Gov. Ron DeSantis was in Brevard County Wednesday to announce a new statewide addiction recovery network aimed at reducing opioid overdoses and fatalities in the state.
Florida will not be dictating our health policies out of fear – we are focused on the facts. pic.twitter.com/GATB0Op3Y5
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) August 3, 2022
The program called the Coordinated Opioid Recovery Network or CORE will connect people struggling with addiction with long-term treatment.
DeSantis says CORE will be rolled out in nine counties to begin with, including two in Central Florida, Brevard and Volusia counties.
“So, we don’t want Floridians to receive overdose treatment and then simply be sent back into the world for this to happen all over again.”
Dr. Courtney Phillips, the first statewide Director of Opioid Recovery, will lead the CORE program, that will also provide emergency response and stabilization services after someone overdoses.
DeSantis says the program will help people get off what he calls the “hamster wheel” of addiction and save lives.
“So we’re trying to give them the tools they need to navigate their path to a productive drug-free future.”
In 2022, more than 2,000 people have already died of opioid overdoses in the state.
If you are struggling with addiction, call the SAMHSA National Hotline at 1-800-662-4357. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911.
