On February 28, 2013 the DeFuniak Springs Police partnered with the Walton County Drug Misuse Task Force to host a first time ever Panhandle Training Seminar. The title of the training was “The Risks and The Laws in Prescribing Controlled Substances”.
In 2011, Florida announced that 1 out of 7 people in Florida die from prescription drug usage. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reported in 2011, that 98% of the nation’s 100 top prescribers of oxycodone were located in Florida. Florida's pharmacies dispensed 126 million pills in one year, more than the rest of the nation combined. For these reasons, Florida is referred to as the "Epicenter of the narcotic epidemic."
The purpose of this seminar was to provide law enforcement officers, attorneys, physicians and judges the most advanced knowledge in the “why, when and how” to enforce the laws against those who negligently violate these rules and regulations of the Florida Statutes.
“In an effort to educate our area physicians and law enforcement professionals, it was our pleasure to be able to help host this much needed seminar here in our area. We were very pleased with the turn out as well. We had representatives from all over the panhandle”, said Lieutenant Tilman Mears.
With the cost of training and other expenses that are associated with training, it was also our privilege to offer this for free. Make no assumptions with the word free, DeFuniak Springs Police partnered with our wonderful sponsors to make this possible. With that said a thank you goes out to Alere Toxicology and The Walton County Medical Society.
Special thanks go out to our surprise guest Mr. Roy Jones, Jr. who traveled to our area to speak to our attending Doctors, Medical Staff and Law Enforcement Personnel. Jones is a professional boxer, actor and he has captured numerous world titles in the middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions. Jones shared his challenges growing up with the group and explained the importance of not giving up and why it is important to stay away from the life wrecking problem of abusing controlled substances.
“DeFuniak Springs Police will continue to work hard to make our community a better and safer place to live”, said Chief Mark A. Weeks, MS
For Photographs Visit: http://www.bluemelon.com/DFSPolice
Lieutenant Tilman Mears
Criminal Investigations Division Commander
mearstf@defuniakspringspolice.net