Community prevention coalitions and several area partners are holding a drug take back event at six locations in Clark and Klickitat Counties on Saturday, October 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Community members are encouraged to bring their unused and expired prescriptions and over-the-counter medications for safe and free disposal to any one of the six event sites below. Prescription and over-the-counter medications including pills, liquids and inhalers will be accepted. Medications may remain in original containers and labels do not need to be removed. Medications not in original containers will also be accepted.

Drug Take Back Event locations:

Clark County

• PeaceHealth Southwest Urgent Care, 33rd & Main (South Back Lot), Vancouver
• Kaiser Permanente Cascade Park, 12607 SE Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver
• Battle Ground Police Department, 507 SW 1st St., Battle Ground
• Washougal Silver Star Search & Rescue, 1220 A St., Washougal
• Cowlitz Public Safety Department, 31501 NW 31st Ave., Ridgefield (La Center Exit I-5, south of ilani Casino)

Klickitat County

• Klickitat Valley Health, 310 South Roosevelt, Goldendale

Sharps and syringes
Please note that sharps and syringes will only be accepted at Kaiser Permanente Cascade Park and PeaceHealth Southwest Urgent Care.

Medicine take back events in Southwest WA are funded in partnership by Washington State Health Care Authority.

For more information, visit bit.ly/DrugTakeBackEvent or email Kelley Groen-Sieckmann at kelley.groen@esd112.org.

Seven reports or incidents of vape-related illnesses have been discovered in Washington State as of October 3rd. Nationally there are 1080 lung injury cases reported from 48 states and 1 U.S. territory. 18 deaths have been confirmed in 15 states as of October 3rd.

Keep in mind:

• Vaping devices — also known as JUULs, e-cigarettes, e-cigs, vapes, e-hookahs, vape pens, mods, tanks, or electronic nicotine delivery systems — can contain nicotine, marijuana, or other substances like flavors.
• Nicotine and marijuana can be harmful in any form to youth, and these products should be avoided by youth, young adults, and pregnant or nursing women.
• If you use vaping devices, monitor yourself for symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath, chest pain) and promptly seek medical attention if you have concerns about your health. If you are concerned about your health after using an e-cigarette product, you can also call the Washington Poison Center at 1–800–222–1222.
• If you do use e-cigarette products, you should not buy these products off the street (for example, e-cigarette products with THC or other cannabinoids).
• You should not modify e-cigarette products or add any substances to these products that are not intended by the manufacturer.
• Adults who use tobacco products who are attempting to quit can use evidence-based treatments, including counseling and FDA-approved medications. If you need help quitting tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, contact your doctor or other medical provider.

"We're interested in ensuring adults and young people have known and regulated ingredients in these products and have accurate information available to them. Everyone deserves to know what is in these e-liquids when they are inhaled into our lungs but right now this is an unregulated industry. This is a giant hole in the ability to protect the public health of our citizens."

"My executive order will ask the State Board of Health to adopt emergency rules to ban all flavored vapor products, including flavored THC products. I expect a board to take up this request and vote on it at their next meeting on October 9th. My executive order also directs the Liquor and Cannabis Board to do the following:

• Immediately ban any ingredients or sources that are found to be the cause of this acute lung illness.
• Increase regulatory oversight of these products and limit bulk sales.
• Expand their educations campaign.
• Warn consumers of the risk.
• Encourage providers to report all suspected cases."

Click here to watch Governor Jay Inslee discuss an executive order regarding vaping during a press conference held in Seattle.

You can monitor updates from Department of Health on Severe Lung Illnesses in Washington by clicking here to access their website. The CDC is undergoing a national investigation that can be tracked on their website by clicking here.

Click here to visit the Youth Now Vaping Toolkit for more resources and support. Click here to read the full article.

The first ever Region 10 Opioid Summit – Patient-Centered Approach to Chronic Opioid Management-took place at the Hilton Vancouver in Vancouver, Washington on August 7-8, 2019. The event was an opportunity for professionals from Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Indian Nations, urban Indian health programs, and recognized American Indian organizations to meet and explore ways to address the opioid crisis.

The day-and-a-half event offered educational and networking opportunities focused on workforce development for those delivering primary prevention, Opioid Use Disorder prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery services. There was something for every professional in the field. The summit was organized by the Agency Medical Directors Group and is sponsored by a variety of state and regional agencies and featured multiple breakout sessions focused around Prevention, Special Interventions, Treatment and Recovery and Plenary Sessions.

