Indiana Lifeline Law Resource

As this semester is approaching the end and you begin to prepare for next semester, the IPRC would like to share information that is important to all students and the Indiana University community.

The Indiana Lifeline Law provides immunity for some alcohol related offenses, subject to certain conditions, to Hoosiers who request medical assistance for someone in need or who receive medical assistance due to a request by someone else.  Many students are not aware of the law and how it works. 

The IPRC Relationships Committee has prepared a short set of PowerPoint slides that can be included in your courses or in your syllabi.  This law can help save lives and we encourage you to share the information with your students about the Lifeline Law.  The more opportunities that students have to hear this message, the greater the awareness of the law.

If you have any questions or need additional information and resources about this law or other substance abuse, problem gambling or addiction related topics, please contact the Indiana Prevention Resource Center,  www.drugs.indiana.edu or 855-1237.

Reconnecting African Americans to Nature via Social Media: A Public Health Perspective

Rue Mapp

A talk by Rue Mapp, CEO and Founder of Outdoor Afro.

Rue Mapp was named a Hero in Backpacker Magazine, honored as part of the Root 100 of the top black achievers and influencers for 2012, and received the Josephine and Frank Duveneck award for her humanitarian efforts. Recently, Rue received the National Wildlife Association’s Award for Communications for her humanitarian efforts. Recently, Rue received the National Wildlife Association’s Award for Communications.

When: November 8, 2013, 11:15am

Where: Mobley Auditorium (PH C100) at the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington, 1025 E. 7th Street, Bloomington, IN 47405

Sponsored by the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, IU Outdoor Adventures, the Diversity Leadership Conference, and the Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Studies.

Study: Correct installation, maintenance of playground surfaces key to accessibility

Results from a five-year Indiana University study of accessible play surfaces reveal the importance of proper installation and regular maintenance. Erring in either can create barriers to play, learning and development for a child with disabilities and can limit the assistance and involvement of parents with mobility impairments.

The National Center on Accessibility, part of the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington, evaluated the accessibility of various playground surfaces including poured-in-place rubber, engineered wood fiber, rubber tiles and hybrid surface systems. The U.S. Access Board, which is the federal designated agency that writes accessibility guidelines under the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Architectural Barriers Act, awarded the National Center on Accessibility $60,000 to complete the study to provide better guidance to public playground owners such as municipal parks departments and schools.

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School of Public Health-Bloomington epidemiologist receives NIH grant to study diabetes, breast cancer relationship

Juhua Luo

Epidemiologist Juhua Luo at the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington received a $414,600 grant from the National Institutes of Health to examine the relationship between two common diseases, type 2 diabetes and breast cancer, providing answers that could improve cancer treatment.

Other studies have found that women who have type 2 diabetes in addition to breast cancer have a worse prognosis for their cancer compared to women who do not have diabetes as a pre-existing condition. The study by Luo, assistant professor in the school's Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, will be unique in that it will use novel and improved approaches to examine which factors could contribute to the poor prognosis, such as biological effects, cardiovascular disease and variations in treatment.

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IU Bloomington public health researchers combining sport and health messages to help youth in Ghana

Researchers from the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington plan to use recreational sports, in the form of basketball, soccer and volleyball after-school programs, to help boys and girls in Ghana avoid problems associated with substance abuse and sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV.

Funded with a two-year grant from the U.S. Department of State-Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, the IU team will work with partners at the University of Cape Coast and local government officials in Apewosika Township, a rural area along the Gulf of Guinea, to train the coaches and sport personnel needed to conduct the after-school programs.

"Sports is the tool to reach youth and help them enjoy healthier lives," said Sarah Young, associate professor in the School of Public Health's Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Studies. "These are youth with average or below average sports skills. They are not elite athletes, but they just want to play sports and have fun." 

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IU public health researchers receive $900,000 grant to help pregnant women stop smoking

Jon Macy

Public health researchers at Indiana University received a three-year, $900,000 grant from the Indiana State Department of Health to study the cost benefit of new, innovative strategies to reduce smoking during pregnancy.

One of the Indiana State Department of Health’s top three initiatives is to lower the state’s infant mortality rate, which is sixth worst in the United States. Smoking during pregnancy is a major contributor to infant mortality, and Indiana has one of the highest rates of smoking during pregnancy: 16.6 percent compared to 13 percent nationally.

“The State Health Department deserves a lot of credit for tackling this important public health issue for Indiana by investing in research to identify effective interventions that will save most importantly lives but also scarce resources," said Jon Macy, lead researcher for the project and assistant professor at the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington. "We really need to lower the rate of smoking during pregnancy in Indiana, so I’m excited to get started on this project.”

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IU School of Public Health-Bloomington expert: Molly's innocuous nickname hides drug's potential danger

The party drug Molly is far from being a safer, more pure form of MDMA -- known for decades as Ecstasy -- as "fans" claim, say public health experts at the Indiana Prevention Resource Center at Indiana University's School of Public Health-Bloomington.

The amphetamine-based drug has been creeping into popular culture with a reputation for creating feelings of emotional warmth, empathy and heightened sensuality, among other claims. In truth, consumers never know what they actually are taking because the drug can be mixed with other illegal drugs. Its effects can be altered when combined with alcohol, caffeine or prescription drugs or in multiple doses.

"Since last spring, seven people attending dance concerts died with symptoms matching overdoses of MDMA (Molly)," said Carole Nowicke, research associate at the IPRC. "We've been receiving more requests for information about the drug at the center. It sounds harmless, with a name like 'Molly,' and references to the drug can go unnoticed. But the consequences can be deadly."

Popular musicians, including Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus and Madonna, include references to Molly in lyrics -- Madonna was criticized last year for asking a festival crowd about "Molly" and then naming her next album MDNA.

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Priscilla Barners honored by Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce

Priscilla Barnes

The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce has honored IU School of PublicHealth-Bloomington faculty member Priscilla Barnes as one of it’s 10 young professionals who to receive a 10 Under 40 Award this past summer.

The 10 Under 40 Awards is co‐hosted by The Chamber and its hYPe (Helping Young Professionals Excel) program and recognizes individuals between the ages of 21 and 40 years old who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in the community and in their workplace.

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Charles Beeker awarded honorary degree by the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences, Republic of Armenia

Charles Beeker

The Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences, Republic of Armenia, awarded Charles Beeker, Director of Office of Underwater Science and Educational Resources at the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington, his Doctorate of Science honoris causa, in recognition for his international contributions to Armenology. The degree was conferred during summer 2013 graduation. The National Academy of Sciences was founded in 1943 and is the highest state self-governing organization. Previously the National Academy of Science provided Beeker with a Certificate for his directed research and presentations in Yerevan on 17th Century Armenian Maritime Heritage.

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