(Pottawattamie Co) The Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday signed a proclamation designating the month of September 2024 as Substance Use Prevention and Recovery Month.
Board Chair Susan Miller read the proclamation, which in part states…
The proclamation continues, “1 in 8 children in the US live in households with at least one parent who has a substance use disorder. 1 in 3 children in the Iowa foster care system have a parent using meth. Of the 142 Child in Need of Assistance cases in Pottawattamie County, 87% were for drug allegations.”
“With accessibility and distribution increased along the I-80/I-29 corridor, the Pottawattamie County area is at a unique risk. In 2023, 200,000 grams of meth was seized in Iowa. From 2012 through 2016, the rate of methamphetamine-related treatment admissions nearly doubled in Iowa. Additionally, meth overdose mortality rates have increased.”
Safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments are necessary to the overall health and well-being of all in the family, as well as building a more resilient community. Throughout this month, the Supervisors encourages people to become more aware and able to recognize the signs of mental health and substance use disorders and encourage people in need of recovery services to seek help.