International Overdose Awareness Day

 

International Overdose Awareness Day is the world's largest annual campaign to end overdose, remember those who have lost their lives, and acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind.

The campaign raises awareness of overdose, which is one of the world's worst public health crisis. It helps to stimulate action and discussion about evidence-based overdose prevention and drug policy. The campaign also acknowledges the profound grief felt by families and friends whose loved ones have died or suffered permanent injury from a drug overdose.

International Overdose Awareness Day spreads the message about the tragedy of drug overdose death and that drug overdose is preventable.

Stay safe and talk to your kids early and often about the facts and dangers of alcohol and other drug use - they will listen!

Happy Last Day of August!

 

Happy last day of August! As we ease into the back to school routines, it's nice to savor the warm weather and memories of summer while we look forward to the sights and scents of fall, like apple cider and pumpkin spice! 🍂🧡 Embrace Fall as a time of change and remember the importance of self-care to maintain positive mental wellness at this turning point in the year. 

Here's 6 great Fall Season suggestions:

* Take advantage of the hopefully cooler temps to get outside more. A quick walk and fresh air can do wonders for your mental health. Plan a family picnic with apple cider or hike a new trail. 

* Create a healthy sleep schedule to regulate hormones in the brain that affect emotions, energy levels, cognitive abilities, appetite, and more. Sleep is crucial for staying on top of our busy day-to-day activities.

* Move your body with exercises you enjoy to encourage physical, mental, and emotional wellness. Getting in 30 minutes of light or moderate activity can help improve your mood, reduce stress, and strengthen the immune system. Sign up for the Red Ribbon Kids Fun Run for K-8 students and the Family Fun Run to walk or run with your kids on Saturday, October 28 at Lake Mirror in Lakeland. Register today at www.inneractalliance.org

* Food can have a significant impact on both our physical and mental health. Try new recipes with fall fruits and veggies - plan a trip to the weekend farmers market to pick them out with your kids!

* Set time boundaries that allow you to focus on giving your energy to what is most important. Be comfortable saying NO to avoid overscheduling yourself and your kids. Create a schedule that is healthy and maintainable.

* While a little digital media technology is okay, too much can be harmful. Set some "no screen time" times during family dinners, road trips with friends, and date nights to allow everyone to be more engaged in the present. 

Storm Preparations for Hurricane Idalia

  

Whether you're new to Florida or already a resident, you may have questions about how to prepare for a tropical storm or hurricane. Being prepared means having your own food, water, and other basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency. After an emergency, you may need to survive on your own for a few days. Some things most people forget are extra medications and CASH. If the power is out, ATMs, credit cards, and phone wallets are worthless.

Recommended items for a Basic Emergency Supply Kit includes lots of water, non-perishable food, prescription medication, extra cell phone battery and charger, battery-powered radio to receive weather and emergency alerts, flashlights with extra batteries, pen and paper. It's a good idea to put together a basic first-aid kit with band-aids, first aid cream, aspirin, etc. You may want a dust mask, plastic sheeting, and duct tape in case you need to shelter in place. Other helpful items are soap, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, garbage bags, a can opener, eating utensils, and basic tools like a screwdriver, hammer, wrench, or pliers. If you have a baby, be sure to have formula, bottles, diapers, and wipes on hand. For pets, have a good supply of food, snacks, and extra water for them to drink.

Be safe neighbors 🌀🌀🌀. Locally, stay tuned to weather and news reports on PGTV (Polk-County.TV), online Polk-County.net, or on radio stations WPCV 97.5 FM and WONN 1230 AM. For more helpful storm prep tips, visit https://www.ready.gov/kit or download the free Lakeland Electric Hurricane Guide at https://lakelandgov.net/Hurricane

Heads Up – Know the Facts About Alcohol & the Teen Brain

It’s a Fact – Alcohol affects the adolescent brain differently than the adult brain because the human brain isn’t fully developed until about age 25. Teens who begin drinking before age 15 are 5X more likely to develop alcohol use disorder than if they start after turning 21.

The brain undergoes massive changes during the teen years particularly in the areas of decision making and impulse control. This makes the teen years a period of great promise, but also of potential risk - especially for addiction. That's why preventing and delaying substance use during this time is so important to long-term health. 

