Inneract Alliance Stands with Drug Free America Foundation to Encourage the Ban of THC Products along with Flavored E-Cigarettes

Inneract Alliance Stands with Drug Free America Foundation
to Encourage the Ban of THC Products along with Flavored E-Cigarettes

InnerAct Alliance together with its coalition partners, StandUP Polk and UthMpact, stand with Drug Free America Foundation, a drug prevention and policy organization based in St. Petersburg, FL that is committed to developing strategies that prevent drug use and promote sustained recovery, in agreement with President Donald Trump and his administration’s recent proposal to ban thousands of flavors used in e-cigarettes. This effort comes in response to the recent deaths and serious injuries of young people as a result of vaping.

In our home state, statistics from the recent Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey (FYSAS) show that the percentage of Florida youth who currently use e-cigarettes has risen from 9.6 in 2016 to 13.7 in 2018. While the state’s rate of youth e-cig use surpasses that of our county, Polk’s rate still increased from 10.2% (2016) to 12.5% (2018), which translates to approximately 1 in 8 Polk middle and high school students who used e-cigs just last year.

According to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary, Alex Azar, the Food and Drug Administration will develop guidelines to remove from the market all e-cigarette flavors except tobacco. Amy Ronshausen, executive director of Drug Free America Foundation, is also urging the administration to take this ban one step further to prohibit the sale of all THC vaping products stating, “The dangers of marijuana and other THC products to our young people are so significant that the Surgeon General recently issued a health advisory concerning the physical and mental health risks associated with marijuana. The logical next step is to remove THC products, along with flavored e-cigarettes, from the marketplace.”

Locally, citizens can show support for prevention of substance abuse by participating in the Annual Red Ribbon Campaign events presented by InnerAct Alliance. The Red Ribbon Run, which takes place on Saturday, November 9, 2019, is a family-friendly event that offers three races to accommodate all ages: a new 15K added this year (9.3 miles), a 5K (3.1 miles), plus a Kids' Fun Run (1K - just over a half mile). Kids' Run registration is FREE to students in grades K-8 who are pre-registered before November 1 ($5 fee after 11/1/19) and includes a commemorative Run t-shirt and free refreshments. Online registration is available on the event website at www.RedRibbonRun.com

"The Red Ribbon Run encourages healthy family activities, which reduce the likelihood of substance abuse, bullying, violence, and other risky behaviors," said InnerAct Alliance's Executive Director, Angie Ellison. "Please join us on November 9 by sponsoring, running, or volunteering at www.RedRibbonRun.com or on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/RedRibbonRunSeries"