A new Florida program to help people addicted to opioids is getting $5 million. The program will provide wrap-around services, including recovery help and career training for people struggling with opioid addiction. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says the coronavirus pandemic has added another layer to the opioid epidemic.
"We have more overdoses that have occurred over the last six months year over year than it occurred previously. And so, this is just something that we're going to have to face," DeSantis says.
Katie Bowman is celebrating eight years clean from an opioid addiction. She says the pandemic creates an environment that supports drug abuse.
"We love isolation when we're alone. We like to be alone with our shame and our guilt and our addiction," Bowman says.
Money to fund the program comes from the U.S. Department of labor. It will also be used to train workers in medical, mental health, and substance-abuse recovery-related fields.
