Area Substance Abuse Council

Board of Directors

Mark Zaiger

President

Hesta Stoffel

Vice President

Nancylee Ziese

Secretary

Nancy Lowenberg

Treasurer

BOARD MEMBERS

Jeff Brooks

Donald Frese

Jeff Gleason

John Harris

Nancy Humbles

Malinda Lamb

Jeff Lara

Emily Logan

Joe Oswald

Bill Peart

Lee Stewart

Jason Vestweber

Sue Wilber

LaSheila Yates __________________

John Garringer

Executive Director

John Garringer Honored for Nonprofit Leadership At the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foun-dation’s Celebration of Community event held on Thursday, November 13, John Garringer, ASAC’s Executive Director, was awarded the

Nonprofit Leadership Excellence Award.

The recipient of this award is selected by a com-mittee of nonprofit peers and honors the leader-ship and accomplishments of a chief executive officer who offers exceptional leadership, crea-tivity, innovation, effectiveness, collaboration, and commitment. It is in recognition of an indi-vidual who creates a lasting impact on their or-ganization and the community. In addition to John receiving the Nonprofit Leadership Excellence Award, three individuals received the Minnie Rubek Staff Excellence Award that recognizes a nonprofit staff member who has gone “above and beyond” in their support of the organization’s mission and has greatly enhanced the overall effectiveness of the organization through his/her work.

Pictured with John Garringer, left to right, are: Kay Fisk, Neighborhood Transportation Services; Kandy Sands, Kids First Law Center; and J. David Carey, Finance and Administrative Director at Thea- tre Cedar Rapids.

December 2014 Newsletter

ASAC Annual Dinner Recognizes

Employee Years of Service

The agency held our Annual Dinner at the Kirkwood Hotel on November 14th. The following employees were recognized for their years of service:

ASAC staff with 30+ years of service (Left to right) John Garringer, Mel Hartz , Dedric Doolin, Wanette Mollenhauer, and Ed Laub

Wellness Tip from ASAC’s Wellness Committee

During the holidays try to maintain your bounda-ries and your sanity. The holiday can be a great time for getting together with friends and family however, too many parties or gatherings can leave you exhausted and compromise your

health.

Things you might think about saying "No" to:

• Accepting every invitation you receive

• Being pressured to eat or drink too much

• Buying presents for every person you know

• Buying expensive presents that break your budget

• Being pressured into bypassing your self care Individuals who are newly sober might be com-promised by a family which drinks heavily. Indi-viduals who have experienced childhood abuse or violence within their families may not feel safe returning to them if their abuser or molester is still present. If attending a family gathering is not possible for any reason, don’t miss out on the season. Create your own community and have your own gathering that is safe, supportive and

healthy.

35 Years Ed Laub Administration

30 Years Melody Hartz Administration

John Garringer Administration

20 Years Mindy Abbott-Stratton Clinton Outpatient

Tiffany Harris Clinton Prevention

15 Years Sharon Hege Clinton Outpatient

Juliene McNally Heart of Iowa

Debra Ness Heart of Iowa

Cece Toms Heart of Iowa

10 Years Betty Burkholder Administration

Georgia Eash Downtown Outpatient

Jennifer Husmann Jones Prevention

Linda Lint Patient Support

Stephanie Luth Administration

Barb Malina Heart of Iowa

Connie McCubbin Linn County Outpatient

Lisa Neuendorf Linn County Outpatient

Dan Sullivan King House

5 Years Sarah Coulbourn Heart of Iowa

Sara Felderman Clinton Outpatient

Sheri Grabanski Heart of Iowa Patient

Brittney Haworth Adult Patient Support

Doveanna Lekin-Morphew Heart of Iowa

June Markham Linn Outpatient

Tiffany Schmidt Adult Residential

Stephanie Tillman Adult Patient Support

Kenya Jackson Heart of Iowa

ASAC Wishes

You a Happy

and Healthy

Holiday Season

Drunk and Drugged Driving December:

Impaired Driving Prevention Month Comes at the Perfect Time Jeffrey Meyers, Prevention Specialist

December marks that perfect time of year when everything but the weather is winding down, a time of holidays, family, friends, food, and celebration. It’s a month that closes out the year, only to help usher in what promises to be an exciting new year ahead. It’s a month of joy, bonding, and laughter. Yet may it also be a month of reflection and a month of ac-tion, as December is, by Presidential proclamation, National Impaired Driving Prevention Month. By getting educated, exercising responsibility, and staying alert, we can make a collective difference in curbing impaired driving.

