Over 20% of Brevard residents are excessive drinkers.
Alcohol and substance abuse remains a growing concern in Brevard County. The nonprofit Space Coast Health Foundation conducts a survey every three years, and WFIT’s Rick Glasby has the results:
Nearly 23% of Brevard residents are “excessive drinkers.” For men, that means consuming more than two drinks a day; for women more than one a day. Space Coast numbers are above the state as a whole (statewide it’s 18%), but we’re less than the nation at 27%. Those who are battling alcohol the most are residents who are men, either white or hispanic, with higher incomes. The survey also looked at illegal drug use. About 2.7% of Brevard adults used an illicit drug in the past month. That’s a significant decrease since 2019.
Illicit drug use was most commonly reported by young adults in Brevard, people with very low incomes, those with higher incomes, Hispanic residents and LGBTQ+ respondents.
One elected official pushing for marijuana legalization programs that reinvest in communities
If passed in November, Amendment 3 would legalize recreational use of marijuana. But proponents of the measure ALSO say it could help end an era of discriminatory drug enforcement policies against Black and Brown communities.
Grassroots organizations and elected officials like Democratic State Representative Anna] Eskamani] says the Florida legislature should consider social equity programs –– programs that could help undo past harm.
I do see this path of legalization not only as a means to allow law enforcement to focus on actual real crimes, as an opportunity to correct some of the harm caused –– by reinvesting in our communities, by expunging records.]
Florida’s Amendment 3 measure requires 60 percent approval to pass in November.
Abortions down in Florida under six-week ban, but not as much as expected
Far fewer people got abortions in Florida after the state's six-week ban went into effect. New data from the Guttmacher [GOOT-MAH-kur] Institute shows abortions dropped by about a third in the months after the ban started compared to earlier this year.
But the decline wasn't as steep as in some other states.
States like Texas, Georgia and South Carolina saw abortions drop by half or greater after their six-week bans started, says Guttmacher data scientist Isaac Matto Zimmett. He says Florida's ban came as more people started getting abortion pills through the mail from doctors in states without bans. The pills are approved for use in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.
Maddow-Zimett says Florida also had more time for clinics and support groups to build up resources to help patients get abortions before six weeks. But he worries they won't be able to sustain the need much longer
Rights groups sue Florida over 'exact match' voter law
Civil rights groups are suing Florida over a law that says a voter's name must exactly match their driver's license or social security card. They say people of color are far more likely to get disqualified.
A non-profit called Florida Rising says 43-thousand people have been unable to register to vote because of the law.
Black people are deemed "unverified" at more than twice the rate of white people, says Judith Browne Dianis with the Advancement Project.
"We have filed this lawsuit because the state of Florida continues to put in place policies that make it harder for people to register, harder for people to cast a ballot, and harder for that ballot to be counted."]
Plaintiffs say a legal challenge to a similar exact match law in Georgia in 2018 was successful, and the registrations of 40-thousand people were restored.
More WWW.Floridatoday.com
