These amazing athletes are showing what they are made of by rising up from the crowd and becoming elite athletes. As a leader in this arena, Utah County is at the forefront of the U.S. Other states and communities are taking notice. Check out this non-profit group and how you can donate to the cause http://www.addicttoathlete.org. Like them on Facebook and find out all of their current events. http://www.facebook.com/AddictToAthlete
Just as the legislature placed a ban on Spice, the manufacturers came up with a new label to try to pass it off as harmless. Potpourri, they call it. A so-called herbal essence that gives true aroma therapeutic feel. Don’t be fooled, this is not meant for human consumption (as stated on the package).
When the legislature banned spice, they did not simply ban the product “Spice,” they banned all of the ingredients in spice and the combination of dangerous substances. Many are positive this new substance, Potpourri, will fall under the bill and be quickly removed from smoke shop shelves. There are many smoke shops that are not carrying Potpourri on their shelves because they believe it to be a modified Spice product.
The Utah Department of Human Services, Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health recently released their 2010 Annual Report http://www.dsamh.utah.gov/docs/2010_annual_report_for_web.pdf. There continues to be a huge need in Utah for recovery services. According to their report, 88,251 adults in 2009 and 11,899 adolescents needed services. However, our current available services can only accommodate 16,976 Utahns, which covers only 17% of the total number needing services. This leaves 83,174 without services. Hopefully, in the future we will be able to get more funding to serve these people. In the meantime, we can only try to avert others from following the same path. The research shows that approximately half of those needing services have only completed a high school education, and another 28% completed 11th grade or lower. We can help our children if we stress the importance of education. Stopping the problem before it starts, is our best defense. http://www.dsamh.utah.gov/
Federal investigators have indicted 25 people in a huge meth ring spanning several states including Utah. Selling or distributing more than 500 grams of meth carries a sentence of a maximum of life in prison and a minimum of 10 years. Eleven of the 25 are currently also being held on immigration detainers. Five have yet to be arrested. http://www.fox13now.com/news/kstu-meth-bust-25-indicted-on-meth-charges-in-utah-20110319,0,5616432.story
This is a huge success for the F.B.I and I.C.E. investigators. They have been watching this ring for a while and have been waiting for the perfect time to make the arrests. The investigation started in November of 2009. http://www.ksl.com/?nid=960&sid=14788524
This includes many busts this last year and is an example how they are continually on the hunt for people who distribute illicit drugs. We have seen a huge decrease in Utah recently due to these efforts.
Govenor Herbert of Utah signed HB 23, the ban on substances found in synthetic Meth, namely “Spice.” This includes the popular substance purchased at local smoke shops called “Ivory Wave.” By banning certain ingredients, this bill can scope a number of substances already on the market. 
http://le.utah.gov/~2011/bills/hbillint/hb0023.htm
This bill goes a long way keeping our teenagers safe from these addicting substances. http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/legislature/article_f31cf928-357a-11e0-aa9d-001cc4c002e0.html
Parents need to be teaching their children about all substances that are available. Highlighting the fact that just because something is available to the public, doesn’t make it safe.
Easy to mistake for candy, this new type of “dissolvable tobacco” is creeping into each state. Masquerading around like a breath mint, children are mistaking these little pills for candy. Parents can leave these around the house or even just in a mother’s purse, and children can grab them. Between 2006 to 2008 there were 1,768 child deaths from the ingestion of these products. They are currently being tested in a few markets. http://www.streetsmartutah.org/index.html
“Tobacco products are deadly enough for adults and children have developing bodies half the size of adults, so these toxins are much deadlier for kids.” -Dr. Charles W. Pruitt
It is amazing how similar the packaging and coloring of this tobacco is to familiar candies. This is attractive
for teens and children to purchase. They smell minty, just like the candy. They are disposed one-at-a-time, just like the candy. These packages are supposed to be harder to open than a candy container. However, some reports show that adults are pouring their dissolvable tobacco into Zip-lock baggies and putting them in their purses or leaving them out. This is dangerous, and makes the product way to accessible for children. http://www.streetsmartutah.org/index.html
Illinois is trying to regulate some machines that are popping up at local smoke shops. The vending-type machines are popping out custom-made cigarettes at only $27.00 a carton. That is only $2.70 a pack. These cigarettes are made from pipe tobacco which has a much lower tax rate, about a tenth the rate o
f regular cigarettes. By choosing their own filter and tobacco and pushing a button to start the process, the customers are “rolling their own cigarettes.” Doing it this way, the machine’s owner is exempt from state regulations and tax requirements. Tobacco tax is known to be the most effective legislation to discourage smokers to continue smoking and youth to start.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/30/us/30cncroll.html?_r=1
A New Hampshire judge states, “The process of selling loose untaxed tobacco, which is then immediately rolled into cigarettes retained by the customer in cigarette rolling machines conveniently located on the premises, is clearly a subte
rfuge to circumvent statutory requirements,” wrote Judge Larry Smukler. These machines are attractive to youth to want to start smoking. We don’t want these machines to make it to Utah. Hopefully we can keep an eye on this legislation and see what kind is passed in other states.
http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100827/GJNEWS_01/708279939
A white bath salt powder for soaking your feet. No, not really. Sold as “Ivory Wave” and under other names, this white substance is being used as a replacement for methamphetamine. Since it is not a controlled substance, anyone can purchase it in any quantity they want. M
eth users who have been through rehab, are switching to this substance and ending back where they left off before rehab, but quicker. They are claiming they are feeling in just a few days the same effects as having been on Meth for weeks.
To keep this substance on the market, the manufacturers are continually changing their formulas to slip by any attempts to include it among controlled substances. The Utah legislature is including a bill to help control this substance. “The bill, HB23, will add at least 17 different synthetic drug derivatives to Utah’s existing controlled substance schedules, including Spice, Ivory Wave and its variants. The bill has passed the House and is awaiting debate in the Senate,” according to Rep. Gage Froerer, R-Huntsville. http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=14308381
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1306877/Legal-high-bath-salts-Ivory-Wave-kill-bride.html
Utah teens rank in the lowest percentage of marijuana and alcohol consumption. Our 9th-12th graders are setting high standards for the country to follow. http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/
According to a study done by the National Center for Education Statistics and the Bureau of Justice Statistics, approximately 18.2% of Utah 9th-12th graders used alcohol or marijuana during the prior month, compared to 42% nationally. http://nces.ed.gov/
Utah strives to promote education and awareness among teens. MADD has helped with this trend with their anti-underaged drinking campaigns. You can’t underestimate the power of parents. Most teens that have a good relationship with their parents are less likely to abuse substances.
Utah leads the charge of prescription drug abuse becoming a large problem in the United States. “Prescription drug overdoses are the number one cause of injury deaths in Utah, killing more people each year than car crashes.” http://health.utah.gov/uthealthnews/2010/20100428-DrugDeaths.html To help fight this problem, the Utah County Health Department holds continual prescription take-back events to help people clear out their medicine cabinets, www.cleanoutthecabinet.org/. Many are getting their prescriptions from other people’s medicine cabinets and houses, grandparents homes, friends, and friends’ parents medicine cabinets. According to Utah County Health Department over 70 percent say they got their pain relievers from family or friends. 
