As the new year starts, new Florida laws take effect. The new regulation will restrict purchase of cough medicine to minors.
In the past, over-the-counter cough syrups were sold even to minors. Medications containing ingredient such as dextromethorpanon can cause a drug high that was exploited by teens trying to get a fix.
A new law, SB 938, states prohibits manufacturers, distributors and retailers or employees to sell products that have dextromethorpanon to any person under the age of 18. This new law seeks to prevent the sale to minors and to lessen the cases of medication abuse by teens.
The ingredient can be found in many over-the-counter medications but is misused by people trying to get a high from it. Those who are presumed to be between 18 to 25 must show ID to purchase the medicine.
A civil citation of no more than $100 will be imposed for each infraction to those who sell or minors who purchase medication containing dextromethorpanon and found to be in violation of the law.
Senator Dough Broxson who will take office this week had sponsored the bill after U.S. Food and Drug Administration presented in a hearing stating that the ingredient had caused deaths of minors as reported in CBS Miami.
Another law that will take into effect is SB 422 Coverage for Opioids. In this law, two kinds of painkillers were mentioned, one with abuse-deterrent labels and those who do not have the labels. The bill was approved by Gov. Rick Scott.
According to this law, health insurance policies that cover opioid pain killers will not be able to require the use of opioid products that are non-labeled over the products that do have the labels.
The language states that since 1999, drug overdose cases have quadrupled and since 2012, the number of Americans that were addicted to prescription pain killers rose to 2.1 million as reported in an article by staugustine.com.
