Issue 71
YOUTHTHINK
August 2011
Wasco County Prevention Coalition
610 Court St., The Dalles, Or.
541-506-2673
Be The Change
Special points of interest:
• Doing What’s
Right...
• Importance of Face
Time
• Women & Smoking
• Strengthening Families Results
• Dr. Ann’s Corner
• New Drug Alert …
Kratom
• Talking About Sex to
Teens
• Gasolina “Party in a
Pouch”
• When Is A Beer A
Beer?
• Future Meeting
Agenda
•
Data, Data
Up Coming Meetings/
Events:
YOUTHTHINK
Wednesday, Sept.14
5:00—6:00 pm
PhotoVoice Display
Mid—Columbia Medical
Center Atrium
Doing What’s Right VS. Doing What’s Popular
That heading may seem like a no brainer to
many of us … or at least we’d like to think it
is. No brainer is the key term though in the
whole thought.
Did you know that for teens that part of the
brain that helps them make that exact decision is still developing and is one of the last
to reach brain maturity?
I didn’t know that when I was growing up and
I don’t think that my parents did either. I
think we used to use the phrase “the devil
made me do it”. It was a popular saying by a
TV comedian back in the day. An easy excuse for bad judgment.
What I did have going for me was constant
and very clear expectations. It seemed to be
more important to be “popular” at home than
out amongst my peers.
So what type of environment does today’s
teen live in? Many lack structure or parents
mistakenly believe that “things” equal love
and attention.
Many parents have lost the important connection with their teens … they think their
teens no longer want it … they are wrong.
Do you really believe that you do not matter
to your teen? Do you really think that their
friends are more important? I know that is
most likely what I portrayed to my parents
during my teen years. I was just trying to fit
into this new world that I was going to have to
navigate more independently in the very near
future.
I wanted to be more like the older teens and
adults … I wanted to be seen as courageous
and ready for the tough decisions. Inside I
was scared and hoping my parents would
never completely let go.
Parents you don’t get to see the inside of
your teen very often but it is there. Teens still
seek their parents approval, they just don’t
want you to know about it. As a coach I could
see it in just about every athlete I ever
worked with. The game or match could start
on the scoreboard but it never really started
until mom, dad or some other family member
were in the stands.
Your teen may act like it doesn’t matter
whether you are there are not. Yep, but they
are the some ones who I over heard one time
when I was taking pictures of some “adopted
kids” of mine. I over heard their friend say …
“I wish someone would take pictures of me”.
Our young people will often times make poor
choices, but to them it seems like the most
sensible choice. To them the decision is not
about right and wrong but about fitting in.
The brain is working hard to add the needed
wiring to shift to a more value based decision
making motor but it is just not there yet.
I am no brain expert but I do believe that as
caring adults we can help wire the brain
sooner than later. There are valuable teaching moments all around us where this can
happen.
When we hear an inappropriate music lyric or
questionable website do we talk with our
youth about this? Do they feel that they can
have a conversation with us without it being
a lecture?
What an amazing world it would be if our
youth chose their parents as their main
source of information … or would it? Would
the example be there? The old saying comes
to mind … it’s not what you say but what you
do.
Whether we choose to believe it or not our
youth are a reflection of our actions. Is your
teen turning into the young adult you
dreamed about when you first held them in
your arms? If not … don’t give up. The brain
is a remarkable instrument … don’t every
give up on it or your teen.
Start today by being the person your child
would most like to be when they grow up.
ENCOURAGE
INFLUENCE
EMPOWER
Page 2
B E T HE CHAN GE
KNOW! The Importance of Face Time
A new Consumer Report shows that in the U.S. an approximate
12.5 million teens and 7.5 million preteens are on Facebook. If
your child is a social network user, you should be too. You can
learn a lot about your son or daughter, just by viewing his/her
profile page and comments and photos can provide valuable
parental insight (favorite music, TV shows, relationship status,
friend connections, etc.)
The good news is, this message has caught on, as 87% of parents and youth on Facebook are reportedly “friends” with each
other. But parents take
caution: While this connection will help keep
you updated on some of
your child’s likes and
dislikes, don’t count on it
to give you the full picture of his/her social interests or happenings.
In this same survey, 83%
of teens said they know
how to use social network
privacy settings to hide things from their parents.
And PARENTS BEWARE: more than half of all youth are discussing drugs, sex and violence on their social networking sites.
