Fourth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Melissa Nelson was appointed Tuesday by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the Statewide Task Force on Opioid Drug Abuse.
Nelson also serves on the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives National Gun Crime Intelligence Governing Board and the Florida Cold Case Advisory Commission.
Also appointed Tuesday:
• Heather Flynn, a clinical psychologist, associate professor and vice chair for research at Florida State University College of Medicine.
• Eleventh Judicial Circuit Associate Administrative Judge Steven Leifman.
• Melanie Brown-Woofter, president and CEO of Florida Behavioral Health Association, a trade association comprising community behavioral health providers.
• Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford.
• Palm Beach County Police Chief Rick Jenkins.
DeSantis has directed the 21-member task force, chaired by Attorney General Ashley Moody, to study the cost of opioid abuse on state and local governments; identify available programs that have been successful in combating opioid abuse; work to better understand the sources of addiction; explore whether additional regulatory activity is needed; and evaluate and identify ways to reduce the demand for opioids and decrease the supply.
The group also will examine if law enforcement agencies would benefit from new training or resources to help equip them to handle opioid users.