avoiding drug abuse 2013
DESCRIPTION
Avoiding Drug Abuse 2013TRANSCRIPT
AVOIDING DRUG ABUSEA S P E C I A L S E C T I O N O F T H E D E N I S O N B U L L E T I N A N D D E N I S O N R E V I E W
www.DBRnews.com | Friday, February 1, 2013
BrBrought to yought to you bou byy
The DThe D.A.R.E..A.R.E. PrProogrgram am
of the Denison Pof the Denison Police olice
DeparDepartment,tment,
Manning FManning Family amily
RecoRecovverery Centery Center,,
Denison Bulletin &Denison Bulletin & ReRevievieww,,
and the co-sponsors and the co-sponsors
on the fon the folloollowing pages.wing pages.
D.A.R.E. Program
Denison Police Department
You are not alone Manning Family Recovery Center
is a division of Manning Regional Healthcare Center and has been
roviding safe ef cient and effective chemical dependency
treatment to individuals and their families since 1982.
Con dential 24-hour crisis line 712.655.2300
or 1.800.656.6372
410 Main StreetManning, Iowa [email protected]
Addiction Doesn’t Discriminate
Manning Family Recovery Centera division of Manning Regional Healthcare Center
Providing safe
RECOVERYCENTERFAMILYMANNING
410 Main StreetManning, Iowa 51455
or
Brought to you by The D.A.R.E. Program of the Denison Police Department, Manning FamilyRecovery Center, Denison Bulletin & Review, and the co-sponsors on the following pages
D.A.R.E. teaches childrengood skills for life...Page 2
Recessions affect on drugabuse...Page 3
State agency sets goalsto reduce substanceabuse...Page 4
Dr AlTo Coalition...Page 5
Bath salts - innocent looking but deadly...Page 6
Legislative effortsto reduce prescriptiondrug abuse...Page 7
PAGE 2 FEBRUARY 1, 2013AVOIDING DRUG ABUSE
WWaalltteerr AA.. HHuueebbnneerr && SSoonnss’’FFuunneerraall HHoommeess
Denison • Charter Oak • Schleswig • Westside
1437 BroadwayDenison
712-263-4158
DENISON COMMUNITY SCHOOL819 North 16th Street
Denison, IA 51442712-263-3101
Talk to your children today aboutthe dangers of drugs and alcohol.Talk to your children today aboutthe dangers of drugs and alcohol.
Officers Tom Bauler (left) and Joe Ebner with the Denison Police Department will teachD.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) to fifth graders at all schools in Denison. The
program begins in March. D.A.R.E. has been taught to fifth-grade students in Denison since1990.
D.A.R.E. marks23 yearsin Denison
This year D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Educa-tion) is marking 23 years of providing Denison stu-dents with the life skills they need to make goodchoices and to avoid negative consequences.
D.A.R.E. has been presented to fifth graders at-tending the Denison Community School District since1990 and to fifth graders attending Zion LutheranSchool and St. Rose of Lima Catholic School in Deni-son since 1991. This year the nine-week-long pro-gram will begin in March.
Through D.A.R.E., local law enforcement and theschools join together to educate students about thepersonal and social consequences of substance abuseand violence.
Officers Joe Ebner and Tom Bauler with the DenisonPolice Department are the D.A.R.E. instructors. It willbe Officer Bauler’s first year teaching D.A.R.E. andOfficer Ebner’s second year.
Officers who teach D.A.R.E. attend a two-weektraining session at the Iowa Law Enforcement Acad-emy at Camp Dodge near Grimes.
According to the D.A.R.E. website (www.dare.com),more than 75,000 law enforcement officers in theUnited States are certified to teach the program.
Millions of children in more than 300,000 class-rooms in 10,000 communities in all 50 states will ben-efit from D.A.R.E. this year.
D.A.R.E. is also taught to millions of children in 43other countries and to children who attend all De-partment of Defense Schools worldwide and all U.S.territories have D.A.R.E. programs in place.
While the acronym D.A.R.E. stands for Drug AbuseResistance Education, the program is about more thanresisting drugs. It is about making good decisions.The program teaches that every decision carries con-sequences. Students are taught to weigh the conse-quences of decisions and make choices based on pos-itive consequences.
Drug abuse resistance is, of course, part of the pro-gram. Students are offered positive alternatives todrugs and alcohol through education, sports and sim-ilar activities.
Following the completion of the D.A.R.E. course,students participate in a graduation ceremony. Thestudents, their families and friends hear from a guestspeaker. Selected essays are read by the students whowrote them, and diplomas are awarded.
The D.A.R.E. program also builds rapport betweenlaw enforcement and students. Having a police officerteach D.A.R.E. provides another valuable resource.The officer is able to share experiences in which hehas observed people who have made right and wrongchoices and the consequences that went along withthose decisions.
Along with the instructor, credit for the success ofthe D.A.R.E. program is shared with the teachers,counselors and principals at the schools in Denison.