Among the break-out session presenters were Jim Jensen of Southwest Washington Accountable Community of Health (SWACH) and Kelley Groen-Sieckmann of Educational Service District 112, who presented on challenges, successes and regional opioid prevention strategies being utilized in SW Washington. The highlighted prevention strategies included the twice-a-year Drug Take Back Events, locally developed Locks Save Lives medication safe and secure home storage campaign and Washington State’s Starts with One opioid prevention campaign developed by Washington State Health Care Authority. Presentations provided by Speakers at the Region 10 Opioid Summit are available at: http://region10opioidsummit.org/presentations/.

To learn more about the first Region 10 Opioid Summit go to http://region10opioidsummit.org.

We had a wonderful time at the Resource to Resilience Education Fair and we couldn't have pulled it off without fantastic community partners like you. We are so grateful for the 20 community organizations who hosted tables and connected with us. Click here for a full list.

Below is a PDF of available resources from Prevent Coalition that we shared at the event.

Stanford University School of Medicine previously released a Tobacco Prevention Toolkit and in September they build upon this work with a toolkit for cannabis awareness and prevention.

There's new theory-based and evidence-informed resources created by educators, parents, and researchers aimed at preventing middle and high school students’ use of cannabis/marijuana.

Modules include Cannabis/Marijuana: The Basics, Health Effects, THC & The Brain, Refusal Skills & Social Norms.

Click here to access the toolkit.

• The main “Schools” landing page was reorganized and includes:
• Link to new “Back to School” materials provided by the CDC
• New “E-Cigarette Microlearning Video” produced by the Tobacco Control Network (TCN) and CDC.
• Link to information about the new Tobacco and Vapor 21 Law that goes into effect January 1, 2020.
• Link to “What You Need to Know” about Vaping-Related Lung Injury and young people.
• Administrator Resources
• Updates to the WA State Discipline Policy rules for the 2019-2020 school year
• Information about a new alternative to suspension program called INDEPTH provided by the American Lung Association
• Link to the CDC website for current information on Vaping-Related Lung Illness (on the Counselor and Health Professionals Resource page)
• Updated contacts page for regional Tobacco and Vapor Product Prevention Control Program leads.
• Lots of new “Vaping in the News” stories and videos!

Access now at www.youthnow.me/schools/.

Local Community Prevention & Wellness Initiative Coalitions (CPWI) want to know how adults in their communities view and understand youth substance use. Responses to these annual surveys help them develop strategies that are responsive to community needs and prioritize their efforts to support community wellness.

Surveys are anonymous and voluntary. Questions can be skipped and you may stop the survey at any time. Surveys take on average 5-10 minutes to complete.

Central Vancouver

Do you live, work and/or play in Central Vancouver, zip codes 98660, 98661, or 98662?

• Online Spanish Survey: https://es.surveymonkey.com/r/CLCEVA2019SP

La Center United

Do you live, work and/or play in La Center?

• Online English Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CLLACE2019EN

Unite! Washougal

Do you live, work and/or play in Washougal, zip code 98671?

• Online English Survey: https://www.research.net/r/CLWA2019EN
• Online Spanish Survey: https://es.research.net/r/CLWA2019SP

West Van for Youth

Do you live, work and/or play in West Vancouver, zip codes 98660, 98661, 98663 & 98665?

• Online English Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CLWEVA2019EN
• Online Spanish Survey: https://es.surveymonkey.com/r/CLWEVA2019SP

Prevent Coalition events:

Coalition Coordinators Meeting

October 3rd from 9:30-11 am

ESD 112 Columbia Room

2500 NE 65th Ave., Vancouver, WA 98661

Youth Empowerment Project - Mindfulness Workshop!

October 15th from 3:30-5 pm

ESD 112 Columbia Room

2500 NE 65th Ave., Vancouver, WA 98661

Drug Take Back Events

October 26th from 10-2pm.

More information at bit.ly/DrugTakeBackEvent

Take the pledge to lock your meds: www.bit.ly/LocksSaveLives

Click for full calendar of coalition and community events.

Community events not sponsored by Prevent Coalition:

10/1 Webinar: Tobacco 21 & Vapor 21: Updates, Resources & Communication

Online from 2-3 pm

10/10 Truth Among the Vapors Training by La Center United

From 5:30-6:30 pm at the La Center High School Library

10/16 The Importance of Belonging Lunch & Learn

YWCA Clark County from Noon-2 pm

11/5 through 11/6 Washington State Prevention Summit in Yakima, WA

1/20/20 Prevention Policy Day in Olympia, WA

3/16/20 Save the date! Teens Care Too Summit at WSU Vancouver from 10-3 pm

Our mission is connecting and supporting communities to build resilience and prevent youth substance use. We envision a healthy, thriving community free of substance abuse.

Email: preventcoalition@esd112.org
Website: www.PreventCoalition.org
Location: 2500 NE 65th Ave., Vancouver, WA, USA
Phone: 360-952-3457
Facebook: Facebook.com/PreventCoalition
Twitter: @preventcc112