Van Buren County IPFS Project Update

The Van Buren County SAFE Coalition was awarded the Iowa Partnership for Success (IPFS) Grant in February 2015 to address underage drinking and underage binge drinking in Van Buren County.  The coalition began the fifth year of this five year grant on September 30, 2018.  The Van Buren County SAFE Coalition’s IPFS project is funded by the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

During the 2018-19 Fiscal Year the coalition is continuing to build capacity and sustainability, evaluate the work being done, and implement the five strategies it was funded to work on as follows:  

1) Alcohol Restrictions at Community Events at Privately Owned Facilities: The coalition is working with privately owned facilities to help them write, adopt, and implement alcohol policies focused on the Best Practices for Alcohol Service at their location.  During the 2018-19 Fiscal Year the coalition members will continue to work with three of the ten facilities in Van Buren County to encourage implementation of alcohol restrictions policies.  One facility is in the process of writing their new policy.  The coalition has worked with four facilities already to adopt and implement new written alcohol restriction policies since 2016.  One of the facilities implemented a combined no alcohol allowed policy and a best practices policy.  Two of the other facilities implemented a no alcohol allowed policy.  The final facility implemented a best practices policy.  The coalition heard from three of the facilities that they are not interested in written policies right now.  Two of the facilities currently have a verbal no alcohol allowed policy.  One does not want any kind of alcohol restriction policy at this time.  The coalition would recommend that all facilities in the county put into place a written alcohol restriction policy. 

2) Alcohol Restrictions in Public Places: Coalition members visited with each city council in 2017 to present them with information on policies they could use that would address the availability of alcohol to youth in public places, such as public parks and community ball fields.  Coalition members visited with the city councils in early 2018 to find out if they are were interested in implementing Alcohol Restriction Policies for their public places. Four towns stated at that time that they are not interested in implementing Alcohol Restriction Ordinances at this time.  Another town has written policies for their ball park and city park and will be hanging signs at the ball park that no alcohol is allowed.  One town is allowing the coalition to participate in a community event planning committee that will set policy for their community events and may allow a policy through this committee.  One town has committed to writing and implementing a best practices alcohol restriction policy for their community parks by the end of 2018.  The coalition is now working to find ways to work with the towns that have said they are not interested in ordinances. 

3) Substance Abuse Prevention Programs for Youth: The coalition has been working with the Van Buren Community School District to implement the Botvin Life Skills Training Program in the 7th and 8th grades since the 2016-17 school year.  During the 2017-18 school year all of the 7th grade students completed Level I of the curriculum and the 8th grade students completed Level II as the curriculum builds on the information provided each year. The 8th grade students were also able to complete an additional module that addressed prescription drug safety with the help of the Jefferson, Keokuk, Van Buren, and Washington Decategorization Board (Decat Board). For the 2018-19 school year the curriculum will be taught by a different teacher so, the coalition and school district with the help of the Decat Board made sure the teacher is trained and ready for the new school year to implement the Life Skills program. In the 2018-19 school year the 7th grade will complete Level I and the 8th grade will complete Level II. 

4) Underage Drinking Prevention Media Campaign: The coalition has worked with local media outlets to implement IDPH’s “What Do You Throw Away” underage drinking prevention media campaign.  It is currently displayed on posters in the Van Buren County Hospital & Clinics; posters and screensavers at local libraries; and posters, electronic billboard ads, and computer backgrounds at the Van Buren Community Middle/High School. During the summer of 2018 the campaign was also displayed in poster form at local convenience stores, the Keosauqua Pool, and at Lacey Keosauqua State Park.  The coalition will continue to work with local media outlets to ensure youth are exposed to the media campaign. 

5) Social Host Ordinance: A Social Host Ordinance addresses the problem of adults knowingly providing a place for underage drinking to happen.  The coalition currently is working to educate community members and government officials on why this ordinance would be helpful in Van Buren County and to build support for the ordinance.  The coalition hosted three community conversations this summer to help educate community members about the ordinance, how to approach local government officials to encourage support for the ordinance and to allow for discussion on the need for such policies in Van Buren County.

On Halloween, and Every Day, Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving

Each year, thousands of trick-or-treaters flock to the streets on Halloween night. Thousands of others head to local bars and restaurants to also partake in the merry-making. Don’t put yourself or another at risk by choosing to drink and drive. To help spread the message that Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is teaming up with the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office and SAFE Coalition to remind everyone of the dangers of drunk driving. Halloween poses a potentially dangerous threat to pedestrians, as more people are out at night on the hunt for candy. If your night involves alcohol, plan for a sober ride home. Remember: It’s never safe to drink and get behind the wheel of a vehicle.