Teaching children good skills for a good life
D.A.R.E., by the numbers220 new communities started D.A.R.E. in last three
years75% of U.S. school districts and 43 countries teach
D.A.R.E.10,000+ communities are using D.A.R.E.$12 per child from K through 12 for all educational
materials (as a non-profit D.A.R.E. is the most affordableprogram available)
About D.A.R.E.First developed in 1983, D.A.R.E. has undergone mul-
tiple revisions as research findings increased knowledgeof effective substance abuse prevention among school-aged youth.
The new K-12 D.A.R.E. curricula lessons focus on:Strong “NO USE” messageImmediate consequencesNormative beliefsConsequential thinking (problem solving and conflict
management)Self-management skillsVoluntary commitmentCredible presenterCharacter EducationProtective factors-resiliencyInteractive participatory learningSocial resistance skillsViolence preventionAlternativesRole-modelingSet curriculum and quality trainingD.A.R.E. has a Scientific Advisory Board led by Dr.
Herb Kleber, Columbia UniversityNIDA issued Research Based Guide identifying stan-
dards for prevention programs, publication proposed check-list of research-based prevention principles—D.A.R.E. wasthe only program to satisfy all eight categories
A study published in the Journal of the National Med-ical Association demonstrated that the D.A.R.E. curriculumis highly effective in prevention of smoking. Students thatcompleted the D.A.R.E. program were five times less like-ly to start smoking compared to youngsters who did notparticipate in D.A.R.E.
Since its inception, funding for D.A.R.E. student educa-tional materials and instructors’ training are provided byD.A.R.E. America, a non-profit organization. Less thanone percent of D.A.R.E. America’s budget comes fromfederal sources.
FEBRUARY 1, 2013 AVOIDING DRUG ABUSE PAGE 3
www.dmuonline.comWest Broadway & 7th Street
Bright Energy Solutions incentives are available on theweb site www.dmuonline.com or at the office for thefollowing appliances & equipment:
DMU website is available to serve you with convenient Outage Tracker, Bill Pay the Easy Way and a full compliment of information, projects, rebates
and ideas for your home and business. Commercial:Lighting RetrofitNew Construction LightingHeating & CoolingMotor/Pumps/VFDTargeted Audit Incentive
DMU is proud to supportDARE in its effort to prevent
drug and alcohol abuse inthe Denison Community.
WE’RE PROUD to Help Sponsor this Special Drug & Alcohol
Prevention Section!
The Excitement Starts Here!505 Adams Dr. • Hwys. 39, 59 & 141 • 712-263-5617 • Denison
503 Main Street • 712-655-2842 • Manning
Disease crossesall socialboundaries, income levels
Contrary to what was believed of substance abusein the past, current studies are finding that the reces-sion and the aftermath are resulting in an increase ofsubstance abuse that includes alcohol, illegal drugsand prescription drugs.
According to an article by Denise Mann for WebMDHealth News, researcher Michael T. French, a profes-sor of health economics at the University of Miami,stated that it was originally thought that a rise in un-employment would lead to a decrease in income anda concurrent decrease in alcohol consumption. Thestudy French conducted, however, provides insightinto why there is an increase and not the decreasethat was expected.
“People are self-medicating with alcohol,” Frenchsaid. “If you have more free time, you can engage inactivities like drinking more frequently than if youwere employed. The self-medication and leisure timeeffect are dominating the income effect.”
The study also revealed that there is a direct link be-tween education level and drinking, and that too isnot what was expected. As the education level of theindividual rises, so too does the likelihood of drink-ing. There is actually a tendency for people who arestill employed to drink more in quantity and frequen-cy and to be more likely to drive after drinking whenthe economy is in a downturn.
“Even if you have a job, you may be concernedabout losing it or maybe you are worried about otherfamily members who are at risk for losing a job,”French said.
The increase in abuse during an economic recessionis not limited to any one substance or any one demo-graphic population segment. Researchers are findingthat people of all ages and all financial backgroundsare turning to alcohol and drugs to deal with theirproblems.
One area of growth that has increased so dramati-cally that experts are labeling it to be of epidemic pro-portions is prescription drug abuse. According to TomMcLellan, co-founder of the Treatment Research In-stitute, accidental death from pharmaceutical opioids(pain medications) is now one of the leading causesof accidental death in the United States.
The epidemic is not reserved for the young of thiscountry either. While accidental overdose rates forteens are actually starting to decrease, there has beenan increase in prescription drug abuse seen in olderpatients. In fact, the Baby Boomer generation is the
largest and fastest-growing group of substanceabusers in the country.
“Alcohol addiction is [still] the primary substanceabuse for people age 50, but it’s going down,” saidJuan Harris, clinical director of a baby boomer treat-ment center in West Palm Beach, Florida. “There aremore and more people over 50 abusing more illicitstuff, such as cocaine, heroin, marijuana and pre-scription drugs.”
There are many factors putting pressure on thisgroup that leads to added stresses and self-medica-tion. Not only is the increase in abuse more evidentbecause of the size of the Baby Boomer generation, itis also a reaction to the fact that this is considered a“sandwich” generation who is responsible for caringfor their children and their parents at the same time.This is also a stage of life with dramatic changes thatbring added pressures such as divorce, job loss, poorhealth and other grief issues. Add to this the impactof the recent recession and many Baby Boomers areeither losing their jobs and retirement benefits or fearthat they will. All of these factors together have re-sulted in the perceived need of relief for this genera-tion.
