Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Peter SchorschNovember 19, 2018

Consider this column an “open letter” of sorts to the Florida Department of Health. First, do no harm. Got that? Though those words are not actually printed in the Hippocratic Oath, but it’s still an important medical axiom. Here’s the deal. The feds recently passed a new law known as “Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes […]

Drew WilsonMay 23, 2018

Sarasota Republican U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan is rolling out another TV ad for his re-election campaign in Florida’s 16th Congressional District. The 30-second spot, “Fighting Chance,” highlights the sixth-term congressman’s record on the opioid epidemic. The campaign said it will begin airing online immediately and will hit TV next week as part of $200,000-plus ad […]

Jim RosicaOctober 17, 2017

Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday said she was unsure whether the country needs a ‘drug czar.’ “I don’t know,” she told reporters after a Florida Cabinet meeting. “I’m in D.C. a lot. I can tell you the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) is doing great, all the executive offices are doing great …. “Everybody works […]

Darryl PaulsonFebruary 14, 2017

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 […]

Darryl PaulsonDecember 14, 2016

Opioid abuse is a growing medical problem in the nation and in Florida. In 2015, 52,404 Americans died as a result of drug abuse, or about 142 individuals every day. This makes opioid abuse a greater killer than automobile accidents or gun-inflicted homicides and suicides. About one-third of the deaths are from opioids prescribed by […]

Phil AmmannFebruary 17, 2016

If you think drug misuse and abuse doesn’t affect everyone, think again. It’s an escalating problem spreading to all corners of our communities and across all socioeconomic levels, ethnicities, and ages. The business community in Florida is no different, and has been severely affected by prescription opioid abuse in particular. Prescription opioid abuse and addiction […]

Phil AmmannJanuary 19, 2016

The prescription drug abuse problem has spread to nearly every corner of society in Florida. In 2014, 2,062 Floridians died from prescription drug overdose—a 7.6 percent increase from 2013. People who are victims of drug abuse cannot be categorized into a particular socio-economic class or region, but are found in every segment of the population. […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 1, 2015

Regulations for pain management clinics are set to expire in January, but the Florida Senate passed a bill on Wednesday that would keep the requirements intact indefinitely. Sponsored by Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, SB 450, passed unanimously and without any debate or controversy. A companion bill, HB 4017, has cleared all the committees of reference and […]

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Image via AP.

Department of Health: Do no harm

New ad highlights Vern Buchanan’s record on the opioid epidemic

Pam Bondi: ‘I don’t know’ if we even need a ‘drug czar’

Florida’s drug laws are giving me a pain in the ass

Pain, pain, go away: Finding a middle ground in Florida’s opioid epidemic

Julio Fuentes: Legislature must approve medication that is tough for patients to abuse

Austin Curry: More Florida seniors dying from drug overdoses

Senate keeps pain clinic regulations intact