If you’ve been a long-time follower of our humble blog, you may recall our initial posts about the proposed Emergency Treatment and Recovery Act and the new regulation concerning certification for sober living communities in Florida. And maybe you even noticed we got a little more vocal in our “Rick Scott Delays in Signing the Emergency Treatment and Recovery Act-” but alas, it’s a new day and Rick Scott has finally signed both bills into law this Wednesday, according to WCTV. Scott’s been busy and recently signed 55 laws into enactment this week, but- for our measures, we’re most excited about how the Emergency Treatment and Recovery Act will benefit the victims of overdoses in Florida and state certification for sober living communities. To recap: the new act will allow emergency personnel, law enforcement, and state-approved persons to administer opiate antagonists to overdose victims. But what the heck is an opiate antagonist?
The Emergency Treatment and Recovery Act, HB 751
Saving Overdose Victims from Death and Permanent Brain Damage
In short, medications like Narcan and naloxone, reverse the effects of overdose. The process is simple: during an overdose the central nervous system becomes depressed, meaning those who are overdosing can no longer breathe, and as such, the cut-off from oxygen causes brain cells to permanently die off, before the victim eventually suffocates. Yikes! Opiate antagonists reverse those effects by clearing up all of our tiny opiate receptors inside the body that become inundated with opiates- and that’s what causes an overdose. It’s not all sunshine and roses.
Overdose victims who receive these medications are lunged into immediate withdrawal- and it’s not hard to imagine they’re usually not very happy about that. But! The new act should help Florida diminish the overdose rate among opiate users (and that includes heroin and certain prescription medications like vicodin, dilaudid, and oxy). According to our own residential drug rehabilitation center, about eight out of ten patients at Harbor Village Detox are detoxing from opiates.
Florida officials are excited to have access to the opiate antagonists in light of the data streaming in from other states who have already had access to the medications. But why the wait? Politics mostly. Some who are against using narcan and the like refute users may get too comfortable to continue using opiate based drugs, and instead of going to treatment, continue to use opiate substances with the assurance of Narcan nearby. Although I suppose there might be someone out there who might possibly touch upon that though- the immediate withdrawal addicts are shocked into are enough to keep anyone away from that stuff willingly.
The new act is meant to help save lives, not to perpetuate addiction. Although I suppose we’ll see what time brings to see which school of thought is correct. There’s always a grey area in between. But whatever we can do to minimize drug related deaths, and ensure families and friends never have to see their loved ones pass away, with available opiate antagonists in existence, is a win as far as we’re concerned. We’re crossing our fingers those revived with opiate antagonists will be admitted into an inpatient medical detox program immediately!
Substance Abuse Services, HB 21
Or in Plain Speak, Uprooting Corrupt Sober Living Communities
If you recall, before this newly ratified law, sober living communities were really at the mercy of the organizers running the facilities- and you wouldn’t think that was a bad thing, until reports of ignoble behavior came flooding in on a regular basis. There have been incidents where drug dealers have frequented sober living residences (where of course, drugs and alcohol are NOT permitted)- and instances in New York where recovering addicts are literally forced to choose between relapsing or going back to living on the streets, all for a little bit of money paid to the owner by Medicaid. You can read about that one here.
Well now something is getting done to crack down on corrupt sober living communities. The new Substance Abuse Services law prompts sober living communities to apply for state certification, meaning that each community must comply with state regulation for the standards of optimal treatment. But the new regulation isn’t so pushy as to force sober living communities to comply with the $100 annual certification.
Those who choose not to opt in to become certified may still operate- but hospitals are barred from being able to refer recovering addicts to sober living communities who are not state certified. (At least, that’s what one of first drafts of the bill stipulated.) And that, my lovelies, will hopely prevent corrupt sober living houses from thriving off of the very people they’re supposed to save.
The new law will be active in July of 2015.
What are your thoughts on these new legislations? Share your opinions below!
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