Dose of Reality Florida Recognizes One Year Anniversary

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody today recognized the one-year anniversary of the launch of the statewide resource DoseOfRealityFL.com—a one-stop shop of information and resources about opioid abuse. The site is designed to spread awareness to Floridians about the dangers of misusing prescription painkillers and other opioids, such as heroin and fentanyl, and provides educational materials and resources for Floridians struggling with opioid use disorder.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Ending the opioid crisis is a daunting task and it’s exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic plaguing our state. That is why we are always looking for innovative ways to stop opioid misuse. Through this approach, DoseOfRealityFL.com was born. As the pandemic has forced more people to work, learn and socialize online, we are grateful this statewide tool is available and helpful to those struggling with addiction by providing information, resources and materials to them and to health professionals that can help break the cycle of the opioid epidemic.”

The goal of the online tool is to increase public awareness, education and prevention efforts to stop the misuse of prescription painkillers, warn about the dangers of illicit opioid use, heighten awareness about drug addiction and ultimately save lives. The website provides individuals, health care providers, teachers, coaches and others with opioid-related resources in one location to serve as a one-stop shop for Floridians seeking help.

Dose of Reality Florida includes details on prevention methods, safe pain management, proper storage of prescription drugs and guidelines on responding to an overdose. There is also a map of the state’s take-back locations where unused or unwanted prescription opioids are accepted for safe disposal.

Since the website’s launch in 2019, Attorney General Moody has added additional resources to the online tool, including:

• Emerging tips on safe storage of opioid medications;
• New drug take-back locations statewide;
• Updated statistics and resources from government agencies, such as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Drug Enforcement Administration, Florida Department of Health, etc.;
• Information on the new 211 partnership to increase access to local help and available resources; and
• Downloadable material translated to Spanish.

Attorney General Moody chaired the Statewide Task Force on Opioid Abuse that examined the effects of the opioid crisis in Florida and worked to identify strategies to improve opioid prevention, treatment and law enforcement interdiction efforts. The task force produced and submitted a final report sent to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Senate President Bill Galvano and Speaker of the House José Oliva. The report is available by visiting DoseOfRealityFL.com.