Governor Rick Scott signed a new bill into law on Monday, March 19, 2018 that is meant to aid the fight against opioid addiction. Among the changes, the new law will make in the Sunshine State are a $65 million allocation in state funds to fighting the opioid epidemic and a restriction on opioid prescriptions to 3 days per prescription per patient. This means patients who want to or need to be on opioids for more than 3 days will require special permission from their doctor if they are going to receive a medication for more than this time period.
Limiting the prescription times, according to Governor Scott will help to minimize the number of individuals becoming dependent on and addicted to opioids every day. Also, the bill will provide more individuals with the treatment they require to safely recover from addiction if they have already been affected by it. Manatee County was the site of the law’s signing because there is already a particularly serious substance abuse problem in this county.
Opioid Deaths and Florida
Florida is one of the states hit hardest by the opioid epidemic, as evidenced by data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Between 2014 and 2015, the number of drug overdose deaths in the state increased by 22.7 percent. Over the next year, these deaths increased by 46.3 percent. Both of these increases were statistically significant as stated by the CDC, and both were largely caused by the serious opioid abuse situation in the state.
Many people still abuse prescription drugs like those that will be affected by the new bill, but unfortunately, a large amount of the opioid-abusing population has moved on to fentanyl and heroin abuse. The latter is a dangerous, addictive, and illicit drug that people often turn to after their tolerance for prescription opioids becomes too strong. The former is 100 times more potent than morphine and is often illicitly manufactured and sold to drug abusers. Most people do not realize how strong fentanyl is when they abuse it, which is why it leads to so many drug overdoses. In 2013, Florida law enforcement encountered fentanyl only 0 to 50 times, but by 2015, this increased to over 500 encounters.
How Can Rehab Help an Opioid Addict?
People who become addicted to opioid drugs will require detox and rehab treatment in order to stop abusing these substances and to navigate withdrawal.
When a person dependent on opioids stops using, they will experience an intense withdrawal syndrome that feels similar to the flu.
Without the proper care, it can be extremely difficult to avoid relapse during this time, and those who do relapse are in serious danger of an overdose.
In detox treatment, patients can work through their withdrawal symptoms with the help of medical supervision, medications that minimize pain and other uncomfortable symptoms, and therapies that can help prepare them for rehab.
Afterwards, patients who detox in a professional facility are often more likely to seek rehab treatment and build a safe, strong recovery from opioid addiction.
Seek Treatment Today
Whether you or someone you love is suffering from an opioid addiction, now is the time to take action. Call 888-646-0635Who Answers? to find safe, reliable detox centers near you.
An individual who suffers from dual diagnosis is considered to have both a substance abuse problem and a psychiatric illness at the same time. Dual diagnosis causes some additional challenges when it comes to treatment for addiction because both the chemical dependency and the mental condition of the individual must be treated in conjunction with….
Cocaine addiction is associated with various detrimental health effects that are both physical and psychological. Various cocaine related psychological disorders have been documented and are currently treated in many rehab centers today. To date, there are ten common classifications of psychological disorders related to cocaine addiction. Here’s a look at the most common types of….
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, heroin withdrawal is not deadly. According to most addicts, heroin withdrawal might make you wish you were dead. Most people do not make it when they attempt to withdrawal from heroin without the benefits of a rehab center. There are a wide variety of reasons why you….
Methamphetamine abuse quickly leads to addiction, and once an individual becomes addicted to the drug, it is nearly impossible for them to stop abusing it on their own. While there are many rehab centers and treatment types that can be used to help a person recover from methamphetamine addiction, it is not an easy process…..
Alcohol abuse is a common activity that people engage in at least once in their life. Approximately 90% of the American adult population has tried alcohol at least one time. One of the biggest problems with alcohol is that people usually begin to abuse the substance in social situations, but that can easily escalate to people….
When you are addicted to alcohol seeking treatment is of utmost importance but how do you know which one to choose? Should you consider inpatient alcohol treatment or outpatient alcohol treatment? What is the difference between the two? Here’s a look at what each type of alcohol treatment has to offer and how you can….
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, drug addiction is similar to other chronic, relapsing diseases, such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease, and just like these other diseases, drug addiction can be managed successfully. However, it is common for a person to relapse and begin abusing drugs again, but this just means that….
Formal drug addiction treatment at a traditional rehab facility is still considered to be the best possible option for most individuals with substance use disorders. Formal treatment can be either in an inpatient or outpatient-based facility, and usually consists of a treatment plan including medication, therapy, and several other medical care options (depending on the….
Alcohol is an easily attainable, legal drug which makes many people believe it is safe and even harmless. But alcohol is often abused in excessive amounts by people who do not realize that they have a problem. This can lead to many issues like family and social problems, illegal actions and lawsuits, and serious health….
There are a lot of terms that are used to reference the situation of having both a substance use disorder and a mental illness. Sometimes it is called dual diagnosis. Other times, it may be comorbid or co-occurring disorders. Dual diagnosis can happen in any combination and number, but there are patterns among specific groups…..
Calls to numbers on a specific treatment center listing will be routed to that treatment center. Calls to any general helpline will be answered or returned by one of the treatment providers listed, each of which is a paid advertiser that includes Right Path Rehab.
By calling the helpline you agree to the terms of use. We do not receive any commission or fee that is dependent upon which treatment provider a caller chooses. There is no obligation to enter treatment.
