SAFE Coalition Member Attends National Prevention Network Conference

The National Prevention Network conference was held September 12-14, 2017 at the Hyatt Regency Orange County. The conference was three days, complete with keynotes, breakouts, and networking opportunities. The conference theme for 2017 was Rooted in Tradition, Strengthened by Science, Evolving the Field of Prevention.

The National Prevention Network (NPN) Conference (formerly called the NPN Prevention Research Conference) has a long-standing history. The first conference was held in 1988 in Kansas City, Missouri and has been conducted on an annual basis ever since in various cities around the country. Over the years, the conference has grown in size, hosting 700-1,000 participants.

The National Prevention Network (NPN) Conference hosts federal, state and local professionals from the substance abuse prevention field and related disciplines. Participants included: prevention providers, school personnel, government agency representatives and directors, law enforcement personnel, policy makers, coalition leaders and members, counselors, health education specialists, social workers, and high school students.

The purpose of the National Prevention Network (NPN) Conference is to highlight the latest research in the substance abuse prevention field. It provides a forum for prevention professionals, coalition leaders, researchers, and federal partners to share research, best practices and promising evaluation results for the purpose of integrating research into prevention practice.

The SAFE Coalition participant attended sessions that encouraged the coalition to focus on the following: the Opioid Crisis; working with the Faith Sector; Project Amp: The Role of Young Adults in Recovery in Preventing Adolescent Use; Advancing Prevention in Times of Transition; the Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health: A Focus on Prevention; utilizing Win-Win Collaborations; the mixing of alcohol and benzodiazepines; SAMHSA’s Prevention Resources; Youth Marijuana Use: New Research Prevention Strategies and Public Health Challenges; Social Media in Substance Abuse Prevention: Tools for Creating a Social Media Plan; and Preventing Marijuana Use through School Based Interventions and Youth Led Social Norm Change. For more information on the SAFE Coalition please call 319-293-6412 or email at info@vbsafecoalition.com.

Prescription Drug Take Backs

Prescription drug abuse is a growing concern in Iowa, due to the misuse of prescription painkillers (opioids), anti-depressants, anti-anxiety medicines, stimulants, and others medicines.  When not used as directed, controlled substances can lead to behavioral disorders, addiction and even death.  This is also true of heroin, increasingly used by some as a substitute for opioid pain medicine.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take in your home and community to help prevent prescription and opioid drug abuse.  By monitoring your medicines at home and disposing of them in a safe manner (not flushing), you can prevent the diversion and abuse of prescription drugs and protect Iowa’s water supply.

You have three options to properly get rid of unneeded over the counter and prescription drugs locally as outlined below.

1.      “Take Back Kiosks” (BEST!): More than 50 local law enforcement centers and community pharmacies have established permanent Take Back collection boxes, and the number of sites is growing. The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office now offers this service.  The Kiosk is in the entry way and is available during normal Sheriff’s Office hours.  This program allows you to dispose of all medications (prescription, over the counter, controlled and non-controlled).  It does NOT allow for the disposal of inhalers, sharps/needles or liquids.  In the first week the Sheriff’s Office took back 21 pounds of medications and disposed of them with the help of the local DEA Office in St. Louis, MO. 

2.      “Iowa Pharmacy Association’s “Take Away” program” (Better): Lee Pharmacy has this program available for non-controlled substances.  Just stop in to the pharmacy and they will be able to help you understand how their program works. 

3.      “Take Back Events” (Better…but you may have to wait): Twice each year, on a Saturday in the Spring and Fall, law enforcement agencies team up with local organizations in over 100 Iowa communities to sponsor a special one-day collection of unused medicines.  Details typically are provided closer to the dates of these events, but general information is available at the DEA's Website: https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/.

For more information on how to dispose of your medications safely please contact the SAFE Coalition at 319-293-6412 or info@vbsafecoalition.com. 

Information provided by the Iowa Office of Drug Control Policy.  