Here are some highlights from Alcohol & The Adolescent Brain: Immediate Impairment, Long-Term Consequences, a comprehensive report presented to the North Carolina Governor’s Substance Abuse and Underage Drinking Prevention and Treatment Task Force in 2016.

* Emotional areas of the brain mature before the frontal cortex - evident in the thrill-seeking, risky decision making, and impulsiveness that define adolescence.

* Due to the immaturity of the frontal cortex, adolescent brains respond more to both the promise of rewards and threats than adults brains - weighing immediate
rewards as more valuable than future rewards.

* "Brain Imbalance" is why adolescents pay more attention to their peers, and why they are more likely to do something without considering the consequences.

* Alcohol slows down brain activity. Negative effects of alcohol last far longer in a teen's brain than in an adult's - up to two weeks longer.

* If teens use alcohol before their brain is fully developed, it can keep the good judgment and impulse-control part of the brain from properly developing.

* Alcohol can also damage the memory and learning areas of the brain.

For more important facts and information, visit the Partnership to End Addiction at https://drugfree.org/article/teen-brain-development/

 

Help Save Lives by Supporting the Hands-Free Florida Safety Campaign

 

As the Labor Day travel weekend approaches, your support is needed to help kick off the Hands-Free Florida Campaign to make Florida's roads safer. The campaign launches next Tuesday, August 29 with a goal to secure 10,000 signatures on a petition to persuade state legislators to make Florida the 29th state with a hands-free phone usage law. 

In the 28 states where a Hands-Free Law already exists, the number of senseless crashes and deaths caused by distracted driving, along with insurance rates, have dropped considerably.

Statistics from the Florida Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles show:

* Distracted driving in Florida has caused 160,155 crashes - 8,154 serious injuries - 935 deaths

* Traffic fatalities decreased by 16% in 12 of the first states to adopt a hands-free law

* People who text while driving are 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash or near-miss event

* With a phone in your hand while driving, you are 4 times more likely to be involved in a crash

Be Part of the Solution by taking the pledge to save lives! To make our roads safer for everyone, put your phone down when you are driving. You can help spread the word about the dangers of distracted driving by contacting local lawmakers to let them know you are in favor of hands-free legislation in Florida. 

Visit HandsFreeFlorida.org and follow on social media: 

https://www.facebook.com/handsfreefl or https://www.instagram.com/handsfreeflorida/

National Fentanyl Prevention-Awareness Day Today - August 21, 2023

 

Today is National Fentanyl Prevention & Awareness Day to raise public awareness about the #1 killer of those age 18-45 in the U.S. Fentanyl is everywhere, including right here in our community, so we encourage you to talk to your family today - and often - because substance abuse prevention education saves lives!

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is approximately 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. It is inexpensive, widely available, highly addictive, and comes in a variety of colors, shapes, and forms - including powder and pills. Drug traffickers make and supply deadly fentanyl both as a standalone substance and to mix with other dangerous street drugs to drive addiction and create repeat business. Many victims of fentanyl poisoning were unaware that they ingested fentanyl.

Billboards have been created to remember the lives lost from illicit fentanyl poisoning and acknowledge the devastation caused to loved ones and communities all over our nation. Boards are being placed in school zones to bring awareness to the fact that over 150 people die each day from an overdose related to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.

Educate yourself and your children about the dangers. It only takes one bad decision with fentanyl and it can be over in minutes. Even if you believe your child would never touch a drug of any kind, talk with them. Kids listen to their parents and this knowledge may help save the lives of their peers as well. 

Fentanyl comes across the U.S. border each day. Take Action - contact your local representatives and tell them to stop the flow of fentanyl into our country. Our youth are a precious resource!

Visit www.cdc.gov, https://facingfentanylnow.org, or https://www.dea.gov/fentanylawareness.  

Save the Date – Red Ribbon Run Saturday, October 28

 

Join us for InnerAct Alliance's Red Ribbon Run, presented by title sponsor Publix Supermarkets, featuring the Kids Fun Run around beautiful Lake Mirror in Lakeland on Saturday morning, October 28, to prevent substance abuse and promote health in our community. 

