DEA Medication Take Back Day in Polk County – Saturday, April 25

 

Truth is...most teens don't get prescription pills from strangers. They get them from the home medicine cabinet. 1-in-4 teens say that they've abused prescription drugs. That's why it matters to take steps to keep meds locked up and cleaned out - safely out of the reach of children, teens, and those who may have addiction issues.

Our prevention partners at Informed Families share 3 quick steps that make a real difference

💊 lock them up

💊 track what you have

💊 safely dispose of meds that you no longer need

InnerAct Alliance and StandUP Polk would like to share when and where you can dispose of unneeded or expired human and pet medications. Our county's DEA Rx Take Back Day will be held on Saturday, April 25, from 10am to 2pm, at participating Polk County Police Department locations (pending approval). 

Be Aware & Don't Share - Lock Your Meds!

Stress Overload at Root of Teen Substance Misuse

 

When we look deeper at reasons why youth may resort to alcohol, marijuana, and other drug use, often stress and social pressures are at the root. School demands, negative feelings about themselves, peer or family issues, taking on too much, or having too high expectations can result in teens experiencing stress overload, which can lead to alcohol and substance use.

As parents and caregivers, we can play a key role in helping teens learn to manage stress in healthier ways:

*Monitor how stress may affect your child's health, behavior, thoughts, or feelings

*Listen carefully to them and watch for signs of overload

*Learn and model positive stress management skills

*Support involvement in sports and other pro-social activities

*Encourage healthy eating habits, regular exercise, and good sleep routines

*Teach relaxation techniques like deep breathing and muscle relaxing exercises

*Break large tasks down into smaller, attainable goals

*Take frequent breaks to listen to relaxing music, draw, read, or journal

Teens can practice relaxation responses like deep breathing and meditation to lower heart rate. Let them know that they can confide in a trusted adult or friend to talk about their feelings - these are 2 healthy ways to deal with stress triggers.

Learn more

https://americanaddictioncenters.org/blog/the-link-between-teen-anxiety-and-substance-abuse

 

40 Years–40 Stories of InnerAct Alliance | Story #17: Living the Dream Healthy & Substance-Free

 

40 Years-40 Stories| Story #17: Living the Dream Healthy & Substance Free!

In our last Story #16, we celebrated how much fun InnerAct Alliance's Outreach Team has taking prevention out into our community. We mentioned that event participants can always enjoy some fun hands-on activity or craft when they visit the IAA Display, plus receive helpful resources for parents and families.

Question: What Do Dream Catchers Have to Do with Substance Abuse Prevention? 

EVERYTHING...it's just the start of Living the Dream! One of our favorite activities provides the opportunity for kids to make their own Dream Catcher. It's a creative craft that's free and fun to make with significance of a much deeper meaning to help students realize their dreams can come true if they do the right thing and choose to live a healthy, alcohol- and substance-free life.

Themes for Our Proactive Prevention Projects

Live a Healthy Lifestyle - drug use impedes your dreams

Plan for the Future - planning is key to meeting your goals

Work Hard - implementing your success plan takes time and effort

Once You're Living Your Dream - help others catch theirs too

Goals Give Life Direction!

When teens are focused on their dreams and working towards them, they're less likely to get sidetracked by drugs. Achieving goals boosts motivation and perseverance so youth can achieve their dreams and make powerful choices for their future.

All donations - big or small - help to encourage youth, amplify their voices, and celebrate their strength. Please donate to InnerAct Alliance's prevention efforts to encourage youth to choose to be drug-free!

Donate 

Text IAA to 26989

https://www.inneractalliance.org/#donate

*40Years40Stories #InnerActAlliance #LivingTheDream #DreamCatchers #YouthEmpowerment #GoalSetting #DrugFree #HealthyLifestyle #PreventionWorks #PolkCounty #DreamBig #ChooseLife

Help Youth Celebrate Safe & Substance Free

 

This is a wonderful time to celebrate the achievements of our amazing youth - from prom to graduation, birthdays to end of school parties and start of summer break. Kids deserve to have fun and create memories, but it's also important to be safe and smart.

