Inside the Orange County Commission building Tuesday, state and county officials heard from the people who know what it means to be addicted.

  • Heroin task force meets in Orlando
  • Advocates, former addicts talk about ways to stop epidemic
  • Orange County has seen 130% increase in heroin overdoses  

“It’s no longer a heroin epidemic, it’s a heroin plague,” said Phil, who has been clean from heroin for a year now.

Former addicts, victims' families and advocates spoke about what they believe will help prevent and stop opioid and heroin addiction in Florida.

“I want to talk about the funding side of recovery. We have talked about the funding side of treatment,” said Marvin Lilly, an advocate with Mind, Body, Soul Recovery Housing.

“How to ask for help. And we are talking about a population that seems like something really easy, but you don’t realize how hard it is to actually ask for help,” said Victoria Camper with tears in her eyes.

“But I think there is one question on the minds of people who have been substantially affected by this… family members, friends, loved ones, and that is when is the governor is going to do the right thing and declare a state of emergency,” said an advocate.

Listening was the Orange County Heroin Task Force, the Florida Department of Health, the Department of Children and Families and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Sheriff Jerry Demings said in the first three months of 2017, Orange County responded to 160 heroin overdoses. In the first three months of 2016, OCSO responded to 69 heroin overdoses. Demings said that is a 130 percent increase.

When it comes to heroin deaths, in the first three months of 2017 there have been 17 that fall under OCSO jurisdiction. In the same time frame in 2016, there were eight deaths -- an increase of 113 percent.  

“If they go back to their same place where they came from, they are going to end up the same way,” said Jo-Anne Stone, certified addictions professional.

Jo-Anne Stone said she is in long-term recovery after being clean from heroin and opioids for 23 years.  Now a private counselor and business owner, she came to the commission to have her voice heard.

“And another thing we need to be working on is housing. We have to have housing for people when they get out of treatment, because they don’t have anywhere to go,” said Stone.

Stone, like many who addressed the officials, believes in the hope the epidemic can be ended. So that people like Debra Gilmore won’t have to share her story at these events anymore.

“My son Matthew died August 17, 2015, the day your task force began. So I appreciate the help, but it was too late for him,” said Gilmore.

Tuesday’s meeting was the third of four happening around the state. All of the information obtained will go to the governor’s office and the state agencies to continue to try and put an end to this vicious cycle of heroin and opioid addiction.