Dads, could your kids be at risk for substance abuse?

Families strive to find the best ways to raise their children to live happy, healthy and productive lives.  Parents are often concerned about whether their children will start or are already using drugs such as tobacco, e-devices, alcohol, marijuana, and others, including the abuse of prescription drugs.  Research supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has shown the important role that parents play in preventing their children from starting to use drugs.
These five questions, developed by the Child and Family Center at the University of Oregon, highlight skills that are important in preventing the initiation and progression of drug use among youth.  For each question, there is a video clip on line at http://www.drugabuse.gov/family-checkup that shows positive and negative examples of the skill and additional videos and information are provided to help you practice.  

Questions:

1. Are you able to communicate calmly and clearly with your teenager regarding relationship problems?
2. Do you encourage positive behaviors in your teenager on a daily basis?
3. Are you able to negotiate emotional conflicts with your teenager and work toward a solution?
4. Are you able to calmly set limits when your teenager is defiant or disrespectful? Are you able to set limits on more serious problem behavior such as drug use, if or when it occurs?
5. Do you monitor your teenager to assure that they do not spend too much unsupervised time with peers?

For more information on talking to your teens about substance abuse please contact the SAFE Coalition at 319-293-3334 ext. 1017 or by email at safe.coalition@van-burencsd.org.  For other resources please check out the coalition’s blog at http://vbsafecoalition.blogspot.com or on Facebook – Van Buren County SAFE Coalition

Article and data provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse Website. 

References

1. Dishion, T.J.; Nelson, N.E.; Kavanagh, K. The Family Check-Up with high-risk young adolescents: Preventing early-onset substance use by parent monitoring. Behavior Therapy 34: 553-571, 2003.
2. Dishion,T.J.; Kavanagh, K.;  Schneiger, A.;  Nelson, S.; Kaufman, N.K. Preventing early adolescent substance use: A family-centered strategy for the public middle school. Prevention Science 3 (3): 191-201, 2002.

100 Things to Do to Beat Summer Boredom

Summer is just beginning and you do not want to be thinking, saying, or hearing; “I’m bored” in the next few months. Below is a list of 100 things you can do to beat summer boredom. Write each of these things on a piece of paper and put it into the summer fun jar and when you get bored draw one out and have fun! Challenge yourself to accomplish all 100 before school starts.

If your kids start to suffer from summer boredom, let them come up with their own ideas for fun summer activities to put into the fun jar.  When you let children come up with their own solutions to boredom, you’re helping them develop important problem solving skills and they will take ownership in the activity.

As the summer progresses, new ideas can be added to the jar. Then when the children get bored, they can reach into the jar for a fun activity. And, you’ll be less likely to hear, “I’m bored!” 

1. Go hiking in the park
2. Ride your Bike
3. Go swimming at the lake or pool
4. Paint a picture
5. Play a board game
6. Get out the hose and sprinkler
7. Go horseback riding
8. Go to the Library
9. Go on a nature scavenger hunt
10. Go fishing
11. Have a talent show
12. Go Camping
13. Have a pet parade
14. Hold a lemonade stand
15. Tie Dye Shirts
16. Build a sandcastle
17. Make a collage with magazine pictures
18. Have a pizza decorating contest
19. Go to a baseball game
20. Start a hobby
21. Scrapbook some photos
22. Go bowling
23. Go to a water park
24. Visit a museum
25. Do a science experiment
26. Pick a bouquet of flowers
27. Blow Bubbles
28. Make homemade ice cream
29. Have a fashion show
30. Finger paint
31. Create Sidewalk Art
32. Rent a canoe and go canoeing
33. Write a letter to a pen pal
34. Write or draw your own story book
35. Start a journal
36. Make a home movie
37. Play catch
38. Have a puppet show
39. Play twister
40. Wash the car at home
41. Go miniature golfing
42. Make mud pies
43. Have a picnic
44. Play croquet
45. Catch fireflies
46. Go hunting night crawlers
47. Color in a coloring book
48. Do a craft project
49. Paint your room
50. Throw a Frisbee
51. Fly a kite
52. Read stories
53. Throw water balloons
54. Play red rover
55. Have a garage sale
56. Build a fort
57. Play a musical instrument
58. Walk a dog
59. Go to a concert
60. Have a pancake party
61. Plant a garden
62. Go skateboarding
63. Play hopscotch
64. Do a good deed for a neighbor
65. Clean up trash in the park
66. Take pictures in nature
67. Play with play dough
68. Dance
69. Clean your closet
70. Design, plan and make a meal for the family
71. Conquer a Rubix cube
72. Hula hoop
73. Jump on a trampoline
74. Make root beer floats
75. Have a fashion show
76. Start a collection (stamps, rocks, coins)
77. Ride a 4 wheeler
78. Make a quilt
79. Go shopping at a garage sale
80. Read a magazine
81. Play horseshoes
82. Swing on a swing set
83. Bake a cake
84. Play baseball
85. Make a smoothie
86. Go to a fair
87. Play basketball
88. Play wiffle ball
89. Play charades
90. Go golfing
91. Build a Lego creation
92. Play badminton
93. Adopt a pet from a shelter
94. Have a pedicure party
95. Play beach volleyball
96. Jump rope
97. Read a newspaper
98. Play tennis
99. Create a new recipe
100. Go to a farmers market

