As many of you know, Florida was once notoriously considered the “Pill Mill Capital of the Nation.” We have worked diligently over the past three years to reverse the upward trend of prescription drug related deaths, which had been on the rise for nearly a decade. Yesterday, I was pleased to announce that prescription drug related deaths continue to decline. The decline in deaths caused by prescription drugs has remained steady over the past three years, thanks to a collaborative effort among law enforcement, prosecutors, legislators, regulators and more.
According to the 2013 Interim Drugs Identified in Deceased Persons Report by the Florida Medical Examiners Commission, which covers from January to June 2013, 975 deaths were caused by prescription drug use—a decline from 1,054 deaths caused by prescription drug use during the first six months of 2012. For the first time, the report captures deaths caused by synthetic drugs. Seventy-seven individuals died with synthetic drugs in their bodies, and 30 individuals’ deaths were caused by synthetic drugs.
We must continue our efforts to protect Floridians. We now have statistics on deaths caused by synthetic drugs, and this information is crucial to both raising awareness about how deadly these drugs are and understanding just how many lives these drugs claim.
According to the 2013 Interim Drugs Identified in Deceased Persons Report by the Florida Medical Examiners Commission, which covers from January to June 2013, 975 deaths were caused by prescription drug use—a decline from 1,054 deaths caused by prescription drug use during the first six months of 2012. For the first time, the report captures deaths caused by synthetic drugs. Seventy-seven individuals died with synthetic drugs in their bodies, and 30 individuals’ deaths were caused by synthetic drugs.
We must continue our efforts to protect Floridians. We now have statistics on deaths caused by synthetic drugs, and this information is crucial to both raising awareness about how deadly these drugs are and understanding just how many lives these drugs claim.