News Releases:

4.15.11 -  In recent years, prom night has had a higher degree of alcohol and substance use incidences among teens(1). The number of participants that engage in underage drinking has increased over time. In some cases, the culture around prom night preparation can also include how to purchase and use illegal substances. “Parents should be aware this is not simply a rite of passage. Their active involvement can help keep teens safe” says Emily Moser, Parenting Programs Director of Oregon Partnership.

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:: Risk rises for students during Spring Break: Campaign aims to keep youth busy and safe over the break

:: Crisis Line Staff Performs Five Suicide Rescues in Just Two Hours: Holidays underscore need to prevent suicide

:: 24-7 Military Helpline Debuts for Returning Soldiers, Vets, Families - 888-HLP-4-VETS or 888-457-4838

5.19.10 - Answering the challenges that the state’s military service members, veterans and their families face, Oregon Partnership has added a groundbreaking Military Helpline to its Crisis Lines services.

OP will utilize its years of knowledge and expertise in dealing with confidential crisis intervention and sensitivity to military issues. The new Military Helpline bridges the access-to-service gap that many of these Oregonians face, especially after returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Click here for more information about OP's new Military Helpline.

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:: Oregon Partnership Praises Prevention Emphasis in White House Drug Control Strategy

5.12.10 - Oregon Partnership President/CEO Judy Cushing, on hand in Washington, D.C. for the announcement of the new National Drug Control Policy, has praised the focus on prevention to reduce drug use in the United States.

“This balanced approach includes a genuine emphasis on drug prevention and treatment along with enforcement,” said Cushing after meeting late Tuesday with Gil Kerlikowske, Director of National Drug Control Policy and other members of the White House Office of the National Drug Control Policy. Click here to read National Drug Control Strategy.

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:: Record Number of Calls to Oregon Partnership’s Suicide Intervention Line

1.25.10 - For the first time, Oregon Partnership (OP) is receiving more calls to its suicide intervention line, Lifeline, than to its drug and alcohol HelpLine.

OP’s Lifeline received 18,619 calls in 2009 compared to 17,005 calls to HelpLine.  For Lifeline, that’s a record-breaking 65% increase in calls from the year before. Last month alone, Lifeline received 1,777 calls.

:: Oregon Partnership Applauds FDA Move to Target Alcoholic Energy Drinks!

11.19.09 - Saying it doesn’t come a moment too soon, Oregon Partnership is praising a decision by the Food and Drug Administration to request proof from the manufacturers of alcoholic energy drinks that they are safe.

“Oregon Partnership has been a leader with other groups around the country to point out the dangers of these products mixing caffeine with alcohol and the marketing of these products to young people,” said OP Communications Director, Pete Schulberg.  “We’re hoping the FDA proclaims them unsafe and bans them for good.”

:: New threat assessment: Mexican drug trafficking organizations increase foothold in Oregon

:: Oregon Partnership Launches Campaign Aimed at Old Navy Stores: Stop Selling T-Shirts Promoting Binge Drinking to Teen Customers!

:: Oregon Partnership, Multnomah County Team Up To Support National Suicide Prevention Week

:: Alarming trend: Oregon Partnership Crisis Lines report prescription drug abuse on the rise

:: Support for Oregon Beer Tax Increase Gaining Momentum

4.21.09 - Coming on the heels of positive poll numbers and an endorsement by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, a proposal to raise the Oregon beer tax for the first time in 32 years is attracting more support.

Such groups as Local 503 of the Service Employees International Union, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, the Oregon Prevention Education Recovery Association, and the Governor’s Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse have thrown their support behind House Bill 2461.

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:: Calls to OP’s Crisis Lines Surge Due to Economy.... No Letup in Sight

4.08.09 - Calls to the state’s 24-hour crisis and suicide prevention lines run by Oregon Partnership are coming in at a rate of about 50% higher than a year ago. And the economy is a major reason.

“It’s been this way since September of last year,” says Leslie Storm, Director of OP’s Crisis Line Program. “It stands to reason that when the unemployment rate goes up and people are hurting financially, so does the tension level for more Oregonians.”

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:: OLCC & Oregon Partnership Team Up 2nd Year to Stop Underage Drinking

3.26.09 - The Oregon Liquor Control Commission presented a check for $10,000 to Oregon Partnership Mar. 24 as part of a joint effort to stop underage drinking.

