Facing a rising trend of illegal distribution of prescription drugs in Orange county, Mayor Rich Crotty today announced the development of an Ordinance, which if passed by the Board of Orange County, will seek a moratorium on permits for new pain clinics and an outlawing of “cash only” transactions by pain management clinics. The new Ordinance will also make provision for the establishment of a Task Force to identify the issues surrounding “pill mills” and give law enforcement the tools needed to close them down.
Crotty, who was speaking at a press conference earlier on Thursday, surrounded by representatives from the Drug Control Program, State Attorney’s Office, and law enforcement, said that the misuse of prescription drugs killed nearly 2,500 Floridians in 2009–one in every seven persons, daily.
“Here in Orange County … of 131 people who died last year from drug overdoses … 100 were misusing prescription drugs”, Crotty said. He added that, 53 persons have died so far this year and that the youngest could well be a 15-year-old boy who it is suspected overdosed on powerful pain medication recently.
“It is clear we have a crisis on our hand and we must act swiftly and decisively,” said Crotty.
Crotty also called on the Office for Drug Free Community to step up education efforts to sensitize the community on the dangers of prescription drug abuse, which are having deadly consequences.
Orange County mayoral candidate, Teresa Jacobs, was quick to issue a statement in which she expressed her full support for Crotty’s actions to stem the growth of “pill mills” in the county.
“I fully support Mayor Crotty’s efforts to curb any unregulated growth of these so-called “pill mills” in Orange County,” Jacobs said. “When I am elected Mayor, should the process of passing an ordinance to combat this trend extend into my term, I will pick up right where it is left off and ensure that passing this ordinance is a top priority on my agenda.”
Jacobs added that, she will “continue the fight and use all the powers of the Orange County Government to ensure the clinics in Central Florida do not follow down the path of those in South Florida– we will not be the next drug abusers’ safe haven.”
