The Latin American Community Center (LACC) presents a unique art contest and invites participants to explore addiction through artistic expression. ArtAddiction, a juried art competition hosted by the LACC’s Prevention Promoters Program, seeks to explore addiction, recovery, and mental health through artistic expression. This year’s theme, “Change IS A Process,” has categories that include painting, drawing, photography, graphic design, and collage that explores the theme of addiction and recovery.

The public is welcome to attend the Awards Ceremony & Opening Exhibition Night on Thursday, June 15 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at The Delaware Contemporary, located at 200 S Madison St, Wilmington, DE 19801.

Attendees include Rachelle Swanson (DPH), Monica Lopez (Community Artist), Julieta Zavala (Community Artist), Daniel E. Tudares (Community Artist & ArtAddiction 2019 2nd Place Winner (Advanced), Mildred Ortega (Mental Health Therapist), and Jose Lopez (Business Owner & Vice Chair of the LACC).

The ArtAddiction program is funded by the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services’ Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) through the Substance Abuse Prevention & Treatment Block Grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).  Resources for the ArtAddiction program are funded by Division of Public Health through SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework for Prescription Drugs Grant.

If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction in Delaware, call DHSS’ 24/7 Crisis Hotline to be connected to treatment and recovery options. In New Castle County, call 1-800-652-2929. Or in Kent and Sussex counties, call 1-800-345-6785. 

For free 24/7 counseling, coaching, and support, as well as links to mental health, addiction, and crisis services call the Delaware Hope Line at 833-9-HOPEDE. To search online for treatment and recovery services in Delaware or nearby states, visit HelpIsHereDE.com.

The Delaware Division of Public Health Office of Animal Welfare’s Delaware Animal Services (DAS) is seeking the public’s help in providing any information regarding an illegal cockfighting ring in Felton.  

On Saturday, May 5, 2023, DAS responded to a report of cockfighting in progress in the 3000 Block of Sandtown Road, Felton. Upon arrival, an animal welfare officer found the fight in progress, with approximately 50 people on scene including children. The people fled the scene and only a few could be positively identified, including the property owners.  

Animal fighting is a cruel blood sport in which roosters bred for aggression are placed in a pit to fight for entertainment and gambling, often until one or both birds die. Animal fighting is often linked to other crimes such as weapons, drugs and human violence. It is illegal in all 50 states, and a felony crime in Delaware. 

This investigation is ongoing. Anyone with any information is urged to contact Delaware Animal Services at 302-255-4646 or online at animalservices.delaware.gov. Tips may be made anonymously.  

The Delaware Division of Public Health’s (DPH) Physical Activity, Nutrition and Obesity Prevention Program (PANO) is hosting its inaugural Advancing Healthy Lifestyles Conference on Thursday, May 18, 2023. Focusing on the theme of ‘Improving Health Through Equity,’ this first-of-its-kind, in-person event offered participants opportunities to learn from national, regional and local leaders in achieving health equity. Participants also exchanged ideas and shared best practices to help end disparities throughout the state and empower healthier living for all Delawareans.

With an ultimate vision of removing barriers to health equity that exist in Delaware, the conference brought together public health policymakers, nonprofit advocates of health and wellness, educators, health care providers and researchers. The event was developed to build on Governor John Carney’s policy objectives for launching a statewide effort to reduce the impact of obesity and chronic disease, and to evaluate and implement the recommendations of the Delaware Cancer Consortium. The event was held at Delaware State University’s Martin Luther King Jr. Conference Center.

“It didn’t take long into the pandemic to see the way COVID-19 worked to further widen the chasm of health disparities,” said Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Molly Magarik. “Our goal is to ensure all Delawareans have access to the tools they need to lead longer, healthier lives. Through this conference, we are leveraging the lessons from the pandemic to infuse new energy into our work and drove even greater success in achieving health equity.”

The conference’s key objectives, which parallel those of the Advancing Healthy Lifestyles initiative, are to:

• Reduce obesity and other chronic conditions
• Achieve health equity by focusing on coordinated school health and wellness, community capacity building, and workplace wellness
• Foster connections between youth-serving organizations and schools to support the health and well-being of youth across the state
• Support the efforts of community-based organizations implementing policy, systems and environmental changes
• Help advance workplace wellness

Conference Highlights

Throughout the day, participants were inspired by remarks from local dignitaries and healthy lifestyle advocates, including Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long; DHSS Secretary Molly Magarik; and keynote presenter, U.S. Olympian Dominque Dawes.