The partnering agencies received the $10,000 grant from the National Alcoholic Beverage Control Association to fund a print and radio campaign.  The materials will focus on the consequences of supplying alcohol to minors, also known as “shoulder tapping.”  The anti-shoulder tapping campaign will launch summer 2009 in retail outlets around the state.

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:: Poll Shows Oregonians Support Beer Tax

3.17.09 - Echoing previous polls, a survey of Oregon voters conducted by Moore Information, Inc. shows that 61 percent favor increasing the beer tax by fifteen cents a glass.

Other findings in the poll show that 80 percent of voters statewide are concerned about substance abuse, and 64 percent expect substance abuse problems to increase as a result of the recession.

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:: "Face it, Parents” Launches Spring Break Push to Prevent Underage Drinking!

3.9.09 - A Spring Break campaign, targeting parents and teens, gets underway this week to raise awareness about the dangers of underage drinking and offers healthy
alternatives.

The campaign is part of the statewide Face it, Parents underage drinking prevention initiative and coordinated by Oregon Partnership and Community Action to Reduce Substance Abuse (CARSA).

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:: Oregon Partnership Supports Long-Overdue Increase in Minuscule Beer Tax!

2.23.09 - Oregon Partnership, a non-profit group dedicated to combating alcohol and drug abuse, has thrown its support behind an increase in the Oregon beer tax, which hasn’t been raised in 32 years.

The measure sponsored by Rep. Ben Cannon (D-Portland) would increase the less-than-a-penny tax on a 12-ounce can or bottle of beer to 15 cents.

Click here to get the facts on this important issue.

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:: Oregon Partnership Reaches Out to Returning Soldiers and Veterans

2.4.09 - For the men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, it is crucial that we
recognize the symptoms and signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain
Injury, depression, and substance abuse.

Oregon Partnership is working with the Oregon National Guard to offer trainings and support, and to further its outreach to returning soldiers and veterans through their 24-Hour Crisis Lines.

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:: Oregon Partnership to Claire’s Stores: Don’t Sell Flasks to Young Customers!

1.26.09 - Oregon Partnership has asked the CEO of Claire’s Stores, Inc. to stop the sale of alcohol flasks in its Icing by Claire’s stores.

The multi-colored flasks are predominantly displayed at the checkout counters at Icing by Claire’s stores, which according to the company website, focus on a customer base that includes teenage girls.

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:: Oregon Partnership to Old Navy Stores: “Stop Selling Binge Drinking T-Shirts”

12.19.08 - Oregon Partnership has asked Gap, Inc, the parent company of Old Navy, to stop selling t-shirts promoting binge drinking.

The t-shirts were prominently displayed in Old Navy stores this holiday season, including shirts with a Christmas tree and the words “Let’s Get Lit.” Another has an elf drinking right from a keg.

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:: Pressure Again Pays Off As Miller/Coors Scraps Alcoholic Energy Drinks

12.8.08 - Oregon Partnership and other advocacy groups around the country are claiming victory following today’s decision by MillerCoors LLC to stop marketing caffeine-spiked alcoholic beverages.

The decision was in response to an investigation by state attorneys general about the detrimental health effects of the beverages and the aggressive marketing of the products targeting underage drinkers.

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:: Oregon Partnership: Big Increase in Suicide Prevention Calls

10.23.08 - Oregon Partnership’s suicide prevention line, LifeLine, is reflecting the souring economy with a 55% increase in phone calls from people in crisis and contemplating suicide.

The number of calls received by staff and volunteers on the suicide prevention line reached 1,270 in the month of September. That’s 454 more calls from people seeking help than the month before. And with nine days remaining in October, the number of calls this month has already reached 955 and on track to surpass September’s total.

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:: Calls to Oregon Partnership’s Crisis Lines Echo Tough Economy and Financial Crisis

9.19.08 - Oregon Partnership’s 24-hour crisis lines are reflecting the stress and strain of an economy that sees more people out of work, homeowners unable to pay their mortgages, and families worried about their savings.

“It stands to reason that when the unemployment rate goes up and prices do too, so does the tension level for more Oregonians,” said Leslie Storm, Director of Oregon Partnership’s Crisis Line Program. “And of course, that’s been confounded by what’s going on in the housing market and on Wall Street.”

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:: CARSA Hires Amy Evans as Community Outreach Coordinator

9.10.08 - In its efforts to mobilize neighborhoods and communities to help make the Portland area drug-free, CARSA (Community Action to Reduce Substance Abuse) has announced the hiring of Amy Evans as its first Community Outreach Coordinator.

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