Of all the oxycodone prescribed in America in the first half of last year, 98 percent was dispensed in Florida. According to the state medical examiner’s office, an average of seven Floridians die from prescription drug overdoses every day – more than from car accidents.

In recent years, Pinellas has lost more people to prescription drugs than any other county in the state – 249 just last year. That’s an increase of 60 over the year before.

“Everyone knows someone who has gone through this addiction and you just feel so helpless. It’s a horrible, vicious disease,” said Pinellas County sheriff’s spokeswoman Marianne Pasha.

“These aren’t Dumpster-diving drug addicts,” she said. “These people are getting their pills from doctors. It’s the person in line beside you at Publix, the woman next to you in the pew at church.”

Indiana- Scottsburg High School

December 8, 2011, 1:45 pm
Indiana- Scottsburg High School
Scottsburg High School
500 South Gardner Street
Scottsburg, IN

Today I partnered with NOPE TASK FORCE as a Guest Speaker for their presentation at Scottsburg Hogh School.   Sheriff Dan McClain (Scottsburg County), Co- Founder/ Director Karen Perry and myself all shared our real life testimonies and were very candid and open with the high school students.  They have had 17 drug related deaths this year in Scottsburg.  I pray we have given the students education and tools to stop and think and reach out for help and be a hero for someone who is using drugs and in need of help.

http://drdrew.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/19/prescription-pills-killed-my-daughter/

Copy & Paste this link (above) to watch my interview with Dr. Drew on May 19, 2011.

“O Lord, do not forsake me; be not far from me, O my God. Come quickly to help me, O Lord, my Savior” (Psalm 38:21-22). Amen.

Spiritual Doubts

For those who have contacted me after the death of their child or family member…May GOD display to you HIS peace…. I know the intense pain of grief and sorrow and that of loss of a child.  I have met so many people from my website all across the U.S. who have also experienced the same thing.  I always recommend grief care, compassionate friends, hospice or another form of grief support.  It helps as you move though the process. My prayers are with you…..~ Sharon Blair (Jennifer’s mother)
The death of a loved one can leave you feeling spiritually off balance. Question God, but allow Him to work mightily in you.

Shelly’s teenage son appeared to be doing well when, unexpectedly, he committed suicide. She says, “I did go through one period where I was so upset that I probably had my faith shaken to the deepest that it has ever been shaken. I said, ‘Lord, it is not supposed to happen like this.’ We prayed for the prodigal return. We prayed for the change around. We prayed, and it was happening. And everything was going the way it should have. Hope was restored in our hearts, and then to have this happen.

“I can remember being upset to the point of saying, ‘Well, Lord, have we been believing all this in vain? Are You there, or is this just another myth like so many in our history have tried to create because they couldn’t understand why things happened the way they did?’ When I look over that period of questioning, I think that is probably what has caused me to grow and be so much greater a Christian.”

Your greatest spiritual growth comes through your questions and trials. You may not like a situation, but often you must accept it and seek growth, not stagnation.

Is God a myth? You will find the answer to this question is an unequivocal no. Allow Him to show you His glorious power and might.

“God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (1 Peter 5:10).

Almighty God of the universe, forgive me when I limit You, doubt You, and expect You to fail me. I am so small compared to You, yet You love me more than I can comprehend. Amen.

Griefshare Devotional

Nov. 18, 2011

An update:  I have contacted Executive Director Karen Perry and requested a written proposal for Monroe County, Indiana, to inquire about starting a NOPE Alliance NOPE Chapter in Monroe County, IN.   I have sent this proposal request to , Centerstone, MHAI (Mental Health America of Indiana), Monroe County Community School cooperation, Monroe C.A.R.E.S. Group and Bloomington Police Department.  I will keep my website updated with any new information.

