Gov. DeSantis stops in Destin to announce plans for combating the opioid crisis
DESTIN, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - More people are dying from drug overdoses than car crashes every year. That’s according to Governor Ron DeSantis, who stood beside First Lady Casey DeSantis on Friday at a news conference in Destin. Together, they unveiled plans to combat the opioid crisis and hopefully, save lives.
The Governor and First Lady have been working together since day one to combat the opioid crisis. It’s a problem not just being seen in Florida, but a national issue as more drugs are being laced with fentanyl. But what more can be done to prevent this? Governor DeSantis said that he has a list and a plan because something has to be done.
“In 2021, more than 107,000 Americans died from a drug overdose and over 75% of those were related to opioids,” Governor DeSantis said.
It’s a horrifying statistic the Governor and First Lady hope to combat through prevention and treatment. Friday, dozens were at Shoreline Church in Destin where they announced plans for the $205.7 million the state received in the opioid settlement agreement.
- Establishing the Office of Opioid Recovery – $10.2 Million
- Improving access to treatment and recovery services – $92.5 Million
- Developing educational prevention materials – $39.4 Million
- Expanding the CORE Network – $26.8 Million
- Expanding recovery and peer support services – $25.3 Million
- Pioneering an integrated statewide database – $11.3 Million
The more than $39 million going towards education, will be used to create hard-hitting campaigns for middle and high school students.
“It’s like Just Say No, but it’s really Just Say No, and here’s why,” First Lady DeSantis said. “We have to tell our children that when they think they’re taking something like a Xanax, we don’t recommend but if they are doing that, and it’s laced with fentanyl, that’s it. That’s the end of their life. There are no do-overs.”
Bay County isn’t immune to these lethal drugs. Resident Paula Fredrick courageously spoke Friday, spreading awareness after her daughter died of an accidental overdose in 2021.
“I stand here today and I will stand here until I die making sure and helping so that not another mother goes through this,” Fredrick said.
The money used to expand the CORE Network will go towards branching out the pilot program to 17 more counties.
“We did the pilot program expansion last year. And since that time with the core network, we’ve serviced and evaluated 2,682 individuals for opioid use disorder and the network has a retention rate of 70%. An average relapse rate of 2%,” Governor DeSantis said.
It’s a step in the right direction as the state works alongside individual communities to combat the opioid crisis and hopefully, save the lives of many.
Copyright 2023 WJHG. All rights reserved.
