Florida’s Drug War: Inside the Battle Lines with HIDTA’s Steve Collins

Show Notes

🎙️ What happens when law enforcement, public health, and policy collide in the fight against addiction? In this episode of The Addiction Podcast – Point of No Return, Joanie Sigal and co-host Jason Good bring you a powerful conversation from the front lines of Florida’s drug crisis.

Recorded at the 6th Annual Southeastern U.S. Regional Drug Prevention Summit, Joanie sits down with Steve Collins, Director of Central Florida’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. Collins doesn’t just talk strategy—he pulls back the curtain on Florida’s most pressing drug trends, from the resurgence of cocaine and methamphetamine to the growing threat of drug-impaired driving.

He also shares eye-opening insights from HIDTA’s recent report on marijuana legalization in Colorado—what worked, what didn’t, and what Florida might face as it expands its own medical marijuana laws. With another report on Florida’s legalization efforts in the pipeline, this episode offers a rare preview of what’s coming next.

Whether you're in recovery, working in prevention, or simply trying to understand the evolving landscape of addiction, this episode delivers the facts, the context, and the urgency behind Florida’s battle against drug trafficking and substance abuse. Tune in for a candid, boots-on-the-ground perspective you won’t hear anywhere else.