Catalyst

Informed Families Catalyst

Lock Your Meds Campaign: Publix Partnership Unveils a Safer Tomorrow

Posted by Informed Families on January 29, 2024 at 1:51 PM


Exciting News from Informed Families and Publix Pharmacy! We are thrilled to announce a dynamic collaboration that's set to make a monumental impact on prescription drug safety—the formidable partnership between Informed Families and Publix Pharmacy in support of the national Lock Your Meds campaign.

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Topics: prescription, prescription drug abuse, lock your meds, prescription drugs, prevention, lock your meds pledge

A Parent's Guide to Preventing Prescription Drug Misuse Among Youth

Posted by Informed Families on January 21, 2024 at 3:44 PM


At Informed Families, we're committed to helping Florida's children grow up safe, healthy, and drug-free. An area of growing concern is the misuse of prescription drugs among youth. As parents and guardians, you play a crucial role in preventing this issue. This guide offers practical advice and resources to help you safeguard your children against prescription drug misuse.

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Topics: prescription, prescription drug abuse, lock your meds, prescription drugs, prevention, lock your meds pledge

How Securing Your Medications Can Save Lives

Posted by Informed Families on January 15, 2024 at 9:12 PM


In our cozy homes, amidst the bustle of daily life, lies a hidden danger often overlooked: unsecured medications. While we diligently lock our doors and guard our online information, our medicine cabinets may not receive the same attention. Informed Families' Lock Your Meds Campaign shines a spotlight on this pressing issue.

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Topics: prescription, prescription drug abuse, lock your meds, prescription drugs, prevention, lock your meds pledge

Lock Your Meds, Save a Life

Posted by Informed Families on January 28, 2022 at 6:00 AM

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that:

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Topics: prescription drug abuse, lock your meds, lock your meds pledge, parents, safety

President's Message - April 2020

Posted by Peggy B. Sapp, President & CEO on April 1, 2020 at 8:00 AM

Adapting to Change…who likes it? The Answer…no one!

Adapting to the shelter-in-place order forced on us during the COVID-19 crisis is showing some early adapters: the winners are colleges and schools making the switch from sitting in a classroom to having the classroom on your laptop. Hats off to you!

One of my college-age granddaughters sent me a text yesterday, but when I called her back (generational thing) she replied back via text: I’m in class can’t talk right now.

Many schools are requiring the students to show up for their online classes in their school uniforms or in the school’s dress code. Schools are getting on with business, the content is the same, but the delivery is different.

Informed Families was scheduled to be closed for Spring Break this past week, but we canceled it. Why? So we could get our Lock Your Meds curriculum online and ready to use when Miami-Dade County public schools reopened on March 30. Schools, teachers, parents and students rely on Informed Families to provide them the latest information, tips, and resources to keep kids safe, healthy & drug free.

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Topics: President's Message, education, Webinars, prescription drug abuse, lock your meds, teacher tools, lesson plan template, Peggy Sapp, social media, Covid-19

National Survey on Drug Use and Health Findings Announced

Posted by Informed Families on August 29, 2019 at 3:04 PM

National Survey on Drug Use and Health Findings Announced

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently released the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The annual survey is the nation’s primary resource for data on mental health and substance use among Americans.

Among the findings:

  • The number of Americans misusing pain relievers dropped substantially, and fewer young adults are abusing heroin and other substances.
  • Marijuana continues to be the most widely used illicit drug. Frequent marijuana use, in youth (aged 12-17 years) and young adults, appears to be associated with risk for opioid use, heavy alcohol use, and major depressive episodes
  • A majority of people who misuse prescription pain relievers get them from friends & family, or healthcare providers & prescribers.
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Topics: marijuana, prescription drug abuse, drug free, samhsa

President's Message - June/July 2019

Posted by Peggy B. Sapp, President & CEO on June 28, 2019 at 11:00 AM

Let's End the Stigma Associated With Drugs   

The Surgeon General’s recent call to end the stigma associated with addiction is long overdue. The stigma surrounding alcohol and drug use and addiction often prevents us from talking openly about these issues with friends, family and most importantly our kids.