When thinking about substance abuse, the imageconjured up in most minds would not be that of agrandmother or grandfather figure; the normal imagethat comes to mind is one completely the opposite ofthat: young, dangerous looking, bold and brash. Butthese studies reveal we need to become more aware ofthe trends and be ready to recognize and help thosewho may not seem to fit any one substance abuse per-ception.
“We know that there are many things that can pushpeople into addictive behaviors,” said Manning Fam-ily Recovery Center director Shannon Mahannah. “Noone is immune from the pressures and life and thepossibility that they may develop a substance abuseproblem.
“The key is to recognize that this is a disease thatcrosses all social boundaries and income levels. It isan epidemic that will take understanding, accounta-bility, compassion and guidance to eradicate.”
If you are concerned that someone you care aboutmay have a substance abuse problem, please look pastthe stereotypes and seek guidance from trained pro-fessionals. Call Manning Family Recovery Centertoday at 712-655-2072 for answers to your questions.
Substance abuse: anotherside effect of the recession
Current studies are finding that the recession and the af-termath are resulting in an increase of substance abuse thatincludes alcohol, illegal drugs and prescription drugs. Thisis contrary to what was believed in the past. A study con-
ducted by Michael T. French, a professor of health eco-nomics at the University of Miami, provides insight into whythere is an increase and not the decrease that was expect-ed. Graphic submitted
PAGE 4 FEBRUARY 1, 2013AVOIDING DRUG ABUSE
2244 HHoouurr CCuussttoommeerr SSeerrvviiccee11--888888--889900--55555544
2244 HHoouurr EEmmeerrggeennccyy SSeerrvviiccee11--880000--669944--88998899
BBeeffoorree DDiiggggiinngg,, CCaallll 11--880000--229922--88998899
888888--889900--55555544oorr 881111DDeenniissoonn
1415 Broadway • Denison, IA 51442 • 712-263-5615/800-362-3980 www.broadwaydental.org
Office of Drug Policy Controlreports recommendations, goals to reduce substance abuse
The 2013 “Iowa Drug Control Strategy,” issued by theGovernor’s Office of Drug Policy Control (ODCP), high-lighted trends in substance abuse in the state and listedrecommendations to reduce drug abuse and its associat-ed damage to society.
The executive summary of the report contained somepositive news. The ODCP said that, according to the Na-tional Survey on Drug Use and Health, Iowa has the low-est rate of illicit drug use in the nation.
“Our young people continue to abuse drugs at a lowerrate than the national average and our arrest rate foryouth has dropped considerably. The number of drunk-en-driving fatalities has also dropped,” Steven F. Lukan,director of the ODCP, wrote in the executive summary.“Through use of the Pseudoephedrine Tracking System,Iowa is on track to see a decrease in meth labs. These areall positive trends Iowa should be proud of.”
However, the report continued that significant chal-lenges remain with 50 percent of Iowa’s drug relatedprison admissions due to meth abuse and marijuana ac-ceptance which appears to be growing among young peo-ple.
Motor vehicle crashes due to drugged driving haverisen substantially and law enforcement continues to re-port the availability of dangerous synthetic drugs avail-able to Iowa youth, the report added.
The report also stated that drug trafficking organiza-tions continue to use routes through Iowa that transporthazardous narcotics into and through Iowa for sale andfurther distribution.
It continued that a domestic impact of drug traffickingorganizations “may well be a spike in illegal marijuanagrows in Iowa. The number of plants seized has morethan doubled in recent years. Grows have been found toinvolve illegal immigrants who may have ties to drug car-tels. Illegal grow sites pose many hazards including po-tential for gun violence, harmful environmental effectsand dangers from toxic molds.”
The report included information on the fastest growingform of substance abuse by Iowans – prescription andover-the-counter medicines. A March 2012 report fromthe Office of National Drug Control Policy said that pre-scription drug overdose deaths are now the leading causeof injury death in the United States, exceeding the num-ber of deaths from traffic crashes.
The report also cited the 2010 Iowa Youth Survey, stat-ing that seven percent of Iowa 11th graders have usedprescription drugs for non-medicinal purposes.
The Iowa ODCP listed the following recommendationsfor the Iowa Legislature and other organizations:
Increase usage and quality of the Prescription Moni-toring Program and hold accountable those guilty of ille-gal Prescription Drug Diversion.
Upgrade the Drug Tax Stamp for use with SyntheticDrugs
Expand the Meth Precursor List Clarify Marijuana is a Schedule I controlled Substance. Improve the level of employment for Iowans who have
successfully completed drug treatment.
The goals of these measures, as stated by the ODCP, areto:
Reduce the number of Iowans who die from pre-scription pain medication overdose. The report said anydeath due to drug abuse in Iowa is a tragedy. “As deathsfrom prescription drugs have spiked we must work acrosslaw enforcement, medical professionals and regulatoryagencies to turn this tide and save the lives of Iowans.”
