The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), in partnership with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, has launched a new blog-style website for Iowa teens focusing on a variety of health issues. The website, www.IAMincontrol.org (Iowa Adolescents Making Choices to Control Their Future) includes questions, answers and resources on topics ranging from fitness and nutrition to bullying and suicide.
“The exciting part of this website is the interactive features,” said IDPH Community Health Consultant Mary Greene. “A teen counselor is available by phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week and there’s also a counselor available through a live online chat weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.”
The website includes information about topics that affect teenagers specifically, and offers support for those seeking to make healthy choices. For example, prescription drug abuse is a growing problem among adolescents across the country; however, 83 percent of Iowa high school students say they have never taken a prescription drug without a doctor’s order. The website offers encouragement to teens who are confronted with peer pressure by letting them know ‘not everyone is doing it.’ The website is designed to show teens they have control over the choices they make.
Resources and topics addressed on the IAMincontrol website include Alcohol, Tobacco and Drugs; Body Image; Bullying and Suicide; Fitness and Nutrition; Life Skills; Social Circle; and Teen Pregnancy and Sexual Health. Visit the website at www.IAMincontrol.org.
