Archive
Articles Tagged In:
local
Florida’s Homeless are Struggling with the Coronavirus
Southern Florida is no stranger to homelessness. Over 1,000 people live on Miami streets, but actual numbers may be far higher. The plight of the homeless in Southern Florida has…
Help is Available in the Miami area
If you’re finding yourself becoming more and more anxious in the face of a constant barrage of bad news, you’re not alone. The mental toll and stress caused by this…
Fort Lauderdale Addiction & Mental Health Resource Guide
When you or a loved one is confronting substance dependence or addiction, it can be difficult to know where to turn. That’s why Recovery First has created this guide, which…
Watch Out: Scams in Opioid Rehab Plague South Florida
The message of a recent news item posted by Pew Trusts is clear. It resonates in the headline: “Opioid Treatment Scam May be Coming to Your State.” Where has this…
Florida: Among States with the Highest Toll from Opioids
“Every eight minutes someone dies from a drug overdose. Most of the time it’s from an opioid, like heroin or illicit fentanyl, but also opioids like oxycodone or hydrocodone –…
Events and Media
Virtual Meetings We offer online virtual support meetings in the style of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. These virtual 12-step meetings are intended to offer a safe place for individuals…
Should Possession of Cocaine Be a Felony in Florida?
When police did a sweep of three fire stations across Key West, a firefighter was arrested for possession of 0.02 grams of cocaine – or about 22 milligrams of…
‘Zombie’ Drug No Laughing Matter in Florida Prisons
Inmates, corrections officers, and the Florida Department of Corrections agree: Synthetic drugs are a serious problem in the Florida prison system. Inmates are using these drugs regularly enough that it…
Pro Tip: Do Not Bring Drugs to Jury Duty
Does the reminder not to bring drugs into a courthouse seem unnecessary? To many, it seems as obvious as saying, “Don’t forget to drive on the right side of the…
Drug Dealer Arrested on Historic Federal Charges
A few months ago, Attorney General Jeff Sessions came to Florida and met with prosecutors, urging them to apply the death penalty whenever possible when dealing with drug dealers. The…
Sober Homes in Florida: Are They Helping or Hurting Clients?
The short answer is that yes, most sober homes in Florida are helping clients to heal in recovery from an active substance use disorder. As they transition from an inpatient…
Are Patients in Florida Getting Paid to Go to Addiction Treatment?
While the substance abuse treatment industry is mostly peopled by those who are giving everything they have to fight the drug addiction epidemic, there are some individuals who are corrupt,…
Florida Drug Traffickers and the Death Penalty
Should drug-related offenses be treated as crimes or as signs of a disorder that requires treatment? If so, which ones? If not, is treatment the best response? Which drug-related offenses…
Drugs and the Abuse of a Florida Runaway
Peer pressure is often blamed for teen use of drugs and alcohol, but too often, it is adults who encourage substance use among minors. Sometimes, it’s for the purposes of…
No Stop Is Routine: FL Driver Arrested with Gun, Drugs, Fake ID
When state police pulled over a Florida woman in Indiana, she tried to give them a fake ID and move on. But after several moving violations and with the smell…
Will Florida’s Office of Drug Control Be Brought Back to Life in 2018?
In response to the opiate addiction and overdose epidemic that has swept the state, Governor Rick Scott convened a statewide panel to come up with a coordinated plan to address…
Are Florida’s Drug Laws Outdated?
Sentencing for drug-related convictions in Florida has long been counted as some of the harshest in the country. Intense minimum mandatory sentences were put in place back in the 1980s…
42 Arrested in FL Steak House Drug Bust
An employee of a steak restaurant in Florida was under surveillance for months before “Operation Big Mi-Steak” exploded earlier this month. In the sting operation, 42 people ended up in…
Two Drug Trafficking Rings Busted in South Florida
The Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation is reporting that 24 people have been arrested and charged with drug-related crimes as two major drug trafficking rings in Central Florida were brought down…
Why Aren’t Florida Doctors Using the Prescription Painkiller Database?
The Florida Prescription Drug Monitoring Database, or E-FORCSE® (Electronic-Florida Online Reporting of Controlled Substance Evaluation Program), is a statewide program that requires pharmacists and encourages physicians to enter all controlled…
Florida Driver Shot by Passenger on Drugs
A man from New Hanover County was shot and killed abruptly this month when his passenger woke up from a “drug-induced stupor” and fired a gun without warning. The driver…
Fentanyl-Laced Marijuana Hits Florida
First, fentanyl was found in heroin, then it started showing up in cocaine. Next, they found it in counterfeit pills sold on the street – pills made to look like…
Former Florida Firefighter Funds Free Narcan
For one former firefighter in Florida, now in retirement, the job did not end with his last day of work. Instead, Luis Garcia is pulling money out of the bank…
Pensacola, FL, Drug Treatment and Alcohol Rehab Information
Pensacola is a city in Florida’s Panhandle, the northwestern Escambia County area along the Gulf of Mexico. It is close to Florida’s border with Alabama. As a tourist destination, Pensacola is…
Drug and Alcohol Rehab Tallahassee, FL
Like many cities in the U.S., Tallahassee, Florida has numerous residents who need treatment for substance abuse difficulties. Tallahassee is the county seat for Leon County. It’s the Sunshine State’s…
Delray Beach Takes Steps to Protect Clients in Sober Homes
Two so-called “sober living homes” in Delray Beach, Florida, suddenly closed their doors, leaving 24 residents in recovery with almost no notice to find a new place to live. Rather…
10 Arrests Made in FL Drug Bust
Deputies of Volusia County were busy at the end of last month, working on Operation Clean Slate and making 10 arrests across the county as a result. The focus of…
Busted! FL Man Lies to Wife to Cover up Drug Purchase
A DeLand, Florida, man took $425 out of his bank account to spend on cocaine and then realized he had to come up with a story to tell his wife….
