Issue 68
YOUTHTHINK
May 2011
Wasco County Prevention Coalition
610 Court St., The Dalles, Or.
541-506-2673
Be The Change
Special points of interest:
• How Will They Know
• Alcohol Advertising
Impacts Youth
• Youth Prescription
Drug Use in Oregon
• Drugged Driving
• Energy Drinks and
Alcohol
• Teen’s Friends
• PhotoVoice
• Children’s Fair
• April Minutes
• This Months
Meeting Agenda
•
Data, Data
Up Coming Meetings/
Events:
YOUTHTHINK
Wednesday, May 11
5:00—
5:00—6:00 pm
The Dalles Middle School
Library
Children’s Fair
Saturday, May 14
10-2:00 pm
The Dalles City Park
How Will They Know?
I’ve been thinking a lot about our youngsters
this past month. I love to sit back and watch
the awe and wonder as a young child discovers the world that surrounds him.
adult-hood? It worked for many generations.
What were those magic basic concepts that
worked for generations but are thought of as
old fashioned in today’s world?
I love to see a young child jump into her parents arms and for no reason other than they
can, wrap their arms around their mother or
father and plant them a slobbery kiss and
hug with a big “I Love you”.
My answers may be too simple and I’m sure
will not be listed in the Who’s Who of child
development experts. Shoot, I don’t even
have a child of my own. But I watch … oh
how I watch.
Why does that happen? How do they learn to
love? My best guess is because they have
been loved. They have seen love. They’ve
witnessed it when they see interaction between mommy and daddy, brother and sister.
They watch, experiment and learn.
My answer … communication and a standard
of expectations that are clear and consistent
and then more communication. Please notice that I did not say lecturing. I used communication because it goes both ways and
includes that all important skill of listening …
active listening.
I love to go to elementary school programs.
The gym is always packed with family members and friends, old and young alike. Do we
go to these events because we expect to
hear the most outstanding chorus or see a
Tony nominated play?
Mom and Dad, Aunt and Uncle, Grandma and
Grandpa, caring neighbor … our young ones
need us. They need us to be the best example we can be. They need to look at us first
for their examples of what is right and wrong.
We go because we love our children. We
want to support them. We want them to believe as long as they possibly can that they
are the moon and stars to us and that they
can accomplish anything and everything.
We don’t have to be perfect but we have to
keep trying. We have to know when to say
I’m sorry and when to stay firm in our expectations even though the TV or Facebook say
we are “lame”.
We expect them to tell us every bit of information about their lives and they do. As a
parent you are that person who they want to
tell everything to.
Our children will not know how to navigate
the delicate journey of life if we have not
shown them as parents and as a community
that we truly care and expect a high standard
of behavior from them.
And then IT happens. What is IT? Can we
control IT? Some may call it adolescence or
the teen years. It sounds like a disease that
there is no vaccine for.
The word adolescent is a fairly new word as
far as the English language goes. Now there
is an even newer word … tween (10-12 year
old). Why the need for these words and definitions?
What happened to raising our children to
ENCOURAGE
TV, movies and internet will compete with us.
These forms of media and entertainment
don’t care about our families. Their intent is
to raise the all mighty dollar not our child.
Our children are future consumers to them.
Brainwash today … controlled for years to
come.
YOUTHTHINK challenges you to let all the
young people in your world know that you
love them, show them by telling them and
setting the best example possible. That is
how they will know.
INFLUENCE
EMPOWER
Page 2
B E T HE CHAN GE
KNOW!
Alcohol Advertising Impacts Youth
Did you watch the Super Bowl? What was your favorite commercial? Two questions you were likely to hear the Monday morning
following the big game. In fact, studies show that just as many
people watch the Super Bowl for the high-priced commercials as
the game itself. And of the record-breaking 111 million American viewers, about 18% were youth under 21.
According to Drug-Free Action Alliance’s 8th Annual Big Bowl
Vote (where more than 34,000 middle and high school students
around the nation voted on their favorite Super Bowl ads), Doritos overwhelmingly stole the show, with their “Crash the super
Bowl” commercials.
