Nightly News   |  February 26, 2011

Florida looks to crack down on pill mills

Officials say the state’s many illicit pain clinics are easy fixes for addicts, many of whom travel from across the country to feed their addictions. NBC’s Mark Potter reports.

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This content comes from Closed Captioning that was broadcast along with this program.

>> there was a major drug crack down today. pain killers sold illegally by doctors and widely available. even as these arrests were underway, there was a growing debate about the best way to combat this prescription drug abuse . mark potter has more tonight.

>> reporter: police in south florida arrested doctors and shut down clinics for allegedly selling thousands of prescription pain killers illegally.

>> florida has become the center of pain killers . the eoxyexpress.

>> reporter: officials say the pain clinics are easy fixes for addics.

>> they are a cash-only business. they don't take insurance. there is little if no physical exam and there are armed guards at the door.

>> reporter: prescription drug abuse in florida is now blamed for seven deaths per day. at a protest rally, this woman said her 24-year-old daughter, marcie is addicted to pain killers and in her sixth stint in rehab.

>> there is a new face of addition. it is the middle class all american kid.

>> reporter: in 2009 , nearly 1,000 babies in florida were born addicted suffering withdrawal symptoms.

>> reporter: the florida legislature two years ago passed a law establishing a computer database to monitor prescription drug sales and cut down on the practice of going from clinic to clinic to buy pills.

>> this is the budget you asked for.

>> reporter: but rick scott wants to cut the program which drew harsh criticism from police and other officials.

>> we cannot arrest our way out of this problem. we need tools. like the prescription drug monitoring program, like that database.

>> reporter: during a time of difficult budget cuts, a battle over the cost of saving lives. lake worth , florida .