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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1982)
Thursday, April 1, 1982 Eugana, Oragon Oregon daily Volume 83 Number 121 emerald Drug center balloons in size By Dan* Claus sen Ot tty Emfmtd Ten years ago today, the Drug information Center began as an ASUO program in the basement of the EMU Today it occupies a University house at 1763 Moss St and is a nationally recog nized University department And despite continued un certainty about future funding, director Mark Miller says this is a time to emphasize the center s growth and accomplishments, and the continued need for the center Miller says it's possible that the center's staff has provided information about drugs — all types of drugs, not just the il legal kind — to about 150,000 Oregonians in the last 10 years This doesn't include informa tion disseminated through about 200 television and radio appearances in that time, he says In addition, the Drug Informa tion Center has spoken to at least 50,000 people, 10,000 15,000 per year in the past few years, Miller says The agency has been “moderate to very good" but never has had the financial support to be excellent, he says “We re the only agency that started as a student program, became a University depart ment, and then a statewide ser vice," Miller says This is due largely to student control of the incidental fee allocation, he says The center has had one key effect in Oregon — and that is making the point to the populace that the term "drug" means more than illegal drugs Miller was a founder of the center at age 20 and has been with it ever since “I didn't expect to be here at 30," he says Miller says he doesn't believe in the philo sophy of changing jobs every three years as many Americans do "You have to be willing to spend the years and decades" to become an expert to be ef fective, he says "It's difficult to get bored when every day is different.” Further reinforcement for him comes from surveys that in dicate that 100 percent of those receiving Drug Information Center literature say it is useful As for the future. Miller says the center would like to buy a $2,000 word processor in the next three years to improve its information system They would also Mke to be able to make video tapes and film strips to sell to schools. "We're pretty sure that unless we can make money we re not going to survive." he says Looking back, Miller says the Center also could not have sur vived without the support of the University, which now provides in-kind services worth $20,000 to $30,000 a year ‘‘I get full cooperation when I go to a University department," he says, adding that the center also has the full support of the administration. Among the accomplishments and services of the center dur ing the past 10 years are: • Establishng the first anon ymous drug analysis service in the state • Becoming the Drug Abuse Communications Network ap pointee for the state. • Receiving the National Search Award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. • Initiating a Federal Trade Commission investigation of doctors and druggists in Mexico accused of "bilking” senior citizens. • ^Publishing three books through the University Press for public distribution. • Providing training for police officers, teachers, and the U S. Coast Guard in Oregon. • Producing multi-media slide shows and a videotape. • Publishing the Oregon Prevention and Education newsletter. • Issuing drug alerts. • Providing literature, speak ing, and otherwise disseminat ing information. • Sponsoring Lane County Poi son Prevention week. But recent cuts could weaken future efforts While the Drug Information Center may go to a four-day work week in July because of financial constraints, its director is saying that Nancy Reagan’s efforts to fight drug abuse won’t substitute for cuts in drug education and prevention fund ing. Reagan's campaign is just "window dressing,” says Mark Miller. Calling for parents to form coalitions against drug abuse will not work, he says, adding that efforts to prevent and educate on drug abuse require trained professionals. "Volunteerism cannot work in these programs,” Miller says. Volunteerism works in some situations but not with drug use education, he says. “The Reagan Administration thinks that if enough parents get mad, they’ll make a difference,” Miller scoffs. In addition. Pres. Ronald Reagan’s economic policies will cause a depression, which will not stimulate private donations to drug education, he says. “Reagan and his policies are guaranteed suicide for the state,” Miller says. “She’s not going to make any difference . . If she cared, she'd be trying to get money for prevention and education,” he says about Nancy Reagan's professed battle against drug abuse. Such declarations will end up "guaranteeing a polar ization of people who use drugs and those who don't,” Miller says. Oregonians continue to place fighting drug abuse as their second highest concern follow ing taxes, he says. "The state of Oregon has no commitment to prevention and education of drug abuse,” Miller says. “None whatsoever." Photo by Erich Bookolhoide Jerry Beck end the University’s Drug Information center offer Information to 10,000-15,000 Oregonians every year. Lawsuit alleges ‘Hot Whacks’ left plaintiff partially deaf A campus area tavern has been hit with a lawsuit from a man who charges that music played too loudly at the bar caused him to suffer a 50 to 60 percent hearing loss Michael Valdenegro charges that Duffy's and a band performing there were negligent because they did not inform him that the noise level of the performance might damage his hearing. Valdenegro said that during April, 1980, he entered Duffy s Tavern, at the corner of 13th Avenue and Alder Street, where the band “Hot Whacks" was performing Valdenegro alleges that neither the tavern nor the band warned him of the “inherent" danger In the suit, Valdenegro claims that the music was “played with such intensity as to constitute a danger to patrons." Valdenegro says that he left the tavern after experiencing pain and ringing in his ears after "Hot Whacks" had played two songs The next day Valdenegro says that he went to a doctor and learned that he had become partially deaf in both ears. He also maintains that the incident has increased his susceptibility of becoming totally deaf “All I can say right now is I do have a hearing loss the reason I didn't do it (file the suit) earlier was because I didn't realize how much loss was involved," says Valdenegro. Currently a student at Lane Community Col lege, Valdenegro says that he was unemployed at the time of the alleged incident and that he did not suffer a job loss But, he says that he feels that he will be handicapped when he does search for a job, especially if the job involves telephone com munication. Duffy's, which is popular with many Universi ty students, is under the control of Stephen Nosier and William Baker, officers of Billsteve Inc. Nosier and Baker as well as the individual members of "Hot Whacks” are named as defendants in the suit. At press time none of the defendants could be reached for comment. Trash, trash and more trash... Somewhere Inside