Improve the percentage of Iowans who are employedpost treatment. “One of the keys to recovery is discover-ing one’s own self-worth. Few means exist to reinforcethis that match the value of holding a job and contribut-ing to society. From Corrections to Public Health, we mustwork harder to get those who seek treatment access to jobtraining and placements, helping them sustain wellness
and recovery,” the report stated.Reduce the percentage of 11th graders who are cur-
rent users of drugs and alcohol. The report said that 13percent of Iowa youth in 11th grade report using mari-juana on a regular basis, coupled with three percent formeth and two percent for cocaine respectively. Seven per-cent of 11th graders reported misusing prescriptiondrugs. “While these numbers are generally down, theyhave been stagnant for many years. We must redoubleour efforts on prevention in these early years of life, help-ing bolster Iowa’s youth’s chance at a bright future thatis drug free,” the OCDP report stated. In addition, 32 per-cent of 11th graders reported the current use of alcohol,a number which, although it has trended downward, istoo high for a healthy youth population, the report added.
Percent of Students in Grade 11 Reporting Current Use ofAlcohol, Tobacco, and Marijuana
Ease of Access to Cigarettes, Alcohol, and Marijuana in Iowa CommunitiesAs Perceived by Youth
Drug Related Prison Admissions
FEBRUARY 1, 2013 AVOIDING DRUG ABUSE PAGE 5
“A Zero Tolerance Center”Denison Job Corps Center
10 Opportunity Drive • Hwy. 30 East • 712-265-2300Denison Job Corps is operated by Management and Training Corporation for the U.S. Department of Labor.
Dr AlTo...Contact Public Health at 712-263-3303 for more information
DDrr AAllTToo CCooaalliittiioonnCCrraawwffoorrdd CCoouunnttyy
Druugg,, Alccoohhooll aanndd Tobbaaccccoo CCooaalliittiioonn
HHeeaalltthhyy CChhooiicceess MMaakkee HHeeaalltthhyy KKiiddss!!
SSttaayy AAwwaayy FFrroomm DDrruuggss,, AAllccoohhooll aanndd TToobbaaccccoo!!
Crawford County’s Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco (Dr AlTo)Coalition was established in 2005 after a communitysurvey showed drug, alcohol and tobacco use andabuse to be the second highest concern for those thatresponded to the survey.
Child abuse and domestic violence ranked first in thesurvey, which could also be a result of drug and alco-hol use and abuse.
Dr AlTo’s mission is to help reduce the use of drugs,alcohol and tobacco through public education andawareness initiatives. Situations involving child abuseand domestic violence often have drug and alcoholabuse associated with it.
Dr AlTo provides information for health fairs andother community events in efforts to help with publiceducation and awareness regarding drugs, alcohol, to-bacco, violence and gangs.
The Coalition participates in Crawford County AgDays event. This is where seventh grade students fromthe county are at the Crawford County Fair Grounds re-
ceiving education from the Farm Bureau and ISU Ex-tension.
Members of Dr AlTo provide an educational sessionfor incoming freshmen at Denison Community Schoolduring their Freshmen Orientation Day.
The Coalition also provides informational tables atschools throughout the county during parent-teacherconferences.
Over the years grant dollars have purchasedvideos/DVD’s on prevention and abuse topics and areavailable to be borrowed from Crawford County HomeHealth, Hospice & Public Health.
Grants have also been obtained for community edu-cation events including health fairs and have been usedto bring in speakers to talk to middle and high schoolaged youth in our county schools. These grants havebeen obtained from Crawford County Decategoriza-tion/Community Partners for Protecting Children(CPPC) and the Denison Rotary.
Dr AlTo is being modernized currently and will beworking with area schools and agencies to help pro-
mote healthy choices to our community youth. This willinclude using facebook, twitter, and websites to reachout to our target audiences.
A scrolling LED sign will be purchased to displaymessages pertinent to the Coalition’s mission, as wellas large digital photo frames which will be displayed invarious locations.
Dr AlTo’s goal is to coordinate and collaborate withcommunity partners to educate the youth in CrawfordCounty. Dr AlTo hopes to bring people and resources to-gether to better serve the community. Helping to createawareness of the problems associated with the useand/or abuse of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, as well as, is-sues leading to child abuse and/or domestic violencecan have the power to help our youth lead a healthier,safer and more productive life.
For more information on using any of the resourcesavailable or to become a member of Dr AlTo Coalition,call Crawford County Home Health, Hospice & PublicHealth at 712-263-3303 or stop by the office at 105North Main Street in Denison.
Dr AlTo says: healthy choicesmake healthy kids!
New websiteaddresses teenconcerns, questions
The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), in part-nership with Iowa State University Extension and Out-reach, launched a new blog-style website for Iowa teensfocusing on a variety of health issues.
The website, www.IAMincontrol.org (Iowa Adoles-cents Making Choices to Control Their Future) includesquestions, answers and resources on topics ranging fromfitness and nutrition to bullying and suicide.
“The exciting part of this website is the interactive fea-tures,” said IDPH Community Health Consultant MaryGreene. “A teen counselor is available by phone 24hours a day, seven days a week and there’s also a coun-selor available through a live online chat weekdays from8 a.m. to 8 p.m.”