While Doritos ranked number one as the most memorable brand
product among participating youth, the Anheuser-Busch brand
(which included ads for Bud, Bud Light & Stella Artois) ranked as
the second most “remembered” product.
Aside from the “fun-factor” of youth voicing their opinions and
telling us what ads were memorable, what does this all mean?
Research tells us that the more youth are exposed to alcohol
advertising, the more likely they are to start drinking or drink
more if they are already consuming alcohol (source: Center on
Alcohol Marketing and Youth—CAMY).
While middle and high school students did not choose the alcohol ads as their favorite, those commercials definitely made an
impression.
Parents: We encourage you to use commercials such as these,
as teachable moments; helping young people to understand and
develop the ability to identify, analyze and evaluate targeted marketing.
Prescription Drug
Abuse on Rise Among
Oregon Youth
Oregon’s problem with prescription drug abuse is in part
because too many young
people have access to legally
prescribed drugs sitting in
their parents’ bathroom cabinets.
Since 2002, the number of Americans aged 12 and older
who’ve abused pain medication increased by 20%, according
to the national Substance Abuse and Mental health Services
Administration. In Oregon, there were more than 1,200
overdose deaths involving prescription painkillers between
2000 and 2009.
Last year more than 400 Oregonians died of prescription drug
overdoses, while nationwide there were nearly 1.2 million
visits for drug overdose.
Please, keep your prescription medications in a safe place
and better yet, locked up where they are not so readily available to young people. Of course, you trust your youth but
are they the only ones using your bathroom?
YOUTHTHINK encourages you to be pro-active. Talk to your
family members about the dangers of using medications
without a doctors authorization and especially about mixing
medications with alcohol.
One in Three Killed
Drivers Tested
Positive for Drugs
Here are some questions you can use to get the conversation
started:
•
•
•
•
What is this ad trying to sell you?
Is this product healthy for you?
How is this ad trying to get you to purchase their product?
How do you feel about the product now?
Source: [email protected]
Smoking Kills Half a Million
Americans A Year
More than 500,000 Americans die from
smoking-related causes each year, according to new statistics. Smoking kills slightly
more men than women, the report says. While the rates of smokingrelated deaths in men were similar to those found in other recent
studies, the numbers for women were higher than expected.
The study, published in the Journal Epidemiology, was based on data
from a national health survey of nearly 250,000 people who were
asked if and how much they smoked currently and previously. Participants were followed for two to nine years.
The researchers calculated that there were an average of about
290,000 smoking-related deaths in men and 230,000 in women
each year between 2002 and 2006—totaling more than half a million. The study found that among current and former smokers, the
biggest increase in the risk of dying from tobacco related causes was
seen between the ages of 65 and 74.
New research from the national
Highway Transportation Safety
Administration (NHTSA) found one in three drivers killed on the
road in 2009 had drugs in their system, USA Today reported.
Drug tests came back positive for a range of substances, from
prescribed narcotics to illegal stimulants and anabolic steroids.
The results excluded drivers who tested positive for alcohol.
The data indicated a 5-percent jump in positive drug tests
among traffic fatalities since 2005, an increase Office of National Drug Control Policy director Gil Kerlikowske said was
“alarmingly high.”
“Drugged driving is a much bigger public health threat than
most Americans realize and unfortunately, it may be getting
worse,” said Kerikowske.
“It is critical that communities across the nation address the
threat of drugged driving as we redouble our efforts to make
America’s roadways safer by increasing public awareness, employing more targeted enforcement, and developing better tools
to detect the presence of drugs among drivers.”
Source: Join Together
Page 3
B E T HE CHAN GE
One-Fifth of Smokers Think
Some Cigarette Brands Less
Harmful Than Others
Twenty percent of smokers incorrectly assume that
lighter colors of cigarette packs—silver, gold or
white—are less dangerous than black or red brands,
a new study shows. Science Daily reports that the
study of more than 8,000 smokers from the United
States, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom found that American
smokers were most likely to hold this false belief.
The researchers note in the journal Addiction that the words ‘light’ and
‘mild’ are prohibited in cigarette marketing in more than 50 countries.
Science Daily says that all conventional brands of cigarettes present an
equal level of risk to smokers, including ‘mild’ and ‘low-tar’ brands.