For more information on how to get involved with your kids this summer visit the SAFE Coalition at Van Buren County SAFE Coalition on Facebook!

Suicide Facts & Figures: Iowa 2019

On average, one person dies by suicide every 18 hours in the state of Iowa.  More than five times as many people died by suicide in Iowa in 2017 than in alcohol related motor vehicle accidents.  The total deaths to suicide reflect a total of 10,127 years of potential life lost (YPLL) before age 65.  Suicide cost Iowa a total of $441,111,000 combined lifetime medical and work loss cost in 2010, or an average of $1,185,783 per suicide death.  Suicide is the 9^th leading cause of death in Iowa.  It is the 2^nd leading cause of death for ages 15-34, the 4th leading cause of death for ages 35-54, the 8th leading cause of death for ages 55-64, and the 17th leading cause of death for ages 65 & older.  Based on most recent 2017 data from CDC. Learn more at afsp.org/statistics.

Suicide Prevention Programs and Initiatives

·         The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) suicide prevention program works with stakeholders to provide information about signs and symptoms of depression and suicide and develop suicide prevention strategies. IDPH also funds community programs to identify youth who are most at risk for suicide and provide assessment and referral for services. See https://bit.ly/2QXGarQ.

·         The Your Life Iowa program provides 24/7 crisis services via phone (855-581-8111), text (855-895-8398), and through the Live Chat feature on their site. The site also includes a depression screening quiz, suicide warning signs, help for family and friends, FAQs about suicide, and tips for practicing self-care. See http://yourlifeiowa.org/suicide.

·         The Iowa Plan for Suicide Prevention: 2015 to 2018 aims to reduce the annual number of deaths by suicide by 10% by 2018, ultimately working towards zero deaths by suicide; see https://bit.ly/2SKYlya.

·         SF 2113 (adopted 3/29/18) requires school districts to adopt protocols for suicide prevention and Postvention, and requires all school personnel who have regular contact with students in kindergarten through grade twelve to receive at least one hour of evidence-based suicide prevention and Postvention training annually. The training requirement must be established by all local school boards by July 1, 2019.

·         Iowa law (§ 279.50) requires that the Department of Education identify and disseminate information about early intervention programs for students who are at risk for suicide.

The Van Buren County SAFE Coalition partnered with the Van Buren County Community School District in 2018 and 2019 to help them develop a Suicide Prevention and Postvention Plan.  The coalition has worked to promote the Your Life Iowa website in Van Buren County.  The coalition has worked to educate community members on the need for suicide prevention work in the county.  The coalition staff has participated in the Children’s Mental Health & Wellbeing Collaborative since 2017 to help increase child/youth suicide prevention work in Van Buren County.  Coalition staff have also begun to attend the South East Iowa Link meetings to help increase adult suicide prevention work in Van Buren County. Iowa Department of Public Health has funded this work through the Iowa Partnership for Success Grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (February 2015 - September 2019) and state substance abuse prevention funds (September 2019 – June 2020). 

Get Involved: The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) Iowa Chapter brings together people of all backgrounds in communities throughout the state to fight suicide. They help fund research, offer educational programs, advocate for public policy and support those affected by suicide. For more information or to volunteer, please contact: AFSP Iowa iowa@afsp.org

Become an Advocate: AFSP’s Iowa advocacy volunteers build relationships with public officials and advocate on behalf of sound suicide prevention policy.  Visit afsp.org/advocate to sign up!