With that in mind, it is no wonder parents acquire their child’s
password (either with or without the child’s knowledge) and regularly check incoming and outgoing messages to keep tabs. But
today’s teens are smart, and many times, much more tech savvy
than parents realize. Once they are aware parents are monitoring their “not-so-secret” chats, they will likely seek out and find
other forms of private communication (with or without your
knowledge), and you are back to square one.
As parents, the best protection we can provide our children is
good-old-fashioned information, face-to-face conversations and
parental guidance. Being a Facebook Friend is good online parenting, but being an active, offline parent is invaluable.
PARENTS: In these high-tech times, Know! suggests you step out
of the virtual world and get some face time with your child. Go
out for ice cream, talk, listen, discuss and find out what’s happening in your child’s real-life world.
This Know! Parent Tip and more can be found in the newly revised Know! Workbook. Visit HelpThemKnow.com for additional
information.
Source: [email protected]
Upcoming YOUTHTHINK Meetings
More Women Smoke
When Their Lot
Improves, Study
Finds
A study of 74 countries by Canadian researchers found that as
women acquire improved status, they’re more likely to take up
smoking and risk smoking-related health problems, Reuters
reported recently.
Sarah Hitchman and Geoffrey Fong of the University of Waterloo
found that in countries where women are less empowered, such
as China, Indonesia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Uganda, men
were five times as likely to smoke as women were. In China, an
estimated 61 percent of men smoke, versus 4.2 percent of
women.
By contrast, in countries where women were more empowered,
such as Australia, Canada, Norway, Sweden and the United
States, Hitchmand and Fong found little difference in males and
female smoking rates. (They measured empowerment with
data such as “representation in parliament, voting rights, and
comparisons of male female income.”)
Douglas Bettcher, the director of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) tobacco initiative, said that public health campaigns were needed to reverse the rising trend of female smoking in developing countries.
“The tobacco epidemic is still in its
tries but is expected to worsen,”
“Strong tobacco control measures
advertising are needed to prevent
targeting women.”
early stages in many counhe wrote in a statement.
such as bans on tobacco
the tobacco industry from
According to Reuters, “tobacco kills up to half its users and is
described by the WHO as one of the biggest public health
threats the world has ever faced.” It kills over five million people every year — a total that is expected to exceed eight million
by 2030 if smoking rates go unchecked.
Fong said that gender-specific anti-tobacco activities were
needed. Hitchman added that close look should be taken at
“the ways in which the tobacco industry is capitalizing on specific changes to target women, such as marketing cigarettes to
women as a symbol of emancipation.” She said that more research into why women started smoking was needed.
Haven’t been to a YOUTHTHINK meeting lately … we know and
you have been missed! YOUTHTHINK monthly meetings are held
the second Wednesday of the month at 5:00 pm at The Dalles
Middle School Library.
Wikram Pathanaia of the London School of Economics agreed,
in an editorial commenting on the study. “Ironically,” he wrote,
“it may be cigarette marketers who currently have the best understanding of what induces women to experiment with and
eventually adopt smoking!”
You do not have to represent a specific group or have a “title” to
attend a YOUTHTHINK meeting. We are a group of caring community members, old and young a like whose desire is to create a
better environment for our youth and families.
The study, “Gender empowerment and female-to-male smoking
prevalence rations,” was published in the March 2011 issue of
the Bulletin of the World Health Organization.
Upcoming meetings will include informational topics such as alcohol, tobacco and other drug product awareness training and comprehensive review of the Search Institute’s Attitude and Behavior
survey that was recently completed by The Dalles area youth
(6th—
(6th—12th grades).
Please join us on September 14 and October 12. For more information call 541541-506506-2673.
Source: Join Together
Are you part of the
solution … or the
problem?
Page 3
B E T HE CHAN GE
Strengthening Families Program
Shows Positive Outcomes
Over the past year YOUTHTHINK in conjunction with Mid Columbia Child and Family Center conducted three Strengthening Families sessions.
The Strengthening Families program is a Best Practice/EvidenceBased program. The program is unique in that it includes special
separate training for parents and youth and at the conclusion of
each class parents and youth come together to share their skills
as a family unit.
17 families took advantage of the training opportunity which included 20 adults and 24 youth ages 10-14.
Participants took part in a pre and post survey. These surveys
asked participants to indicate how often they practice certain
skills or practices such as letting youth know what the consequences are for breaking rules or talking with your child about
his or her future goals without criticizing. Youth also had specific
questions such as how often they appreciate the things their
parents do for them or if they knew what to do when they felt
stressed.
The pre and post surveys were collected and progress was made
across the board for both parents and youth which means a winwin for the family unit.
