American Bridge today released a new five-minute documentary and a 30-page research reportholding Governor Rick Scott accountable for his abysmal response to the escalating opioid epidemic in Florida.
The five-minute documentary details Rick Scott’s inadequate and indifferent response to Florida’s opioid crisis, and will be promoted on social media channels to American Bridge’s audience in Florida.
- To view American Bridge’s documentary, click here.
- To read American Bridge’s report on Florida’s opioid crisis, click here.
“Thousands of Floridians are dying every year from opioid abuse and Rick Scott has done next to nothing to help them,” said American Bridge spokesperson Joshua Karp. “No matter how many campaign photo-ops he does now, the truth is Rick Scott has been totally unprepared and absent while the opioid crisis in Florida has exploded, and Floridians won’t let him forget it.”
An estimated 5,300 Floridians died of opioid overdoses last year, nearly doubling the number of deaths from 2014. But while other states dealing with major opioid crises have invested heavily in helping those impacted, throughout Rick Scott’s governorship, he has repeatedly ignored pleas for help and underfunded and vetoed funding for mental health and substance abuse programs. In fact, Florida ranked 49th in the nation in funding for those programs.
Scott also eliminated the Office of Drug Control and refused to expand Medicaid, which would have helped 300,000 Floridians access treatment for opioid addiction.
Published: Oct 12, 2017