2022-2023 UthMpact Leadership Class XII Graduation & Scholarship Winners

 

UthMpact proudly hosted its graduation ceremony for high school student leaders who have successfully completed the 2022-2023 UthMpact Leadership Class XII program on Wednesday evening, April 12, 2023, at the W.H. Stuart Conference Center, 1702 S. Holland Parkway, in Bartow.  

Congratulations to UthMpact Leadership Class XII graduates: Cristina Barrios, Nicolas Barrios, Kendall Castano, Peige Cox, Natalia Diaz, Elyssa Eichar, Kaden Gibson, Ian Goines, Elle Green Osler, Kaitlyn Hawthorne, Ella Lannon, Stella Lee, Emily Leon, Katherine Narramore, Adriana Olivera, Sofia Olivera, Ella Parham, Regan Parrish, Marley Reid, Jadyn Sanders, Raiden Saunders, Cale Scott, Mason Simmons, O'Keefe Smith, Belen Valdivieso, Jenna West, and Irene Wilson. Cheers to the recipients of the UthMpact Leadership Scholarships, Reese Sesser and Serena Thomas, deserving UthMpact Leadership members who were each awarded $500.

 

 

 

UthMpact is a coalition of teen leaders committed to helping educate and deliver key substance abuse prevention messages to their peers. The Leadership Program, spearheaded by InnerAct Alliance, StandUP Polk, UthMpact, and key business leaders and community partners, helps teens develop crucial leadership skills. Participants representing nearly every high school in the country travel monthly to meet with community leaders and experience the inner workings of local volunteerism, business, government, healthcare, education, and law enforcement.

The group's most prominent projects are Project Prom, to provide formal wear to deserving high school students and educate about risky behaviors during prom and graduation time, as well as the UthMpact Facts social norming program, which celebrates the positives in Polk youth culture and shares important facts and informative messages about alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, prescription drugs, vaping, bulling, mental health, and distracted driving in area high schools and at community events.

Candidates for the 2023-2024 UthMpact Leadership Class XIII, chosen based on scholastic and leadership experience, will be announced soon. For more information, contact Samantha McCain at (863) 802-0777, visit www.uthmpact.org, or www.facebook.com/UthMpactPolk

DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 22, 2023

 

StandUP Polk and local law enforcement agencies are proud to join The Drug Enforcement Administration and its national and community partners for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 22, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, for citizens to dispose of unwanted and expired medications safely and anonymously. 

Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from the home medicine cabinets of family and friends. Take Back Day provides a chance to clean out and get rid of unneeded medication to help prevent medication misuse and opioid addiction from ever starting.

Our community’s Prescription Drug Take Back Day will include 9 locations in Polk County for citizens to turn in Human and Pet Medications in liquid and solid form, vitamins, and syringes for proper disposal. Medications should be placed in a clear, air-tight plastic bag. 

Drop-off locations from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm are:

Auburndale Police Department – 2 Bobby Green Plaza    
Bartow Police Department – 450 North Broadway Ave.
Davenport Police Department – 16 Bay Street West
Haines City Police Department – 35400 Highway 27
Lakeland Police Department – 219 N. Massachusetts Ave. 
Lake Alfred Police Department – 190 N. Seminole Ave.
Lake Hamilton Police Department – 100 Smith Ave. 
Lake Wales Police Department - 133 E. Tillman Ave. 
Winter Haven Police Department – 125 N. Lake Silver Dr. NW

 

Unwanted medications may also be taken to the county’s permanent drop sites, funded by GiveWell Community Foundation, at the Police Department locations in: Auburndale (weekdays 8-5); Haines City (weekdays 8-5); Lake Alfred (24hrs/7days); Lake Hamilton (weekdays 8-5); Lakeland (24hrs/7days); and Winter Haven (weekdays 8-5).  Only solids are accepted in permanent drop boxes (no liquids or syringes). To avoid harming lakes and ground water, please do not dispose of medication in the toilet.

 

Previous medication collections held in Polk County since 2010 have resulted in 26,564.5 pounds of recovered pharmaceuticals safely disposed of via incineration. 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 on the local Prescription Drug Take-Back event, please contact StandUP Polk at (863) 802-0777.

April is National Alcohol Awareness Month

 

InnerAct Alliance is joining with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to raise awareness about alcohol-related harms and encourage community-wide strategies to prevent alcohol use during National Alcohol Awareness Month in April. While national figures continue to show a downward trend in the number of youth who drink alcohol, it remains the number one drug of choice for America's youth.

Alcohol is the fourth-leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAA). Alcohol-related statistics are sobering as the Centers for Disease Control reports over 140,000 people each year die from excessive alcohol use and, on average, it shortens the lives of those who die by up to 26 years. Further numbers show that 11,654 Americans lost their lives in alcohol-related car crashes in 2020 (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA). 

Alcohol Awareness Month presents an opportunity to talk openly about the dangers of alcohol misuse. Especially harmful is alcohol consumption in excess, which includes Binge Drinking (5 or more drinks for men - 4 or more drinks for women during an occasion) and Heavy Drinking (15 or more drinks for men - 8 or more drinks for women per week). 