The overall pre survey score for parents was 53. The post survey
score increased to 66. For the youth the pre survey score average was 46 which jumped to 53 in the post survey.
Participants were also given the opportunity to comment on what
they felt was the most valuable thing they had learned during the
program. Parents indicated that learning how to talk with their
child about peer pressure was very helpful as well as putting
themselves in their child’s shoes in order to understand their
actions more. Youth also indicated that learning to deal with
peer pressure was very valuable.
Funding for the program was made available through grant funds
received by YOUTHTHINK through the state as well as dollars
through the Wasco County Commission on Children and Families
Youth Investment dollars.
Addictive Substance Called Kratom
Becoming Popular in South Florida
A legal, natural and addictive substance called kratom is becoming increasingly popular in South Florida, according to a news
report. Kratom comes from the leaf of a tree grown in Southeast
Asia.
According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA),
kratom is widely available on the Internet. The DEA notes that
kratom is mainly being abused orally as a tea, but some people
chew kratom leaves. An investigation by WPTV found that kratom
is available in tobacco shops and in Kava Bars in South Florida,
where it is mixed into a tea-like drink. Several doctors told the
news program they are seeing more patients who are abusing
kratom.
The DEA says that kratom has been described as producing both
stimulant and sedative effects. Acute side effects include nausea, itching, sweating, dry mouth, constipation, increased urination and loss of appetite. Kratom consumption can lead to addiction, according to the DEA. (Source: Join Together)
Dr. Ann’s Question and Answers:
What do a sassy 7 yr. old, bossy 10 yr.
old and a stubborn 16 yr. old have in
common?
All of these equal a child who is aggressively
trying to ask their parents’ questions. Questions like, what will my parents do if I give
them an attitude with either my words or my
expressions, like rolling my eyes when they ask me to do
something?
The good news is this behavior is normal, but the bad news is
it’s disrespectful and irritating to parents. So why is it normal
for children to get under their parents skin with their attitudes? Because children are trying to understand their social
emotional system and this just doesn’t happen automatically
as a child ages, it has to be learned from their parent,
grandparent, teacher or mentor.
Here’s how to teach emotional education so your child’s behavior & attitude changes.
•
•
•
Start by telling your kids about feelings that affect behavior.
Next teach them different ways of dealing with their
powerful feelings.
Lastly help your kids predict consequences by setting
family rules.
During your difficult times with your kids be sure you don’t let
your feelings get the better of you and start yelling or being
bossy yourself. Easier said than done, I know, but this model
of calm during conflict will teach your children a valuable lesson without you having to lecture.
When the conflict is over explain to your child the feeling that
caused their behavior. Say, something like, “Calling me stupid and pointing a finger in my face happened because you
were mad”. Then say, “In our house the way to deal with
being mad is turn around and go in the backyard and kick a
ball or put your iPod on and listen to your favorite song”.
Finally, say to your child, “If you decide to follow this suggestion (our family rule) then your life will be tons of fun, but if
you decide to continue to talk to me in a mean voice, then
when you want to be around me or others that won’t happen”!
For more detailed information about how to set up family
rules, head to Dr. Ann’s website to order the Parenting Passport discipline book. For emotional education look for the
Pocket Full of Feelings project new website with product details coming soon.
Remember feelings are powerful, misunderstood drivers of
childhood behaviors. The more you educate your kids, the
better they’ll understand themselves.
Source: www.theparentingdoctor.com
Are you part of the
solution … or the
problem?
Page 4
B E T HE CHAN GE
Senate Bill Would
Require Doctor
Training to Fight
Prescription Drug Abuse
A bill con-sponsored by Senator Chuck Schumer (NY) and Jay
Rockefeller (WV) would require doctors to receive training for
prescribing opiate-based narcotics, the Times Union reports.
The training would cover clinical standards on safe management
of pain, help doctors better identify patients who are vulnerable
to addiction, and provide information on alternatives to opiate
narcotics for pain management, according to a news release
from Sen. Schumer’s office. Under current law, the Drug Enforcement Administration does not require doctors, dentists and
other authorized prescribers to undergo training in order to obtain a license to dispense opioids.
The Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of
2011 also would increase sentences for robbing pharmacies of
controlled substances, as well as for stealing medical products
and transporting and storing them. Under the bill, the penalty for
committing a prescription drug-related crime would jump from
10 years to 20 years in prison.
The bill also would provide $25 million for states to create or
upgrade prescription drug monitoring systems.
Talking About Sex is A Lot
Like Talking About Drugs
Awkward? Probably. Important? You Bet!
You might not want to think so, but sex,
drugs and alcohol are linked in several ways
for today’s teenagers.