Students in grades K-8 can run in timed grade level heats and win trophies for first, second, and third place in each gender and grade or run/walk with their families in an untimed Family Fun Run. Check in for the Kids Fun Run, sponsored by MIDFLORIDA Credit Union, begins at 7 am at Lake Mirror Auditorium. Family Fun Run takes place at 8:30 am and grade heats begin at 8:45 am (times approximate). 

Registration for students in grades K-8 is FREE; Adults pay $5 for the Family Fun Run. Students registered by 10/14/23 will receive a free Run T-Shirt. A new Florida Dairy Farmers World Tour area will feature healthy snacks, activities, vendor booths, and celebrate cultures from around the globe. 

Weekly online challenges will begin on September 25 at InnerActAlliance.org for participants to complete and post on the InnerAct Alliance Facebook page to earn points for prizes!

 
Event Website for Registration

https://www.InnerActAlliance.org

Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/InnerActAlliance

Daily Marijuana Use May Worsen Pain Over Time

 

As the marijuana industry expands its reach, more individuals may contemplate the use of marijuana as a medicine. Data shows that as many as 35% of primary care patients report medical use of marijuana, most commonly for treatment of pain. This idea has historically been a controversial one due to the lack of extensive evidence and mixed opinions from medical care professionals.

A 2023 study performed by the Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavior Sciences at SUNY Upstate Medical University provided some insight into whether marijuana helps chronic pain by using a cold pressor test (CPT) to measure pain tolerance. CPT tests are performed by submerging a participant’s forearm in a tub of ice water for as long as the patient can tolerate it before needing to withdraw, or three minutes. Results published in The American Journal on Addictions, revealed that study participants who used marijuana daily had significantly decreased pain tolerance when compared to study participants who didn’t use marijuana (Zhang-James, Wyon, Grapsas, & Johnson, 2023).

Such results suggest that use of daily marijuana may actually worsen chronic pain over time by reducing pain tolerance. Additionally, daily marijuana users may also risk addiction. This is why it is important for primary care providers and patients to research all options and consider overall risks before recommending or using medical marijuana for pain management.

 

Play Kind Games Instead of Mind Games

 

Love this sweet graphic from our friends at @Positively Present to remind us that there are many simple ways to spread kindness - both to ourselves and to others.

We give ourselves a gift when we show kindness to people in our lives, especially as we don't always know what they are going through. So this week, let's choose to play kind games instead of mind games with one another! 😊💛

Combine Family Fun with Back to School!

 

Happy New School Year 2023-2024! While summer temps are still hot and steamy, school bells will be ringing this week welcoming students back to the classroom. Returning to the school routine after a long summer break can be challenging but we hope everyone embraces this as a time of growth and opportunity for new teachers, new friends, and new learning experiences.  

Our prevention partners at Informed Families (https://www.informedfamilies.org/) suggest that families ease into the transition by combining Back to School Days with Family Fun Days to make this an engaging and enjoyable time for their students. It’s a good reminder that although school routines are essential, spending time as a family doing fun things together year-round helps provide a healthy balance and strong support system for our children as they learn, build relationships, and create lasting memories.

Here are some great ideas to combine Family Fun Month into Back-to-School Month:

Family Learning Activities – make the learning process more engaging with activities such as reading together, educational board games, and DIY experiments at home. This teaches children to associate learning with fun and may help reduce any academic anxieties they may have.

Back-to-School Shopping – Let your kids choose their backpacks, lunch boxes, and school supplies. This will help add some excitement to the chore of shopping and give kids a sense responsibility and ownership.

Family Meal Planning – Involve your children in meal planning and preparing school lunches. This can be a great time to talk about nutrition, healthy food choices, and even mix in some math skills measuring ingredients.

Plan Family Fun Days – Before school starts, plan a family picnic, trip to the museum or zoo, or a day at the park. The idea is to spend quality time together and create memories before the school hustle begins. Continue this tradition on weekends and school holidays.

Establish a Family Routine – Routines provide a sense of security and help children adjust to change. Be sure to include time for homework, family meals, and play that includes fun activities to provide balance and stability.

