Also this week, legislators passed a bill allowing for the establishment of a needle exchange program, which will be privately funded, at Miami's Jackson Hospital.
From the announcement:
“Prescription drug abuse is a serious issue in our state, and allowing access for those families who are struggling with addiction to this life-saving drug is vital in our battle to protect Florida families,” said FRF President/CEO Randy Miller. “I want to thank Senator Denise Grimsley and Representative Rene Plasencia for sponsoring this important legislation that will go a long way towards saving lives.”
Prescription drug abuse continues to be a public health and safety risk. According to the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 6.5 million Americans misused a prescription drug in 2014, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a total of 47,055 drug overdose deaths, which include prescription and illicit drugs, during the same year. That is a 6.5 percent increase from 2013 and a 140 percent increase since 2000. Most people who misuse prescription drugs first obtain them from a family member or friend, often from a home medicine cabinet.