Alcohol can be especially harmful to pregnant women and their unborn child and to youth under age 21 because their brains are still developing through their mid-twenties. 

Drinking to excess is associated with: Violence - Sexual risk behaviors - Alcohol poisoning - Injuries, such as motor vehicle crashes - Cancer and Liver disease - High blood pressure - Alcohol use disorder.

The Centers for Disease Control collaborates with communities across the U.S. to inform and prevent excessive alcohol use and its impact. The informative CDC State Alcohol Fact Sheet (shown above) helps to highlight public health issues and the status of alcohol policy solutions in each area. It is important to be aware of how alcohol use and abuse affects us here in the Sunshine State and across our nation.

The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends evidence-based strategies to prevent excessive alcohol use and related harms which include increasing alcohol taxes, regulating the number and concentration of places that sell alcohol, and initiating other policies to reduce the availability and accessibility of alcohol. 

InnerAct Alliance and our coalition partners, StandUP Polk and UthMpact, work alongside national, state, and local authorities and prevention collaborators to educate youth and adults about the dangers of alcohol and substance use. Citizens can support local prevention efforts by inviting a representative from InnerAct Alliance to share a free education program with their school, PTA, community organization, or business.

Other opportunities for involvement include volunteering at prevention events or making a tax-deductible donation to help educate more Polk County students about the harmful effects of alcohol and substance use. Visit our website at www.inneractalliance.org or call (863) 802-0777 for details.

To learn more about Alcohol Awareness Month and informative facts related to alcohol and substance use, please visit the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/index.htm

Happy Easter Weekend from InnerAct Alliance

 

Happy Easter! We appreciate your continued support of InnerAct Alliance and our coalition partners, StandUP Polk and UthMpact, as we strive to educate and reduce the abuse and underage use of harmful substances.

This Easter season, take time to "hunt" for the seemingly small things that help add positivity to our lives like Joy - Fun - Calm - Balance - Truth - as suggested in the colorful graphic above from Positively Present.

Here are some fun Easter Facts that you might enjoy:

* The egg is an ancient symbol of new life and rebirth.

* In Christianity, the egg became associated with Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection.

* The Easter Bunny legend began in Germany.

* The holiday was named after the Anglo-Saxon Goddess, Eostre.

* More than 1.5 million Cadbury Creme Eggs are produced every day.

* The act of painting eggs originates from a Ukrainian tradition.

* The world's largest Easter egg weighs in at 5,000 pounds.

* Pretzels used to be associated with Easter.

* In Germany, it is illegal to dance on Good Friday.

* The first chocolate Easter eggs were made in Europe in the early 19th Century in France and Germany.

Be In the Know About Drug Use and Its Effects on Your Brain

 

Studies show that 1 in 7 Americans may experience a substance use disorder. Some may use drugs to help cope with stress, trauma, or to help with mental health issues. Others may develop use disorder after misusing opioid medication prescribed by their doctors. Either way, taking drugs over time increases the chances of becoming addicted.

What happens when people take drugs? Chemicals flood the reward system in the brain and cause the user to repeat behaviors that may feel good in the moment but are unhealthy and may put them at greater risk of harm.

Over time, the brain adapts to continued drug use by developing a tolerance. When that happens, it begins to require more and more of a drug to feel the same result. Not only does this lesson the brain's ability to resist temptation, but it can also affect the amount of pleasure a person receives from normal, healthy activities like enjoying food or the company of others.

Education and increased awareness of the harm of using substances, along with loving support from parents, caregivers, and friends, can help prevent substance use disorders. Continue to stay informed so that you can make better, healthier decisions!

April 5 is National Self-Care Day!

 

A new month on the calendar brings renewed focus and hope. The inspirational ideas pictured in this cute graphic from Positively Present challenge us to add self-care activities to our lives – today and every day.

And what better time to do so as today - April 5th - is also National Self-Care Day across the U.S. The great thing about National Self-Care Day is that it is about nothing else but ourselves. With life's daily hustle and bustle, it is hard and sometimes impossible to put your own needs and desires first. 

This day gives us the perfect opportunity to prioritize ourselves without feeling the unnecessary guilt of doing so. Taking care of oneself is integral to keep functioning properly. Our minds and bodies require adequate rest and care for optimal health and well-being.

We challenge you to have a Dance Party - by yourself or with your kids this evening! Jamming up and dancing not only burns calories, but is also improves your mood and body image. It can actually lower our risk of dementia too. 

So, let's all take today to prioritize our self-care and strive to make it a regular habit!

National Day of Hope Celebrated the 1st Wednesday of April

 

Day of Hope is held on the first Wednesday in April every year. It is a day of inspiration and motivation for everyone to wake up to the need to rescue children and adults who are passing through phases of abuse of different kinds, sicknesses, and traumatic experiences.

Did you know that children die daily from abuse and molestation in the U.S.? The primary purpose of observing this day is to strike to put an end to child abuse and neglect.

It is time to rise to the call and give hope to the hopeless, in whatever little way we can.