Coalition spotlight:

NFVCC doing great things!

From Stacie Schroeder, NFVCC Coalition Director: "The North Fayette Valley Community Coalition (NFVCC) serves the NFV School District and is a partner of the Healthy Fayette County Coalition. We are in year 6 of our Drug Free Communities grant and are working to address underage drinking, nicotine and marijuana/THC use. At the beginning of each school year, our high school and middle school leadership teams identify areas of concern among their peers. This year, underage drinking and vaping remained a concern. Personal safety, healthy relationships and mental health also made the list of issues our youth want to address. Since the pandemic, we have moved to a shared action plan for mental health and substance use.

In partnership with the student council, we hosted a Mental Health Awareness week February 12^th – 16^th. Activities were planned each day. Swag and resources were provided. Students made a pledge to discuss mental health with the Make It OK campaign and students, administration, teachers and staff wore green on Friday in support of mental health awareness. We have also rolled out the Bandana Project with 5 students trained and available to help someone connect with resources when they need them. We hope to grow this more next year as the program is going through some changes and will be better suited for high school. Community businesses have been involved and helped us with the funding for swag.

To focus on concerns for personal safety in both relationships and dating, we have partnered with the UNI Center for Violence Prevention and will be working with Administration to educate on concerns and request the introduction of Coaching Boys into Men (for male students) and Athletes as Leaders (female students). Members of the leadership team wanted the trainings to be separate to allow for interaction and safe spaces. We are also exploring options for personal safety classes to be offered for those students interested." (Continued below)

"Like many communities, we have seen an increase in sales of vapes, gummies and drinks that are being offered in gas stations converted to “vape shops.” Many parents are not aware of what is being sold but our youth know. We have had ambulance calls to the school when a youth was experiencing a seizure after vaping THC. We have had a 15 year old driver hit a teacher in the parking lot after vaping THC. And we have students that are purchasing the products at these local gas stations and selling them in school for those too scared to buy themselves. In response, we are working with the Superintendent and bringing in Melissa Moore as a speaker. She will do a scan of local retailers and present to the community what is found. With our partnership with the school, we are planning to raise awareness and engage parents in addressing these unsavory sales of products that our youth are using and becoming addicted to.

Some items purchased at a local gas station in Fayette. Climbing Kites cannabis infused sparkling water contains 5 mg THC and 10 mg CBD. Was located next to energy drinks in the cooler. Space Gods potato chip hemp chocolate bar with 100 mg THC and 100 mg CBD. Smelled like pot when opened. Deltios Delta 9 THCp gummies. Package of 10 gummies has 1,500 mg of “total cannabinoids” and lists Delta 8, Delta 9, CBD and THCp hemp extract in ingredients and “indica” on the package. The gas station had 5 brands of butane available for purchase as well as a slew of lighters. Employee said the new Amanita shroom vapes were very popular. Says “not for human consumption” on the package and 2.2 grams, 2200 mg of HHC (olive derived) amanita multiplex terpenes."

Thanks, Stacie, for telling us about what your coalition is up to and for giving us great ideas to look into implementing in our coalitions!

(One note, there is work in the Iowa Legislature currently to reduce the amount of THC that can be in consumable hemp products. If you would like to know more about this, contact Jennifer, another member of the Policy Workgroup, or leadership of Marijuana Action Team. There is much education yet to be done about amanita mushrooms and other products, as well as continuing to educate about the effects of THC products. )

AC4C Legislative Learning Event!

Legislative Dining Room at the Capitol - Room G15

Tuesday, March 26

7:15 a.m.: Breakfast sandwiches and coffee will be served.

7:30-8:15 a.m.: Dr. Paul Gilbert and Dr. Shawn Dorius presenting!

The learning event will be about Alcohol-related illness and deaths in Iowa, as well as policies to reduce them! Please invite your legislators!

Upcoming Events:

2024 Legislative Learning Event on Alcohol

-Tuesday, March 26, breakfast starting at 7:15 a.m. at the Capitol G15

Spring Work Retreat -

(Day 1 was held virtually March 6)

Day 2- Tuesday, March 26, 10:00-1:45, after the Legislative Learning Event above, but at MCTC with virtual option. Register HERE

Lodging at MCTC is still available for the night of March 25 (3 rooms left as 5 more were added by MCTC recently). These are for those coming in person to to the Legislative Learning Event and work retreat after. Please contact Jennifer if needed. The agenda is available on the MCTC Registration link.