It’s much easier to avoid talking about tough topics, especially when we think “that could never happen to one of my loved ones.”  No one wants to believe their child is sneaking pills from the medicine cabinet or drinking while out with friends. No one wants to believe their child is experimenting with or using drugs.

The sad truth is that children as young as nine years old already start viewing alcohol in a more positive way, and approximately 3,300 kids, as young as 12 years old, try marijuana each day. Additionally, about five in 10 kids, as young as age 12, obtain prescription pain relievers for non-medical purposes.  Furthermore, the research shows that children who first smoke marijuana under the age of 14 are more than five times as likely to abuse drugs as adults than those who first use marijuana at age 18 (NIDA).

It is never too early to talk to your children about the risks of using alcohol and drugs. It may not always seem like it, but kids really do hear their parents say; talk they listen.

Peggy 

 

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Topics: President's Message, addiction, drug trends, marijuana, prescription drug abuse, teens, drug use, parents, alcohol use

Miami-Dade Students Present on Drug Prevention Efforts in Their Schools and Communities

Posted by Informed Families on May 27, 2019 at 12:16 PM

“I learned how to handle peer pressure and say no to drugs.”

“I didn’t know people could die from alcohol poisoning.”

“I didn’t know how much of a problem prescription drug abuse was.”

“Many of our peers are dealing with drug issues themselves or have a family member with a problem.”

Student ambassadors in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Creating Community Change: Youth Engagement Program (CCC:YEP) program shared these messages and much more during their end of the year presentations at the Betty T. Ferguson Center in Miami Gardens on May 22, 23 and 24. 

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Topics: red ribbon week, ambassadors, prescription drug abuse, lock your meds, safe homes smart parties, middle school, peer pressure, drug free, drug prevention, parent peer group, miami gardens, miami

Last Year Was The Worst Year In US History For Drug Overdoses

Posted by Informed Families on August 26, 2018 at 5:31 PM

prescription-drug-USDrug overdose was responsible for the loss of nearly 72,000 Americans in 2017, according to the Center for Disease Control & Prevention. That’s just under 200 people each day for the entire year - and 8,000 more deaths than the previous year, also a record year. At least 2/3 of those deaths were due to opioid abuse. Here are two trends that are contributing to this awful epidemic.

From Pills To Heroin

Patients receiving prescription drugs for pain as a result of an injury or recovering from surgery are often given significantly more than they need. While opioids are effective in managing pain, their addictive properties make them dangerous for long-term use.

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Topics: prescription drug abuse, lock your meds, prescription drugs, drug abuse, opioids

Opioids In Florida: The Latest Stats

Posted by Informed Families on January 3, 2018 at 12:30 PM

How Large Is The Opioid Problem In Florida?

With the opioid epidemic sweeping the nation, Florida is certainly not immune. And apparently, the problem is getting worse. According to a recent report from Florida's medical examiners, there has been a dramatic 22% increase (2,126 more deaths) of in drug-related deaths from the prior year. The report also showed a 35% increase in opioid-related deaths (1,483 over the previous year for a total of 5,725).

Not suprisingly, more deaths were caused by prescription drugs than illicit drugs, accounting for 61% of all drug occurrences in the report. After all, availability and a low perception of harm lead to increased use and abuse.

The drugs that caused the most deaths were cocaine, benzodiazepines, fentanyl, morphine, heroin, alcohol, oxycodone, methadone and methamphetamine.

“Clearly, those are shocking numbers and we have got to do something about it,” said Senate Health Policy Chairwoman Dana Young, R-Tampa to The News Service of Florida.

Here are additional highlights from the report: 

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Topics: prescription, prescription drug abuse, lock your meds, prescription drugs, drug abuse, drug prevention, opioids

About Us

We teach people how to say no to drugs and how to make healthy choices. To reduce the demand for drugs, Informed Families has focused its efforts on educating and mobilizing the community, parents and young people in order to change attitudes. In this way we counteract the pressures in society that condone and promote drug and alcohol use and abuse. The organization educates thousands of families annually about how to stay drug and alcohol free through networking and a variety of programs and services .

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