The website includes information about topics that af-fect teenagers specifically, and offers support for thoseseeking to make healthy choices. For example, pre-scription drug abuse is a growing problem among ado-lescents across the country; however, 83 percent of Iowahigh school students say they have never taken a pre-scription drug without a doctor’s order.
The website offers encouragement to teens who areconfronted with peer pressure by letting them know ‘noteveryone is doing it.’ The website is designed to showteens they have control over the choices they make.
Resources and topics addressed on the IAMincontrolwebsite include Alcohol, Tobacco and Drugs; Body Image;Bullying and Suicide; Fitness and Nutrition; Life Skills;Social Circle; and Teen Pregnancy and Sexual Health.
HHS launchesBeTobaccoFree.gov
Health and Human Services (HHS) launched BeTobac-coFree.gov, a comprehensive website providing one-stopaccess to the best and most up-to-date tobacco-related in-formation from across its agencies.
The consolidated resource includes general informationon tobacco, federal and state laws and policies, health sta-tistics, and evidence-based methods on how to quit.
“Tobacco use continues to be the leading cause of pre-mature and preventable death in the United States,” saidHHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “BeTobaccoFree.govbuilds upon the Obama administration’s commitment tohelp tobacco users quit and prevent children from startingto use tobacco products.”
BeTobaccoFree.gov uses responsive design, making in-formation accessible anywhere, anytime on any platform,from smart phone to tablet to desktop. The website’sunique social media dashboard, “Say it - Share it,” con-stantly provides real time updates from HHS tobacco re-lated social media accounts, including Facebook, Twitter,YouTube, Infographics, Podcasts, and Tumblr.
“HHS is committed to using technology to help Ameri-cans lead longer healthier lives,” said Assistant Secretaryfor Health Howard K. Koh, M.D., M.P.H. “Today, as wecommemorate the American Cancer Society’s Great Amer-ican Smokeout, the launch of BeTobaccoFree.gov demon-strates our dedication to reducing the harms from tobaccouse. Regardless of age, those who stop smoking and usingtobacco can substantially reduce their risk for disease.”
During the last three years, HHS increased efforts to re-duce tobacco use by coordinating across its agencies, toprovide Americans with access to available cessation andeducation tools. A few key accomplishments include:
As a result of the Affordable Care Act, most privatehealth insurance plans must now cover without cost-shar-ing tobacco use screening and cessation interventions fortobacco users.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)launched Tips From Former Smokers, a national educationcampaign that featured former smokers living with smok-ing-related diseases and disabilities.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) built anational science-based tobacco product regulation programto reduce the impact of tobacco use on the nation’s health,especially among youth, such as enforcing the ban on cig-arettes with characterizing flavors other than menthol likecandy and fruit, as well as other restrictions on tobaccoproducts and marketing.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) recently launchedQuitpal, a free smartphone app to support smokers work-ing to become smoke-free.
The Surgeon General released Preventing Tobacco UseAmong Youth and Young Adults. This 2012 report detailedthe scope, health consequences and influences that lead toyouth tobacco use and proven strategies that prevent its use.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Ad-ministration released a report in November showing thatcurrent cigarette smoking rates among 12-to 17-year-oldsfell significantly from 2002 to 2010 in 41 states.
Collectively, these actions better enable the United Statesto accelerate progress toward achieving the nationalHealthy People objectives of reducing adult smoking from19 percent to 12 percent and reducing smoking amonghigh school students from 18.1 percent to 16 percent by2020.
PAGE 6 FEBRUARY 1, 2013AVOIDING DRUG ABUSE
The MedicareBlueSupplementSM PlanWith the LowestPossible Premium!When you choose Wellmark’sMedicareBlue SupplementSM
High Deductible Plan F, youget benefit-rich coverage withour lowest possible premium.
Call today to learn more.
CORNERSTONE INSURANCE AGENCY, LLC
John Walsh • Joel Owen • Dennis Koenig
Westside712-663-4200
Vail:712-677-2286
Halbur:712-658-2026
AUTHORIZED INDEPENDENTAGENTS FOR
MedicareBlue SupplementSM is a Medicare Supplement insurance plan. It is not connected with or endorsed by theU.S. government or the federal Medicare program.Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa is an IndependentLicensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. © 2011Wellmark, Inc., Des Moines, IA. 23P087-2012-IA
We proudly support our schools and law enforcement agencies in educating our youth with the D.A.R.E. drug and alcohol abuse prevention programs.
wellsfargo.com © 2012 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. 121945 01/13
Parents might have heard about the new designer drugon the news called "Bath Salts." Several Siouxlandteenagers have been hospitalized with severe reactionsto these drugs. But what exactly are they? Are they ac-tually bath salts and where do people get them?
What are they?Despite its seemingly innocent name, bath salts are a
dangerous legal drug made in a lab. They are not in-tended to be used in a bath after a long day. They are in-tended to be ingested or inhaled to create a mood-alter-ing high. Manufacturers simply label them as "bathsalts," "plant fertilizer," "jewelry cleaner," or "insect re-pellant" to make them look non-threatening.
