Is a powerful, highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system.

People use meth by smoking, swallowing, snorting, or injecting the drug. Crystal meth is a form of the drug that looks like glass fragments or shiny, bluish-white rocks.

Short-term health effects from using meth include increased wakefulness and physical activity, decreased appetite, increased blood pressure and body temperature.

Long-term health effects include

• addiction
• risk of contracting HIV and hepatitis
• severe dental problems ("meth mouth")
• intense itching, violent behavior
• extreme weight loss
• anxiety
• confusion
• memory loss
• sleeping problems
• paranoia
• and hallucinations

Withdrawal symptoms can include

• anxiety
• fatigue
• severe depression
• psychosis
• ​intense drug cravings

The most effective treatments so far are behavioral therapies and motivational incentives. Community support and mental health services are vital to people maintaining sobriety. If we all work to reduce the stigmas surrounding addiction, it will lead to the removal of barriers in acknowledging the problem, seeking and accessing treatment and, ultimately, to recovery. 

Reach out to the JCDPC Quick Response Team if you or a loved one struggles with an addiction. Call (260) 251-3259 or email [email protected]. 

On July 15th ,  State Health Commissioner Kris  Box, M.D., FACOG, issued a standing order effective August 1, 2019, allowing Hoosiers to purchase tobacco cessation products at Indiana pharmacies without having to obtain an individual prescription from their physician.  Indiana becomes only the 12th state with a standing order allowing pharmacists to prescribe tobacco cessation products, eliminating financial and time barriers
for individuals considering quitting smoking.

Jay County Drug Prevention Coalition was recently awarded with a Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Grant. According to The Truth Initiative Indiana is among a small group of states that have seen an increase in Tobacco use in the past few years, despite a national decrease in use. And Jay County has some of the highest rates of Tobacco use in the state according to the Indiana State Department of Health.

Twenty-two percent of adults in Jay County smoke compared to Indiana's rate of 21% and the nationwide rate of 17%. Percent of women who smoke is also higher in Jay County than the overall state rate, and cost of smoking related birth effects are more than $62,000 in the county. 

It is commonly believed that quitting tobacco could interfere with with recovery from mental illness or addictions, however, according to Rethink Tobacco, "Tobacco treatment during addictions treatment is associated with a 25% increased likelihood of long-term abstinence from alcohol and illicit drugs." 

If you smoke tobacco, you may be putting more loved ones at risk than you realize. Secondhand smoke can have a negative effect on pets as well as people. According to the FDA, "Dogs can develop changes in their airways and lungs that are similar to those found in people who smoke." And the effect on cats can be even worse: 

"Studies show that cats living in smoking households have a two- to four-times increased risk of an aggressive type of mouth cancer called oral squamous cell carcinoma. The cancer is often found under the base of the tongue, where the thirdhand smoke particles tend to collect after grooming. Of the cats that develop oral squamous cell carcinoma, less than 10% will survive 1 year after diagnosis, even if they’ve had chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation treatment."

So, what should you do if you or a loved one smokes? Quitting can be hard - especially without support. If you would like to have help and support to quit smoking, reach out to us here at JCDPC for resources, or visit the Tobacco Quitline tab on our website. We would love to help you, your family, and your pets live a healthy and tobacco free life, and our dream is to see Jay County become a leader in Tobacco education and prevention. 

Today, we are excited to announce our new logo! We had several great entries to our contest which closed in the middle of June, and we worked with our entire coalition to decide on the winner! 

Thank you to everyone who sent in a submission! 

Congratulations to Danielle Heinrichs of Portland, Indana who submitted our winning logo! Danielle is a Jay County High School graduate and she works at Sister Duo Design Market. 

Freedom: the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. ​