By: Lacey Smith
On Thursday, February 28th, the Alliance of Coalitions for Change (AC4C), a state-wide collaboration to affect positive change in substance abuse, met with state legislators to discuss substance abuse problems within Iowa. Students from all over Iowa came to discuss several issues involving underage drinking, vaping, and other substances that are happening in several counties around the state.
Seven of those students were students from the Van Buren County Youth Leadership Council (Christina Leppert, Lacey Smith, Kelsey Sample, Rose Rankin, Shayna Snook, Shelbie Frey, and Sydney Goemaat). While there, they brought up big issues that are in their school.
One of the main topics that the Van Buren students discussed with their representatives, Senator Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Representative Jeff Shipley, is the high percentage of students in the high school who have vaped. 39% of Van Buren County 11th graders report that they have used electronic cigarettes at some time in their life on the 2016 Iowa Youth Survey (IYS).
The Van Buren County students also brought many other facts to the state legislators’ attention. Such as: 21% of Iowa 11th graders report they have used marijuana at some time in their life. Half of those students say they are still currently using marijuana. (2016 IYS)
For Every $1 gained from alcohol and tobacco tax revenues, $10 is lost in legal, health, social, and regulatory costs. Raising the minimum age of legal access to tobacco and nicotine products reduces underage use because it reduces peer-to-peer access.
83% of Van Buren County 11th graders report it is easy or very easy to get alcohol. (2016 IYS) These facts helped bring to light the issues within smaller communities within Iowa.
Day on the Hill is very helpful for young people to get involved in making their state and community a safer place not only for themselves but for others as well.
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