Iowa DEC Conference:

April 8 Register HERE!

AC4C Day on the Hill next year: February 13, 2025!

Resources to Share and Links to check out... 

Members, keep up with the latest in the news

AC4C on Facebook

AC4C Youth on Instagram

Looking for a training

Iowa Board of Certification

Iowa ODCP

Iowa State Patrol

Iowa Health and Human Services & Your Life Iowa

Partnership for A Healthy Iowa

Do you know about RALI Iowa?

Check out this organization and information about their virtual trailer HERE

More resources...

Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau

Drive Smart Iowa

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Traffic Safety Marketing

Stop Drugged Driving

AC4C members, state partners and others, if you have teens in your coalitions, schools, family, or other areas of your life who might be interested in being a part of AC4C Youth,

they, or you, can send an email to: ac4cyouth@gmail.com

For help quitting tobacco call Quitline Iowa at

800-Quit-Now

Congratulations to Jackie Preston on her many years of service to Pathways and AC4C! We wish you the best in retirement!

AC4C

Day on the Hill

was a success!

Approximately 85-90 youth and adults attended this year's Day on the Hill with the youth training, lunch, press conference, and then meetings with their legislators in the beautiful and historic Capitol building. The youth and adults who spoke at the press conference did an amazing job! Here is one of speeches by one of the youth, Haylee, a 9th grader from Jackson County:



"Kids today are on social media a lot. We are bombarded with messages trying to sell us things and ideas. Things which are harmful to our minds and health, like alcohol and marijuana. This however is not new; the way the message is being sent is new--social media--but substances like alcohol and marijuana have been around for a long time and businesses have been marketing to kids for a long time too. When kids are surrounded by substances and by messages that things like marijuana are ok, it changes how they think. We become more likely to use those substances. People who use substances are people like you and me. They are good people, who make choices with bad outcomes.

I think our communities can do more to protect us from all these things that are in our everyday life. My dad made a choice to use substances. He is a good person and I love him. If he had not been exposed to substances as much as he was, he would have made a different choice. His choices didn't just affect him, they affect lots of people, like me and my brother, and my grandparents who take care of us. Legislators can do more to help kids be healthy and safe: Laws about marketing and advertising substances so they are not in our face all of the time and legislation restricting the availability of substances in our communities. More funding for mental health services at school to help kids who are dealing with the effects of substance use on their family would help too.

Too many kids are living with the effect of substance use which happens more and more when money is put first and our wellbeing is second. When money is put first and our health and futures second, we all lose. We lose opportunities and potential, we lose family wellbeing and we lose our futures. Help us have a safe and healthy environment so we can grow up to be whatever we want to be."

Thanks to Haylee, Zach, Julie, Cindy, Maggie and Peter for all your courageous words! We heard of some great meetings that the youth had with their legislators as well. Mark your calendars for the AC4C Day on the Hill in 2025, February 13! Hope to see you all there next year!

Join an Action Team or Work Group session every month!

Access the action team meetings on Mondays. Login information here

Other Substances Action Team

Next meeting- April 1 @ 9:30

Marijuana Action Team

Next meetings- May 13 @ 9:30 (April is cancelled due to the DEC Conference April 8)



Nicotine Action Team 

Next meetings- March 18 and April 15 @ 9:30

Alcohol Action Team

Next meetings- March 25 and April 22 @ 9:30

_______________________________

Policy Work Group

Chair:  

Jennifer Husmann

Co-Chair: 

Maggie Ballard



4th Wednesday at 2:00 pm

Meeting information can be found here

Click here for meeting minutes

Purpose: To collaborate with the community and statewide entities to advocate and educate on substance abuse legislation, policies, and related issues.

_________________________________

Capacity/Marketing Work Group

Chair:

Chris Courtney

New Co-Chair:

Kelly Hutcheson

3rd Monday at 2:00 pm

Click here for meeting minutes

Purpose: Create a network of professionals that have diverse knowledge, experience, and interests to build skills and provide resources to members of AC4C.