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(Des Moines, IA) -- Alcohol sales in Iowa have nearly doubled in the last decade, according to the Governor's Office of Drug Control Policy. There were 827 alcohol-related deaths last year, up 38 percent from 2019. Binge drinking in Iowa is above the national average. The findings are in the annual Drug Control Strategy report.
“When it comes to reducing risky substance use in Iowa, we continue to see a mix of success and challenge,” said ODCP Director Dale Woolery. “Complicating matters is the growing variety of increasingly potent substances and combinations, such as illicit synthetic opioids. Among other needs, the fast-changing landscape of intoxicating and addictive substances requires more robust prevention efforts and greater access to substance use disorder treatment.”
“The pandemic added fuel to the fire of behavioral health disorders, including addiction, and now mutating drug supplies add a more devious dimension,” said Woolery. “Simply put, those who sell powerful or altered drugs capable of killing unsuspecting users are trying to profit from poison, with products that include fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills.”
Key findings of the 2023 Iowa Drug Control Strategy, broken out by substance type, follow:
Alcohol
The rate of binge drinking in Iowa continues at a relatively high level, compared to most other states, as alcohol sales have nearly doubled over the last decade. In 2021, alcohol-related deaths (e.g., poisonings, accidents, and chronic disease) claimed the lives of a record 827 Iowans, up 38% compared to 2019.
Nicotine/Tobacco/Vaping
Iowans’ use of tobacco/nicotine products remains slightly higher than most other states. Meanwhile, among young Iowans, 13% of 11th grade students reported vaping in 2021, down from a spike of 23% in 2018.
Marijuana/THC
Marijuana-related hospital emergency department visits increased in Iowa to 6,503 in 2021, up over 58% from five years ago, amid rising drug potency (THC concentrations) and associated health risks. On the other hand, 8% of 11th graders said they used marijuana in the past 30 days during 2021, the lowest level in nearly 20 years.
Methamphetamine
Only 11 methamphetamine (meth) labs were found in Iowa in 2021. However, during the same year, amounts of highly-pure meth reportedly smuggled into Iowa remained at or near record high levels. Also, in 2021, psychostimulant-related deaths (e.g. meth overdoses) in Iowa reached an all-time high of 196, up 20% compared with 2019.
Cocaine
Some indicators point to a possible resurgence in psychostimulant activity involving cocaine. While far less prevalent than meth, Iowa law enforcement seized more cocaine in 2021. Meantime, Iowa prison admissions for powder (14) and crack (9) cocaine increased slightly last year from the year before, but remained near their lowest levels in over 15 years.
Opioids
Opioid-related deaths in Iowa reached a record high 258 in 2021, up 64% compared with 2019, with the largest increase occurring among young Iowans (up 290% among those under the age of 25). Illicit fentanyl was implicated in 83% of the most recent deaths, reflecting how widespread powerful synthetic opioids have become in a short amount of time, including as an adulterant in other substances—such as counterfeit pills—for unsuspecting users.
Polysubstance Use
First-time substance use disorder treatment data confirm reports about many Iowans taking two or more substances together, or within a short time period (e.g., using fentanyl-laced pills or marijuana after meth). Nearly four of every 10 Iowans (39.6%) treated at state-licensed substance use disorder treatment centers last year reported polysubstance use.
Other
New drugs continue to be developed, with shorter seed-to-sale or chemist-to-consumer timelines. A growing share of these new substances are synthetic (e.g., nitazenes), though new organic compounds like cannabinoids are still being discovered in places such as the cannabis plant (e.g., THCV, THCP, CBG-A, CBN and HHC).
Within the 2023 Iowa Drug Control Strategy is a new Iowa Drug Overdose Action Plan that outlines a series of steps in four areas to: (1) prevent short and long-term drug use, and associated dangers; (2) strengthen emergency response and intervention tactics; (3) enhance substance use disorder treatment access and capacity; and (4) interrupt illicit drug trafficking.
The full report is available at https://odcp.iowa.gov.