DeSantis announces an expansion of CORE, Florida’s opioid recovery network

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday announced the expansion of Florida's Coordinated Opioid Response network, known as CORE, at a stop in Sanford, FL.

CORE, a substance abuse and recovery network established in 2022, will cover 17 more counties, including Lake, Orange, Polk and Seminole, for a total of 29.

The Department of Children and Families will have $26 million in Opioid Settlement funds for the program.

CORE connects overdose patients to medical treatment and brings in support through care coordinators and peer navigators.

DeSantis said it's one part of the state's multi-faceted opioid response.

"[T]he CORE network really aims to stop that revolving door of addiction and overdose by providing individuals with the tools and resources to choose an alternative path forward to sustainable recovery," he said.

The governor also signed Senate Bill 718, making it a second-degree felony to unlawfully possess fentanyl that causes a first responder to overdose or suffer serious injury.

"And so," DeSantis said, "if an officer says, 'Do you have drugs in your possession?' and you lie, and then the officer ends up getting exposed and harms, we're gonna throw the book at you and we're gonna hold you accountable."

Senate Bill 718 will take effect Oct. 1.

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