Ten years ago, 24 year old University Of West Florida senior Eric Smallridge left a bar where he had been watching a favorite band with some friends. Smallridge was drinking beer, but like other times, he did a self-sobriety field test by standing on one leg and putting his index finger on his nose and felt he was sober enough to drive. While driving home, a white car in the right lane that was ending cut into his lane. Smallridge swerved his truck into the left lane in order to avoid a collision with the white car, but ended up hitting another car in which two college girls were riding. Their car spun out of control and hit a tree. The impact killed the girls.

When many are asked what the leading cause of death for females in America is, their first guess is breast cancer. However, this is not the case. At the Women’s Health: Then & Now panel discussion, the audience was informed that the deadliest disease is actually heart disease. The presentation took place on March 10, 2011 in Selby Auditorium, and was in celebration of Women’s History Month. The speech addressed health issues that have plagued women for decades, health improvements, and health areas that could still use improvement.