Drug Free Sarasota 2014 Annual Report

 Prescription Drug Misuse/Abuse

 Since 2013, all law enforcement agencies within Sarasota County at least (1) permanent prescription drug drop box.  There are currently (5) permanent prescription drug drop boxes within the county.  2014-County-wide participation in the final Drug Enforcement Agency take-back day.

 Partnership initiative with local pharmacists.  Collaboration with state-funded providers.  Educating general public.

 Educate community members about permanent disposal sites.  Continued collaborative efforts with surrounding counties by advertising their permanent disposal sites.  Initiating efforts to promote with home- bound population that may not have access to disposal locations.

 Partnering with all law enforcement agencies to promote a collaborative and consistent message to the community.  DEA take-back days are used as an opportunity to market the disposal sites despite the permanency of their locations.

 Proclamation Signing in Support of Red Ribbon Week.  Public promotion of collaborative efforts with state-funded providers, law enforcement, and government to reinforce prevention.

 All law enforcement agencies in Sarasota County have collected over 13,000lbs of unused/expired prescription medication since  Although there was a 2.6% decrease in the amount of medications collected between they years 2013 and 2014; in the first (5) months of 2015, 1, pounds of unused/expired prescription medication has been collected. This is more than half of the 2014 year-end total.

 Since the passing of the pain clinic ordinance in 2011, unintentional prescription drug deaths in Sarasota County decreased by 22% in 2012 and maintained the same standing in the year  Of the 66 drug related deaths in Sarasota County, 46 deaths represent accident deaths. This total shows an 8% decrease from the 2012 accidental drug related deaths.

 In 2008-Sarasota County had the 6 th highest prescription drug death rate in the state of Florida.  In 2009-Sarasota County had the 8 th highest prescription drug death rate in the state of Florida.  In 2012-Sarasota County had the 11 th highest prescription drug death rate in the state of Florida.

 Underage Drinking

 The Sheriff’s office completes seasonal compliance checks to decrease the occurrence of underage sales to minors.  The coalition supports local a local youth-driven and community supported program which provides incentives for youth who pledge to refrain from the use of alcohol.  The coalition supports national initiatives which support the prevention of underage drinking.

 Over 2300 registrants in the Drug Free Youth (D-Fy) program.  The expansion of D-Fy to include all cities in Sarasota County (Sarasota, Venice, and North Port).  The celebration of youth who commit to abstain from illegal substances in at least one annual event.

 Second annual town hall meeting.  Promotion of a unified message to the public on alcohol prevention.  Education to the public.  Collaboration with all law enforcement agencies, state funded prevention providers, and substance abuse coalitions within the county.

 Substance Exposed Newborns

 The Coalition collaborated with the Health Start Coalition to revise the Clean Start and to develop the Clean Start II campaigns. These campaigns are educational tools used with in the community and physicians’ offices to promote prenatal drug screens and to provide awareness related to substance exposed newborns.

 The Coalition collaborated with Sarasota Memorial Hospital, initially with the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to promote safe prescription medication disposal which would limit access to possible vulnerable populations. Promoting safe disposal of prescription medication is now a universal practice at the hospital including all departments.

 Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) diagnosed Infants born at Sarasota Memorial Hospital have decreased 5.76% from  All Children’s NAS Research Clinic monitors the development of these infants and either refers to or provides appropriate services.  Community partners combine resources to effectively engage and provide services with the goal of reducing the occurrence of substance exposed newborns.

 Designer Drugs

 2014-Over 260 youth were surveyed to provide information on designer drug use/awareness.  Less than 3% of survey respondents reported K2/Spice use in the last 6 months.  Approximately 71% of the individuals who reported K2/Spice use in the last 6 months were within the year age range.

 2014-Adoption of Sarasota County Designer Drug Ordinance  The Coalition continues to collect and analyze arrest data related to the ordinance to track trends and create strategies to improve outcomes.  The Coalition continues to collect annual surveys to track trends in use/awareness of substance, and create strategies to improve outcomes.

 The Coalition has initiated a subcommittee newly developed substances that are abused locally or have high usage rates within the region.  The Coalition collects available data related to these substances to identify local concerns.

 Drug Free Sarasota has established partnerships with key stakeholders within the community.  Drug Free Sarasota uses these partnerships to collaborate on various initiatives within the community geared towards addressing identified priorities.  The collaborations that Drug Free Sarasota has been involved in has made measureable changes within the community.