June 25, 2009
In this issue:
Alcohol Abuse By GIs Soars Since 2003
The rate of Army soldiers enrolled in treatment programs for alcohol dependency or abuse has nearly doubled since 2003 - a sign of the growing stress of repeated deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Army statistics and interviews.
Soldiers diagnosed with alcoholism or alcohol abuse problems, including binge drinking, increased from 6.1 per 1,000 soldiers in 2003 to an estimated 11.4 as of March 31, according to the data. The latest data covered the first six months of the fiscal year that began in October.
Click here to read the entire article.
Op Ed: Need for Crisis Line Growing, but Funds Decreasing
The calls to our statewide Crisis Lines from distraught Oregonians just keep on coming — and in record numbers as a result of the economic downturn that has hit our state especially hard. Since January 2008, call volume on the statewide crisis and suicide prevention lines has risen 71 percent.
Click here to read the rest of the Op Ed.
Emerging Drug Trends: Salvia Divinorum
Salvia Divinorum, commonly known as Salvia, an herb of the mint family, is now the most commonly used hallucinogen in the U.S., behind Ecstasy.
Currently legal in almost all states, the Drug Enforcement Administration has identified Salvia as a drug of concern and is investigating possible classification under Schedule I.
Click here to read the entire Information Brief.
Purchase Jeld-Wen Tradition Tickets and Support OP
Oregon Partnership is fortunate to be one of the JELD-WEN Tradition Foundation charity recipients this year. This is a wonderful opportunity to purchase tickets for personal and professional gifts, office incentives and for those who simply love the game of golf. 100% of the ticket sale price will go to Oregon Partnership.
The Jeld-Wen Tradition, a four-day, 72-hole major championship will take place on August 17-23, 2009, at the Crosswater Club at Sunriver Resort in Sunriver, Oregon.
Click here for more information.
Wounds of War: Drug Problems Among Iraq, Afghan Vets Could Dwarf Vietnam
The U.S. could face a wave of addiction and mental-health problems among returning veterans of the Iraq and Afghan wars greater than that resulting from the Vietnam War, according to experts at the recent Wounds of War conference sponsored by the National Center for Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA*) at Columbia University.
Rather than the heroin addictions many Vietnam veterans brought back with them from Southeast Asia, however, today's returning soldiers are more likely to be addicted to prescription medications - the very opiates prescribed to them by the military to ease stress or pain - or stimulants used by soldiers to remain alert in combat situations.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Volunteer Opportunity: Oregon Partnership Crisis Lines Summer Training
Oregon Partnership is seeking volunteers for its Alcohol and Drug Helpline/Suicide Crisis Lines. Calls on these crucial lines is up dramatically. The suicide LifeLine has seen a 243% increase in call volume from last year, and new volunteers to help the growing number of Oregonians in crisis are urgently needed.
Training for volunteers begins in July 2009. The HelpLine training takes place on four consecutive Thursdays from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Mandatory Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) will also be held in August.
Participants will receive 56 hours of professional training, an ASIST certificate, AmeriCorps opportunities for educational scholarship and 225 hours towards ACCBO certification.
Oregon Partnership's Alcohol and Drug HelpLine is a free, confidential referral service that provides information about substance abuse and refers clients to professional treatment providers. Every year, the HelpLine serves thousands of Oregonians looking for a way to deal with the disease of addiction.
Click here to download the summer training flyer.
Click here for more information.
Do you have information to share with your prevention colleagues around the state? Please send to: dslifman@orpartnership.org.
Thank you for your continued support of this publication.