All of these ideas along with some of your own can help support a healthy environment for our children to thrive. By adding a sprinkle of fun into the educational process, we also encourage kids to enjoy learning and feel a sense of belonging that will help them sail smoothly through the school year and, hopefully, through life!

“Tobacco Free” Nicotine Product Fallacy

 

Recently, the industry has begun promoting tobacco products that are being sold with "tobacco-free" claims. The claims are used to describe either that the products is made with nicotine created in a lab (synthetic nicotine) or that the product contains no tobacco leaf. 

A recent article on TruthInitiative.org shares the truth about so-called tobacco-free products - ALL CONTAIN NICOTINE

The Reality: Nicotine is Dangerous to Adolescents – Regardless of its source, nicotine is harmful to developing brains. Its use during adolescence can disrupt the formation of vital brain circuits that control attention, learning, and susceptibility to addiction. Research also shows nicotine use may create worse anxiety symptom and increased feelings of depression.

“Tobacco-Free” Claims Cause Confusion – Young adults may incorrectly interpret the claim “tobacco-free” and believe it means nicotine is not present in these products. Nicotine products marketed as “tobacco-free” could also create confusion about whether use violates tobacco-free policies in schools, workplaces, and other locations. All products containing nicotine should be considered tobacco products and be treated as such in schools and workplaces.

“Tobacco-Free” Claims May Increase Appeal – Studies have found when teens view advertising that claims to promote “tobacco-free” products, these ads tend to reduce perception of harm and may actually increase intention to use the product, compared to product ads without the claim. A study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2022 reported that flavored non-tobacco oral nicotine products, such as gum, lozenges, and gummies, were the second most prevalent nicotine products used among adolescents after e-cigarettes.

“Tobacco-Free” Nicotine Fallacy – If claims about “tobacco-free” nicotine products sound too good to be true, they probably are. Nicotine in any form is an addictive chemical. Stay safe and stay away!

Suggestions for a Positive Mindset!

 

For most of us, today's the last day of summer vacation before back to school begins this week. On the bright side, living in Florida we are blessed to have sunshine and warm weather year-round that helps to extend the summer vibes a bit longer!🌞

Thanks to our friends @PositivelyPresent for a colorful graphic depicting suggestions for a positive mindset to look on a bright side whenever possible and stay focused on what is within our control - simple and calm.

Enjoy your Sunday and embrace the week ahead👍

More Fun Back to School Events Friday & Saturday in Lakeland and Polk

 

School bells will ring next Friday, August 11 to usher in a new academic year, so make the most of some great opportunities around town this weekend to enjoy family fun and shop for items on your school list at the same time!

On Friday evening, August 4, head downtown to Lakeland First Friday, a family-friendly event celebrating Back to School with music, shopping, and dining from 6pm-9pm. Browse the Makers Market on N. Kentucky Ave. and stroll by the Classy Car Show on Tennessee Ave. Say 👋Hi to Michelle and Stacey from our InnerAct Alliance staff while you’re enjoying the event!

More fun is on tap at the Back to School Bash on Saturday, August 5, from 10am-2pm, at the Lake Eva Center, 799 Johns Avenue, in Haines City. School supplies, face painting, and other family-friendly activities are planned by event organizers Unity in the Community of NE Polk County and the City of Haines City plus other community partners. Be sure to stop by the InnerAct Alliance table to say 👋Hi to our prevention educators, Charlie and Stacey, while you’re there! 

August Positivity and Self-Care Suggestions

 

August brings a new month with potential to focus on positivity and prioritize self-care!🌞 

Self-care means taking care of YOURSELF so you can be healthy and well to do your job and help care for others. It helps when you take the time to recharge your own batteries so that you can do all of the things you need to and want to accomplish in a day. 📆

To begin a routine of regularly practicing self-care, it is recommended that you start small and choose one practice each week to add to your daily routine. 

Our friends at @Positively Present offer some fun and easy self-care suggestions for the new month of August in the colorful graphic above. One of my favorites is "Notice What's Working" which encourages us to keep track of the positive changes that are being made, then adding more only when you feel ready to do so!