DES MOINES – Governor Branstad on September 18 will sign a proclamation declaring September as National Recovery Month in Iowa.
The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) joins the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and local prevention and treatment organizations statewide in this 25th anniversary of the observance, which recognizes the benefits of substance abuse treatment, the hard work of individuals and families in recovery, and the message that recovery from substance abuse in all its forms is possible.
According to IDPH, alcohol is the substance most abused by Iowans. According to a study of admissions to substance abuse treatment, 51 percent reported alcohol as their primary problem. Marijuana was second at 27 percent, followed by methamphetamine at 13 percent.
IDPH data shows recovery is possible with treatment. According to client interviews conducted six months after discharge, the abstinence rate rose from 0 percent at admission to 49 percent at six months; the full-time employment rate went from 22 percent to 41 percent; and 84 percent of treatment clients were arrest-free during this time period, as compared to 41 percent at admission.