These packages are also labeled "Not For Human Con-sumption" although they are intended for human con-sumption. Manufacturers intentionally label the drug insuch a way in order to circumvent drug abuse legislation.
Blatant advertising on the packages markets the drug as a"legal" alternative to cocaine, amphetamine, and ecstasy.
Bath salts are being produced in China, India and Pak-istan and sold on the internet. Websites selling the drugpromise to protect customers by shipping products indiscreet or unmarked packages. Bath salts can also bepurchased in the United States in tobacco shops, novel-ty stores, head stores or gas stations.
What do they look like?The drug is usually supplied as a fine white, tan or brown
powder and is odorless. It may be compressed into crystalsto resemble actual bath salts, and purchased in pill or cap-sule form. Most often it is snorted or ingested. One-grampackages range in price from $20 to $35.
Dangerous and deadlyThe "street chemistry" of bath salts make it a highly
unpredictable and highly dangerous drug. Its effects onthe human brain and body have alarmed law enforce-ment and the medical community. A person who uses thedrug may suffer from extreme anxiety and agitation, se-vere paranoia, bizarre behavior, accelerated heart rateand blood pressure, tremors, delusions, hallucinations,rapid breathing, insomnia, extremely violent outbursts,psychosis, and suicidal thoughts.
People under the influence of "Bath Salts" have lashedout without provocation. They seem to have super-human-like strength and can do incredible damage toproperty, themselves and others. Several media storieshave reported people under the influence of bath salts tobe suicidal or homicidal.
For more information on bath salts, drug trends andtips on raising drug-free kids, sign up for Jackson’sHealthy Kids and Communities e-newsletter by visitingwww.jacksonrecovery.com/eNewsletter.
Bath salts – innocent looking, yet deadly
Binge drinking is a very large health and social prob-lem that has gone largely unnoticed.
While binge drinking resides in the realm of social ac-ceptability, it is in fact a major cause of alcohol-relateddeaths and a major cause of deaths among adolescentsand young adults.
More than 79,000 deaths occur each year in the Unit-ed States due to consuming excessive amounts of alco-hol.
Binge and underage drinking in IowaWoodbury, Plymouth and Monona Counties in Iowa
have recently been identifiedas having high rates of under-age drinking and binge drink-ing. With the help of a grantfrom the Iowa Department ofPublic Health, coalitions fromthese three counties will beworking with their communi-ties to help lower these rates.
Siouxland CARES, theMonona County CommunityAlliance, and the PlymouthCounty Health Planning Com-mittee, along with three pre-vention specialists at JacksonRecovery Centers will identifycommunity-wide strategies tofight back against underage and binge drinking.
Spreading the messageA media campaign, funded through the Strategic Pre-
vention Framework State Incentive Grant (SPF SIG),
will also focus on middle school youth, the age groupat which alcohol experimentation most often begins;and on college-age adults, the Iowa population withthe highest binge drinking rates. The media campaignincludes television ads, radio ads, billboards and socialmedia.
"We want to make kids stop and think about theirdrinking decisions,” said Priscilla Andersen, preventionand community education supervisor at Jackson Recov-ery Centers. “By educating them about what they standto lose by making the decision to use alcohol, it empow-ers them to take control of their lives.”
Billboards featuring bottlecaps imprinted with words in-cluding “respect,” “yourdreams,” “friendships” and“your future” emphasize thatunderage drinking comes at acost.
Since most college studentsand young adults do not seebinge drinking as a problem, the“Stay Classy” campaign stress-es personal evaluation to helpyoung adults identify when funbecomes trouble.
Both campaigns avoid lectur-ing, encouraging individuals tomake choices that are healthy
and in their own best interest.For more information on teen issues and tips on rais-
ing drug-free kids, sign up for Jackson’s Healthy Kidsand Communities e-newsletter by visiting www.jack-sonrecovery.com/eNewsletter.
Partying whileparents are outParents needto communicate with children
Prevention staff members at Jackson Recovery Cen-ters routinely work with teenagers who have beenstruggling with alcohol abuse.
Many of these youth report hosting a party whenparents are away from home or out of town.
The prevention staff have several suggestions forparents to prevent the problem from occurring:
Set and communicate rules and standards to befollowed in your absence
Do not allow underage youth to have unsuper-vised parties or gatherings
Remind them of their responsibilities and the con-sequences of their actions
Have a relative or responsible adult stay at homeduring your absence
If you are concerned that your child may have aparty anyway, you can call your local police and askthem to drive by while you are gone.
Make it a point to tell your child you have asked thepolice to do this.
For more information on teen issues and tips onraising drug-free kids, sign up for Jackson’s HealthyKids and Communities e-newsletter by visitingwww.jacksonrecovery.com/eNewsletter.
Fighting back againstunderage drinking
FEBRUARY 1, 2013 AVOIDING DRUG ABUSE PAGE 7
WEST IOWA COMMUNITYMENTAL HEALTH CENTER
Caring people helping others help themselves.
• Individual, Couple & Family Therapy• Psychiatric Evaluation
• Medication Management
771122--226633--33117722Serving
OurCommunity!
