This week, I convened the first meeting of the Statewide Task Force on Opioid Abuse. Florida is losing 17 lives a day to the national opioid epidemic and this new task force will help the state better coordinate efforts to stop the destruction caused by addiction.

As Chair of the task force, I am committed to finding innovated approaches and best practices that can be implemented across Florida to save lives and help communities heal. Our 21-member team will focus on researching and assessing the nature of opioid drug abuse. We will also develop a statewide strategy to identify best practices to combat the opioid epidemic through education, treatment, prevention, recovery and law enforcement efforts.

Ahead of our inaugural meeting, my office launched a new statewide resource to help Floridians join in the fight. Dose of Reality is a one-stop shop of information about opioid addiction and resources for businesses, caregivers, educators, medical professionals, parents, seniors, students, veterans and others.

To visit the site, click here.

Ending this crisis is crucial work, and the task force is an important weapon in the battle to stop substance abuse and save lives. From my very first day in office, I have made ending this crisis a top priority, and as Chair of this vital task force, I take seriously the responsibility of identifying proven strategies and innovative ideas that we can implement across our state.

Please join us on this important mission. Working together we can save lives and build a stronger, safer Florida.