June 4, 2008
In this issue:
Parenting for Prevention - The Parenting Event You Don't Want to Miss!
Parents of children in grade school, middle school and high school, here’s the special summer event you don’t want to miss!
When it comes to alcohol and drug prevention, parents are the biggest influence on kids. Hear from an expert panel on what you can do to keep your kids away from alcohol and drugs.
The parenting for prevention panel discussion will take place on Wednesday, June 25, from Noon - 1:30 pm at Montgomery Park located at 2701 NW Vaughn Avenue, in Portland. Registration is only $25, including lunch and free parking.
To register, email Danny Slifman or call 503-244-5211.
Click here for more information.
Click here to download the training flyer.
FY 2009 Funding For Weed and Seed Program in Danger
The President has recommended consolidating a number of programs within the Department of Justice into one large competitive grant program, the Byrne Public Safety and Protection Program. The Weed and Seed program is one of the many programs that the President has recommended consolidating into the Byrne Public Safety and Protection Program. As a result, no specific dollars were allocated to this program in the President’s FY 2009 Budget Request. Therefore, it is critical that the field flood the Hill with letters to ensure that the Weed and Seed program receives the highest possible funding level!
The House CJS Subcommittee on Appropriations is expected to begin marking up this bill on June 11, 2008. Click on the link below to fax a letter to your members of Congress and request that they support the highest possible funding level. It is imperative that you fax and/or call your legislators immediately.
Energy Drinks Linked to Risky Behavior Among Teenagers
Health researchers have identified a surprising new predictor for risky behavior among teenagers and young adults: the energy drink. Super-caffeinated energy drinks, with names like Red Bull, Monster, Full Throttle and Amp, have surged in popularity in the past decade. About a third of 12- to 24-year-olds say they regularly down energy drinks.
The trend has been the source of growing concern among health researchers and school officials. Around the country, the drinks have been linked with reports of nausea, abnormal heart rhythms and emergency room visits.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
Army Suicides Rose Last Year, Pentagon Says
The number of Army suicides increased again last year, amid the most violent year yet in both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. An Army official said Thursday that 115 troops committed suicide in 2007, a nearly 13 percent increase over the previous year’s 102.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
Suicide is often linked with substance abuse addiction and other mental health disorders. Click here to learn about Oregon Partnership's suicide prevention and treatment referral lines.
Researchers Say Long-Term Marijuana Use May Shrink Parts of the Brain
"This study shows long-term, heavy cannabis use causes significant brain injury, memory loss, difficulties learning new information, and psychotic symptoms, such as delusions of persecution [paranoia], delusions of mind-reading, and bizarre social behaviors in even non-vulnerable users," said lead researcher Murat Yucel, from the ORYGEN Research Centre and the Neuropsychiatry Centre at the University of Melbourne. "This new evidence plays an important role in further understanding the effects of marijuana and its impact on brain functioning."
Click here to read the rest of the article.
New DUII Data Book for Oregon Counties
A new DUII Data Book for Oregon Counties from 1997-2006 is now available. The DUII Data Book for Oregon Counties has been compiled by the staff of the Oregon Department of Transportation, Transportation Safety Division (ODOT-TSD) to assess the severity of Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants (DUII) related problems in Oregon counties.
The DUII Data Book seeks to present data compiled from a number of state agency sources that may be used in conjunction with alternative sources to analyze and identify DUII-related problems. With this information, in addition to input received from involved agencies and groups, it is hoped that specific problems will be identified and targeted for special countermeasure efforts.
Click here to download the DUII Data Book
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.