The article notes that the confusion among smokers may come from
brands that changed their ‘light’ cigarette brands to ‘silver’ and ‘gold’
brands; Marlboro Lights, for instance, become Marlboro Gold.
The study also found that smokers often falsely believe that slim cigarettes are less dangerous; cigarettes with harsh tastes are more harmful than those with smoother tastes; filters reduce cigarettes’ risk; and
nicotine is the cause of most of the cancer from cigarettes.
Dr. David Hammond, one of the study authors, says the study supports
the benefits of new regulations to take effect in Australia that will require cigarettes to be sold in packages with the same plain color, with
no graphics or logos.
Source: Drugfree.org
Looking for more YOUTHTHINK news …
go to www.youththink.net
Combining Energy Drinks with alcohol More
Dangerous Than Drinking Alcohol Alone
A new study finds that consuming a caffeine-infused energy drink combined with alcohol is more dangerous than drinking alcohol alone. The
researchers say the findings suggest it may be appropriate to put warning labels on energy drinks saying they should not be mixed with alcohol, HealthDay reports.
The researchers studied 56 college students, splitting them into four
groups. They drank either an alcoholic beverage, an energy drink, a
drink that combined both alcohol and an energy drink, or a drink that
did not include either one. According to a press release from the journal alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, they report that all
the students who drank alcohol showed impaired impulse control.
Those who drank the alcoholic energy drink, however, thought of themselves as less impaired than those who drank the same amount of alcohol alone. The researchers say this could make people who drink alcohol and energy drinks together more likely to do something risky like
driving while drunk.
Breast Cancer Rates Lower for
Women in Smoke-Free Homes,
Workplaces
A new analysis supports past studies showing that women
who live and work in smoke-free environments are less likely
to develop breast cancer, HealthDay News reported.
Past studies have not yielded conclusive scientific agreement
on the correlation between secondhand smoke and breast
cancer. Researchers from Roswell Park Cancer Institute
compared state breast cancer rates with the percentage of
non-smoking homes and workplaces in each state. They
found that breast cancer occurred in fewer women in states
with higher numbers of non-smoking environments. The results were even more pronounced among younger, premenopausal women.
The researchers credited no-smoking policies for “about 20percent of the change in breast-cancer death,” HealthDay
reported.
“While the evidence for secondhand smoke and breast cancer risk remains controversial, this study demonstrates a very
strong inverse correlation,” said Andrew Hyland, one of the
study’s authors. “States with higher percentages of women
working and living in smoke-free spaces have lower breast
cancer rates.”
His colleague, K. Michael Cummings, said, “This study provides yet another reason for people to stop smoking and
avoid secondhand smoke exposure.”
The study, “Prevalence of rules prohibiting home and workplace smoking correlates with state-specific breast cancer
outcomes: an ecologic analysis,” appeared online March 12,
2011 in Tobacco Control.
Source: Join Together
What to do When Teen’s Friends
Encourage Undesirable Behavior?
Figuring out how to steer teens away from friends who encourage undesirable behavior such as substance abuse is a
tricky issue, the Los Angeles Times reports. The article
points out that unhealthy behaviors such as drinking, smoking or using drugs can seem almost contagious among
teens.
Mitch Prinstein, director of clinical psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and editor of the Journal
of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, tells the paper
that interfering in a teen’s life too much, especially with
friendships, can actually make matters worse because it can
fuel rebellion. He recommends that parents help their teen
develop a sense of identity and feel secure in it—admittedly
not an easy task.
According to HealthDay, study co-author Cecile Marczinksi, Ph.D., of
Northern Kentucky University, said what makes the combination of energy drinks and alcohol especially dangerous is that energy drinks have
about three times as much caffeine as cola, making them extremely
stimulating. She noted that the danger in combing caffeine and alcohol
is that caffeine may make a person less aware of alcohol’s effect. The
energy drinks do not change the level of a person’s impairment from
alcohol, just their perception of it, the article notes.
Parents need to give teens some independence but still
must impose boundaries, recommends article author Valerie
Ulene, a board-certified specialist in preventive medicine.
