May 1, 2012
Media Contact: Jenn Meale
Phone: (850) 245-0150
Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Statement on Three-Fold Increase in Newborns Born Addicted to Prescription Drugs Between 2000 and 2009
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Pam Bondi issued the following statement regarding the first-of-its-kind study on prescription drug abuse and newborns released yesterday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
“For the first time, we have national data spanning nearly a decade that clearly show an alarming upward trend of babies being born addicted to prescription drugs. The fact that between 2000 and 2009 there was a three-fold increase in the number of babies diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome demonstrates the need to gain a better understanding of this crisis and to develop sound prevention strategies.
“This national study specifically refers to the establishment of Florida’s Task Force on Prescription Drug Abuse and Newborns, and I believe that we can become a model for the country on how to tackle this devastating health epidemic and protect newborns.”
To view the study and editorial, please follow these links: