Florida’s Opioid Crisis Takes Ten Lives a Day

Florida’s Opioid Crisis is signaling a death knell from the Panhandle to the Keys. Someone dies in Florida every two and a half hours from an opioid overdose—that means almost ten peoplea day die this way in our state—and that’s ten too many.
The Florida Behavioral Health Association (FBHA) and the Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association (FADAA) are calling for statewide attention to this epidemic by holding a press conference on Wednesday, January 25 at 12:00pm in House Press Room 333 of the Florida Capitol. FADAA and FBHA Executive Director Mark Fontaine said, “the goal of this opioid initiative is simple – to raise public discourse about the problem and to call for a unified approach to develop and implement solutions.”
FBHA and FADAA will provide a statewide platform for legislators, city and county governments, law enforcement, state organizations, first responders, hospitals, and many
other groups dealing with the consequences of opioid and heroin overdoses and death in their daily work. “Unfortunately, we see the consequences of opioid abuse in the emergency rooms when we work with first responders and handle both non-fatal and fatal overdose calls,” said Representative Cary Pigman, an emergency room physician in Sebring. “ We hope to offer more deterrents in the future in addition to the prevention, treatment, and recovery processes already in place.”
By facing the hard facts of opioid addiction as a united front, and with a united voice, a new coalition can begin to silence the opioid epidemic across our state.
What: Florida’s Opioid Crisis
When: Wednesday, January 25
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Where: Florida Capitol
House Media Room 333
Speakers:
Speakers for the press conference include Representative Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart;
Representative Cary Pigman M.D., R-Sebring;
Chief James Crutchfield, Manatee County Paramedicine;
Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, Pinellas County; Commissioner
Melissa McKinlay, Palm Beach County; Epidemiologist
Jim Hall, Ph.D., Nova Southeastern University;
Katherine Johnson, person in recovery through Gateway Community Services, Duval County;
Executive Director Mark Fontaine, FADAA and FBHA.
Confirmed Attendees:
Senator Greg Steube, R-Sarasota
Representative Lori Berman, D-Boynton Beach
Representative Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton
Representative MaryLynn Magar, R-Hobe Sound
Representative Kathleen Peters, R-St. Petersburg
Representative Bob Rommel, R-Naples
Representative Matt Willhite, D-Royal Palm Beach
CEO Patti Greenough, Epic Behavioral Healthcare; Pres. Florida Behavioral Health Association
Epidemiologist Jim Hall, Ph.D., Nova Southeastern University
Chief Assistant State Attorney Al Johnson, Boca Raton
Executive Dir. Natalie Kelly, Florida Association of Managing Entities
President Michael McHale, National Association of Police Organizations
President John Rivera, Florida Police Benevolent Association
Captain Todd Shear, Manatee County Sheriff’s Office
Executive Dir. Melanie Brown-Woofter, Florida Council on Community Mental Health
Tiffany Kerns, Person in Recovery
Joanne Telfair, Person in Recovery
The purpose of the FBHA is to unite people engaged in the business of behavioral health and behavioral medicine with a specific focus on promoting legislation, funding, and policies that recognize and advance behavioral health prevention, treatment, and recovery. FBHA also serves as a liaison on the state and federal levels by working with other professional
organizations to promote the advancement of behavioral health and to increase the image and exposure of the behavioral health industry.