Tampa, FL, Drug Treatment and Alcohol Rehab Information
Tampa, Florida, is one of the largest cities in the Sunshine State. The population is 369,028 as of 2016, and the median age is about 35 years old – a…
Hollywood, FL, Drug Treatment and Alcohol Rehab Information
Hollywood, Florida has a large population for a city in Broward County; there are almost 147,000 residents, with a median age of 41 years old. The southern Florida city is…
25 Drug Overdoses in 3 Days in Boynton Beach, FL
On average every month, there have been about 45 overdoses in Boynton Beach. Already a high number, those rates skyrocketed in a three-day period this month when 25 people overdosed…
Treatment Over Prison: Florida’s Solution
Across the country, states are talking about how best to manage the issue of drug possession charges. For decades, there have been steep penalties for all charges related to drugs…
Bad Dope Alert: 10 Die of Drug Overdoses in One Day in Florida
On March 17, the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner tweeted: “Thought there was a slowing down, but we have 10 drug overdose deaths today. Must be a bad batch of…
Are Drug Dealers Murderers? Proposed Florida Law Says “Yes”
Every day, more than 100 people lose their lives to drug overdose across the state of Florida, and almost none of these deaths result in a homicide charge for the…
Drug Bust Yields 3 Arrests in Hollywood, Florida
Three residents of a Hollywood, Florida, apartment complex were arrested this month, allegedly for drug trafficking and contributing to ongoing disruption in their neighborhood. Residents report that there was a…
Addiction, Law Enforcement and Lies
When a woman in Florida made an illegal left turn, she – and the law enforcement officers who pulled her over – did not expect that her next stop would…
Miami Metro Area Addiction Treatment
Miami is a sprawling metropolis, home to over 430,000 people at the time of the 2014 census.1 It is a busy port city in the southeastern region of the United States,…
Tampa Bay – Drug Use & Treatment Options
1 With a major international airport, bustling seaport, and several main highways bisecting the city and providing access to the rest of Florida and the country, Tampa is a popular destination…
St. Petersburg – Drug Abuse & Treatment
When residents of Pinellas County, Florida, were asked what they deemed to be the biggest concern regarding health related behaviors, more than half of the responders chose alcohol and drug…
Jacksonville – Drug Habits & Health Services
Jacksonville is the most populous city in Florida and the biggest city by area (over 840 square miles) in the entire United States.1 Familiar with drug abuse and mental health issues,…
Orlando Metro Area Addiction Centers
Home to big theme parks and a bustling tourism industry, Orlando, Florida, is a prime destination and vacation city for many. With a resident population of 262,372, Orlando is a…
FL Sheriff Is Not a Fan of the Tostitos ‘Party Safe’ Bags
Tostitos is making a new “Breathalyzer” bag. Yes, a bag into which the purchaser may blow that can detect the presence of alcohol. Called a “party safe” bag, it is…
President Obama’s Final Commutations
Among his last acts as president, Obama has commuted the sentences of 17 more federal prisoners from Florida and pardoned another four Floridians. In total, he has commuted the sentences…
New Florida Law Creates Minimum Legal Age for Purchasing Cough Syrup
As of the first of the year, no one under the age of 18 will be able to buy cough medicine in Florida. The new law will be in effect…
Should Florida Taxpayers Pay for Marijuana Research?
With the laws changing regarding the legal use of marijuana across the country and in Florida, many are pushing for an increased focus on research on how the drug impacts…
Drug Trafficking through the State of Florida
According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, most illegal drugs entering the United States come through Mexico and over the Texan border.1 While that may never change, the War on…
29 in Broward County Face Charges for Drug, Firearm Trafficking
Twenty-nine people from across South Florida were indicted on drug trafficking or firearm sales charges in Broward County this month. In an undercover operation, law enforcement agents purchased an array…
Will 800 Die of Opiate Overdose in South Florida This Year?