MOSI exhibit on toll of drug abuse taps into a mother’s pain and mission

By Justin George, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Sunday, October 16, 2011

NORTH TAMPA — Among hundreds of portraits of dead drug abusers on the walls at the Museum of Science and Industry is the face of a woman with a captivating smile, trim eyebrows and auburn hair. Jennifer Reynolds-Gonzalez died on Jan. 15, 2009, at age 29. Her family wrote up a few brief words by her picture: She was a daughter. Her family loves her forever. But her mother is dying to say much more. The exhibit, “Target America: Opening Eyes to the Damage Drugs Cause,” presents the historical impact of illegal drugs in gripping fashion. The yearlong display is filled with hypodermic needles, crude drug labs, meth-cursed hotel rooms, terrorist faces and sad portraits of people who wasted away from drugs. Haunting relics include car wreckage caused by drugs, ghostly abandoned tricycles and dirty glass bottles. But it’s the faces that stand out to many. Portraits of drug addicts hang on walls labeled “lost talent.” Others, such as Reynolds-Gonzalez, are featured in sideshows labeled “lost potential.” She grew up in Largo, then went from apartments to hotel rooms in Tampa and other parts of the Tampa Bay area. When Sharon Blair learned that her daughter was part of the exhibit, she contacted local reporters. She saw it as another opportunity to promote her cause, the Jennifer Act. For two years Blair has been pushing changes to the Marchman Act, which provides help for addicts. Blair, 54, lives part time in Bloomington, Ind., and in Clearwater, where she and her husband own a printing business. She is pushing for similar improvements in Indiana. The Marchman Act is a broad 18-year-old Florida law that defines the rights of and state services available to drug users. Named after the Rev. Hal S. Marchman, an advocate for alcoholics and addicts, the law helps family members get substance abuse treatment for loved ones. For 13 years, Blair tried to save her daughter, who began using drugs in high school. Jennifer was a cheerleader who was active in student government, but got caught up with older friends who introduced her to drugs. She smoked marijuana, dropped out of school, used cocaine and heroin, popped prescription pills, and went in and out of treatment centers. In response, Blair filed repeated Marchman Act petitions, found her treatment, watched her relapse, begged for state help and repeated the cycle. She filed five Marchman Act petitions for Jennifer in Pinellas, Hillsborough and Hardee counties and saw huge discrepancies in how counties handled the state law. Filing fees were free in one county, $300 in another. Some judges refused to order a drug assessment; others ordered Jennifer into outpatient treatment they couldn’t enforce. “It kept going on and on and on,” Blair said. “She would get treatment, then she would relapse and she would get arrested and I’d go in front of the judge and I’d write everyone to help me because my child was dying.” After Jennifer died of an accidental overdose of prescription painkillers and other drugs, Blair couldn’t turn away from her years of advocacy. She began looking at fixing flaws she saw in the Marchman Act. The list of improvements she proposes in the Jennifer Act is long: Blair thinks filing fees should be the same across Florida. Law enforcement and judges should be educated about drug addiction and state laws. The Office of Drug Control, judges and family members should get copies of treatment center evaluations and decisions. Every county should have lockdown facilities for addicts. The state should make sure there are enough detox and treatment beds. Families should be able to choose faith-based treatment. For two years Blair lobbied Rep. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg, and state Sen. Jack Latvala, R-St. Petersburg, to take up her cause. Both showed interest but found the fiscal impact too much for a state’s sagging economy. “It’s something he’s interested in,” said Rouson’s legislative assistant, Barclay Harless. “Sharon Blair’s tragedy and what she proposed I know the representative supports, and it’s a goal that he wants to achieve.” Latvala’s chief legislative assistant, Jennifer Wilson, said: “The senator is looking at possibly filing something like it this year, maybe not as extensive as the Jennifer Act.” Blair’s attempts in Indiana to pass a similar law also faced cost issues. But each year, she keeps trying, using her website — thejenniferact.com — as a pulpit. She spends most of her time blogging about drugs, addiction and prescription pill abuse while returning e-mails and phone calls from people trying to navigate bureaucratic systems to find treatment options for loved ones. If there was a reason Jennifer died, Blair believes it was this mission. “I’m a Christian lady. I’m not a politician or anything. I’m just a mother who tried so hard to save my child. I can’t put into words how hard it is, but I believe God gave me a reason.” She regrets that her daughter’s picture at MOSI doesn’t include a few words about the Jennifer Act. She said the picture, which came from a local drug task force that includes law enforcement and judicial representatives, families and treatment officials, was donated to the exhibit before she could have any input. She hopes MOSI visitors will dig deeper into Jennifer’s story, something many families of victims featured in “Target America” also want. “A lot of them feel, as part of their recovery and healing process, that if they are able to get out and tell the costs and consequences of drug abuse they can prevent the same thing,” said David Melenkevitz, a Miami spokesman with the Drug Enforcement Administration, which is sponsoring the exhibit. That’s all Blair wants. Justin George can be reached at (813) 226-3368 or jgeorge@sptimes.com.   FAST FACTS If you go “Target America: Opening Eyes to the Damage Drugs Cause” opened in September and will remain at MOSI until next September. General museum admission is $16.95 to $20.95. Some schools and youth groups may qualify for transportation subsidies and reduced ticket prices. For information, call (813) 987-6000. The museum is at 4801 E Fowler Ave. in Tampa. The Jennifer Act To learn more about the Jennifer Act, go to thejenniferact.com.

