Florida opioid war heats up

Scott proposes legislation to tackle addiction

Gov. Rick Scott has called for $50 million and new legislation to fight the opioid abuse epidemic that has killed hundreds and overwhelmed morgues in South Florida.

In Palm Beach County, 690 people died of overdoses in 2016; 582 overdosed in Broward and 455 did so in Miami-Dade, according to medical examiners’ offices. Up to seven people suffer a drug overdose in South Florida every day according to the latest estimates by experts. The 2017 totals are expected to rise.

Scott’s proposal, announced at an appearance in Bradenton and then touted at the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office headquarters Tuesday afternoon, will be one of the governor’s top priorities in the upcoming legislative session, which begins Jan. 9.

“Opioid abuse unfortunately has taken the lives of too many Floridians and we all know too many it’s happened to,” Scott said In West Palm Beach. “We’re fully committed to finding ways to fight it.”

Scott’s proposed legislation puts a three-day limit on initial prescriptions for opioids, though some allowance would be made for a seven-day supply for acute pain. It would also require opioid prescribers to use the Florida Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, a database created in 2009 as part of the fight against pill mills.

The money Scott requested