510 Avenue C • Denison, Iowa712-263-2000 • Pharmacy 712-263-2012
Drug and Alcohol Abuse Matters to Everyone!Walmart supports the DARE program on substance abuse to
educate children and teens on the dangers of drugs and alcohol.
Residential/Commercial Plumbing,Heating and Air Conditioning.
Verlin, Judy, John and Nick
Verlin’sPlumbing
and Heating
Armstrong Air Conditioning and Heating
115 Main Street • Westside • 712-263-4003 Verlin Koch 712-663-4406
Verlin’s Plumbing and Heating is proud to support D.A.R.E. which is a police officer-ledseries of classroom lessons that teaches children from kindergarten through 12th grade how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug and violence-free lives.
1335 Broadway, Denison, IA 51442Bus 712-263-5677 Fax 712-263-8144Cell 712-289-0479
24 Hour Good Neighbor Service®
TM
Providing Insurance and Financial ServicesHome Office, Bloomington, Illinois 61710
Trevis BeeckAgent
D.A.R.E. IS SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION EDUCATION ANDMUCH MORE!
This year millions of school children around the world will benefit fromD.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), the highly acclaimedprogram that gives kids the skills they need to avoid involvement indrugs, gangs, and violence.
We are proud to be staunch supporters of the local D.A.R.E. programhelping to empower children to lead safe and healthy lives.
Grassley speaks on measures to prevent prescription drug abuse
Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and his staff respondedto the following questions from the Denison Bulletin andReview about ongoing efforts to prevent and raise aware-ness about prescription drug abuse.
Senator Grassley is the co-chairman of the Senate Cau-cus on International Narcotics Control.
See the report on a July 18, 2012, hearing conductedabout prescription drug abuse on this page.
Q: Can you comment on the progress or lack of progressmade on the actions recommended after the July 18, 2012,hearing on prescription drug abuse?
A: Prescription drug abuse continues to be one of themost challenging issues facing Iowa and our nation atlarge. Ongoing efforts by the federal Drug EnforcementAdministration (DEA), Food and Drug Administration(FDA), medical professional societies, and anti-drug coali-tions to educate health care providers about the dangers ofover-prescribing pain medications and the risks of diver-sion continue.
Q: What has been done in regards to the recommenda-tion to provide education to healthcare providers of pre-scription drugs? Is the FDA’s program to educate physiciansabout proper pain management being tracked? Can thesuccess of this program be quantified? I understand it willbe a long-term program.
A: Senator Grassley is asking how many physicians theFDA has educated about proper pain management. As tomeasuring the success of the program, it may be difficultto fully measure success in the short term, but a long-termindicator of whether or not the amount of pain killers beingprescribed is leveling or decreasing could be an indicationthat the word is getting out.
Q: Concerning electronic prescription monitoring sys-tems, is Iowa’s system up and running? Has any workbeen done to coordinate systems between states and coor-dinate between federal agencies?
A: Iowa does have an operating Prescription MonitoringProgram (PMP). However, one of the top recommenda-tions in the Iowa Governor’s Office of Drug Control Policy’s2013 Drug Control Strategy is to increase its usage amongdoctors and law enforcement and to decrease the lag timeto report data so prescriptions can be tracked as close to realtime as possible. Currently, Iowa’s PMP does not track pre-scriptions across state lines; however, efforts are beingmade to facilitate this. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) in-cluded an amendment in last year’s FDA reauthorizationlegislation to make it easier for the states to share data andsystems, and the amendment was enacted with passage ofthe bill last July.
Q: Has any progress been made to prevent illegitimatepharmacy websites from selling drugs to consumers whohave not been evaluated by a medical professional? If a
pharmacy website is illegitimate, would the website own-ers adhere to the requirement that at least one in-personmedical evaluation is conducted before prescriptions couldbe issued? Is there any method, if a website is illegitimate,to quickly shut it down? What is the status of the OnlinePharmacy Safety Act?
A: Illegitimate pharmacy websites continue to be a prob-lem. The difficulty with shutting down many of these web-sites is that many of them are based in foreign countriesand outside the jurisdiction of U.S. law enforcement. If thewebsite is illegitimate, it is unlikely the operators wouldcomply with a one in-person doctor visit requirement be-fore prescribing medicines. The Senate and House versionsof the Online Pharmacy Safety Act were introduced in the112th Congress and referred to committee. No further ac-tion was taken by Congress on those bills, and they diedwith the expiration of the 112th Congress. It is unclear atthis point in the 113th Congress if the Online PharmacySafety Act will be reintroduced.
Further efforts to stem the rising tide of prescription drugabuse need to be taken. Education efforts for health careproviders on proper prescribing and efforts to educate thepublic on proper storage and disposal of old prescriptionsmust continue unabated. Drug take-back programs needto continue to flourish and be supported. PMPs need tobe improved, and the ability to track data across state lineswill be very helpful. The reclassification of hydrocodone(commonly known as Vicodin) from a schedule III narcot-ic to a schedule II narcotic will also help to limit the diver-sion of more pain medications. Senator Grassley support-ed an amendment by Senator Joe Manchin (D-West Vir-ginia) last year that would reclassify the drug, and the FDAis currently considering the DEA’s request to administra-tively reschedule hydrocodone. Reclassifying hy-drocodone to a schedule II narcotic would require users tovisit a doctor to get a refill, and it would require pharma-cists and dispensers to place tighter security on the stor-age of the drug.