The conference panel discussion covered Improving Health Through Equity: A Regional Perspective, led by the following individuals:

• Aniekan Ebitu, MPH, National Senior Director of Public Health Programs, National Hypertension Control Initiative, American Heart Association
• Keisha Morris, Director of Talent Management and Workforce Development
  Bayhealth
• Dalton Paxman, PhD, Regional Health Administrator, Office of Regional Health Operations, Region 3, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Moderator: Scott Siegel, PhD, MHCDS, Director of Cancer Control & Population Sciences, Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute, ChristianaCare

There was also a robust agenda of opportunities for sharing, learning, and networking:

• Concurrent breakout sessions — Addressing Systemic Bias in Health Care; Improving Health Through Community Collaborations; and The Trauma of Racism and Health Disparities
• Interactive peer-to-peer roundtable discussions
• Information resource room
• Networking reception

Additional Information

Learn more about the Division of Public Health’s Advancing Healthy Lifestyles initiative at https://www.healthydelaware.org/Community-Partners/Advancing-Healthy-Lifestyles. 

Data

According to DPH’s 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Survey (BRFS), obesity among Delaware adults has more than doubled from 13% in 1992 to 33.9%. The prevalence of reported obesity was higher among Black and Hispanic adults and individuals with a disability than among white adults and individuals without a disability.

The prevalence of Delaware adults diagnosed with diabetes has also doubled, from 4.9% in 1991 to 12% in 2021, according to the 2021 BRFS. Of Delawareans surveyed, 18.2% of adults ages 55 to 64 and 23.4% of adults age 65 and older reported having diabetes.

In addition, 15% of black adults reported having diabetes compared with 11.4% of white adults. Among Delaware adults diagnosed with diabetes, 44.5% reported having a disability.

The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) recently held its 24th Prescription Drug Take-Back Day event. Organized nationally by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is operated locally by DPH. The twice-a-year event (April and October) aims to reduce the risk of prescription medications being diverted for misuse and has resulted in 114,470 pounds of medication being collected in Delaware since 2010. Properly discarding unused medications through this event is an important ongoing activity to address the nationwide opioid epidemic. Doing so reduces the risk of addiction by keeping prescription medications out of the hands of people who may misuse, abuse or divert them, and helps reduce the risk of drug overdoses.

At the spring 2023 event, held April 22, Delawareans discarded their expired or unused medications at locations statewide. A total of 4,629 pounds of medications were collected from 22 Delaware locations, an increase from last fall’s 4,200 pounds. Disposal for sharps and needles was available at the Laurel, Middletown, Milton and Wilmington Police Departments, where over 119 pounds of sharps were collected. The safest way to dispose of needles is to use a designated sharps disposal container, which is delivered to incinerators to avoid accidental exposure.

In addition to the sites that participated in National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day activities, permanent medicine drop-off locations are available year-round. DPH and community partners also distribute Deterra bags (medication deactivation bags) to use at home.  Visit https://www.helpisherede.com/understanding-addiction/safe-drug-storage-and-disposal for more information.

To further enhance overdose prevention and education efforts, six of the DEA National Prescription Drug Take-Back locations (New Castle, Middletown, Dover, Milford, and Laurel Police Departments and SUN Behavioral Delaware) also performed Overdose Response Training. Participants received free Narcan kits after the training. It is recommended that anyone who has a prescription opioid or has friends and family who use opioid prescriptions or illicit drugs receive this training and the overdose reversal medication, Narcan. For other community training events and to learn where you can get free Narcan, visit: HelpisHereDE.com/overdose-prevention.

If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction in Delaware, call DHSS’ 24/7 Crisis Hotline to be connected to treatment and recovery options. In New Castle County, call 1-800-652-2929. Or in Kent and Sussex counties, call 1-800-345-6785. For free 24/7 counseling, coaching, and support, as well as links to mental health, addiction, and crisis services call the Delaware Hope Line at 833-9-HOPEDE. To search online for treatment and recovery services in Delaware or nearby states, visit HelpIsHereDE.com.