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[MARCH 24, 2003]  A strategic planning meeting called to address the problem of substance abuse among area teenagers and young adults drew around 40 participants to Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital on March 17. Eight substance-related deaths of people under 25 have occurred locally in the past 15 months.

Led by Jeff Nachbar, a project director from Minnesota, meeting participants exchanged insights about alcohol and other drug problems in the community and provided input for prioritizing a list of actions to be taken. The meeting was scheduled to run from 4 to 7 p.m. but was shortened to enable those present to attend the Lincoln City Council meeting or watch President Bush's address. As a result, Nachbar, who opened by saying, "I believe in trying to figure out how to get things done," had to stop short of identifying clear-cut actions to be taken. Instead, support for nine possible areas of effort will be tabulated and the results presented at the next Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Task Force meeting.

Nachbar is project director for the Minnesota Join Together Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking, which focuses on changing statewide public policy to reduce youth access to alcohol. He has additional experience as a community organizer for the Minneapolis Police Department's Crime Prevention Unit.

Participants in the strategic planning meeting included elected officials, administrators of city and county departments, school personnel, substance-abuse counselors, mental health practitioners, high school students, organization representatives and others. At least one recovering addict attended, and a woman who had lost a grandson. "This is an impressive gathering," Nachbar summarized. "You are people who can get things done."

Kristi Lessen, substance abuse prevention specialist for Logan-Mason Mental Health, and Lincoln Chief of Police Rich Montcalm are co-chairs of ATOD. Lessen provided a list of possible areas of effort culled from previous responses to an ATOD questionnaire. They are (1) parental education; (2) tailor consequences for underage drinking; (3) outreach programs for school-aged children; (4) expand to younger youth throughout the county; (5) programs that involve parents; (6) educate adults and parents with meetings, news media, Internet; (7) more community interest; and (8) look at social norms, regulations, laws governing alcohol, tobacco and other drugs in Logan County. Participants added a ninth possibility: drug testing for extracurricular activities in schools.

In four groups, task force members first narrowed and interpreted the eight original activities and noted their responses using four distinctive colors of ink. For example, parental education generated these notes: "parental attendance at drug education, pending registration -- and consequences of not attending"; "work with a role model"; and "use school enrollment days to provide information to parents."

The next step was to prioritize the annotated activities. Individuals received 14 self-adhesive dots, representing available resources such as time, money and enthusiasm. They then pasted the dots next to activities on which they would like to spend their resources. The greater the level of interest, the more dots. The result was a colorful display of support for each activity. Lessen will tabulate the responses to determine those with the strongest backing. Nachbar urged ATOD at its next meeting to choose three of these activities and commit to accomplishing them.

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"It was a step in the right direction," Lessen said of Monday's meeting. "Success is going to depend on the commitment and following through. I believe that with the people that were there (and others not able to attend but committed to the task force), we can be successful."

In defining the process for articulating goals and objectives, Nachbar differentiated between individual and environmental approaches and between supply and demand sides of a problem. For example, a supply-side approach to drug abuse would identify providers and means of access and try to eliminate them. Nachbar acknowledged that most supply-side activities are a police problem and outside the scope of the task force. A demand-side effort would attempt to intervene in a person's decision to use drugs. An individual approach would aim to change personal behavior, while an environmental approach would try to influence community norms and institutions. Using one each of their 14 dots, the majority of participants indicated that they favor demand-side interventions, especially focusing on the community environment.

While acknowledging that supply and demand, individual and environmental issues interact to create the drug and alcohol problem in Logan County, Nachbar urged participants to narrow the focus of activities in order to achieve success. You don't have to pick the most important thing to do first, he told them, but you need to start with activities that you can agree hold high potential effectiveness and are not apt to meet with great resistance.

Lessen said she and Montcalm first spoke with Nachbar two months ago. His appearance was funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services and Prevention First, Inc. Sharon Mast, regional representative of the state department, said that because there are only two agencies in the community with programs funded by the Department of Human Services -- Logan-Mason Mental Health and the Logan County Health Department -- it is important for their personnel to confer with others outside the area. She said community readiness evidenced by the work of a number of individuals and organizations was one reason Lincoln was chosen to receive the funding.

