Florida’s loose oversight of unethical medical practices and unnecessary medications led to such an increase in drug abuse rates that the state declared it an official state emergency. Fortunately, high-quality addiction treatment programs are available on an inpatient and outpatient basis.
Within the state of Florida, the use, misuse, and abuse of drugs and alcohol is rising. Current trends show that alcohol, marijuana, opiates, Xanax, valium, heroin, crack, cocaine, and crystal meth are most prevalent throughout Florida. According to statistics, drug use in Florida, specifically synthetic drugs and opioids, have continued to increase over the past few years.(Lakeviewhealth.com)
In 2014, an estimated 410,000 Florida residents were addicted to drugs or alcohol. In 2016 there were over 5,000 drug overdoses in Florida. The drug epidemic has been growing so fast that Governor Rick Scott declared it a state emergency in 2017 and proposed $54 million in education programs, grants, and prevention treatment services to help residents find healing.
High-quality addiction treatment programs and assistance are available on an inpatient and outpatient basis in Florida.(campuses.com)
According to the Florida Attorney General’s Office under Attorney General Pam Bondi, Florida’s drug-prevention efforts include a variety of programs and initiatives overseen by several state departments. These agencies include the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Program, the Florida Department of Children and Families and the Florida Department of Health. These departments work together to decrease substance use and reduce addiction rates across the state.
1) Ending Pill Mills:
Florida’s attorney general’s office has been working to reduce the number of pill mills. Pill mills are doctors’ offices and clinics where physicians over-prescribe opioid painkillers and other narcotics without a legitimate medical purpose. This has led to enforcing tighter controls on prescribing practices, resulting in more than 100 arrests, seizures of assets and controlled substances and the closure of many clinics. By 2014, only 367 of the 900 registered pain-management clinics were still open (campuses.com)
2) Outlawing Synthetic Drugs:
In 2010, Florida saw more than 11,000 emergency-room visits related to synthetic drugs. Of those treated, 75 percent were ages 12-29, and the majority were between the ages of 12 and 17 (campuses.com). To combat this, the schedule of controlled substances was expanded to include cathinone (bath salts) and synthetic cannabinoids such as K2 and Spice. The state has outlawed 136 different chemical compounds and is continually adding to the list of illegal synthetic drugs in Florida.
3) Florida Addiction Treatment Programs:
As Florida works to ensure there are no further illegal pill mills or bogus treatment centres, it’s important to carefully evaluate addiction treatment centres to find the best recovery programs. There is no one-size-fits-all treatment that works for everyone, and people experiencing severe addiction may require more intensive therapy. Addiction treatment programs offered in Florida may include:
a. Intervention services
b. Drug and alcohol detox
c. Residential inpatient programs
d. Outpatient programs
e. Aftercare and alumni groups
f. Sober living homes
In conclusion, the high rate of addiction in Florida has been checked using the various measures listed above. These measures have helped to eliminate the sources of these addictions, as well as proffer solutions to ensuring addictive patients withdraw and recover from the addiction.