Elaine Dean

10,000 Bay Pine Blvd

Bay Pines, Florida 33477
April 18th, 2017

Senator Bill Nelson

801 N. Florida Ave
Tampa Florida 33602

House Bill 477, Senate Bill 150 and the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act

Dear Senator Bill Nelson,

My name is Elaine Dean and I am a registered nurse in the field of occupational health.
The purpose of my letter is to address House Bill 477 submitted on January 24th, 2017
and Senate Bill 150 submitted on March 7th, 2017. And, while I am aware of the
controversies surrounding Senate Bill 150 House Bill 477 is a necessary change. These
two pieces of legislation if passed into law would collaborate with the Comprehensive
Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) to stem the epidemic of addiction in Florida.

Although there has been progress in recent years, opioid dependency and addition
continues to fuel one of the deadliest drug epidemic in our state claiming many lives each
day. Many Floridians are becoming addicted each year. Driven by a spike in opioid
related deaths, drug overdose now surpasses motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of
death in Florida. While most opioid related death overdose involves prescription
painkillers an increasing number are linked to heroine and fentanyl, a powerful synthetic
opioid often packaged and sold as heroine. The consequences of the opioid epidemic
continue to reverberate through communities, ruining lives, devastating families and
overwhelming the healthcare system, law enforcement, and social services.

House Bill 477 proposes the addition of newer synthetic opioid substitute compounds to
the list of controlled schedule 1 substances. Many of the synthetic opioids found in recent
years in Florida, were compounds and formulations that were not necessarily covered
under the previous list of schedule 1 drugs. This amendment to the list would close the
legal loopholes that allowed drug dealers to operate in gray areas under the law.

Senate Bill 150 controversial provisions that manslaughter charges would be available in
cases of drug distribution containing heroin and or fentanyl that resulted in overdose and
or death. According to State Representative Jim Boyd who initiated the bill it is an initial
step in tackling the problem that has grown out of control in the state of Florida.

These two bills working in tandem seemed poised to punish the traffickers of the drugs
and not those addicted to heroin or opiates. It would most certainly stem the availability
of these dangerous drugs, which would indeed help. However, there are still those out
there suffering from addition to opioids and heroin that need help. My recommendation is
that state legislators will consider the full implementation of the CARA bill, vote for the
full complement of funding in Congress and introduce efforts and reliefs for the
substance abuser themselves: in the form of behavioral health care and drug treatment
assistance.

Awaiting your collaboration,

Regards,

Elaine Dean RN BSN CDN