She recommends against trying to split up a friendship if a
teen breaks a rule involving friends. Try grounding the teen,
she says, allowing him or her to see friends at home under a
parent’s supervision, instead of going out with them.
Source: Drugfree.org
Source: Drugfree.org
B E T HE CHAN GE
Page 4
YOUTHTHINK At Children’s Fair
Parents Who Host Lose the Most
YOUTHTHINK will be hosting a booth at this year’s Children’s Fair
which is scheduled for Saturday, May 14 at The Dalles City Park
from 10 am—2 pm.
The annual Parents Who Host Lose the Most campaign will be
starting in late May. Would you like a yard sign or a business
table tent? Call the office at 541-506-2673.
YOUTHTHINK will have a photo display where youth can have their
picture taken by mom or dad with them being a movie star or a football player. In addition to the photo opportunity a number of helpful
tip sheets and handouts will be available for parents to take with
them. We invite you to join us for this fun and interactive opportunity.
YOUTHTHINK needs your help in this important campaign that
reminds all adults that underage drinking is not a “minor” problem but a problem that as adults we must pay attention to and
be aware of.
Somehow the cultural norm has turned into “oh their just kids,
it’s a rite of passage”. The standard has been lowered to where
we think we are responsible parents because we take the keys
away during the party.
Please join YOUTHTHINK as we encourage our community to
raise the standard … let’s help our youth know that underage
drinking is against the law and not the standard in our community.
YOUTHTHINK and Rage Graphix
Thanks to the sponsorship of local merchant Rage Graphix,
YOUTHTHINK was able to display some great new banners in
The Dalles Cherry Festival Parade.
PhotoVoice Huge Success
A BIG thanks to the 60 youth, The Dalles Wahtonka Photography
teacher Paula Long, The Columbia Gorge Photography Club, Oh
Shoot Photography, The Dalles Art Center and Crown Prints for helping support YOUTHTHINK in it’s first PhotoVoice project.
Rage Graphix contacted YOUTHTHINK about the parade sponsorship last year. Owners Chad and Patty shared their support of helping youth and families in the community and felt
that YOUTHTHINK was a natural fit. Thanks for your support
Rage Graphix!
60 photo’s were displayed during a special exhibit held last month at
The Dalles Art Center. Special refreshments were provided by Anzac
Tea Parlor with great music provided by Jacob Cardon.
Each photo had included with it a caption written by each of the photographers which further identified their thoughts when taking the
photo and how it fits into the overall theme … Change, for good or
bad.
The photo’s will be on display at an upcoming North Wasco County
School Board meeting. Photo’s will also be displayed at Mid Columbia Medical Center during the months of July and August as well as
the YOUTHTHINK website starting in the middle of May.
PhotoVoice Photo: “As painful as this may be, verbal bullying leaves
an even deeper scar.” - Josefine Murrillo
PhotoVoice Photo: “Hold onto love.” - Emilee Riggs
Page 5
B E T HE CHAN GE
YOUTHTHINK General Coalition Meeting
Wednesday, April 13th
The Dalles Middle School
Present:
Jared Hudson
Laurie Johnsen
Carri Ramsey-Smith
Darcy Long-Curtiss
Mary Gale
Debby Jones
Kelley Barr
Lynette Black
Linda Griswold
Tim McGlothlin
Tom Lexow
Melissa Kendall
Debby opened the meeting at 5:05 and welcomed the group. She asked for “warm fuzzies”. Tom shared that he had heard great things
about the Traditions of Compassion award that YOUTHTHINK had received. Darcy shared that Mr. Kiser, her sons Destination Imagination
Coach had done a super job and really inspired her son. Carri mentioned the quality event that the Haven fundraiser was. Tim mentioned
that he had run into a former student who had really turned her life around. Debby mentioned several people that she had bumped into
that recognized her as the “YOUTHTHINK movie lady”.
Debby informed the group that the Executive Board had recently met and elected board positions. They are as follows:
• Chair:
Darcy Long-Curtiss
• Vice-Chair:
Jared Hudson
•
•
Treasure:
Secretary:
Kelley Barr
Donna Lawrence
Darcy conducted the remainder of the meeting. Darcy asked Debby to go through the updates:
•
Parade – 14 youth from The Dalles Middle School/Builders Club helped with the parade which was co-sponsored by Rage Graphix.
