Dear Friend: This year, Florida took a step forward in the war against prescription drug abuse when the Florida Legislature passed, and the Governor signed in to law, legislation creating a prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) in Florida.

I feel very passionate about this issue, which is why I was a sponsor of the bill in the Florida House. In the next few months I will be working with experts in the field to look for ways to build and improve upon the PDMP legislation. I look forward to taking another step forward during the 2010 Legislative Session.

Florida is facing a growing prescription drug abuse epidemic that has devastated many Florida families. According to the Florida Office of Drug Control, the rate of deaths caused by prescription drugs in Florida is over three times as high as the rate of deaths caused by all illicit drugs combined. Over 742,000 Floridians illegally use prescription drugs each year. As of last spring, the top 50 dispensing practitioners of oxycodone, nationwide, were located in Florida. Now that Florida has a monitoring system, I hope our state will cease being a prime destination for criminals looking to buy and sell prescription drugs, spreading misery throughout Florida and other states.

I strongly recommend you watch the new documentary, “The OxyContin Express,” on prescription drug abuse and the role of pain clinics in Florida. This documentary by Current TV/Vanguard really hits home.
You can watch it here: http://current.com/groups/vanguard-the-oxycontin-express/. Get Involved!

This fight requires people in the community to get involved. If you are interested in joining the fight against substance abuse, please consider joining the NOPE Task Force, Narcotic Overdose Prevention and Education, for the 3rd Annual NOPE National Candle Light Vigil, which will take place in communities across the nation on Thursday, October 29th, during Red Ribbon Week, a week to raise awareness of drug abuse.

The Palm Beach County vigil will be held at Lynn University in Boca Raton. The Vigil Ceremony will be at 6:30pm in the Green Center. The Broward County vigil will take place at 6:30pm at Tradewinds Park in Pompano Beach. For more information and to find a vigil nearest you, please visit www.nopetaskforce.org or call 866-612-NOPE.

Lastly, you can get involved in the United Way of Broward County Commission on Substance Abuse, which includes a Prescription Drug Abuse Task Force. The UWBCCSA has regularly scheduled monthly meetings. For more information please contact: Joel Kaufman, Ph.D., Executive Director/Vice President, (954) 760-7007, Ext. 205 or jkaufman@unitedwaybroward.org. The website is www.drugfreebroward.org. In Palm Beach County you can contact the Palm Beach County Substance Abuse Coalition at (561) 844-5952 or send e-mail to info@pbcsac.org. The website is www.pbcsac.org.

As always, I appreciate the opportunity to be of service to you. Please do not hesitate to contact me or my staff if you have any questions or concerns. Our district office number is (561) 470-6593
Kelly Skidmore, State Representative, District 90

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