That impaired driving is a serious problem should be of no surprise; however its magnitude can scarcely be overstated. The Federal Bureau of Investigation estimates that daily, 300,000 people drive while intoxicated, and yet less than 4,000 of them are arrested. Numbers such as those can be staggering and rightly hard to put in to context. To help consider that, according to the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division, there are 161 impaired driving arrests made every hour, only to still have one person die every 51 minutes as the result of an impaired driver. For the month of December the rates are even higher, with an average of 25 people killed every day.

For many, driving impaired is a chronic problem. Of those arrested or convicted of drunk driving, nearly 1/3 are repeat offenders, with the Centers for Disease Control finding that an average drunk driver had driven drunk 80 times previ-ously before their first arrest. Once caught, the consequences are costly. Just a first time offense can cost almost $9,000 in Iowa in addition to an automatic revocation of the offender’s license, not to mention outstanding criminal and civil liability for any damage or harm caused.

Many understand why alcohol and driving is deadly; it impairs judgment, inhibits coordination, obstructs your vision, and dulls your mental processes. Yet drunk driving is not the only impaired driving, driving under the influence of any drug can cause impairment. Often times, alcohol is used in conjunction with drugs, only exacerbating the effects. Mari-juana in particular has been shown to increase the risk of motor vehicle accidents, impairing the user’s cognitive func-tion, judgment, and coordination.

Too often, drunk drivers rational-ize their behavior by thinking they can “handle” it, often with a misguided idea of how much they’ve had to drink. A drink is commonly defined as 12 oz. of a standard beer, 4oz of wine, and 1 oz. of liquor. Yet, not all ‘drinks’ are created equal with many op-tions available at bars and restau-rants exceeding what would be considered a standard drink. On average, it takes about one hour to metabolize a drink out of the body with time being the only factor that can sober someone up. Remember, what is relevant is not what type of drink someone had, but rather the amount of alcohol consumed over time.

To address this issue, it is im-portant that we remember to, above all, act responsibly. The only safe level of alcohol to drive is zero. Never be afraid to call for a cab or arrange a ride. No risk is worth it. If you see someone driving impaired, notify law enforcement. A unified community stance against impaired driving is a step forward for all of us.

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Holiday Blues: Substance Use Can Spike During Holiday Months

For those already battling substance abuse, the holidays can represent a difficult time. Alcohol temptation can be magnified, making relapsing a very real possibility. Some may turn to alcohol or drugs to deal with the demands of the holiday season, or the depression brought on for those with strained family relationships and the feelings of isolation that can occur. To help with this, the Betty Ford Foundation relates a number of helpful tips to avoid the pitfalls of holiday stress. Among other things, they recommend talking to a loved one or counselor about the emotional issues you may face, focusing on the opportunity the holiday represents in helping others, and avoiding situations in which you may be especially vulnerable. Above all, it is important to be in tune with your body, remember to exercise, have good nutrition and take some quiet time for yourself. Ultimately, the holiday season represents a time where our focus should be on that which makes us happy and healthy. It’s a time for family, friends, and community. It is important that we keep this in mind, and not let things like drugs and alcohol cloud this. Excessive alcohol consumption and any drug use can only take away from this meaning, and place yourself and others at risk.

Nancy Lowenberg Elected ASAC Board President At the agency’s November 13th board meeting, Nancy Lowenberg, Vice President, Commercial Banking at US Bank, NA, was elected President for 2015. Other Board Officers for elected for 2015 were Hesta Stoffel— Vice President, Jeff Lara—Treasurer, and Nancylee Ziese—Secretary.

Mark Zaiger, Senior Vice President, Shuttleworth and Ingersoll, PC, is the out-going Board President. This month he completes his six-year term on the Board. This is Mark’s second term on ASAC’s Board and also the second time he has served as President. We thank Mark for the leadership he has provided ASAC.