Q: What other actions does Senator Grassley believeshould be taken that will reduce prescription drug abuse?
A: Senator Grassley also is continuing his oversight ef-forts of the marketing practices of pharmaceutical compa-nies with physicians and non-profit medical organizations.There has been growing evidence that pharmaceutical com-panies that manufacture and market opioids may be re-sponsible, at least in part, for the growing epidemic by pro-moting misleading information about the drugs’ safety andeffectiveness. Although it is critical that patients continueto have access to opioids to treat serious pain, pharma-ceutical companies and health care organizations must dis-tribute accurate information about these drugs in order toprevent improper use and diversion to drug abusers.
Senate Drug Caucus hearingon prescription drug abuse
U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Chuck Grass-ley (R-IA), co-chairs of the Senate Caucus on InternationalNarcotics Control, conducted a hearing on July 18, 2012,on prescription drug abuse.
Following are Senator Feinstein’s prepared remarks re-garding recommended actions to respond to the the rising rateof prescription drug abuse.
“First, education must be provided to healthcare providersof prescription drugs on addiction and how to recognize di-version tactics. The lack of training for physicians on addic-tion can lead to physicians overprescribing or not noticing thesigns of addiction. A 2011 Government Accountability Of-fice report on education efforts related to prescription pain re-liever abuse found that ‘most prescribers receive little trainingon the importance of appropriate prescribing and dispensingof prescription pain relievers, on how to recognize substanceabuse in their patients, or on treating pain.’ This is simply un-acceptable.
“Last week, the Food and Drug Administration began thiseffort by approving a program to educate physicians aboutproper pain management. As part of this plan, the FDA willrequire some opioid drug manufacturers to make availabletraining on proper prescribing practices and also to distrib-ute educational materials to prescribers and patients on thesafe use and disposal of these drugs.
“This is a step in the right direction, but it does not coverall abused painkillers, does not reach all healthcare providersand is not mandatory. Over a four year period, it is estimat-ed that this training will reach approximately 60 percent ofthe 320,000 providers authorized to prescribe controlledsubstances. Hopefully medical boards across the country willinclude this type of training in their curriculum and continuingeducation requirements.
“Second, while 49 states have legislation authorizing elec-tronic prescription monitoring systems, these systems are newand in many states, are not yet operational. In addition, notenough physicians and pharmacists are trained and regis-tered to use the systems. More providers need to use them,to stop people from using multiple physicians to obtain mul-tiple prescriptions. Ideally, states’ electronic systems should beinter-operable with one another.
“Finally, illegitimate pharmacy websites need to stop sell-ing drugs to consumers who have not been evaluated by amedical professional. A bill that I have authored, the OnlinePharmacy Safety Act, would target these rogue online drugsellers in two ways. First, it would require that at least one in-person medical evaluation be conducted in most instances be-fore prescriptions could be issued. And second, the bill woulddirect the FDA to create a registry of legitimate online phar-macy websites, to give consumers the information they needto make good decisions when purchasing prescription drugsonline.”
To read the full report, go to http://www.drugcaucus.sen-ate.gov/r-prescription-drug-abuse-hearing-7-18-12.html.
PAGE 8 FEBRUARY 1, 2013AVOIDING DRUG ABUSE
Offices in Denison and Ida Grove – 712-263-5065 • www.jacksonrecovery.com
We provide:• Outpatient Services for Adults, Adolescents & Families
• Assessments • Education & Prevention Programs • Drug, Alcohol, & Gambling Treatment • DUI Classes
WeCanHelp.
LifeCanChange. 1426 Broadway
Denison712-263-6151
LOW PRICES ALL DAY . . . EVERYDAY!
Hy-Vee is a Proud Sponsor of the D.A.R.E Program
"Best Sevice, Best Variety,Best People, Your Denison Hy-Vee"
From prenatal to geriatric care, to minor office procedures, CCMH Medical Clinic provides a full scope of family practice services for patients of all ages. With four board-certified family medicine physicians and three mid-level practitioners, you know your health is in the best hands.
Karl J. Hasik, OB-GYN Todd A. Woollen, MDJill M. Kierscht, ARNP, MSNJulie L. Graeve, ARNP, MS John D. Ingram, MDScott D. Hoffman, DOKathy Berens-Brownmiller, PA-C
Because you deserve the best care
CCMH MEDICAL CLINIC | www.ccmhia.com | 712.265.2500 | TOLL FREE 888.747.0852 | 100 MEDICAL PARKWAY, SUITE A | DENISON IA 51442
CC MH MEDICAL CLINIC
Karl J. Hasik, OB-GYN Todd A. Woollen, MDJill M. Kierscht, ARNP, MSNJulie L. Graeve, ARNP, MS John D. Ingram, MDScott D. Hoffman, DOKathy Berens-Brownmiller, PA-C
CC MH MEDICAL CLINIC