Share the risks of distracted driving with your teen drivers to help keep them safe.

Educate your kids with sobering facts
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that seven teens ages 16 to 19 died every day from motor vehicle injuries in 2010. In fact, motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death of teens in the United States. As you educate your teens on how to drive safely this summer, make sure they know the danger is not all in your head.

Talk about drunk driving
Make sure your teens know that you’re available as a resource for safe rides home. Teens can get overwhelmed or scared and make a bad decision when it comes to driving after drinking or experimenting with drugs. Make yourself available as a designated driver and let them know that you're there to help.

Talk about distractions
In some areas, teen drivers aren’t allowed to drive with passengers who are under 20 or 21. The reasoning behind this centers around distractions. When teens drive together, the likelihood of distraction goes up. Socializing, music, texting and horseplay can lead to a distracted driver and that can lead to motor vehicle crashes. Disaction.gov reports that cell phone use was cited in 18% of motor vehicle fatalities. Let your teen know that social time happens when the car is not in motion. This is the safest option for everyone involved.

You can help keep teens safe on the road by warning them of the potential dangers and communicating regularly. Learn more about educating teens about safe choices at LiveFree!

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Give your teen space to have fun while setting appropriate boundaries.

During the long school year, teens work hard and focus on education. Over the summer, it’s natural to want to cut loose and have fun. As a parent, you have to find ways to set boundaries without stifling your teen’s hard earned fun.

Research activities
If your teen is attending a camp or going on a trip, do your research. Find out who will be supervising and what the guidelines are. Look into chaperones for trips. Know who will be driving and where your teen will be staying.

Require safety equipment for sports and activities
As your teen participates in sports and other outdoors activities, require the right safety equipment. Activities such as boating can be especially dangerous without the right precautions. Give your teen the chance to have fun as long as he’s adhering to safety rules and using the right equipment, such as helmets while biking or skateboarding.

Talk about drugs and alcohol
Continue an open dialogue about drugs and alcohol over the summer. Never allow your teen or other teens to drink alcohol in your home.

Ask your teen for suggestions
Give your teen the chance to influence her summer activities. Instead of telling her what she’ll be doing, let her come to you with suggestions and options. Discuss those options as a family to find out what works best for your teen and what aligns to the rules you’ve established. Focus on compromise and give her opportunities to earn trust and privileges.

Talk about online safety
Your teen will spend time texting and hanging out online this summer, no matter how great the weather is. It’s always the right time to talk about online bullying, online safety and privacy. It’s also a good time to talk about going to a responsible adult if illegal or irresponsible behavior is witnessed online.                  

The LiveFree! Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition is a coalition of members of the community who strive to address alcohol and drug use in Pinellas County. Visit us online today to see how you can get involved.

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Spring break is just around the corner, but do you have a safety plan in place?

You made through one half of your school year and you most certainly deserve a break from all of it. Good thing spring break is just around the corner! Whether you are going on vacation with your family or just hanging out at the beach with friends, it's good to have a safety plan in place during spring break.

Here are a few things you should keep in mind when planning your trip:

• Make sure you pick a hotel that is centrally located. You don't want to be stuck out in the middle of nowhere.
• Stay in touch with family and/or friends — whether by email, social media or phone. Make sure that you are staying in contact and letting them know you are safe. This is especially important if you go without your parents.
• Don't carry a ton of cash with you; take a little and use mostly credit cards. You are less likely to be robbed.
• When you go out, don't go out by yourself. Make sure you have people with you.
• Make sure you use sunscreen and drink plenty of water when you are out in the sun.
• If you are old enough to drink, make sure go easy on the alcohol and make sure you designate a driver or have the number to a cab service handy.

So now that you have your safety plan in place, all you have left to do is to pick your destination! Where ever you decide to go, make sure to follow the safety tips above. Find more spring break safety tips by visiting the CDC website. Be safe and have fun!

If you would like to learn more about LiveFree! and our mission to reduce youth substance abuse, visit our website. And if you want to join our mailing list, just text LIVEFREE to 22828, and don't forget to include your email address!

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It’s that time again–school is out and the kids are bouncing off the walls with boredom. Never fear! There are plenty of ways for kids and teens to stay active and have fun in Pinellas County all summer long!

From free options like volunteering, to summer camps and park programs–there is something for everyone! Check out these ideas for keeping kids and teens busy (and out of trouble!).

Give Back to the Community
Volunteering is a wonderful way for teens to make use of their free time over the summer. They will learn a valuable lesson in helping others and may even earn volunteer hours toward the high school graduation requirement that many schools have. Visit this link to search for volunteer opportunities in Pinellas County.

• VIP: Volunteers in Pinellas

Visit a Park or Volunteer at One
There are so many options for beautiful parks to visit in Pinellas County, but you can volunteer at parks as well. Visit the county’s website to learn more.’

• Volunteer in Parks

Join the Y
The YMCA of the Suncoast has 10 locations and offers various programs from summer camps to fitness classes, swimming lessons and sports programs for kids and teens of all ages.

• YMCA of the Suncoast

Enroll in a Summer Camp
Summer camps are a great way for kids and teens to stay active, make new friends and continue learning over the summer. There are a variety of summer camp programs in the Pinellas County area, but here are just a few to check out:

• Pinellas County Summer Camps 2012
• Tampa Bay Watch Summer Camps

• American Stage 2012 Summer Theater Programs
• City of Largo Summer Camp Programs

• Clearwater Marine Aquarium Summer Camp

Whether teens want to make the most of their summer by giving back to their community, making new friends or learning life skills, there are plenty of options in Pinellas County. LiveFree! is an organization focused on educating people about and ending substance abuse in Pinellas County. Our goal is to make the community a better place for us to live in and for our children to grow up in. Learn more about our goals by visiting us online.

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Prom is something you’re going to remember for the rest of your life; it’s the highlight of your high school career, and YOU make the choice on how you want to remember it. It should be a time when you are surrounded by friends, fun and dancing–an all-around celebration. You are graduating high school and moving on to college, leaving your longtime friends and entering the next big stage of your life. As you invest in YOU and your future, you have an opportunity to make important decisions and evaluate personal choices. Please consider choices that avoid underage drinking, prescription drug use, tobacco use, marijuana use and other drug use.

When alcohol and drugs become involved, prom can also be a dangerous time for teens. Alcohol and drug use can lead to other risky behaviors like driving under the influence, physical or emotional violence, sexual mistakes and accidental overdose. Prom should be a celebration that you remember forever–it should never end in tragedy.

It’s up to you to make healthy decisions this prom and celebrate without drugs or alcohol. When you look back at this memory years down the road, you’ll be proud of yourself and the positive choices you made.

Pledge to make healthy decisions this prom by tweeting to @LiveFreeFL and encourage your friends to do the same. Friends are the most powerful influence over other teens–make sure you are a positive one.

How to Tweet your LiveFree! Prom Pledge

Use our pre-written tweet: @LiveFree: I pledge to have a safe, fun prom, free from alcohol and drugs. #LiveFreeProm

Or create your own, making sure to tweet @LiveFreeFL and include the hashtag #LiveFreeProm