According to a Kaiser Family Foundation
study, among 15-17 year olds, 51% say that
they are personally concerned that they
might “do more” sexually than they planned
to because they were drinking or using
drugs.
Teen sex, drugs and alcohol are often connected because developmentally, teens are at a time in their lives when they take risks. How
are they linked?
•
•
Teens drink or take drugs to feel less nervous about sex.
Teens may engage in risky sexual behaviors while high or drunk
- exposing them to risk of pregnancy or sexually-transmitted
diseases.
When teens use drugs or drink alcohol their thought process is affected so it’s difficult for them to think straight and make healthy,
smart decisions. I have heard many stories first-hand while researching my books where a young person’s life has been completely undone by unwanted, unplanned and/or unprotected sexual
encounters - often involved drugs and alcohol.
In April, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy
announced a new government strategy to cut the use of prescription painkillers by 15 percent in five years. The plan includes
doctor training, promoting prescription databases in all states
and increased focus on rooting out illegal ‘pill mill’ clinics.
What Parents Can Do:
Source: Join Together
1.
It’s normal to feel uneasy about talking to your teen about sex, drugs
and alcohol. Here are a few tips that may help you:
Some College Students Find Perceived
Positive Effects of Drinking Outweigh the
Negative
Some college students continue to drink heavily even when they experience harmful effects such as hangovers, fights and unwanted
sexual situations, because they perceive the benefits of drinking to
outweigh the negative, a new study suggests.
The students participating in the study said the benefits of drinking
include an increase in courage and chattiness, Medical News Today
reports. The study authors say the findings suggest that programs
targeting binge drinking should acknowledge what some people consider to be the rewards of alcohol instead of just focusing on its
negative effects.
Study co-author Kevin King of the University of Washington told Medical News Today, “People think, ’It’s not going to happen to me’ or ’I’ll
never drink that much again,’ They do not seem to associate their
own heavy drinking with negative consequences.”
They study of 491 college students is published in the journal Psychology of Addictive Behaviors. Participants completed an online
survey that asked about their drinking habits in the past year and
measured their beliefs about the perceived positive and negative
consequences of drinking.
The more bad drinking experiences students had, the more likely
they were to think they would experience those effects again. Students who experienced a small to moderate number of negative effects from drinking were not any more likely, than students who hadn’t experienced those ill effects, to think they would happen again in
a future drinking episode. Source: Join Together
2.
3.
4.
Talk early and talk often about sex: “Teens are thinking about
sex from early adolescence and they’re very nervous about it,”
explains Elizabeth Schroeder, EdD. MSW, Executive Director,
Answer, a national sexuality education organization based at
Rutgers University. “They get a lot of misinformation about sex
and what it’s supposed to be like. And as a result they think
that if they take drugs, if they drink, that’s going to make them
feel less nervous.
Take a moment: What if your teen asks a question that shocks
you? Dr. Schroeder suggests saying, “You know, that’s a great
question, or I gotta tell you, I’m not sure if you’re being serious
right now but I need a minute.” Then regain your composure
and return to the conversation.
Be the source of accurate information: Beyond many school
health classes, teens have lots of questions about drugs, pregnancy, condoms, abstinence and oral sex.
Explain the consequences: Since teen brains aren’t wired yet
for consequential thinking and impulse control, it’s important to
have frank discussions with your teens about the ramifications
of unprotected sex and in the importance of using condoms to
prevent the spread of STDs, HIV and unwanted pregnancy.
(Approximately one in four sexually active teens contracts an
STD every year.)
So, the main message is when it comes to sex, drugs and drinking?
Start talking, keep talking and talk some more. You want to reinforce healthy messages and values and help your teens develop the
skills that they need to avoid unhealthy and unsafe situations. And
more importantly, you want to be the one they come to for answers.
Source: Lisa Frederiksen, Decoder blogger for The Partnership at
Drugfree.org
B E T HE CHAN GE
Page 5
Gasolina “Party in a Pouch” Adds New Fuel to the Booze
Fire Targeting Urban Kids
Following in the footsteps of brands like Four Loko and Blast who use colorful, youth –
oriented packaging and pop-culture icons to market their products to an underage, urban demographic, newcomer Gasolina Urban Blends has upped the ante with its “Party
in a Pouch” line: Brightly colored, 200-ml aluminum pouches complete with little straws
inside to suck up the vodka, tequila, and rum, plus some fruit juice.
These pouches look remarkable similar to Capri Sun. Yes, the same packaging you see at youth soccer games across the country
has now been repurposed for easy-access, take-anywhere alcohol.
