Local public and private drug treatment centers in Florida continue to be filled with people struggling with an addiction to prescription painkillers. At Hillsborough County’s public drug treatment center, there are 20 beds for people who volunteer, or are ordered by the court, to complete a four-day detox program.
The drug treatment center is run by the Agency for Community Treatment Services and has most of its beds filled by people who are addicted to opiates.
"If they’re 40 or under, it’s going to be opiates," said Michael Strolla, the assistant medical director of the drug treatment center.
Most of the patients at the drug treatment center had legitimate pain before they became addicted to the opiates. They tell the story of failed attempts at physical therapy, massage and acupuncture before they acknowledged they were addicted to the pain pills.
"It’s a common story," said Strolla. "These people, most of them, truly thought they were doing the right thing after tweaking their back or getting injured."
There are about 70 pain clinics in Hillsborough County and 35 in the Tampa area. According to Bruce Grant, the director of the state Office of Drug Control, there are about 1,000 pain clinics registered in Florida. On October 1, new state laws went into effect making it more difficult to register and operate pain clinics in Florida. The pain clinics are now subject to inspections by state regulators and could be closed if they are not in compliance. A statewide drug monitoring program may also help stem the rising tide of prescription drug abuse.
"I’ve lost 16 friends in three years," said Lindsay Roberts, a paralegal at a Tampa law firm. "I’ve lost so many people to the same thing. I’m to the point where I can’t cry anymore. I’m just angry."
