Incoming Florida Gov. Rick Scott has announced he will eliminate the Office of Drug Control once he takes office as part of his plan to contain wasteful government spending, according to a Miami Herald report.
The Office of Drug Control was created by Gov. Jeb Bush in 1999. The office currently surveys Florida schoolchildren on their drug and alcohol habits, provides guidance on drug policy, coordinates work among state agencies to address substance abuse issues and advises the governor on seaport security as it relates to drug smuggling, according to the report.
The announcement comes as new legislation takes aim at regulating Florida pain management clinics that prescribe addictive pain medications. Critics say the move will only save $500,000 and could cost human lives, as more than six fatalities a day are linked to prescription pain medication, according to the report.
A spokesman for Scott said the duties of the office will most likely be reallocated to the departments of Health and Law Enforcement.
Read the Miami Herald report on incoming Florida Gov. Rick Scott's plan to eliminate the ODC.
Read more on pain management:
-Opioid Treatment Agreements Can Harm Relationships With Patients
-Study: Femoral Nerve Blocks Improve Analgesia Outcomes Following Total Knee Arthroplasty
-Pharmaceutical Companies Submit Pain Management Drug to FDA
The Office of Drug Control was created by Gov. Jeb Bush in 1999. The office currently surveys Florida schoolchildren on their drug and alcohol habits, provides guidance on drug policy, coordinates work among state agencies to address substance abuse issues and advises the governor on seaport security as it relates to drug smuggling, according to the report.
The announcement comes as new legislation takes aim at regulating Florida pain management clinics that prescribe addictive pain medications. Critics say the move will only save $500,000 and could cost human lives, as more than six fatalities a day are linked to prescription pain medication, according to the report.
A spokesman for Scott said the duties of the office will most likely be reallocated to the departments of Health and Law Enforcement.
Read the Miami Herald report on incoming Florida Gov. Rick Scott's plan to eliminate the ODC.
Read more on pain management:
-Opioid Treatment Agreements Can Harm Relationships With Patients
-Study: Femoral Nerve Blocks Improve Analgesia Outcomes Following Total Knee Arthroplasty
-Pharmaceutical Companies Submit Pain Management Drug to FDA