Alcohol-Involved Deaths Climbing: A Public Health Perspective in Iowa Think Before You Drink Media Campaign

Alcohol-involved deaths are a serious public health problem in Iowa, increasing from 388 in 2008 to 650 in 2017. From 2008-2017, the average annual number of alcohol-involved deaths in Iowa was 505 (Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), 2017). According to the World Health Organization (2018), 3 million deaths occur globally each year as a result of the harmful use of alcohol. In the U.S. in 2010, an estimated 70,000 people died from alcohol use, making alcohol use the third leading cause of premature deaths (McGinnis, 2013). The first and second leading causes of preventable factors causing premature deaths in the U.S. were diet/inactivity (400,000) and tobacco use (350,000), respectively (McGinnis, 2013).

The rate of alcohol-involved deaths has increased in Iowa significantly over the past 10 years, from a rate of 13 per 100,000 population in 2008 to 21 per 100,000 population in 2017. The rate of alcohol-involved deaths increased by more than 61%.  In Iowa, alcohol-involved deaths are prevalent among Iowans aged 45 to 64, and 65 or older. From 2008 to 2017, alcohol-involved deaths increased by 45% among Iowans aged 65 or older, and 75% among Iowans aged 45 to 64. In 2017, the rate of alcohol involved deaths was 45 per 100,000 population for Iowans aged 65 or older, and 42 per 100,000 population for Iowans aged 45 to 64.  In 2017, there were 330 deaths from motor vehicle crashes in Iowa. Of these 330 crash deaths, 88 (27%) involved at least one driver with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of .08 g/dL or higher, which is above the legal intoxication level (FARS, 2017). 

Iowa Department of Public Health has created a new media campaign that the Van Buren County SAFE Coalition is utilizing to help educate community members on the need to Think Before You Drink.  As you age, your body cannot process alcohol like it used to.  The coalition will be utilizing the campaign as ads in the newspaper, an ad on the billboard in Keosauqua, and posters at the hospital and clinics.

For more information about prevention and treatment resources in Iowa, please visit the IDPH Substance Abuse Prevention website at https://idph.iowa.gov/substance-abuse/prevention or Your Life Iowa at http://www.yourlifeiowa.org/.

References

·         McGinnis, J.M. (2013). Actual causes of death, 1990–2010. Presentation at the Workshop on Determinants of Premature Mortality, September 18, National Research Council, Washington, DC. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279971/pdf/Bookshelf_NBK279971.pdf

·         World Health Organization. (2018). Alcohol. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/alcohol

Sources

·         Fatality Analysis Reporting System. (2008-2017).                                                                             Website: https://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/States/StatesAlcohol.aspx

·         Iowa Department of Public Health. (2008-2017).                                                                       Website: https://tracking.idph.iowa.gov/Health/Substance-Use-and-Misuse/Substance-Involved-Mortality-Data

NATIONAL PREVENTION WEEK 2020

National Prevention Week (NPW) is a SAMHSA-sponsored campaign dedicated to increasing the prevention of substance use and promotion of mental health by promoting prevention year-round. The weeklong National Prevention Week observance that occurs each May brings individuals, organizations, coalitions, states, and communities together to celebrate the events and activities that communities have held all year to raise awareness about the importance of preventing substance use and mental disorders.

NPW will take place on May 10–16, 2020. Near the kickoff of summer. This year’s NPW theme continued to be “Inspiring Action. Changing Lives.” and reminds us that we can all inspire positive change through the year. Every day and everywhere, whether we make healthy choices for ourselves or inspire others to do so, the small actions we take can change lives for the better.

Some of the NPW health topics are as follows:

·         Preventing Prescription and Opioid Drug Misuse

·         Preventing Underage Drinking and Alcohol Misuse

·         Preventing Illicit Drug Use and Youth Marijuana Use

·         Preventing Youth Tobacco Use

·         Preventing Suicide

Everyone can take part in NPW and plan activities at home around one or all of the NPW topics. We all have a role to play in prevention, and a powerful perspective to bring to the table.  This year the Van Buren County Youth Leadership Council encourages our community members to take time to research how to be healthy with substances while we are at home. 

