Article

In the Tampa Bay area, the overdose rate is 23 out of every 100,000 people. That rate is 9 percent higher than the rest of Florida and 50 percent higher than the national average. Florida ranks second only to California in the number of overdose deaths. But the fight against opioids continues.

Opioids are a class of drugs naturally found in the opium poppy plant. Some prescription opioids are made from the plant directly, and others are made by scientists in labs using the same chemical structure.

Prescription Opioids

Heroin

Fentanyl

Young children are getting their hands on drugs more than ever before. It's becoming such a concern that the American Academy of Pediatrics is recommending children as young as nine be screened for substance abuse.

Hillsborough County has consistently been ranked the worst or near the worst in Florida for DUI crashes, injuries, and fatalities. Given the dangers of impaired driving and the importance of reducing recidivism to promote long-term community safety, the State Attorney’s Office (SAO) has established the Reducing Impaired Driving Recidivism (“RIDR”) initiative.

Statistics:
·         According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, more than 1,050 people were killed in crashes involving a teen driver in 2016 during the 100 Deadliest Days, the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
·         In the Tampa Bay area, when compared to other days of the year, the average number of deaths from crashes involving teen drivers. Ages 16–19, increased by 16 percent during those 100 days. 
·         60 percent of teen crashes are caused by distracted driving
·         The biggest distraction? Other people in the car.
·         Crashes involving alcohol kill one in every 100,000 teens during the summer months.
 
What parents can do:
·        Talk to your teens about the importance of not allowing others to distract them in the car and to be a non-distracting passenger. Remind them that cars have passenger limits based on the number of seats, and to never get into an over-loaded car.
·         Set and enforce reasonably early curfews for teens during the summer months. Sleepy driving can be deadly driving.
·         Agree upon a safe word that your teen can text to you at any time that means “Come pick me up.” Give your teen the option of getting a ride home with mom or dad, no questions asked.
·         Remind them, daily, to not text, SnapChat, Instagram, or WhatsApp and drive.
·         Talk to them, continuously, about the dangers of driving impaired.

Do video games cause anxiety? This is a common question without an easy yes-or-no answer. Researchers haven’t found evidence that video games cause anxiety directly; instead, studies continue to show that video games and anxiety are correlated. This means that, rather than having a cause-and-effect relationship, the two relate and contribute to each other.

Science of Addiction- National Institute of Drug Abuse  (beginning of information)

Early use of drugs increases a person’s chances of developing addiction. Remember, drugs change brains—and this can lead to addiction and other serious problems. So, preventing early use of drugs or alcohol may go a long way in reducing these risks. If we can prevent young people from experimenting with drugs, we can prevent drug addiction.