Most Commonly Abused Drugs in Florida

When you look at addiction throughout the state of Florida, it’s clear that over the past few years illicit drug use has become an epidemic regardless of the area. However, with that being said, there are some areas where certain drug addictions have reached epidemic proportions even with drug addiction continuing to be the forefront of making the public conscious and aware of the dangers.

A few years ago, there was the infamous Pill Mill Bust throughout Florida in which dozens of prescription pill mills were shut down and hundreds of doctors lost their licenses. Although the bust was a positive thing with shutting down all the doctors who were illegally selling prescription medication, that led many addicts to the cheaper, more illicit solutions (i.e. heroin, cocaine, meth etc). This further proves that drug addiction is a continuous circle of abuse.

Since the pill mill bust, it’s been easier to pinpoint which illicit substances are being used the most frequently throughout the state.

Prescription Drugs

Although the pill mills were shut down, that doesn’t mean that people still can’t their hands on cheaper pills from a street dealer. The number of overdoses via prescription drugs doubled between 1999 and 2010, and although those numbers have since dropped, Florida is still ranked 11th for having the highest mortality rate. Within the Florida Department of Corrections Interim Report, it can be seen that most common COD (cause of death) was from Oxycodone and Benzodiazepines such as Xanax.

Marijuana

While marijuana is the most commonly cited drug, marijuana has been in the forefront of legalization for medical uses. Although the bill to legalize marijuana did not pass, there are many positive notions that it is not as dangerous to other abused drugs throughout the state and it has some beneficial qualities. However, with that being said, it’s still illegal and although it may not be a gateway drug, you can still become dependent.

marijuana

Heroin

In Broward County, heroin use is at an all time high. Heroin has similar effects like prescription pain killers so for those who lost their supply during the pill bust, they turned to the more affordable and similar option. In 2011, drug treatment facilities saw an 87 percent increase in heroin admissions from the previous year and the Department of Law Enforcement saw a 23 percent increases in heroin related charges.

Heroin

Need Help Overcoming Addiction?

If you’ve completed your drug treatment program, but you aren’t quite ready to submerge yourself back into the real world, contact us at Florida Recovery Group. We can help tailor a plan for 12-step meetings, where to live, and get you that continuous support system that you need.