Find recent messaging and campaigns on the Your Life Iowa Media Center.
Prevention Alcohol
Alcohol is the most commonly used and abused drug. Ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, is an intoxicating ingredient found in beer, wine, and liquor. Alcohol is produced by the fermentation of yeast, sugars, and starches. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), excessive alcohol use includes binge drinking, heavy drinking (defined as is defined as consuming 8 or more drinks per week for woman and 15 or more drinks per week for men), any alcohol use by people under the age 21 minimum drinking age and any alcohol use by pregnant women.
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One in five Iowa 11th graders drank alcohol in the past month (Iowa Youth Survey, 2018).
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Iowa’s rate of adult binge drinking significantly exceeds the U.S. average, 21.6% versus 16.8% (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2019).
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Alcohol-related mortality in Iowa remains high at 662 deaths in 2019 (Iowa Public Health Tracking Portal, 2019).
- Alcohol and Older Adults
- Alcohol and Public Health
- Excessive Drinking Prevention Resources
- Underage Drinking Prevention Resources
Contact: Julie Hibben at 515-326-5703
Prevention Marijuana
Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal substance in the U.S. and its use is growing. Marijuana refers to the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa. The plant contains the mind-altering chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other related compounds. The perception of how harmful marijuana use can be is declining. Increasingly, young people today do not consider marijuana use a risky behavior (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration).
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Four percent of Iowa youth who completed the Iowa Youth Survey reported they used marijuana (pot, grass, hash, bud, weed) in the past 30 days; 1% of 6th graders, 3% of 8th graders, and 11% of 11th graders reported having used marijuana (pot, grass, hash, bud, weed) in the past 30 days. (Iowa Youth Survey, 2018).
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In Iowa, marijuana is the third most common substance identified at admission for substance use disorder treatment for adults 18 years old and older (IDPH Bureau of Substance Abuse, 2019).
- Governor’s Office of Drug Control Policy - Marijuana
- Marijuana and Pregnancy
- Marijuana and Driving
- Tips for Teens - Marijuana
Contact: Julie Hibben at 515-326-5703
Prevention Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a powerful stimulant that is chemically similar to amphetamine. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (2017), methamphetamine most commonly comes in the form of a white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that easily dissolves in water or alcohol. Methamphetamine is often taken orally, smoked, snorted, dissolved in water or alcohol, or injected.
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Iowa youth continue to report using methamphetamine at rates near zero (1% or less state wide for all grades on the last several Iowa Youth Surveys).
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Adults aged 25 to 44 continue to have the highest rates of methamphetamine-related treatment admissions (Iowa Substance Use Brief, 2019).
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Psychostimulant-involved deaths in Iowa increased from 45 deaths in 2013 to 157 in 2019 (Iowa Public Health Tracking Portal, 2019).
Prevention Prescription Medication & Opioids
When prescription mediciations are used as prescribed by a doctor for the individual they are prescribed for, they can be beneficial in treating many illnesses. Often, they are misused and the most commonly misused prescription medications are opioids. Opioids are a category of drugs that include some types of prescription medications as well as illicit drugs such as heroin. Opioids are also called narcotics. The term opiate refers to a drug derived from natural opium, while opioid includes synthetic and semi-synthetic substances created to have similar effects.
Opioids bind to the receptors in the body (especially in the brain) to reduce sensations of pain. Opioids also slow down body systems, and if misused, can lead to incidents of overdose and death. The prolonged use of opioids (whether with a prescription or not) may lead to uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms when someone stops using opioids.
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In 2018, approximately 3% of all respondents on the Iowa Youth Survey reported they had used prescription medications that were not prescribed to them (Iowa Youth Survey, 2018)
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Drug overdose deaths are the third leading cause of injury deaths in Iowa and since 2010 drug overdose deaths have increased 38 percent (Vital Statistics, 2017)
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In 2017, the drug overdose death rate was similar to motor vehicle traffic-related deaths. (Vital Statistics, 2017)
Contact: Janet Nelson at 515-214-7950
Prevention Problem Gambling
Problem gambling can be defined as an urge to continue gambling despite the negative consequences that are harming the individual or others who may be affected by the behavior. Problem gambling can affect people of every race, every religion, and every education and income level.
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42% of 11th grade males reported having ever bet or gambled for money or possessions (Iowa Youth Survey, 2018).
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About half of adult Iowans gambled in the past 30 days. (Gambling and Attitudes and Behaviors: A 2018 Survey of Adult Iowans)
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About 1 in 5 adult Iowans (22%) said that they have been negatively affected by others’ gambling behaviors. (Gambling and Attitudes and Behaviors: A 2018 Survey of Adult Iowans)
Contact: Katie Bee at 515-214-3699
Prevention Suicide
Suicide is a public health concern that has lasting effects on many individuals, families and communities in Iowa. Suicide rates vary by race, ethnicity, age, gender and other population characteristics, but suicide can affect anyone. Suicide shares risk and protective factors with other public health issues including substance use and intimate partner violence. YourLifeIowa.org is an Iowa-based helpline where people can call, text, or chat live for free and confidential support if concerned about suicidality for themselves or others.
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In 2019, suicide was the 10th leading cause of death for all Iowans and the second leading cause of death for those ages 15-44 (Vital Statistics of Iowa Annual Report, 2019).
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One-quarter of 11th grade students reported that they had thought about killing themselves within the past twelve months (Iowa Youth Survey, 2018).
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Physical health problems as a circumstance of suicide increase with age, with approximately two-thirds of the suicides by Iowans 65 years or older in 2017 having physical health problems as one of the circumstances (Iowa Violent Death Reporting System, 2017).
Contact: Keri Neblett at 515-314-0118
Prevention Tobacco
Tobacco is a plant grown for its leaves, which are dried and fermented before being put in tobacco products. Tobacco contains nicotine, an ingredient that can lead to addiction, which is why so many people who use tobacco find it difficult to quit. There are also many other potentially harmful chemicals found in tobacco or created by burning it (National Institute on Drug Abuse).
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In 2019, 16.4% of Iowa adults were current smokers (Iowa Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2019).
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E-cigarette use among 11th grade students rose from 9% in 2016 to 23% in 2018 (Iowa Youth Survey, 2018).
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In 2018, 24.4% of 11th grade student used tobacco (Iowa Youth Tobacco Use Rates, 2018).