substance abuse resources, including the use of recovery coaches, social workers, and psychiatrists.

Last updated 11/22/2022