The District Six Medical Examiner’s Office recently released drug-related death statistics for Pasco County, and the numbers reveal that deaths from prescription pill abuse continue their downward trend. The number of prescription drug deaths dropped to 63 in Pasco County in 2013, down from a high of 142 prescription drug deaths in 2010. Factoring in the deaths from a combination of both prescription drugs and illicit drugs and the numbers are 153 in 2010 and 73 in 2013. Sheriff Chris Nocco credits several factors for the continuing downward trend, and states that while the numbers are promising, they are still too high. The prescription pill epidemic began more than 10 years ago as these drugs became a more medically acceptable means of treating pain. However, with the medicinal use came abuse and illegal use which translated into a black market for the many forms of prescription narcotics. This illegal trade and creation of prescription pill addicts fueled crime not only in Pasco County and the Tampa Bay area, but people would come from other states to purchase the easily available drugs and take them back across state lines.

Key factors in the reduction of prescription drug related deaths may include:

• Sheriff Nocco asking for and receiving additional funding from the Pasco county commissioners to hire more deputies to fight the growing prescription drug abuse problem. Additional forces of two sergeants and ten detectives (two squads of five detectives supervised by a sergeant) were funded in 2011. One squad focuses on the street level distribution of narcotic pills as well as doctor shoppers and the individuals uttering forged prescriptions. The second squad focuses on long term investigations and major violators. This group also partners with detectives in adjoining counties to address jurisdictional issues and share resources.

• The prescription pill database that was created by the Florida Legislature in 2011. This allows medical practitioners and law enforcement agencies help to pinpoint which individuals are being over-prescribed medication by doctor-shopping, or visiting more than one doctor for the same ailment to receive multiple subscriptions.

• The ongoing public awareness campaign conducted by the Pasco Sheriff’s Office and its community partners, like the Pasco Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention, or ASAP. Creating awareness about the dangers of how easy it is to become addicted to prescription narcotics and how to beat addiction can give friends and family members the knowledge to help their loved ones before it is too late.