According to projections based on data from South Florida medical examiners, the number of people who lose their life to opiate overdose in Palm Beach County, Broward County, and Miami-Dade…
FL Couple Chases Ghosts with Machetes while under the Influence
Two people in Florida were reportedly under the influence of Molly, a version of the club drug ecstasy, and found to be chasing ghosts with a machete by Volusia County…
Heiress Donates $800,000 to Fight Medical Marijuana in Florida
As Florida gears up to vote on Amendment 2, a piece of legislation that would alter current medical marijuana laws in November, a range of people and groups are throwing…
Snitches Get Paid? $1.5 Million Paid to South Florida Informant
When the average person hears that a confidential informant (CI) in South Florida has earned about $1.5 million in payouts from the federal government over the course of 31 years,…
‘Pinky’ Is Officially Banned in Florida
With an emergency order, State Attorney General Pam Bondi outlawed the drug U-47700, also known as “Pinky,” in the state of Florida. The loss of more than 50 lives across…
$24 Million Seized in Florida Drug Bust
In what is being called the largest seizure of funds in the history of Miami-Dade county, law enforcement searched the home of an alleged marijuana trafficker and found about $24…
CO’s Legal Pot Being Sold in Florida
One of the concerns of legalizing marijuana on a state level has been that surrounding states, even if they did not approve of the legislation, would be negatively impacted. Higher…
Life Sentence for Florida Man for Fatal Shooting over a $10 Drug Debt
Maurice Talley was convicted of first-degree murder after shooting Roger Glen in the head over a $10 drug debt. Talley had been pushing Glen to pay the debt and had…
Finding Outpatient Drug Treatment Programs in Florida
When people in Florida think of “rehabilitation” in relation to substance abuse, they might imagine an inpatient treatment facility where they spend several weeks or months detoxing from addictive substances,…
Most Common Drugs in Florida
Trends in drug use in Florida appear to be similar to many other states. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the following illicit drugs are most commonly…
Is Weed Legal in Florida?
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the most popular illicit drug of abuse in the state of Florida is marijuana. Obviously, the answer to the above question…
Avoiding Sex-Related Relapse after Florida Drug Treatment
Drugs and sex both have enormous effects on the brains’ production of dopamine, serotonin, and other feel-good hormones. However, most drugs produce far greater sensations than people can achieve through sex or other pleasurable activities. This is part of the reason why people become addicted, but it also explains why sex can lead to relapse. People who struggle with drug cravings may use sex in an addictive way to try to replicate the feelings they used to get from drugs. When they are ultimately unable to achieve the same sensations, they return to substance abuse to get the releases they so desperately crave. As with all other activities, rehab patients need to guard against inherently addictive behaviors in their sex lives.
Dealing With Court Issues with Florida Drug Rehab
Dealing With Court Issues with Florida Drug Rehab
Drug Addicts Survive Rehab hit by Hurricane Wilma
The following article was written about Recovery First by R. Hudson. It’s funny how the most powerful stories arise out of the most casual of situations. A few years ago…
Drug Treatment in Florida: The Orange County Drug Problem
Orange County perfectly illustrates how addiction affects rich and poor people alike. Despite being one of the nation’s wealthiest areas, this California county has been struggling with horrible drug problems….
Treating Krokodil Addiction with Drug Rehab in Florida
Krokodil is one of the most dangerous substances abused by those who attend drug rehab in Florida – as well as the rest of the world. Especially popular in Germany,…
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy in Florida Addiction Treatment
Rational emotive behavioral therapy is a successful psychological method for drug treatment in Florida. As a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy, REBT helps people undergoing Florida drug rehab to alter their…
The Daily Schedule at a Florida Drug Rehab Center
One of the most common questions people have about Florida drug rehab centers is what their schedules look like. Florida drug rehab centers are incredibly effective for addiction treatment, but…
Stolen Prescription Drugs Found in Florida
The largest prescription drug heist in United States history has come to an end in Florida – a state already plagued with a severe painkiller problem. In fact, the bust…
Leaving Your Home State for Drug Rehab in Florida
Addiction treatment is available throughout the country, but there are several advantages to leaving your home state and going to drug rehab in Florida. Escaping your normal environments to attend…
Enrolling Your Loved One in a Drug Rehab Center in Florida
Attending a drug rehab center in Florida is one of the best ways for addicts to get clean, but they often fail to seek treatment themselves. The actions of friends…
Ten Items You Should Bring to Drug Treatment in Florida
Addicts who want to make the most of drug treatment in Florida need to come prepared. Most inpatient stays last at least a month, and people who attend an FL…
DBT Use During Florida Inpatient Treatment
Originally designed to treat people with borderline personality disorder, dialectical behavior therapy is now an important part of Florida inpatient treatment. Many addicts who attend drug rehab in FL struggle…
Drug Rehab in Florida: The Miami Cocaine Trade
Addicts can make lasting recoveries with drug rehab in Florida, but the state is still a hub of narcotics trafficking and gang violence. Despite the advancements made in treatment, massive…
Addiction Treatment: Florida Model vs. Residential Inpatient Program
The “Florida Model” Drug Rehab Center The Florida Model: The Florida model drug rehab center isn’t a residential inpatient program in any way. In fact, Florida model centers don’t have…