Marijuana in Iowa: What You Should Know About Marijuana Concentrates (THC Extracts)

Highly potent THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) products are obtained by extracting THC out of the marijuana plant.  THC is the chemical in marijuana that produces a “high”.

Typical marijuana seized by law enforcement contains an average of about 12% THC.  Concentrates contain very high levels of THC, ranging from 40% to 80%.  Concentrates often appear similar to honey or butter.  Street names for these extracted concentrates include: Budder, Honey Oil, Wax, Ear Wax, Shatter, Black Glass, Dabs (dabbing), Butane Hash Oil, Butane Honey Oil (BHO), Errl and 710 (the word OIL flipped and spelled backwards). 

Hash oils and marijuana waxes are often produced in what are called Butane Hash Oil labs.  Butane gas is a highly flammable component used in the process of making concentrates from the marijuana plant.  An increasing number of BHO labs are being reported in the western United States, as are BHO lab fires, explosions and injuries.  In Iowa, law enforcement is reporting BHO lab activity in some communities. 

While marijuana concentrates are relatively new, one recent study of high-potency marijuana (16% THC) showed a psychotic disorder was five times more likely among regular daily users, and three time more likely among weekend users. (Kings College, London, 2015)  The effects of using marijuana containing lower THC levels have become well documented by research.  (“Adverse Effects of Marijuana,” New England Journal of Medicine, June 2014)  Some of these are: Short Term – impaired short-term memory, impaired motor coordination, altered judgement, paranoia and psychosis (in large doses); Long Term – addiction: 9% for all users (17% of teens), altered brain development, cognitive impairment (lower IQ) among frequent users during adolescence and symptoms of chronic bronchitis. 

THC extracts smuggled from other states and BHO lab remnants are being found with increasing frequency in Iowa.  The Iowa Crime Lab reports an upsurge in the number of marijuana submissions involving concentrates in the form of marijuana oils, waxes, vaping cartridges, candies and other food items (some labeled for sale and some home-made).  (Iowa Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Investigation, May 2015)

This information has been gathered and supplied by the Alliance of Coalitions for Change (AC4C).  For more information on the dangers of marijuana use in Iowa please contact the SAFE Coalition at 319-293-6412 or at info@vbsafecoalition.com.  You can also find more information at www.vbsafecoalition.com, https://sites.google.com/site/iaac4c/topics-of-interest or https://www.facebook.com/Iowa-Voices-Of-Reason-778768612266782/photos_stream?tab=photos.

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

September is National Suicide Prevention Month

By Kim Torguson of the Action Alliance

The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (Action Alliance) – the nation’s public-private partnership championing suicide prevention as a national priority – and its partners, like the Van Buren County SAFE Coalition in Iowa, are coming together to inform the public about simple actions that can support someone in crisis and potentially help save a life. This September, during National Suicide Prevention Month and National Suicide Prevention Week (September 11-16, 2017), the Action Alliance is asking organizations to step up to educate the public about the role anyone, anywhere can play in being there for someone who is struggling or in crisis.

Join the collective effort!

·       Sign up for the #NSPW Thunderclap campaign

·       Promote the hashtag #NSPW when posting social media messages about being there

·       Visit our website to access information about our partner’s campaigns focused on being there for others

·       Post our shareable social media icons on your social media channels

·       Change your profile frame by downloading and customizing our Facebook Frames

Additionally, in preparation for Suicide Prevention Month, the Action Alliance held a webinar,  Developing Successful and Positive Suicide Prevention Messaging -- Planning ahead for Suicide Prevention Month on July 10 that provided an overview of the four elements of the Action Alliance's Framework for Successful Messaging and offered tips and guidance for developing messages that are strategic, safe, and aligned with prevention goals.  

National Day of Prayer - Weekend of September 8, 2017
In collaboration with our #NSPW activities, the Action Alliance’s Faith Communities Task Force is promoting a National Day of Prayer for Faith Hope & Life the weekend of September 8-10, 2017. With September 10th being World Suicide Prevention Day, the Task Force is leading a national movement among faith communities that weekend to offer prayers and focus on tangible ways to be there for those in distress. In addition to visiting and promoting the National Day of Prayer webpage, other ways you and your partners can get involved include:

·       Pledge to participate on the weekend of 9/8, 

·       watch the video about the National Day of Prayer effort

·       view sample prayers from diverse faith traditions, and

·       promote the hashtags #PrayFHL and #NSPW

For more information on Suicide Prevention month please contact the SAFE Coalition at 319-293-6412 or info@vbsafecoalition.com or checkout the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention website: http://actionallianceforsuicideprevention.org/national-strategy-suicide-prevention-0

This Labor Day, the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office Reminds Citizens to Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over In Effort to End Drunk Driving

The end of summer is traditionally marked by the Labor Day holiday, a time for our country to reflect on the hard work of our fellow Americans. The long weekend is typically celebrated with picnics, pool parties, and barbecues, as families/friends enjoy the last few days of summer before fall/winter approach. Sadly, the Labor Day holiday is also one of the deadliest, with drunk drivers endangering themselves and others on America’s roadways. This year, the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office and SAFE Coalition are partnering with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to stop drunk drivers and help save lives. The high-visibility national enforcement campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, runs from August 16 - September 4, 2017. During this period, local law enforcement will show zero tolerance for drunk driving. Increased state and national messages about the dangers of driving impaired, coupled with enforcement and increased officers on the road, aim to drastically reduce drunk driving on our nation’s roadways.

Statistics show a frightening trend in drunk-driving. According to NHTSA, 10,265 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes in 2015, an increase from the 9,967 people killed in 2014. On average, 10,000 people were killed each year from 2011 to 2015—one person killed every 51 minutes in 2015. That’s the equivalent of 20 jumbo jets crashing each year, with no survivors. This is why the Sheriff’s Office and Coalition are working with NHTSA to remind drivers that drunk driving is not only illegal, it is a matter of life and death. As you head out to Labor Day festivities, remember: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

Over the Labor Day holiday period in 2015, there were 460 crash fatalities nationwide. Forty percent of those fatal crashes involved drivers who had been drinking (.01+ BAC). Of those alcohol-related fatal crashes, one third (33%) involved drivers who were drunk (.08+ BAC), and nearly one-fourth (23%) involved drivers who were driving with a BAC almost twice the illegal limit (.15+ BAC). Nighttime is the most dangerous time to be out on the roads: During the 2015 Labor Day holiday period, 78 percent of drunk-driving crash fatalities occurred between 6 p.m. and 5:59 a.m. – as compared to half of all drunk-driving crash fatalities throughout the rest of the year.

We’re stressing the dangers of driving impaired to our community. Drunk driving is a massive problem in the United States, with more than 10,000 people dying annually. If you’re out on the roads and you see someone driving drunk, please call the Sheriff’s Office. You could help save a life. 

The Sheriff’s Office, SAFE Coalition, and NHTSA are reminding citizens of the many resources available to get them home safely. Drunk driving is not acceptable behavior. It is essential to plan a sober ride home before you ever leave for the party. That’s why, during the Labor Day holiday, we will make zero exceptions for drunk driving. There are just no excuses.  The Sheriff’s Office and Coalition recommend safe alternatives to drinking and driving:

·         Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver to get you home safely.

·         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 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.

For more information about the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, visit www.TrafficSafetyMarketing.gov