The next ATOD meeting is scheduled for noon on Friday, April 11, at the Logan County Health Department. It will be followed by a meeting of Mothers Against Drunk Driving at 1 p.m. Both sessions are open to the public.

ATOD is one of five Healthy Communities Partnership task forces. The others are Rural Health Partnership, Healthy Families Task Force, Senior Issues Task Force, and Domestic Abuse and Violence Task Force. In turn, Healthy Communities Partnership is a subcommittee of the Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce Healthcare Committee.

[Lynn Spellman]

Health Matters

A monthly feature from  Logan County Health Department

A preventable cancer

[MARCH 4, 2003] 

Colorectal cancer -- cancer of the colon or rectum -- is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. In 2002, there will be approximately 148,300 colorectal cancer diagnoses, and 56,600 people are expected to die from the disease.

But you can take steps to protect yourself from the disease: More than 90 percent of colorectal cancer is preventable.

Colorectal cancers can develop in both men and women. More than 90 percent of cases are found in people over the age of 50.

Since people are more likely to get colorectal cancer as they get older, everyone age 50 or over should undergo regular screening for the disease. Some people, however, have a higher risk of colorectal cancer.

If you fall into one of the following groups, you should talk to your health care provider about starting colorectal cancer screening at an earlier age:

--Personal or family history of colorectal cancer, polyps or inflammatory bowel disease.

--Personal or family history of ovarian, endometrial or breast cancer.

African-Americans have higher colorectal cancer incidence and death rates than other ethnic groups, in part because they are less likely to be screened for the disease.

Following colorectal screening recommendations can detect polyps -- grapelike growths on the lining of the colon and rectum that can become cancerous. Removing these polyps can prevent colorectal cancer from ever developing.

There are four common tests used to screen for colorectal cancer. Your health care provider can help you decide which test is best for you.

A fecal occult blood test is a simple chemical test that finds blood present in stool samples. You can perform an FOBT yourself at home with a kit that you can get from your health care provider and send to a laboratory for results. This testing is recommended every year.

While an FOBT tests for warning signs in the stool, the three tests described below look inside the body to find polyps.

Flexible sigmoidoscopy is a visual examination of the rectum and lower portion of the colon, performed in a health care provider's office or in a clinic or hospital. A flexible tube about the thickness of your finger is put into the anus and slowly moved into the rectum and lower part of the colon. Your health care provider can view the area by looking through the eyepiece of the tube. This testing is recommended every five years.

Colonoscopy is like a sigmoidoscopy, but it lets your health care provider examine the lining of your entire colon rather than just its lower portion. Removal of polyps can be performed during colonoscopy to prevent cancer. This testing is recommended every five to 10 years.

A double-contrast barium enema uses an X-ray to look at the colon and is performed in a hospital or clinic. The double-contrast technique involves injecting a liquid called barium sulfate and air into the rectum in order to get a view of the large intestine. This testing is recommended testing every five to 10 years.

Although colorectal cancer can develop without symptoms, there are some warning signs for the disease.

If you have any of these symptoms, contact your health care provider for testing:

• Rectal bleeding
• Blood in or around your stool
• A change in the shape of your stool
• Stomach discomfort, including bloating, fullness or cramps
• Unexplained weight loss or fatigue

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Since how you live affects your health, you can take steps to help lower your risk for colorectal cancer. Healthy dietary choices, being active and regular screening can help lower your risk.

While regular screening is your best bet for lowering your risk, research suggests that being physically active can help protect against the disease. In addition to exercise and maintaining a healthy weight, eating a low-fat diet full of fruits, vegetables and whole grains may help prevent colorectal cancer.

Staying away from tobacco and alcohol can also lower your risk. In 2002, 170,000 Americans are expected to die from colorectal and other cancers caused by tobacco use. If you don't smoke, don't start, and if you do smoke, quit. And if you drink, do so in moderation; aim for one drink or less per day.

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, founded by the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation in collaboration with many partner organizations. The campaign to designate the special month was launched in March 2000. The goal is to generate widespread awareness about colorectal cancer prevention through screening and healthy lifestyle choices.

