Port Orange South Daytona Chamber Works to Combat Opioid Crisis

In the first few months of 2025 the Port Orange South Daytona Chamber of Commerce has held multiple events and initiatives as part of an effort to combat the effects of the opioid crisis within Volusia County. The Chamber has taken steps to try and utilize its strengths within the business community to address the issue where they’re able. “Our goals are clear: replace drug dealers with hope dealers, because recovery is viable,” said Port Orange South Daytona Chamber President & CEO Barbara Ann Heegan. “A recovery-friendly workplace fosters a culture of support that highlights this.” The first event was an ‘Eye Opener Breakfast’ held on Friday, February 21st. The breakfast featured keynote speaker Dr. James Fulcher, the Volusia County Medical Examiner. At that event Fulcher spoke to the rise of opioid fatalities and outlined actions that can curtail the trend. Also speaking was Volusia Recovery Alliance Director Karen Chrapek, plus Joe DeMore and Ashley Grimes from the Florida Recovery-Friendly Workplace Coalition. The next component the Chamber helped roll out was the Recovery-Friendly Workplace Toolkit, which was developed in order to support local businesses in creating job opportunities for recovering employees. The toolkit’s stated goal is to ‘reduce stigma and encourage individuals to seek help when needed’. Thirdly, the Chamber held its ONEBox Distribution Initiative, which distributed free naloxone (better known as Narcan) to businesses. Nalaxone was developed as a way to administer potentially life-saving treatment to those experiencing an overdose until emergency medical personnel can respond. Additionally, the Chamber connected businesses with opportunities to receive overdose response training. According to Volusia County Medical Examiner’s Office statistics from a Chamber news release, Volusia County had 303 opioid-related fatalities in 2023. This is part of over one million deaths from the issue in the United States since 1999.