For millions of families, including those in our own Florida communities, a drug-fueled pattern of devastation and heartbreak has become a painful part of life. Too many of our loved ones are losing their struggle with heroin and other addictive substances. The facts are sobering. Thousands of Americans die each year from heroin, the most addictive drug on the planet. In Florida, heroin overdose deaths have increased 900 percent in recent years, rising from 48 in 2010 to 447 in 2014. [continues 425 words]
A parent's worst nightmare is having to bury a child. That nightmare is becoming a tragic reality for far too many families in Florida. On average, seven people die from prescription drug abuse every day in Florida. These are not just numbers. Garrett Harney's last words of despair to his mother were "Mom, I can't be helped." Garrett overdosed on Oxycontin and Xanax in 2006. His mother, a Sarasota resident, is now trying to help save lives by spreading the important message that prescription drug abuse is a deadly serious problem in Florida. [continues 454 words]