Rage provided 3 new banners for youththink. Special thanks go to Linda and Tom Griswold.
• Traditions of Compassion – Debby shared the sign, star and award that YOUTHTHINK was presented by the Mid Columbia Health Foundation as its community organization of the year.
• PhotoVoice – The event will occur this coming Saturday from 2-4:00 pm at The Dalles Art Center. 60 high school youth have participated as well as members of the Columbia Gorge Photography club and high school teacher Paula Long. Each photo has a caption which
helps the viewer further understand the thought behind each photo. The exhibit will be on display beginning April 16 through the 20th.
• Children’s fair – The Children’s Fair will be held on Saturday, May 14th and YOUTHTHINK will be hosting a table. The YOUTHTHINK table
will include a photo display where parents can take pictures of their little ones … during this time YOUTHTHINK volunteers will be handing
out parent/family informational materials.
• ASIST training – Through the suicide prevention grant YOUTHTHINK will be offering a suicide prevention training in Maupin on May 12
and 13th. A flier was provided with more information.
Darcy introduced Melissa Kendal who is the local Director of the Pregnancy Resource Center and it’s ASPIRE program. Melissa gave a brief
overview of the program stating that it was a program based on sexual integrity that is geared for 9th and 10th grade students and is being
modified in order to be appropriate for 7th and 8th graders. The program is not faith based, but value based and consists of a total of 3
hours (can be broken up). Currently Melissa is scheduled to be in Mr. Hughes’s 10th grade health class this coming spring. The program
can also be adapted for church youth groups. Melissa shared some of her experiences so far in the classes that she has delivered in Hood
River. She asked the group if they thought there could be a connection/partnership between what YOUTHTHINK does and the ASPIRE program. Jared thought that the two programs share common desires. Mary asked if birth control was talked about in the presentations.
Melissa answered that she did discuss condoms and the part they play in the sexual culture. Kelley felt that the messages partner well.
Debby asked what the evaluation plan was for the program. Melissa said that there will be post surveys for the youth as well as teacher/
faith leaders. They will also monitor the Oregon Healthy Teen results. Tom asked if there was any group out there such as MADD who were
taking on date rape. Melissa was not aware of any but that she wanted to develop a side by side presentation that could be utilized by parents.
Debby asked the group to brain storm about what type of materials should be provided at the Children’s Fair. The following were mentioned:
•
•
•
Community Resource Guides
Information that will help parents plan early instead of waiting until situations/issues happen
Messages similar to what was handed out at the movies
• Family dinner night information
Tom shared with the group the difference between a functional and dysfunctional family and that it all comes down to intimate communication and involvement. Youth need to learn at an early age that their parents are there for them and will continue to be there for them. Jared shared the need to help coach parents in this effort and Laurie stressed the need to keep it simple and easy to implement and practice.
Kelley stressed the importance of parents setting an example of being involved in the community – caring for others and that that example
would help our young people. Tim felt that YOUTHTHINK needs to continue to support other groups and people that are doing good so that
we can come together as a caring community.
Debby shared with the group that because of their good work and others like them the federal government had recommended that the Drug
Free Communities program should received its full requested amount. She also reminded them to share the new meeting time with their
friends and read the quote “Some individual’s dream of great accomplishments, while others stay awake and do them”, she thanked those
in attendance for being awake and involved. The next meeting is Wednesday, May 11th at 5:00 pm.
Page 6
BE THE CHA NGE
Next YOUTHTHINK Meeting…
Wednesday, May 11
5:00 - 6:00 pm / NEW TIME
The Dalles Middle School Library
Agenda Items Include:
Traditions of Compassion Video
• PhotoVoice Update
• Parents Who Host Campaign Opportunities
• YOUTHTHINK committee/membership drive
• Peer Pressure Discussion
•
We really would like to hear from you! We’ve moved our meeting
time to a later time in order to fit your schedule. Please join us!
YOUTHTHINK
610 Court St.
The Dalles, Or. 97058
Being The Change…
One Person At A Time
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