Community Education


Home Programs Adults in Transition Adult After-Care Transitional Living Employment Support GED Adult Outpatient Assessment & Referral Misdemeanant Program DUI Program Drug Court Community Education Prevention Programs Senior Services Family Center Family Residence Men's Residential Child Development & Head Start HIV/AIDS Services Rapid Testing Medical Services Medication Services Medication Assisted Treatment Services Onsite Primary Care Clinic Onsite Mental Health Services Lab Testing Teen Programs Back on Track HealthCorps Women's Center Outpatient Day Treatment Zero Exposure Residential Treatment Dining Services & Training Center Dining Services Training Center About Us CEO Message Medical Team About DACCO Mission/Vision Board of Directors Accreditation Funding Sources Friends of DACCO Awards Information Donations News & Events Newsletter Photo Gallery Press Releases Online Resources Housing Careers Job Opportunities Benefits Contact Us Contact Us FAQs
	Welcome to our Community Education page. This page will provide you with basic information about current national and state trends regarding prescription abuse and information about commonly abused chemicals. You will also find general consumer information about substance use prevention and treatment. Although we as a community have had some success with the issue of substance abuse, there is more work ahead for all of us to protect our family members and our community. We hope this information will aide members of our community with understanding their role in reducing the risk of adolescent substance use or what to do for aging family member to prevent abuse/misuse of prescription drugs. For many chronic substance abusers, the road to addiction begins in adolescence. Some parents find adolescence a difficult period during which they are unsure how to effectively communicate with their child or how to set limits. We offer five things to know about adolescent brain development and use. There are also seven survival tips for parents to help parents balance the desire to give their teenage children some independence with the parental role of guidance and setting boundaries. Not all adolescents engage in substance use, and many who do will not become chronic substance abusers. There are however many adolescents that will not realize their full potential due to addiction or involvement in our legal system, as a result of early use of illegal or controlled substances. For those families that seek treatment services, it is important to understand principles of effective treatment and why adolescent treatment is different from adult treatment. Parents and positive adult role models remain the # 1 anti-drug factor in any child's life. By setting and communicating healthy beliefs and clear standards, you become a protective factor. Senior adults consume a substantial percentage of the nation's prescription drugs. As the life expectancy for our society has increased, many adults have one or both parents that continue to live independently well into their seventies or even eighties. As this becomes more common, it is important that we understand stressors for older adults and the hazard prescription drugs can become if they are not properly utilized. Four out of five older adults take at least one prescription drug daily, and over half of all people hospitalized for adverse drug reactions are over the age of sixty five. Most misuse of medications in older adults is unintentional and often attributed to the physical effects of aging, medical factors, psychological factors, cultural factors, and health system factors. Frequently, misuse by patients and doctors is a result of poor communication and a misunderstanding of the guidelines for medication use. For adults who have multiple medical issues and several doctors, it becomes difficult to keep up with the dosing schedule and warnings that each prescription requires. For everyone in our community it's important to follow tips that can keep you and others safe from prescription misuse or abuse. Prescription drug abuse can impact every age group in our community; it's everyone's problem. If you have a family member who needs treatment, look for the most effective treatment and seek service that measures up. Our goal is to provide information that increases your awareness of the impact of prescription drug abuse and other drugs of abuse. More importantly, we hope your awareness of the impact drug abuse can have on you, your family and your community has been increased. Hopefully we have also educated you as a consumer on ways to protect your family and the value of treatment. Over time, the type of substances abused and the method of abuse will vary. We have included a list of resources on drugs of abuse. These sites provide current information on the latest research and survey data available at the national and state level. An educated public is a key component in our community effort to prevent substance abuse. The decision to seek treatment can be difficult. Fortunately there are several treatment providers in our community that offer effective residential and/or outpatient treatment programs. For more information on treatment providers in Hillsborough County please go to http://www.211atyourfingertips.org. For information on substance abuse prevention or treatment services available at DACCO please visit www.dacco.org.

Welcome to our Community Education page. This page will provide you with basic information about current national and state trends regarding prescription abuse and information about commonly abused chemicals. You will also find general consumer information about substance use prevention and treatment. Although we as a community have had some success with the issue of substance abuse, there is more work ahead for all of us to protect our family members and our community. We hope this information will aide members of our community with understanding their role in reducing the risk of adolescent substance use or what to do for aging family member to prevent abuse/misuse of prescription drugs.

For many chronic substance abusers, the road to addiction begins in adolescence. Some parents find adolescence a difficult period during which they are unsure how to effectively communicate with their child or how to set limits. We offer five things to know about adolescent brain development and use. There are also seven survival tips for parents to help parents balance the desire to give their teenage children some independence with the parental role of guidance and setting boundaries. Not all adolescents engage in substance use, and many who do will not become chronic substance abusers. There are however many adolescents that will not realize their full potential due to addiction or involvement in our legal system, as a result of early use of illegal or controlled substances. For those families that seek treatment services, it is important to understand principles of effective treatment and why adolescent treatment is different from adult treatment. Parents and positive adult role models remain the # 1 anti-drug factor in any child's life. By setting and communicating healthy beliefs and clear standards, you become a protective factor.

text Senior adults consume a substantial percentage of the nation's prescription drugs. As the life expectancy for our society has increased, many adults have one or both parents that continue to live independently well into their seventies or even eighties. As this becomes more common, it is important that we understand stressors for older adults and the hazard prescription drugs can become if they are not properly utilized. Four out of five older adults take at least one prescription drug daily, and over half of all people hospitalized for adverse drug reactions are over the age of sixty five. Most misuse of medications in older adults is unintentional and often attributed to the physical effects of aging, medical factors, psychological factors, cultural factors, and health system factors. Frequently, misuse by patients and doctors is a result of poor communication and a misunderstanding of the guidelines for medication use. For adults who have multiple medical issues and several doctors, it becomes difficult to keep up with the dosing schedule and warnings that each prescription requires. For everyone in our community it's important to follow tips that can keep you and others safe from prescription misuse or abuse. Prescription drug abuse can impact every age group in our community; it's everyone's problem. If you have a family member who needs treatment, look for the most effective treatment and seek service that measures up.

Our goal is to provide information that increases your awareness of the impact of prescription drug abuse and other drugs of abuse. More importantly, we hope your awareness of the impact drug abuse can have on you, your family and your community has been increased. Hopefully we have also educated you as a consumer on ways to protect your family and the value of treatment. Over time, the type of substances abused and the method of abuse will vary. We have included a list of resources on drugs of abuse. These sites provide current information on the latest research and survey data available at the national and state level. An educated public is a key component in our community effort to prevent substance abuse. The decision to seek treatment can be difficult. Fortunately there are several treatment providers in our community that offer effective residential and/or outpatient treatment programs. For more information on treatment providers in Hillsborough County please go to http://www.211atyourfingertips.org. For information on substance abuse prevention or treatment services available at DACCO please visit www.dacco.org.