This week, at a treatment facility in Miami, I urged Floridians struggling with substance abuse to seek help. September is National Recovery Month, and we are dealing with an opioid crisis that is killing Americans and destroying communities.

Every year now, the U.S. breaks records for overdose deaths. Last year, more than 110,000 Americans died of an overdose—most of them, whether they knew it or not, consumed fentanyl.

The latest statistics available for the Miami-Dade area show that 585 people died of a drug overdose in the first six months of 2022, 131 of them from fentanyl. 

While fentanyl continues to be the driver of the skyrocketing drug deaths nationwide, we’re fighting emerging threats.

Last Thursday, I filed an emergency rule to temporarily outlaw a highly addictive substance called tianeptine in Florida, also known as gas station heroin. This action adds tianeptine to Florida’s Schedule I Controlled Substances list—meaning it is now a felony to buy, sell or possess it. 

Floridians who may have become addicted to gas station heroin will be suffering physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms. I am urging them to seek help. Please, if you are addicted to tianeptine or any illicit substance, SEEK HELP NOW!

There are trained medical professionals and drug counselors who can give you the treatment you desperately need. Go to TreatmentAtlas.org to find services near you. 

You can also visit DoseOfRealityFL.com our statewide resource with information about addiction, opioid abuse and links to additional treatment options around the state. 

By banning illicit substances and funding abatement projects, we are building a Stronger, Safer Florida.