[Family photo] Jennifer Reynolds-Gonzalez struggled with addiction for 13 years. She died at age 29.

In Indiana, The Jennifer Act will have a new bill number in January.

The Indiana 2012 Session officially begins on January 4^th and ends on March 14th.  This is the time the bill will be introduced by Indiana Senator Vi Simpson and can be heard by a committee hearing.

In Florida, I am waiting to hear back from Senator Jack Latvala’s Assistant to see if we have a co-sponsor for The Jennifer Act (amending/tweaking the Marchman Act).

I will keep everyone updates as we move along. As constituents, remember to write, email or fax your local Senators and Representatives and let your voices be heard on this bill proposal. Addiction is a matter of life and death!  It is a progressive disease.  Intervention tools such as The Jennifer Act, can save a life!

The number of Americans who died from overdoses of prescription painkillers more than tripled in the past decade, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More people now die from painkillers than from heroin and cocaine combined. …Thank you for your support! -Sharon Blair

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Message Recipients: Pinellas County John Morroni Susan Latvala Nancy Bostock Karen Seel, Commission Chair Kenneth Welch Nick Brickfield

I am writing to commend your efforts to curb prescription drug abuse and encourage you to pass a proposed amendment to the pain management ordinance.

Florida has redefined pain management and not in a good way. Until recently, the laws allowed pill mills to attract patients by offering free gas cards and two-for-one or half price prescription specials. The law allowed clinics to be owned by investors rather than doctors, and physicians who were disciplined for overprescribing were allowed to maintain their employment. This sounds more like drug dealing than pain management. Florida legislators agreed, and passed a bill that will help regulate pain clinics and shut down ones that operate outside the law.

Unfortunately, criminal doctors and clinics looking to take advantage of med seeking patients, have discovered and taken advantage of loopholes in the state law.

The current proposed amendment will help close these loopholes by requiring any doctor who writes more than 34 prescriptions a day for narcotics to register with the county and follow basic operating standards.

The new amendment will also provide financial incentives to doctors and clinic owners who demonstrate they are utilizing the following programs and strategies in their offices:
a.    Educational programs designed to help patients recognize the signs of addiction.
b.    Tools to evaluate patients for addictive tendencies.
c.    Consistent utilization of PDMP.
d.    Determination of pregnancy with female patients prior to prescribing narcotics.

According to the 2010 Florida Medical Examiners Commission Report on Drugs Identified in Deceased Persons, Pinellas County ranks number one in six categories where prescription drugs were the cause of death.  The report indicates that District 6 (Pinellas and Pasco) tops the list where Oxycodone, Alprazolam, Methadone, Diazepam, Hydrocodone and Morphine were identified as the cause of death. Overall, prescription drugs were the cause of death for 2,710 Floridians, an 8.9% increase from 2009.

It is imperative that we do everything in our power to change this devastating reality! Please vote to pass the proposed amendments to the pain management ordinance. Let’s make Pinellas County an example of how to successfully curb prescription drug diversion and abuses.
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Coping With the Loss of a Child- (Griefshare Devotional)

To lose a child of any age—from an infant to an adult child—is one of the greatest shocks a parent can experience. The death of a child is tragic and feels entirely wrong.
“It’s so out of sequence and just so unnatural when your child, whom you protected all your life, dies. Is there something you could have done to have spared this?” says Pastor Buck Buchanan.
This grief can be very deep. As Matthew 2:18 says, “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”
God knows your sorrow, and no matter how dark or painful your situation, Jesus can bring you hope. Sometimes, though, you feel like rejecting that hope and embracing your despair, as if hopefulness is somehow a betrayal to your child. Do not let Satan manipulate your thoughts in that way. Seek God and allow Him to light your path.
Lord and Savior, You are the only one who knows my sorrow. My body is enveloped in pain and wracked by grief, but I know there is hope because of You. Help me to live out that hope. Amen.