Of all alcohol-related fatalities involving teens each year, approximately one-third take place during April, May, and June prom and graduation season. Research shows that youth who start drinking before age 15 are at much higher risk for developing alcohol use disorder (AUD) later in life than those who begin drinking at age 21.

As parents and caring adults, it is our responsibility to help our children celebrate safely and responsibly especially since they and many of their friends are underage. Before shopping for party decorations or helping them put on their graduation gowns, have a talk with your son or daughter about substance use.

Take steps to ensure that no alcohol or drugs are available at teen parties held at your home and are discouraged at friends' homes or events they may be attending. 

For tips on how to guide teens in ways to celebrate responsibly, visit:

https://www.informedfamilies.org/campaigns/safe-homes-smart-parties

  

40 Years–40 Stories of InnerAct Alliance | Story #16: IAA Prevention Outreach in Our Community

 

40 Years-40 Stories | Story #16 IAA Prevention Outreach in Our Community

At InnerAct Alliance, we believe in the power of education, communication, connection, and access to resources that help to build stronger, safer substance-free communities.

Where You'll Find Us

IAA's Prevention Team enjoys participating in local community events to share how our agency's FREE prevention education programs positively impact the Lakeland and Polk County areas. Each year, InnerAct Alliance connects with families to offer tools and resources at events such as: Heartland for Children's Reunification Celebration; Spring Fling & Easter Egg Hunt at Crystal Lake Elementary; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Caring; Annual Watermelon Festival at Bonnet Spring's Great Lawn & Florida's Children's Museum; community expos, resource fairs, health & wellness fairs.

Come say hello to the friendly faces of InnerAct Alliance who always provide hands-on activities or fun children's crafts, useful resources for families, and fun giveaways for participants!

Social Norms in Schools

You'll also find our prevention team at Polk middle and high schools sharing proactive Social Norms messaging with students during lunch periods to highlight the "upside" of current statistics.

Good News: Most Polk County students in grades 6-12 are making healthy choices NOT to drink, smoke, vape or use other drugs!

Other messages include:

Equality - 100% of the Human Race is Deserving of Respect & Kindness

Anti-Bullying - Bullying is 100% Preventable

Student participants receive special rewards and treats! Schools benefit from using these strategies on campus as a way to increase student safety, prevent problem behaviors, and improve student outcomes.

Invite Us to YOUR Event!

*Call (863) 802-0777 to invite the IAA Outreach Team to your upcoming community event to share prevention tools and spread awareness for safer, healthier communities.

Please Support Prevention By Donating

Text IAA to 26989

https://www.inneractalliance.org/#donate

#40Years40Stories #InnerActAlliance #CommunityOutrach #PreventionWorks #SocialNorms #PolkCounty #CommunityEvents #Equality #AntiBullying #HealthyCommunities #ResourceFair #PreventionEducation

Make Happiness a Habit

 

Remember to Enjoy the Little Things in Life! The secret to happiness is finding joy in the little things every day. But often, we tend to overlook those micro-moments in the pursuit of creating and savoring the big ones. This quest can leave you feeling depleted or disappointed. So, how do we make happiness a habit?

In honor of International Day of Happiness - which was celebrated last week on March 20 - we are sharing some terrific reminders from Peace River Center's suggested list of ways to help us focus on the tiny pleasures we have in our lives every single day:

Get some sunshine 🌞- getting fresh air, soaking up the sun's rays, and taking a few moments to be mindful can help improve our mood organically.

Put on a fun song & dance 💃 - even if you're a terrible dancer, get your groove on! Moving our bodies is not only a great way to get out of our heads, but exercise can boost serotonin.

Shift your perspective🙏- when things get challenging, look for things to be thankful for. Focusing on those can help shift our perspective. 

Make your face smile😊- sometimes, our bodies and brain follow when we make ourselves smile genuinely. Just practice smiling! 

Reach out to others who bring out the best in you 👦👧👨👩 - sometimes we just need some time with friends who love us for who we are. Surround yourself with more people like this!

If you find that you are struggling to choose happiness and could use some support, help is just a phone call away at Peace River Center.📱 Reach out to their appointment line at (863) 248-3311.

Welcome Spring! 🌷

 

Happy Spring from InnerAct Alliance 🌷

 with special thanks to our friends

at Positively Present for the inspiring graphic!