We can’t help but wonder how the manufacturer, Pan American Properties, can say their product is not intended for consumption by
minors without bursting into fits of laughter. Who else drinks sweet, brightly colored liquid from small aluminum pouches? Maybe
the giggle fits continue when imaging parents grabbing the wrong pouch from the fridge when packing their kids’ lunches. Not so
funny when the kids actually drink the whole pouch of up to 11% alcohol by volume.
Gasolina is also directly targeting the urban Latino demographic with product names such as “Tu Madras” and “Mojito” along with its
own brand name. The marketing on its Facebook and Twitter accounts is in both English and Spanish. And young people are already paying attention—the Gasolina Facebook page has 77,888 “likes” and features beach parties, bikini-clad young girls, and
“belly button of the week” contests, along with events like last week’s “all-you-can-drink Gasolina pouches” event called “Frequency
Thursdays” at Zin Exotic lounge in Orlando, advertised on Gasolina’s Open Bar page on Facebook.
Just when we might think Blast had captured the lowest level of alcohol marketing, Gasolina takes dangerous and ill-advised to the
very bottom.
Source: Marine Institute (The Marine Institute has recently changed their name to Alcohol Justice)
When Is A Beer a Beer? Alcohol Definitions Are Critical
Do you ever wonder why there are products in a store’s “beer” section that clearly aren’t beer? Do you know why
products that amount to 4-5 drinks in a single container are sold in a convenience store? The explanation is
usually found in the “definition” section of your state’s alcohol laws.
After Prohibition, most states adopted a regulatory system that fostered moderate drinking. One method was to
make alcohol products with low alcohol content widely available in grocery stores, but confine other products to
more tightly controlled liquor stores. At that time, a low alcohol content product usually meant beer with about 34% alcohol. The statutes which say what can be sold where use definitions of beer, wine and spirits for this purpose. Thus, in many states
beer, as defined in the statute, may be sold in grocery and convenience stores and spirits and sometimes wine, as defined in the statute,,
must be confined to a liquor store. The definitions usually include a description of how the product is made and a limit on alcohol content.
For example, beer is often described as a fermented beverage made from malt, barley and hops with an alcohol content less than 5%. Most
states’ definitions are variations on this theme: some have higher or lower alcohol limits and others have no limit. This method of retailing
prevailed for several decades after Prohibition.
But, over the years two things happened. First, the alcohol content of beer crept up. States were asked to modify their definitions to allow
higher alcohol content products. It didn’t seem like a big deal when the change was from 4% to 5%, but today craft beers are sometimes in
the 8% range and can actually be as high as 20%.
Second, industry developers were able to create a new product category—the Flavored Malt Beverage (FMB) -- and shoehorn it into the definition of “beer.” To make these products, a “malt beverage” was used as a base; then the color, flavors and alcohol were stripped out. New
flavors, colors and alcohol were added …and the “alcopop” was born!
Hard lemonade, hard cola, and several other products that mimic mixed spirits drinks now share the “beer cooler” moniker.
More importantly the FMB’s enjoy the lower beer tax and extensive distribution network. Since these products aren’t defined as distilled
spirits, they are able to advertise in media where spirits advertising is not allowed.
As the FMB category expanded, they became popular with youth, particularly young women who prefer sweet, fruit tasting alcohol drinks
over beer. A recent product that made use of these definitions was the alcohol energy drink. After studies found problems with mixing alcohol and caffeine, several states banned them or required them to be sold in liquor stores.
Recently, 17 attorneys general signed a letter detailing the dangers of a product called Blast. Because it is sold in 23.5 ounce cans with
12% alcohol, it equals 4.7 standard drinks. Thus, drinking one can equals one incident of binge drinking. Consumers can be mislead into
thinking that one can is one standard drink, or two at the most.
Definitions make a big difference and public health officials should be alert to any proposed changes. In many states the definitions have
been diluted to the point where they no longer foster moderation. It is also unwise to foster the illusion that a single serving can or bottle is
one drink when it is not.
Source: Campaign for a Healthy Alcohol Market Place, June, 2011 Newsletter
BE THE CHA NGE
Page 6
There will not be a YOUTHTHINK General Meeting in
August .
Next meeting is Wednesday,
September 14th, 5-6:00 pm
The Dalles Middle School Library
YOUTHTHINK … Together we can create the
community of our dreams!
YOUTHTHINK … www.youththink.net
YOUTHTHINK
610 Court St.
The Dalles, Or. 97058
Being The Change…
One Person At A Time