Our Community's Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, October 28

 

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, October 28, 2023, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, for citizens to dispose of unneeded and expired medications in a safe manner. National Prescription Drug Take Back Day provides a convenient and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the public about the potential for abuse of medication. Studies show that medicines in home cabinets are highly susceptible to misuse and abuse. 

Our community’s Prescription Drug Take-Back Day will include the following locations in Polk County for citizens to turn in unused, expired, or unwanted Human and Pet Medications, including over the counter medications, vitamins, and other medication in liquid and solid form, for safe and proper disposal. Medications should be placed in a clear, air-tight plastic bag. 

Drop-off locations (pending confirmation) from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm are:

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

Unwanted medication may also be taken to the county’s permanent drop sites at the Police Department locations, 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); or Winter Haven (weekdays 8-5). Liquids or syringes are not accepted in permanent drop boxes.

Previous medication collections held in Polk County since 2010 have resulted in 28,078 pounds of recovered pharmaceuticals safely disposed of via incineration. For more information on the local Prescription Drug Take-Back event, please contact StandUP Polk at (863) 802-0777.

Wear Orange Today to Support Unity Day – Wednesday, October 18

 

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

WEAR & SHARE ORANGE

to show unity for kindness, acceptance,and inclusion
and to send a visible message
that no child should ever experience bullying.

Every day, thousands of young people experience bullying from their peers at school, after school in their neighborhoods, and even when they are at home through social media and texts. There are many ways to support bullying prevention as an individual or with friends, family, your school, or in your community.

For more information,

visit www.pacer.org/bullying

Reminder to Parents - Check Medicine Cabinet Often to Prevent Abuse

 

Clean out your medicine cabinet and shelves often to prevent abuse!

Our community's Fall National Drug Take Back event is
coming up on Saturday, October 28 for citizens to drop off 

expired and unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications in a safe manner!

FDA Plans to Ban Menthol Cigarettes and Flavored Cigars

 

There’s a new plan by the FDA to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. The agency is now seeking approval from the White House on this move, but it is unclear when that will happen. Scientists say that menthol makes smoking more addictive and appealing to young people.

The FDA has been discussing the banning of menthol and flavored cigars for years because the issue is an important one to the agency. In April, it announced plans to move ahead with proposed product standard restrictions because such a move had “the potential to significantly reduce disease and death” and reduce “youth experimentation and addiction” as well as increase the number of smokers who quit.

Experts predict that the tobacco industry will fight the plan in court if it gets final approval. 

Week 4 Red Ribbon Challenge – Invest in Yourself & In Your Future!

 

Come join us for our 4th and final week of the Red Ribbon Challenge which offers fun activities for kids to complete with their friends and family to celebrate healthy life choices! 

Week 4 
October 15-21
Invest in Yourself & Your Future

Taking time to learn about ourselves as well as other people, places, and cultures is a valuable way to expand our horizons as well as our knowledge! Red Ribbon Challenge Week 4’s sponsor MIDFLORIDA Credit Union encourages everyone to take time to learn about yourself, your family, as well as other people, places, and cultures – it’s a valuable way to expand our horizons as well as our knowledge! 

Some fun activities families can do together to investigate family roots include looking through old photo albums or watching family videos. Plan a special visit with grandparents and extended family members to learn about where your ancestors came from and ask them to share interesting family stories. Maybe even find out where your pet came from!

Learning where we come from can help us plan where we may want to explore too! Go to the library or research on the computer to learn about your family's country of origin. Enjoy a family craft day to make a piggy bank out of a recycled milk or juice carton or box to save your money in. Create a travel poster with pictures of a place you'd like to visit someday as inspiration.

Come Join Us to RUN THE WORLD at the Red Ribbon Run, presented by InnerAct Alliance and title sponsor, Publix Super Markets, on Saturday, October 28 at beautiful Lake Mirror in Lakeland! Kids register free before 10/27/23 or pay $5 on the day of the race. Adults can run with their kids in the Family Fun Run for a $5 fee. After your run heat, come visit the Florida Dairy Farmers World Tour vendor area to enjoy healthy snacks and activities and celebrate different cultures from around the world!

 Visit www.inneractalliance.org
 click on the Red Ribbon tab at the top

Post Your Red Ribbon
Weekly Challenges on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/InnerActAlliance
Hashtag #RedRibbonChallenges

Substance Abuse Trend Alert – New Synthetic Cathinone in the U.S. and Florida

 

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association (FADAA) have issued a substance use trend alert regarding a new synthetic cathinone emerging in the U.S. drug market.

N, N-dimethylpentylone is a psychoactive substance now being substituted for stimulant drugs such as Ecstasy, Molly, and MDMA. The National Drug Early Warning System reports increased findings of this drug in Florida.

Synthetic stimulants, often referred to as "Bath Salts", are part of the synthetic cathinone class of drugs that are central nervous system stimulants designed to mimic effects similar to those produced by cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA (ecstasy).

What do synthetic cathinones look like? - websites list products containing synthetic stimulants as "plant food" or "bath salts", however the powdered form is also available in gelatin capsules. They are sold at smoke shops, head shops, convenience stores, adult bookstores, gas stations, and online often labeled "not for human consumption."

How are synthetic cathinones abused? - sniffing/snorting, taken orally, smoked, or put in solution and injected in veins.

What are their effects on the mind & body? - synthetic substances are abused for desired effects such as euphoria and alertness. Psychological effects include confusion, agitation, aggression, violent behavior, hallucinations, delusions. Toxic body effects include high blood pressure, rapid heart rate, breakdown of muscle, seizures, even death.

It is important that we continue to raise awareness about the risks and dangers associated with synthetic stimulant use, inform about potential harms, conduct further toxicology testing, and offer education about the limited quality control of these drugs. 

UthMpact’s New Initiative Encourages Positive Mental Health for Youth

 

The UthMpact teen coalition is proud of a new initiative offering an opportunity for schools to create a unique Mental Health Mural to help destigmatize mental health and promote self-care for youth. The mural is displayed on a portable canvas to allow it to easily be moved around campus.

An unveiling of the first mental health mural took place at Denison Middle School in Winter Haven, FL in honor of World Mental Health Day this past Tuesday, October 10, 2023. Principal Terry Christian and Lisa Cheatom of Denison Middle School and members of the InnerAct Alliance Board of Directors, Ryan Rogers and Ginny Wolfe, were on hand for the unveiling and to congratulate students for spreading the message that "Positive Mental Health Gives You Wings!"

Denison Middle School also helped kick off UthMpact's first social norming event of the 2023-2024 school year last week. IAA's social norms coordinator, Gavin White, visited with students to provide an informative presentation to share helpful ways to focus on self-care and practice good mental health. Students enjoyed participating to win prizes and learn social norms statistics that show most teens choose to make healthy choices and choose NOT to drink or use harmful substances. Additional social norms presentations will take place throughout the school year.

Special thanks to the administration, faculty, and students at Denison Middle School for their creativity and commitment to positive mental health and wellbeing. For more information on the UthMpact Mural Project, please contact IAA executive director, Angie Ellison, at (863) 802-0777. Visit the UthMpact website www.uthmpact.org or follow on www.facebook.com/UthMpactPolk.