Two years ago, this week, we launched our Dose of Reality Florida website. It is designed to be a one-stop shop for Floridians to find information and resources about fighting back against opioid abuse and addiction.

We created the comprehensive resource to help Floridians who may be affected by the opioid crisis, which currently claims 21 lives a day in our state. In a single-year period from May 2019 to May 2020, more than 81,000 people died of drug overdoses nationwide—the highest number of overdose deaths ever recorded in a 12-month period. While the situation may look bleak, we recently made real progress in our fight against the opioid epidemic.

Just two months ago, I announced historic settlement agreements with opioid distributors and manufacturers—securing nearly $2 billion for Florida, when added to commitments already made following previous actions by my office. These funds will help bring much-needed relief to communities reeling from the national opioid crisis devastating Florida families.

And while the details and distribution of these funds are still being worked out, I am encouraging anyone struggling with addiction to seek help now.

You can visit DoseOfRealityFL.com to find treatment and resources near you—including information on prevention methods, safe pain management, proper storage of prescription drugs and guidelines on responding to an overdose.

To learn more about our work to curtail the opioid crisis, click here.

Working together, we can end the deadly opioid crisis, save lives and build a Stronger, Safer Florida.