Substance Use Prevention Coalition Addresses Prevention and Harm Reduction

[February 15, 2024] 

The Substance Use Prevention Coalition (SUPC) met at Lincoln Memorial Hospital (LMH) for their monthly collaboration to bring substance use prevention strategies, resources, and harm reduction to Logan County.

The initial announcement of the meeting was that the Community Health Survey is live and will be available until February 24. The survey is for all residents of Logan County and those who work in Logan County to determine Community Health Collaborative priorities for the next three years. The Community Health survey is required of all nonprofit hospitals every three years and 2021’s survey elicited the Trailblazers walking program and matching SNAP benefits at the LMH Market. The survey takes approximately five minutes to complete and can be accessed here: https://memorial.health/chna-feedback/ 

Primary Prevention Updates

Local schools are getting anti-vaping flyers, and prevention specialists are attending sports events to get parent feedback about information going out to the community. Specialists delivered information cards regarding “Care for you Mental Health” at Lincoln Community High School. They are discussing a similar information card to deliver to Junior High schools for next year.

The Illinois Youth Survey is underway. All public schools in Logan County have signed up to take part in the survey. Hartsburg-Emden and LCHS have already taken the survey. Data will be available in the fall. Prevention specialists are teaching courses at LJHS this spring.

The online resource directory www.logancountyresources.org is being updated with descriptions of businesses. New resource directory cards are available.

Harm Reduction Initiatives

Training in the use of Narcan is now scheduled for Carroll Catholic School by Kara Davis, Director of Nursing at Logan County Health Department. Zion Lutheran School is now the only school in Lincoln not trained in Narcan use.

Davis refills the tables of free Narcan every 2.5 to 3 weeks at the Logan Health Department.
Bags are available at the Health Department for prescription collection for disposal. Patrons may pick up the bags, fill them at home and bring them back to the Health Department (the bags are not for home or commercial disposal, nor are they for disposing of liquids). The Logan County Health Department received the grant to initiate a sharps disposal program. Patrons can pick up a red box to take home, fill it with sharps, and then return it to the health department for proper disposal.

The National DEA Drug Take Back Day is at the end of April. Members of SUPC will coordinate with the Lincoln Police Department to schedule a corresponding drug take back day locally.

Vending machines at Family Custom Cleaners are kept stocked with Narcan and testing strips. Cumulative numbers as of January 10, 2024, since the vending machines’ launch in May of 2023 are 547 Narcan, 505 fentanyl test strips, and 424 xylazine test strips have been claimed. The vending machine operates as a harm reduction access point for community residents.

Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care (ROSC) has updated postcards and business cards with the current times and places of all recovery meetings taking place in Logan County. ROSC is planning a screening of the movie “Generation Found” for the first week in March in Lincoln and at the Arlee Theater in Mason City. ROSC is working on coordinating community surveys. An open house is planned at Oxford House for February 25. There is also planning underway for a training for the ROSC subcommittee group. Anyone who wants to get involved with recovery events may attend this training. There are also plans for running a campaign with strategic methods for addressing stigma about substance use.

The SUPC Environmental Scan located 78 establishments in Logan County with a liquor license. The scan intends to look at the establishments in Logan County and their advertising and marketing. This is not a punitive measure, but to scan the types of marketing in the businesses. Nadia Klekamp of Chestnut Health Systems explained that currently youth access is more social than retail, but gathering retail information will be helpful.

SUPC members will gather general observations about marketing, signage, and specials. There is a form to fill out. Not every establishment will sell alcohol because a liquor license is required to have gambling. Discussion ensued about how to find a representative sample of the 78 establishments for the scan. Klekamp will randomize the list of establishments before the scan proceeds. A question arose whether compliance checks were still conducted. Compliance checks still occur for underage sale of cigarettes and alcohol.

The Fifth Street building, Hope on Fifth, continues to move forward. The coalition is reconvening on February 29 and meeting in person at the Fifth Street building. More information about plans and progress will be available after the meeting.

There was extended discussion regarding the Cannabis Festival planned for April at the Logan County Fairgrounds. The event is sponsored by the new dispensary in town which will include food trucks and vendors from various dispensaries. The event is age restricted to 21 and over, and security will be provided. It is the first of its kind in the state of Illinois. ROSC representative Jeanette Davis expressed interest in setting up a table at the festival. She reported that cannabis can be used as a method of harm reduction because it can help people stop using more dangerous substances or avoid the life-threatening substances that friends or family may be using. The festival is an opportunity to connect with people and offer resources, and these kinds of events will continue to show up. Davis emphasized that choosing to use marijuana is not a moral deficiency. Medical marijuana seems to have grown in acceptance for treatment of conditions such as cancer, but still retains stigma as treatment for anxiety and depression. Education and conversation are still necessary. Alcohol, with the potential for dire consequences when used irresponsibly, is socially acceptable. Some members expressed concern about security and DWI following the festival similar to events featuring alcohol. On the subject of cannabis, a new marijuana growing facility is planning to open downtown.

Klekamp made the point that any substance has a different impact on a teenage brain that is still developing and has years of continued development. The conversation around substance use should not be taboo to have with teens. Klekamp noted that we should be conscientious about how a cannabis festival normalizes use and that teens are not of age yet.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has released a Harm Reduction Framework for modeling and best practices. https://www.samhsa.
gov/find-help/harm-reduction/framework

SIU operates the Medically-Assisted Recovery clinic in Logan County for drug and alcohol use. Research is underway for similar medical treatment for gambling addiction. If a client wants to start treatment with medication for alcohol use, it starts with an intake appointment, followed by a shot at the SIU clinic every 28 days. The shots are ordered from Decatur, and the medication must be stored in a lockable fridge. No one has utilized this option yet.

Anecdotally, ROSC has noted successful recovery from drugs leading to development of an addiction to gambling. If it appears there is a need, a gamblers recovery meeting can be established. In Illinois, people can register with the Voluntary Self-Exclusion Registry to be refused entrance to casinos to reduce gambling opportunity at https://www.igb.illinois.gov/
ProblemGamblers.aspx.  There is also an Illinois gambling quitline: 1-877-YOU-QUIT (1-877-968-7848). Gateway Foundation has noted an increase in gambling and can offer gambling addiction treatment.

ROSC’s next online meeting is February 15 at 2:00 p.m.

The next Community Health Collaborative meeting is March 7 at the Lincoln Park District.

[Stephanie Hall]