LPD Unveils Our Community's First "Be The Wall" Support Wall

InnerAct Alliance and StandUP Polk, the Coalition for a Drug-Free Polk, are proud to be working with a pro-active group of coalition members, which includes the Lakeland Police Department, Polk County Schools, Florida Department of Children and Families, the Florida Office of Drug Control, and many other local partners, in the innovative statewide Be the Wall social marketing campaign that encourages parents to be consistent and steadfast in discouraging underage drinking.

InnerAct staff and coalition members were on hand at the Lakeland Police Department’s Open House on March 19, 2011 to welcome our new police chief, Linda Womack, and share drug prevention materials with parents and kids. Statistics show that the average age kids are offered a gateway drug is 11.5, yet most parents don’t talk to their kids about drugs until 11th grade.

The Lakeland Police Department showed their enthusiastic support by unveiling a visible structure on which parents and influential adults could display cardboard bricks with their signed pledge to Be Clear, Be Firm, Be Consistent…Be The Wall when it comes to keeping alcohol out of the hands of teens. Special thanks to Florida Crime Prevention Practitioners, Anna Ricks (l) and Kim Freeman (r), pictured in the photo above/left standing beside Polk County’s first law enforcement agency support “wall” that they helped spearhead as partners in our community’s Be The Wall Campaign.

The Be The Wall campaign is designed on the premise that while alcohol may be the primary substance of choice for teens across the state and country, underage drinking should be the single most preventable at risk behavior among our teenagers. Recent scientific research shows the adolescent brain is still developing well into the mid-20s. The studies illustrate that teens are wired to take risks, which may help to explain why they are especially prone to rebellious and impulsive behavior.

Help us be the wall between teens and alcohol. Join thousands of Florida parents who have taken the pledge to keep alcohol out of the hands of our kids at www.bethewall.org. For tips on how to talk with your teen, please call StandUP Polk at (863) 802-0777.