5 Tips to Prevent Underage Drinking During Homecoming

Sobering Up Editor

Homecoming is an annual rite of passage for high school students, and one that often involves alcohol. Underage drinking and alcohol-related crashes involving minors tend to increase during homecoming season. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

·         22% of teen drivers involved in fatal car crashes were drinking.

·         More than half of fatal motor accidents involving teen drivers occur on weekends.

·         Teens who use alcohol are far more likely to binge drink than adults.

Homecoming can come with more chances and pressures to drink. As students get ready for the big game and dance, here are 5 actions parents can take to prevent underage drinking.

Discuss your expectations about alcohol use: Parents may feel anything they say to their teen goes in one ear and out the other. In fact, parents do influence teens’ drinking decisions. Research shows children may interpret a parent’s failure to talk about underage drinking as indifference, making them more likely to use alcohol. Have regular conversations with your teen about alcohol misuse, and specifically talk about it before events, like homecoming, that may include alcohol.

Find out who your teen will be with and talk with the other students’ parents: Ask whether adults will be present if teens come by after the official event and consider the other family’s attitude toward underage drinking. Even though it is illegal and dangerous, some parents choose to provide alcohol to teens in their home. In the state of Iowa it is illegal to host a party with alcohol for youth per the statewide Social Host Ordinance.  Asking questions won’t score you any “cool” points with your kid, but it will help keep your teen safe.

Provide a sober after-party space: Many students want the night to continue after the game or dance ends. Providing an alcohol-free environment allows the party to keep going safely. And it’s important for parents to actively supervise after-parties. Adults can be held responsible for failing to supervise minors who are later caught drinking, even if the adult didn’t supply or know about the booze.

Offer to drive: Providing a guaranteed designated driver ensures your child won’t end up in a car with an intoxicated person behind the wheel. Driving your teen also removes other risks, such as texting or distracted driving, which may increase with the excitement of the evening.

Let your teen know you are “on call”: While parents should not condone underage drinking, it’s important for teens to know they can call for help if they or their friends don’t have a safe ride or are in danger.

For more information on how to talk with your teen contact the Van Buren County SAFE Coalition at 319-293-6412 or info@vbsafecoalition.com.  You can also checkout the website for more resources at www.vbsafecoalition.com.

Botvin Life Skills Training Curriculum

The Van Buren County SAFE Coalition was awarded the Iowa Partnership for Success (IPFS) Grant in 2015 to address underage drinking and underage binge drinking in Van Buren County.  The Van Buren County SAFE Coalition’s IPFS project is funded by the Iowa Department of Public Health, through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

In June of 2016 the Iowa Department of Public Health approved the use of the Botvin Life Skills Training Curriculum at the Van Buren Community Jr. /Sr. High School to address underage drinking and underage binge drinking in Van Buren County.  On July 20, 2016 the Van Buren Community School Board approved the implementation of the program in the 7^th and 8^th grade Explore Rotation.  In the 2016-17 school year both grades completed the Level I curriculum.  In the 2017-18 school year the 7^th Grade students will complete Level I and the 8^th Grade students will complete Level II as the Life Skills Curriculum builds on the information provided each year. 

The new edition of the Botvin LifeSkills Training Middle School program is a groundbreaking substance abuse and violence prevention program based on more than 30 years of rigorous scientific research. Now updated with new graphics, references and statistics, it is proven to be the most effective evidence-based program used in schools today. LifeSkills Training is comprehensive, dynamic, and developmentally designed to promote positive youth development. In addition to helping kids resist drug, alcohol, and tobacco use, the LifeSkills Training Middle School program also effectively supports the reduction of violence and other high-risk behaviors. 

The program learning objectives area as follows:

·         Personal Self-Management Skills: Students develop skills that help them enhance self-esteem, develop problem-solving abilities, reduce stress and anxiety, and manage anger.

·         General Social Skills: Students gain skills to meet personal challenges such as overcoming shyness, communicating clearly, building relationships, and avoiding violence.

·         Drug Resistance Skills: Students build effective defenses against pressures to use tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs.

For more information on the Life Skills Training curriculum please contact the SAFE Coalition at 319-293-6412 or info@vbsafecoalition.com