Colorectal cancer is preventable. It is easy to treat and often curable when detected early. Talk with your health care professional about colorectal cancer.

To learn more, visit 

http://www.preventcancer.org/colorectal/.

Myth: There is nothing I can do about getting colorectal cancer.

Reality: Colorectal cancer can be prevented. Screening tests can detect polyps (grapelike growths on the lining of the colon or rectum) that can turn into cancer. Removing these polyps can prevent colorectal cancer from ever occurring. Starting at age 50, men and women who are at average risk should be screened regularly for colorectal cancer. Men and women who are at high risk of the disease may need to be tested earlier and should talk to their health care professional about when.

Myth: Colorectal cancer is usually fatal.

Reality: Colorectal cancer is usually curable when detected early. More than 90 percent of patients with localized colorectal cancer confined to the colon or rectum are alive five years after diagnosis.

Myth: Colorectal cancer is a disease of older white men.

Reality: An equal number of women and men get colorectal cancer. An estimated 75,700 women and 72,600 men were diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2002. African-Americans are more likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer at later stages of the disease.

Myth: Screening tests are necessary only for individuals who have symptoms.

Reality: Since symptoms of colorectal cancer are often silent, it is important to get screened regularly. Screenings test for a disease even if the patient has no symptoms. About 75 percent of all new cases of colorectal cancer occur in individuals with no known risk factors for the disease, other than being 50 or older. If you have a personal or family history of colorectal cancer, polyps or inflammatory bowel disease, you may need to be screened before age 50. Talk with your health care professional.

[From the Logan County Health Department]

All information in this article was provided by the Cancer Research Foundation of America, 1600 Duke St., Suite 110, Alexandria, VA 22314;
(703) 836-4412;  www.preventcancer.org.

Red Cross

West Nile Virus

West Nile virus links

LDN articles

• Local authorities watching WNV

Federal websites

• CDC WNV home page

State websites

• State WNV website

• Protect your home against mosquitoes
• State surveillance site
• Logan County surveillance site

Honors & Awards

Announcements

CICBC blood drives monthly at paramedics' building

Blood supplies across the nation are critical. In some areas, there is less than a one-day supply. Fortunately, thanks to the dedicated donors in central Illinois, these tremendous shortages have not yet touched our hospitals. However, the blood supply is a resource that must be renewed. Every three seconds someone needs a blood transfusion of some kind. To accommodate this constant usage, community members must continually help replenish the supply. Since a donor can donate whole blood only every eight weeks, Central Illinois Community Blood Center needs community members to come forward and help with this lifesaving effort.

Central Illinois Community Blood Center provides all of the blood and blood products for 12 area hospitals, including those in Lincoln, Hopedale and Springfield. No other organization provides blood in these hospitals. CICBC is a community-based blood center whose mission is to provide a safe and adequate blood supply for patients in local hospitals in a cost-effective manner.

When you donate blood through CICBC, you help to keep a safe and adequate blood supply for your community. You also help keep local medical costs under control.

Regularly scheduled blood drives are on the first Monday of each month (except Labor Day) at the Logan County Paramedic Association building, 1300 N. Postville Road. (See schedule.) Please help by donating blood.

CICBC also provides other services for the communities served, such as therapeutic phlebotomy at no charge for patients with hereditary hemochromatosis.

For more information, call Terry Bell at 753-1530.

[CICBC press release]

• April 7, noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building

• April 11, at Lincoln Community High School

• May 5, noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building

• May 14, hours and location to be announced

• June 2, noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building

• July 7, noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building

• July 15, hours and location to be announced

• Aug. 4, noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building

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• Sept. 8, noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building

• Sept. 24, hours and location to be announced

• Oct. 6, noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building

• Nov. 3, noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building

• Nov. 12, hours and location to be announced

• Dec. 1, noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building

The Rural Health Partnership has announced the schedule for its mobile health unit for 2002.

For more information on the mobile health unit schedule and services, contact Dayle Eldredge at (217) 732-2161, Ext. 409.

Community resource list

This family resource list to save and use is provided by the Healthy Communities Partnership and the Healthy Families Task Force, 732-2161, Ext. 409.         

(updated 2-15-02)

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