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Editorial: A promising step in attacking Florida's opioid crisis

 
Gov. Rick Scott’s proposal requires physicians to use the state’s prescription database, which, years ago, he sought to abolish.
Gov. Rick Scott’s proposal requires physicians to use the state’s prescription database, which, years ago, he sought to abolish.
Published Sept. 29, 2017

As most everyone knows, admitting there is a problem is the first step in fighting addiction. It has taken a while, but opioid addiction is finally getting the attention it has long warranted in Florida. Gov. Rick Scott recently announced legislative and spending proposals for 2018 to combat the opioid crisis, and that's welcome news even if it is an imperfect first step.

The governor proposes attacking the crisis on two fronts. First, Scott supports legislation that would place three- and seven-day limits on opioid prescriptions and would require all health care providers to participate in the state's prescription database program. Second, he recommends adding $50 million to next year's state budget to expand substance abuse treatment, counseling and recovery services, as well as money for a council dedicated to investigating drug crimes.

The legislation to expand the prescription database is an excellent, if overdue, concept. The database, which has been in operation for seven years, cuts down on doctor-shopping by allowing physicians to track a patient's pain medication statewide. The governor has finally recognized the database's value after he sought to abolish it in 2011 before it was up and running — and after years of refusing to recommend spending state money to keep it. Championed by Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano, a former state legislator, the program was initially funded by grants and later by Attorney General Pam Bondi through funds acquired in a drug settlement case.

The proposed legislation limiting the supply of pain medication to as few as three days is more problematic. For someone who has consistently decried government intrusion in health care, it is peculiar Scott would think lawmakers know better than physicians when it comes to medical decisions for individual patients. Opioid prescription abuse obviously needs to be confronted, but the solution should not come at the expense of people with legitimate, long-term pain issues.

Scott's $50 million spending proposal also needs work. Florida has hopelessly trailed the rest of the nation in per capita spending for mental health and drug abuse programs, so any infusion of cash in that direction would be welcomed with open arms. But funneling some of that money toward law enforcement initiatives is misguided. History has long since proven that America cannot arrest itself out of its drug problems. Nowhere is that clearer than in Florida, which effectively shut down pill mills a half-dozen years ago only to see the crisis worsen as addicts turned to heroin and fentanyl to feed their habits.

No one is saying drug suppliers should be ignored, but they are not the root of this problem. It starts with addiction, and it will be best fought by treating it as a mental health issue or medical problem, not a crime problem.

According to 2016 figures, 14 people a day were dying in Florida from opioid-related overdoses, and the numbers were trending higher. Overdose is now the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 50. That makes overdoses more deadly than gun violence or automobile accidents.

It is encouraging to see Scott and legislators such as Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, taking leadership roles on the opioid crisis. The conversation is now at the forefront. Let's continue to push the best ideas forward.