The opioid crisis is a problem that we all face. Most people know someone who has been deeply affected as a result of this awful problem. Last year, it got so bad here in Florida, Governor Rick Scott declared a public health state of emergency in order to access federal funding quickly to deal with the problem.

Locally, it is particularly bad on the Suncoast. Manatee County is the epicenter and here in Sarasota we certainly are close behind Manatee. We are third in the state for the highest rate of opioid deaths.

This horrific problem is resulting not only in deaths shattering families, but is also having a chain reaction of epic proportions. It is taxing our foster care system with neglected children who may end up depending on the government for their care their entire childhoods, clogging our emergency rooms and hospitals with overdoses and upending our criminal justice system as we know it as courts and jails are overflowing with crimes as a result of this epidemic.