For more information on the Youth Leadership Council please contact the SAFE Coalition at 319-293-3334 ext. 1017 or at safe.coalition@van-burencsd.org.  For more information on NPW visit www.samhsa.gov/prevention-week to access their resources. Stay connected by subscribing to the Prevention Works email distribution list on the NPW home page (https://www.samhsa.gov/prevention-week) for resources, news,

and ideas to make substance use prevention happen every day. The Prevention Challenge (https://www.samhsa.gov/prevention-week/prevention-challenge) provides an opportunity for communities and individuals to participate in NPW promotional efforts through social media.

Your Life Iowa and COVID-19

Everyone needs help sometimes.  That is the tagline for Your Life Iowa (YLI) and now more than ever during this time of uncertainty and isolation from friends and family, it is good to know that YLI is there, with support and helpful information about alcohol, drugs, gambling, mental health and suicidal thoughts.   

YLI is a trusted source of information on alcohol, drugs, gambling, mental health, and suicidal thoughts, and to assist those seeking information on COVID-19 there is a link right on the homepage (yourlifeiowa.org) to Iowa’s information and response to COVID-19 (https://coronavirus.iowa.gov/).

Here are a couple of things to remember that all of us at Your Life Iowa want you to practice.  Stay healthy - prioritize sleep, making a commitment to getting 8 hours nightly.  Get some exercise, whether in your home or outside.  Be sure to practice social distancing. Take deep breaths, stretch, meditate.  Control what you can - wash your hands, practice social distancing, stay home when ill.  While the fear of the unknown can be unsettling, taking control can help you feel empowered and counteract the stress being felt.

When stress, anxiety, and fear are affecting your ability to function in some part of your life, it is time to reach out.  Are you losing sleep or are you fearful of becoming sick?  Reach out to your healthcare provider and discuss your concerns.  If you or a loved one are concerned about what might be going on regarding the use of alcohol or drugs, problem gambling, or concerns about mental health or suicidal thoughts, YLI is a trusted source for help.  24/7, every day, YLI is available via text (855-895-8398), chat (yourlifeiowa.org), or phone (855-581-8111).

Asking for help can be hard, and YLI wants to make it as easy as possible to get the help being sought.   So we created a What to Expect When You Call animation.  The link for the small version is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJJUpYTZ7uA&feature=youtu.be .  The link for the larger version is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNwODg1jse8&feature=youtu.be.   YLI provides everyday life support.  No judgment.  Just helping.

For more information on Your Life Iowa please send inquires to eric.preuss@idph.iowa.gov.

April is Alcohol Awareness Month

By: Kelsey Sample

April is the 34^th Annual Alcohol Awareness Month. Founded and sponsored by Facing Addiction with the NCADD for 33 years. No other substance is more widely used by America’s youth than alcohol, making alcoholism and alcohol-related problems the number one public health problem in the United States.

The Van Buren County Youth Leadership Council is encouraging community members to educate themselves on the dangers of underage drinking and what it can cost a youth who drinks underage.

Some Alcohol Facts from the Alliance of Coalitions for Change (AC4C) are “Young adults aged 25-34 years of age are most likely to binge drink, followed by those aged 18-24 and 35-44 years old.” Another fact is “According to 2016 Iowa Youth Survey 13% of Iowa’s 11th graders have binge drank in the last 30 days.” Something for you to think about is “For every $1 gained from alcohol and tobacco tax revenues, $10 is lost in legal, health, social, and regulatory costs.”

Underage drinking can damage or crush your dreams, friendships, parents' and relatives' trust, your life, and many other things. So don’t throw away what you have by drinking underage.

                                

Addressing this issue requires a sustained and cooperative effort between parents, schools, community leaders, and youth. The widespread prevalence of underage drinking and the negative consequences it creates remain a stubborn and destructive problem despite decades of efforts to combat it.

Yet, there are four areas that have proven to be effective in the prevention of this problem:

1) Curtailing the availability of alcohol to underage populations;

2) Consistent enforcement of existing laws and regulations regarding alcohol purchase;

3) Changing cultural misconceptions and behaviors about alcohol use through education; and

4) Expanded access to treatment and recovery support for adolescents and their families.

For more information on the Youth Leadership Council or Substance Abuse Prevention work in Van Buren County please contact the SAFE Coalition at 319-293-3334 ext. 1017 or safe.coalition@van-burencsd.org.