Fresh NEWS in Florida SB 808 and HR735

I received the news from the Florida Medical Association:

The Florida Medical Association on the syringe exchange legislation proposed for the 2013 legislation session. The bills are HB 735 by Rep. Mark Pafford and SB 808 by Sen. Gwen Margolis. At this point, session officially begins next Tuesday. The House and Senate bills received their committees of reference last week. Unfortunately, both received 4 committee assignments each which isn’t a great sign but not totally unsuspected either. The main hurdle at this point is getting the bills heard in their first committees of reference.

Email Gwen Margolis margolis.gwen.web@flsenate.gov
and  Mark Pafford http://flhouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/emailrepresentative.aspx?MemberId=4435&SessionId=64

Thanks them let them know that substance use treatment requires quality assurance like expected of all other medical services.


My response:

I have a grave concern, which I would like to see how it can be incoporated in the bill. That is need for quality assurance. It is unfortunately but substantial number of professionals in social science has been ignoring both ethics and appropriate medical protocol and best practice. Often taking upon them to create policies and practices that is inconsistent with the best interest of their clients or patients, mostly for their own convenience.

As you may know by now, that has been a great concern of late Dave Purchase who just passed away, and numerous professionals associated with the harm reduction practice. We are all very concern to assure scientifically based practices which has been ignored by the Substance Use Disorder treatment community. This professionals seem to think that they do not need to follow the same scientific standards expect of all other medical fields. You might have received from NASEN documents associated with science and best practice. If you do not have them, I can provide them to you as they have given me the courtesy of sending me copies.

As you might know, syringe exchange will only but one service. This could be the opening to health system to a disfranchised population that we have been everything but ignoring, discriminate, stigmatized and even acted with bigotry. I assert that this manner of acting toward these individuals is consistent with racism.  Perhaps this is the reason that we are not making much head way with appropriate treatment of this population.

I am concern for patient’s safety and rights, and to tell you the truth neither the State of Florida Depatment of Children and Family who are suppose to license the facilities nor the treatment  facilities seem to be joyfully oblivious to the needs of this type of patients. Their professional behavior is more consistent with self-preservation and convenience than patient’s needs.

What we call substance abuse residential "treatment" today is only so by long term declaration, and is not supported by quantitative empirical research. As far as I Know it is neither effective and I suspect (without any data) that it causes relapse and possibly other bad habit. I like to avoid stating patients safety and syringe exchange program by people who have political and funding sources but not the require appropriate medical skills to provide quality assurance work. Unfortunately, having an education and a license is not guaranteeing it.

I also have copies of a draft of a bill that is being worked in North Carolina. As far as I can tell me and
have been the only two underground clean syringe programs in South Florida and doing our best at providing safe syringe and information.

I will look for the bills and see what suggestion or respond further.