TRIBAL PROGRAM NEWS
Ask Raven
Raven will answer your questions
about problems associated with alco
hol, tobacco, and other drugs. You can
call in your questions to the numbers
below or mail them to:
Raven
P.O. Box 549
Siletz, OR 97380-0549
Dear Raven: Are hallucinative
mushrooms dangerous? People are
always talking about doing “shrooms”
and I hear from other kids that they’re
safe because they’re “natural,” but I also
heard of some people getting hurt. What
can they really do to you? C onfused
Dear Confused: It’s good you wrote
to me about this and I am glad to tell
you what you are asking. The mush
rooms you write about are considered
psychedelic mushrooms.
The active ingredient in them is
called psilocybin. Its chemical structure
is similar to LSD. Some are very strong
and others weak, so it’s hard to know how
strong they are just by looking at them.
When these mushrooms are eaten,
the psilocybin crosses the blood-brain
barrier. They usually cause nausea at
first and eventually people will experi
ence changes in sight, hearing, taste,
touch - and the person is not in con
trol of his or her behavior.
When we are not in control of our
behavior, we can end up in unsafe situ
ations very easily. The biggest danger
to eating mushrooms is that many look
alike and it can be easy to mistake
these for poisonous ones that can cause
death or permanent liver damage.
There are tribal cultures whose
medicine people use these mushrooms
in their ceremonies. They never use
them outside of their ceremonies or with
out the guidance of a medicine person.
That is another strong message to us
that “shrooming” is very dangerous.
Thank you for writing. The next
time you hear people talking about
mushrooms being safe, please remind
them that even though mushrooms do
grow wild in our forests, many plants
are not meant to be eaten.
Your ancestors knew what Native
foods could be harvested and they did not
eat these mushrcMims for g(x>d reasons.
Raven
Prevention News
Reducing Underage Drinking: What Every Parent Can Do
How parents can help in our homes:
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A Word About
Role Modeling
It’s easy to think that kids don't
watch what we do. But statistics tell us
that parents and their behavior have a
huge impact on kids.
Prevention, Outpatient
Treatment, and
Women’s Transitional
Siletz: 1-800-600-5599 or
541-444-8286
Eugene: 541-484-4234
Salem: 503-390-9494
Portland: 503-238-1512
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Siletz News
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A Guide for Good Role Modeling
.
June 2007
Zero Drinks
Lowest Risk
Women
No more than I stan
dard drink a day
Men
No more than 2
standard drinks a day
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A parent(s) or significant adult who
is actively involved
Adults who regularly support posi
tive lifestyle choices and activities
A sense of responsibility to others
Teens and Alcohol
The Facts
Youth access to alcohol is a serious
problem. The consequences are unhealthy,
unsafe, and even life threatening.
Narcotics Anonymous Meetings
Monday - 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Atonement Lutheran Church
2315 N Coast Highway (101)
Newport
Tuesday - 7:30-8:30 p.m.
TLC - A&D Building
565 Old River Road
Siletz
Tuesday - 8-9 p.m.
St. Peter the Fisherman
Lutheran Church
1226 SW 13,h St.
Lincoln City
Poor academic performance, inju
ries, traffic crashes, accidents, assaults,
date rape, addiction, teen pregnancy,
and death from alcohol poisoning are
all associated with underage drinking.
There is no single solution. But adults
and youth working together can have
a dramatic impact in reducing the risks.
Who is drinking?
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Thursday - 8-9 p.m.
St. Peter the Fisherman
Lutheran Church
1226 SW 13,h St.
Lincoln City
Friday - 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Atonement Lutheran Church
2315 N Coast Highway (101)
Newport
Saturday - 6-7 p.m.
Siletz VFW
143 SE Eggbert St.
Siletz
Toll-Free Help Line - 1-877-233-4287
The average age when youth say
they first tried alcohol is 12.8 years
61 percent of high school seniors
say they consumed alcohol in the
last 30 days.
Where Do They Get
Alcohol?
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Teens are at reduced risk for alco
hol problems when they have:
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Siletz Tribal A&D
Programs
8
Make sure your kids know what you
expect regarding underage alcohol
use. Set rules with clear conse
quences. Discuss and agree on them
and follow through consistently.
Refuse to supply alcohol to under
age youth in your home or on your
property. Supplying alcohol is an
invitation for young people to
drink illegally. Teen alcohol use is
not a rite of passage into adulthood.
In fact, alcohol has kept too many
teens from becoming adults.
Make sure that alcohol is not avail
able at the other events your teen will
attend. Talk to other parents and party
hosts to ensure alcohol-free cel
ebrations. Be proactive: If parents
stand together on this issue, they
will present a united front for teens.
Think about where alcohol is kept in
your home and how much alcohol
you have on hand. Remember, almost
75 percent of seventh-graders who
drink alcohol obtain it from their par
ents (with or without their knowledge).
Create opportunities and activities
in your home so your kids and
their friends feel welcome.
Think about upcoming family get-
togethers and social events. Are there
situations where alcohol can be elimi
nated? Discuss it as a family. Make a
decision on what’s best for everyone, not
necessarily on what’s always been done.
If you choose to drink alcohol, fol
low the guidelines in the chart. They
represent a model for low-risk drink
ing behavior. The key is to limit your
alcohol intake so that you do not put
yourself or others at risk.
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Nearly 90 percent of l0,h-graders
and 75 percent of eighth-graders
say alcohol is “fairly easy” or “very
easy” to get.
Almost 75 percent of seventh-graders
who drink alcohol obtain it from
their parents (with or without their
knowledge).
About 65 percent of the students
who drink buy their own alcoholic
beverages.
Teen-agers often find someone older
to buy it, use fake ID and purchase it
themselves, steal it from stores, or
take it from their own homes.
Information provided by:
• SAMSHA (Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administra-
tion) and NIAAA (National Institute
of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
• “Monitoring the Future Study”
National Institute on Drug Abuse
• “Drinking Habits, Access, Atti
tudes, and Knowledge: A National
Survey from the Surgeon General,
“Youth and Alcohol: A National
Survey”
• Oregon Department of Human Ser
vices and Office of Mental Health
and Addiction Services Resource
Center
The Law
The legal drinking age in
all states is 21!