Attorney General Ashley Moody has launched a new website to educate Floridians about the dangers of misusing prescription painkillers and other opioids such as heroin and fentanyl.
The website, called Dose of Reality, provides a one-stop shop of information about opioid addiction and resources to use for businesses, caregivers, educators, medical professionals, parents, seniors, service members, students, veterans and others.
“We can defeat the opioid crisis by working together, and Florida’s new Dose of Reality website is designed to provide Floridians easy access to vital information and resources to stop opioid abuse,” Moody said.
Moody said that as chair of the Statewide Task Force on Opioid Abuse, she will work to make sure local, state and federal agencies are coordinating efforts.
“Identifying effective strategies and implementing them statewide will improve the state’s response by making sure everyone is using the latest and most effective data and resources,” she said. “Much in the same way, ensuring the public has an online portal with the latest information and medical recommendations will help Floridians make informed decisions and fight the opioid crisis in their communities.”
Moody said the goal of the Dose of Reality website is to increase public awareness, education and prevention efforts to prevent misuse of prescription painkillers, warn about the dangers of illicit opioid use, heighten awareness about opioid addiction and ultimately save lives.
The website provides individuals, health care providers, teachers, coaches, and others with opioid-related resources one location to serve as a one-stop shop for Floridians seeking help. Dose of Reality includes details on prevention methods, safe pain management and storage of prescription drugs and guidelines on responding to an overdose. There also is a map of the state’s take-back locations that accept prescription opioids for safe disposal.
Opioid misuse is the nation’s number one public health threat. Opioids are a family of drugs that include prescription painkillers, such as hydrocodone and Oxycodone, and illegal drugs like heroin. Statistics show that 130 Americans die from opioid overdose daily, with the death toll attributed to opioids in the United States quadrupling over the last 20 years.