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LARGO – Organizers of a candlelight vigil in Largo on Wednesday night say the sheer number of those who attended shows their reason for holding the vigil is a growing problem in the community. Roughly 1,000 people gathered at Largo Central Park for a the Third Annual National Candlelight Vigil to remember loved ones who have died of a drug overdose.There were few empty seats and few dry eyes as those who lost loved ones to drug overdose shared their stories of loss at the Narcotics Overdose Prevention & Education (N.O.P.E) vigil.Charlotte Fox said she knew her son, Matthew, had a problem with prescription pain pill, but she was ashamed to admit it.”I allowed my own pride to kill my son,” Fox said. “Yeah, it’s true. I’m a teacher. I have certain standing in the community. I (still) wouldn’t admit my son’s need for help. I kept it all very hush-hush.”A board lined with pictures showed those who have been lost — many in their teens and early twenties.Landon Korabek mixed Vicodin and Xanax and died at 17. His mother, Susan, said it may have been his first time experimenting with the drugs.”He had some other challenges, but certainly we had no clue or thought it was prescription drugs. That’s what it turned out to be,” Korabek said.Fox and Korabek said if their stories save even one life, their children didn’t die in vain.Law enforcement officials have said prescription drug abuse an “epidemic” that is even more frightening than crack or powdered cocaine.”People get addicted to these drugs who wouldn’t. They get in a car wreck (or) they have a job-related injury, they go to the doctor and get that drug prescribed and they can’t give it up,” Pinellas County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Bob Gualtieri said.A state prosecutor at the vigil told the crowd the community can’t just arrest their way out of the problem. He said schools, law enforcement, the medical community and parents have to focus on prevention and education.

Pierce, Diekhoff to speak at narcotic overdose prevention vigil Oct. 27

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3–4

Mother of woman who died from overdose working for bill that would set procedures for involuntary commitments

Hundreds of luminarias will turn darkness into light during the Narcotic Overdose Prevention and Education Candle Light Vigil at 6 p.m. Oct. 27 at the Fairview United Methodist Church, 600 W. Sixth St.

The purpose of the second annual NOPE event, which last year drew nearly 400 people, is to remember loved ones lost to substance abuse, as well as those still struggling with addictions to alcohol or drugs.

“The vigil is a safe place where people can come and remember the loss of a loved one who died due to an often-stigmatized disease called addiction,” said Sharon Blair, spokeswoman for the event and the mother of a daughter who died at age 29 from an accidental drug overdose. “They can come to express their grief and love for the person they lost in a loving and accepting environment. Last year’s vigil was very moving, powerful and healing.”

Blair said the event is also intended to create greater awareness of substance abuse, and how the community can better respond to those suffering from addictions. She said one thing the community needs is a detox unit, particularly one that can help people who are high on such things as heroine or prescription medications.

Linda Grove-Paul, Centerstone’s director of addiction and forensic services, agrees with Blair that Bloomington could benefit from a detox unit.

“The need is there,” she said. “People are dying from drug and alcohol overdoses. But there aren’t enough funds for addiction treatments in general, and there are few if any funds for detox. Most people with addictions don’t have insurance, so paying for detox is a serious issue.”

State Rep. Matt Pierce and Monroe County Circuit Court Judge Mary Ellen Diekhoff will be the keynote speakers at the event, which will also feature live music, refreshments, and information tables.

Blair said people can bring photos of their loved ones that can be put on display boards. They can also reserve a luminaria for their loved one by calling Alyson Winter at 812-337-2424, and add their story and loved one’s photo to the Memorial Wall at www.nopetaskforce.org.

Blair has been working with Indiana state legislators to introduce a bill she put together — named the Jennifer Act in honor of her deceased daughter — that would provide procedures for the involuntary commitment of a person due to alcohol or drug abuse.

“We hope to redraft it in November and introduce it in January, most likely by Sen. Vi Simpson,” she said. “We hope to expand the existing commitment law in Indiana to include the Jennifer Act.”

Copyright: HeraldTimesOnline.com 2011