Janelle Irwin TaylorSeptember 19, 2019
5min637
The hospitals say the epidemic is costing them big.
Tag: Opioid abuse
Janelle Irwin TaylorSeptember 19, 2019
Danny McAuliffeJanuary 2, 2019
9min515
Some of Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis‘ transition advisers are suggesting changes to the way the state administers behavioral health care. A DeSantis brain trust of health care professionals and policy experts spent a great deal of time Wednesday discussing the behavioral-health spectrum, with mental health and substance abuse at the top of their list. These issues fill the backdrop […]
Darryl PaulsonMarch 2, 2018
8min298
Anyone who follows the news knows that opioid abuse and drug deaths are a national problem; 63,000 Americans die of drug overdoses in 2016, an increase of 21 percent over 2015. Opioid deaths in Florida increased to 5,725 in 2016, a 35 percent increase over the previous year. It is important to remember that opioid […]
Peter SchorschOctober 23, 2017
6min195
Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto and Rep. Jim Boyd, both Republicans representing southwest Florida, will file bills today to combat opioid abuse in the Sunshine State by limiting first-time painkiller prescriptions to a three-day supply. The proposal mirrors one Gov. Rick Scott made earlier this year and is also similar to a proposal backed by a drug manufacturers […]
Drew WilsonSeptember 28, 2017
4min320
Gov. Rick Scott and other elected officials said this week they would look to combat the opioid epidemic plaguing Florida by limiting first-time pain pill prescriptions to a three day supply, and Wednesday the CEO of a major drug manufacturer trade group said he was on board with a similar plan. Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers […]
Michael MolineMay 2, 2017
5min341
The Senate adopted an amendment Tuesday easing mandatory-minimum prison sentences in a bill cracking down on trafficking in synthetic opioids, including fentanyl and carfentanil. Senate President Joe Negron ruled that Sen. Randolph Bracy’s amendment had passed on a voice vote, following an impassioned debate touching on the drugs’ dangers and the damage minimum-mandatory sentencing has […]
Peter SchorschApril 12, 2017
5min620
It’s no secret that the United States is in the midst of an epidemic of opioid abuse, overdoses and deaths, with Florida emerging as an epicenter. Nevertheless, several Tallahassee lawmakers, albeit unwittingly, may soon contribute to this wildfire of a crisis, a casualty of the latest battle in Florida’s Eyeball Wars. Few can argue the […]
Michael MolineApril 11, 2017
5min190
Gov. Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi announced an initiative against Florida’s “opioid crisis” Tuesday, calling upon the Legislature to help with tougher penalties and cracking down on sham “sober houses.” But Scott stopped short of declaring an opioid state of emergency. “We fought the pill mills, but now our challenge is bigger than […]
Drew WilsonFebruary 21, 2017
3min193
A pair of Democratic lawmakers announced Tuesday that they had filed bills to combat opioid abuse in Florida. HB 557 and SB 840 would cut the reporting window for when controlled substance distributions are made to one day, and would require pharmacies or other drug dispensaries to submit the information online. Current state law gives […]
Darryl PaulsonFebruary 14, 2017
7min435
No one disputes that opiate addiction is a national problem. Statistics show that over 52,000 Americans died because of drug abuse, or about 142 people a day. One-third of those deaths are from opioids prescribed by doctors. Although a national problem, Florida led the nation in opioid abuse until recently. Individuals from all over the […]