The latest event brings the total for collections held in Polk County to 24,728.8 pounds of recovered pharmaceuticals dating back to 2010.
Unwanted medications may also be taken to the county’s six permanent drop sites, funded by Givewell Community Foundation in Lakeland, at the Police Department locations in: Auburndale (2 Bobby Green Plaza, weekdays 8-5); Haines City (35400 Hwy 27, weekdays 8-5); Lake Alfred (190 N. Seminole Avenue, 24hrs/7days); Lake Hamilton (100 Smith Avenue, weekdays 8-5); Lakeland (219 N. Massachusetts Avenue, 24hrs/7days); and Winter Haven (125 N. Lake Silver Drive NW, weekdays 8-5). Please note: only solids are accepted in permanent drop boxes – no liquids or syringes. Do not dispose of medication in the toilet to avoid harming lakes and ground water.
StandUP Polk is a community coalition working together to prevent harm and promote health through education, public awareness, and advocacy including strategies to prevent youth substance abuse. For more information, please contact StandUP Polk at (863) 802-0777.
Kudos to the nearly 6,000 participants, sponsors, spectators,
vendors, law enforcement, staff, and volunteers who took part in the 2021 Red Ribbon Run & Challenge, presented by InnerAct Alliance, Title Sponsor
Publix Super Markets, and event partners MIDFLORIDA Credit Union, Florida Dairy
Farmers, and many other local business sponsors, last Saturday, October 16, 2021.
Approximately 1,000 Runners in grades K-8 participated in the Kids Fun Run timed heats and 250 adults and children ran together in the first-ever Family Fun Run around beautiful Lake Mirror. Participants also enjoyed free fruit, veggies, giveaways, and activities at the Florida Dairy Farmers Market during the event.
Results from the timed Kids Fun Run grade K-8 heats may be found online at the following link:
The 30th Annual Red Ribbon Run culminated one of the largest Red Ribbon Campaigns in the state to support the prevention of substance abuse and bullying in our community.
Thank You to all of our
2021
RED RIBBON RUN & CHALLENGE
Sponsors - Volunteers - Runners - Vendors!
Each of you play a valuable part in making
the Red Ribbon Run such a success each year.
We could not do it without YOU!
Family-friendly activities include the Red Ribbon Kids Fun Run for K-8 students, sponsored by MIDFLORIDA Credit Union, along with our first ever Family Fun Run for parents who would like to run with their children in the 1K race course around beautiful Lake Mirror in Lakeland, plus the new Florida Dairy Farmers Market featuring delicious fruit, veggies, activities, and giveaways to celebrate healthy food and fitness.
Registration is FREE at RedRibbonRun.com for students in grades K-8 who sign up prior to October 16th; Adults pay a $5 fee for the Family Fun Run. All students who participate in the Kids Fun Run will receive a free t-shirt and enjoy refreshments after completing their grade level race heat. Check in on Saturday morning begins at 7:00 AM in the Lake Mirror Auditorium, 121 South Lake Avenue, in Lakeland. The first race begins at approximately 8:15 AM with the Family Fun Run (untimed) and the timed grade heats for K-8 students begin at 8:30 AM. A second Family Fun Run will take place at 11:00 AM.
For more Red Ribbon Fun, there are weekly challenges in a virtual format with themes of Nutrition, Kindness and Tolerance, Healthy Mind/Healthy Body, and Healthy Lifestyle on the event website at RedRibbonRun.com. Participants will be eligible to win a prize by completing at least 10 challenges and posting them on the Red Ribbon Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/RedRibbonRunSeries with the hashtag #RedRibbonChallenges to receive points for prizes.
For registration and additional information, visit
the event website at RedRibbonRun.com or call InnerAct Alliance at (863)
802-0777. We look forward to seeing everyone on Saturday at Lake Mirror!
Polk County School Board
September 7, 2021
City of Lakeland Commission
October 4, 2021
Polk County School Board
September 7, 2021
City of Lakeland
Commission
October 4, 2021
Thanks to our friends at the Drug Free America Foundation (www.dfaf.org) for sharing newly published research in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence in which an association was found between vaping either nicotine or THC and psychotic experiences among American College students. The data analyzed in the study came from the Healthy Minds Survey administered to 29,232 students from 36 American universities from September through December 2020.
In
the study, investigators assessed the relationship between incidents of
past-month nicotine/THC vaping and past-year psychotic experiences, accounting
for the effects of variables that are potentially associated with both the exposure
and outcome.
According to the results of the analysis, students who reported past-month vaping were 1.9 times more likely to have suffered psychotic experiences. This statistically significant association persisted even after accounting for the effects of age, gender, race/ethnicity, cigarette and marijuana use, and depression and anxiety.
Drug Free America Foundation epidemiologist Dr. Sharif Mohr stated, "The Reuslts of this study raise serious public health concerns. We know from previous research that heavy, frequent use of nicotine can increase risk of psychosis and schizophrenia twofold, while daily frequent use of high-potency marijuana products can result in up to a five-hold increase in risk of psychosis."
Mohr continued, "Vaping products typically contain very high concentrations of THC or nicotine and use of these produces is highly prevalent among young adults in the USA. It is another sad example of a for-profit addiction industry being able to thrive under the auspices of a moribund regulatory framework. Unless lawmakers move quickly to implement potency caps for nicotine and THC vape products, we are very likely to see a large uptick in the incidence of psychotic disorders among young people in this country."