If you know you’re going to go out and party on Halloween night, make sure you have a sober driver designated to get you home safely. Even one drink can impair judgement. You should never put yourself, or others, at risk because you made the selfish choice to drink and drive. For most, even one drink can be one too many. Remember: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.

Between 2012 and 2016, there were 168 drunk-driving fatalities on Halloween night (6 p.m. October 31 – 5:59 a.m. November 1). In 2016, there were 13 vehicle occupants killed in drunk-driving crashes on Halloween night. According to NHTSA, 44 percent of all people killed in motor vehicle crashes on Halloween night from 2012 to 2016 were in crashes involving a drunk driver. Children out trick-or-treating, and those who accompany them, are also at risk, as 14 percent of pedestrian fatalities on Halloween night (2012-2016) involved drunk drivers. Younger drivers are most at risk: The 21- to 34-year-old age group accounted for the most fatalities (46%) in drunk-driving crashes on Halloween night in 2016.

It is our hope that our community members are able to safely and responsibly enjoy the Halloween holiday. In today’s world, there are many options available to drivers to help them get home safely if they have been drinking. We expect drivers to refrain from driving after drinking entirely. It is the law.

It is illegal everywhere in America to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. Even still, thousands die each year in drunk-driving-related crashes. In 2016, 10,497 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes. And the costs can be financial, too: If you’re caught drinking and driving, you could face jail time, lose your driver’s license and your vehicle, and pay up to $10,000 in attorney’s fees, fines, car towing and repairs, higher insurance rates, and lost wages.

If you plan to head out for a night of Halloween partying, follow these simple tips for a safe and happy evening:

·         Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan for a safe ride home.

·         Download NHTSA’s SaferRide mobile app, available on Google Play for Android devices: (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nhtsa.SaferRide&hl=en), and Apple’s iTunes Store for iOS devices: (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/saferride/id950774008?mt=8). SaferRide allows users to call a predetermined friend, and identifies the user’s location so they can be picked up.

·         If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office.

·         Have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.

Always remember: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. For more information, visit www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov.

Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office taking back unwanted prescription drugs October 27, 2018

On Saturday, October 27th, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration will give the public its 16th opportunity in 8 years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.  Bring your pills for disposal to the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office at 907 Broad Street, Keosauqua, IA 52565.  (The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps, only pills or patches.)  The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

The last Take-Back Day brought in almost 1 million pounds of unused or expired prescription medication. This is the largest amount collected since the program began in 2010.  This brings the total amount of prescription drugs collected by DEA since the fall of 2010 to 9,964,714 pounds, or 4,982 tons.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue.  Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.  The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows year after year that the majority of misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including someone else’s medication being stolen from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the October 27, 2018 Take Back Day event, go to https://takebackday.dea.gov/ or contact the Van Buren County SAFE Coalition at 319-293-3334 ext. 1017 or safe.coalition@van-burencsd.org

IDPH Position Statement on CBD Product Availability in Iowa

The Department of Public Health (Department) has received a number of inquiries about the legality of CBD products currently sold in the state of Iowa. It is the position of the Department that CBD products are not legal in the state of Iowa, with the following four exceptions:

1.      The following appropriately prescribed, FDA-approved drugs: Marinol, Syndros, Cesamet.

2.      Epidiolex, produced by GW Pharmaceuticals, which has been approved by the FDA but is awaiting action by the Drug Enforcement Administration of the Department of Justice.

3.      Sativex, produced by GW Pharmaceuticals, as part of an FDA-approved clinical trial.

4.      Products produced and approved pursuant to Iowa Code chapter 124E, the Medical Cannabidiol Act, that contain less than 3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and are in a form recommended by the Medical Cannabidiol Board, approved by the Board of Medicine, and adopted by the Department pursuant to administrative rule (see 641—154.14(124E) for the approved forms).

Products manufactured in the state under the provisions of Iowa Code chapter 124E will be available at Department-licensed dispensaries only, starting in late 2018.

The Department’s authority under Iowa Code chapter 124E does not extend to regulation of the sale or use of the types of CBD products that may be currently available at retailers throughout the state.  Consumers of these products should be aware that these products have not been approved for use under either a federal or state of Iowa regulatory program. Agencies with enforcement authority in this area include the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, the federal Food and Drug Administration, county attorneys and law enforcement agencies.

For additional information, please contact: Sarah Reisetter, IDPH Deputy Director,

sarah.reisetter@idph.iowa.gov, 515-201-0926.