FLORIDA — When State Sen. Darryl Rouson isn't fighting for his constituents in Tallahassee, he says he’s fighting his addiction to opioids and other drugs.
What You Need To Know
- State Sen. Darryl Rouson says he has been clean for more than 24 years
- He is paying close attention to Florida vs. Walgreens opioid lawsuit
- The company has said it won't settle
- PREVIOUS: Walgreens goes to trial in Florida lawsuit on opioids
“I'm 24 years, 25 days clean now through the grace of God in a 12-step program of recovery," Rouson said.
“I went through nine years, different drug treatment programs before I finally got it.”
So as the case against Walgreens in Pasco County unfolds, where the state accuses its store in Hudson of increasing their order for opioids by 600% in a two-year period, Rouson is floored by that idea.
“The most vile thing that one can do is profit off of the illness and the addictions of people," he said.
Most of the defendants in Florida’s lawsuit over the opioid epidemic have settled for more than $870 million, according to the state attorney general.
Walgreens, with more than 9,000 outlets on street corners throughout the country, says it will not settle.
In an emailed statement, Walgreens spokesman Fraser Engerman stated, “We are prepared for trial."
Like many illnesses, there is no real cure for addiction, except the determination Rouson says, to continue fighting against it.
“It's a daily battle. Sometimes hourly, but the good news is we do recover and we learn to walk a path of sobriety and clean time with integrity," he said.