TRIBAL PROGRAM NEWS
Upside to the Downside of
Energy Drinks
TLC Attitudes of Gratitude
by Lynn Whitlow
by De Anna Pearl, ATOD Prevention Specialist
We all do it! Stop at the loeal drive-
through coffee shop to get a pick-me-
up. Purchase some “energy” to make
it through the rest of our day.
In addition, youth and adults are
doing the same with the purchase of
so-called “energy drinks.” Most people
haven't given much thought to the po
tential health risks of these products.
“Energy drinks” were popularized
in the United States with the 1997 in
troduction of Red Bull®, a carbonated
beverage from Austria that contains 80
mg of caffeine in every bottle - about
the same amount as is found in a cup
of coffee.
For comparison, classic Coca Cola*
contains 23 mg caffeine and Mountain
Dew® contains 37 mg caffeine. The
caffeine content of a single serving of
“energy drink” can range from 72 to
150 mg, however, many bottles/cans
contain 2-3 servings, raising the caf
feine content to as high as 294 mg per
bottle/can.1
These drinks do not depend on caf
feine alone to provide the boost. The
term “energy drinks” refers to the bev
erages that contain caffeine in combi
nation with other ingredients, such as
taurine, guarana and B vitamins.
These drinks also contain large
amounts of sugar. On average per serv
ing, there are 27 grams of sugar. Re
member. many bottles/cans contain
2-3 servings, raising the sugar content
to as high as 86g per bottle/can.
The calories in these drinks do pro
vide some energy, but mostly their con
tent of caffeine and taurine “soup up”
one’s feelings of alertness and may
produce troublesome side effects such
as anxiety, irritability, heart palpitations,
difficulty sleeping and indigestion.
These manifestations are more likely
to occur with “energy drinks” than with
coffee, which one usually drinks more
slowly than the cooled “energy drinks.”
“Energy drinks” also can lead to de
hydration because caffeine stimulates
urination and thus increases water loss.
Here's the kicker: Many brewing
companies have taken notice of the
trend to use these drinks as mixers with
alcohol. They are now selling “energy
drinks” already laced with alcohol -
carbonated malt beverages (beers) con
taining somewhat more alcohol than
average beers, along with the caffeine,
taurine, and other constituents of the
non-alcoholic “energy drinks.”
As many as 20 brands of alcoholic
“energy drinks” have been marketed in
the last 10 years. Federal officials have
been asked to investigate the ingredients
in these products because of their alco
hol content and because of the adver
tising accompanying them, which targets
underage customers with misleading
claims of benefits, such as increases in
energy and stamina. Unfortunately,
most of these cans/bottles look the
same as non-alcoholic counterparts.
What can you do? First, limit or
stop your minor from consuming these
“souped up” drinks. Ask local stores and
mini-marts to change their sales poli
cies to minors for better monitoring.
Get informed about the potential health
risks of these products. Parents are the
First line of defense on children's health.
For more information, please con
tact me at 541-444-8267 or 800-600-
5599.
1
Look around for the “May flow
ers.” They probably won't be roses, but
stop to smell them anyway.
At the Women's Transitional Living
Center (TLC), we hold a Women's Talk
ing Circle every month. This circle is
open to all women to come share their
hearts and concerns with each other.
The night before I wrote this col
umn, we had a very powerful Talking
Circle with the topic pre-requested by
a group participant. Ten women at
tended and all were able to share their
feelings and experiences about grief
and loss. They also freely shared their
gratitudes.
A TLC resident and group partici
pant shared her experience: “I knew
that I could come to the Talking Circle
with my feelings about grief and loss.
The women in this Talking Circle are so
powerful. I knew I could get healing
just being and participating in the Circle.”
She also shared her gratitudes: "I
am grateful for the communication and
caring between the residents and the
A&D/TLC staff. I'm grateful for my
friends in the community because I can
call them and they’ll be there to help
me. I am grateful to the TLC coordina
tor for transporting us and for putting
up with us. I am grateful that I can
laugh and really mean it.”
We at the TLC invite and encour
age other women to join us at our next
circle at the TLC on May 14. We begin
with a potluck dinner at 5:45 p.m. It's
a wonderful time of fellowship, woman
talk and laughter. The Talking Circle
begins at about 6:30 p.m. and ends
when the sharing is over.
This writer has been attending
these circles for about eight years. They
have all been awesome - whether at
tended by two or 15 women. Please join
us at the May circle. If you can't be
here for dinner, please come for the
Talking Circle. Unfortunately we don't
have child care at this time.
Call 541-444-8238 or 800-600-5599
if you have any questions.
Occasionally, past TLC residents
check in with us to let us know their
successes, get some guidance on tough
life issues or just chat. A past resident
called this week and was talking about
things she was grateful for. She said.
“I can write down 15 things I'm grate
ful for.”
She didn't quite have time for 15.
but here are some she wanted to share
with you: “I'm grateful for my ‘adopted’
mom. for folks in Newport and Siletz
who support me and are like family.
I'm grateful for my first child and his
adoptive mother. I'm grateful for my
daughter and my expected child. I'm
grateful for the life God gave me and
for the second chance I have in my
recovery groups. I'm grateful for the
Siletz Tribe, for my health. I'm grate
ful for being a good mom and for hav
ing kids around me. I'm grateful for
learning and improving my life skills
and for getting to grow each day. I'm
grateful for having love in my life.”
Wow! And what is your gratitude
level?
We're still seeking overnight vol
unteers at the TLC and women in re
covery, who attend AA and NA, who
would be willing to pick up and drive
TLC residents to evening meetings. Call
541-444-8238 or 800-600-5599 if you
are willing to serve.
Have a lovely spring!
©2007 Johns Hopkins University. All Rights
Reserved
Walt’s Words of Wit and Wisdom
by Walt Klamath
We have been having a big fight -
with alcohol. Alcohol says we can whip
it. so we try. We swing, miss, alcohol
hits, down we go.
Alcohol says it was a lucky punch,
you can beat me. We believe alcohol,
we try again and maybe last a couple
of rounds, then whop, down we go.
Again alcohol says lucky, you can
beat me anytime. Again we believe al
cohol. it's so convincing and we go at
it again, really putting forth the energy.
We are going to beat alcohol this time;
again alcohol puts us down.
Many of us have had this battle
over and over, then one day alcohol
puts us down for the count, we may or
may not survive.
Alcohol can be beat. Sometimes we
have to have help in doing it. A few of
us can do it by ourselves but from what
I have seen, most of us have had some
help from the judge or PO.
Now. I do agree we don't like be
ing told we have to do something. Well,
we don’t have to do anything, we do
have a choice. Most of the time the
second choice is worse than the first.
Sometime we have to attend a self
help activity. From my own experi
ence, I didn't like it. Didn't like the
people there; I was above them. I
thought at the time anyway.
One time at a self-help activity in
Newport. I was sitting at the table look
ing at them scrungy-lookin' losers, fig
uring I don't belong here. I have a col
lege education (Multnomah Tech, au
tomatic transmissions). I own three or
four vehicles. I own a fishing boat, and
I have 10 acres. Big deal.
The fellow leading the session
owned a 70-foot high liner fishing boat.
I have a 20-foot dory. Man beside me
was a professor at Linfield College.
Across the table was a fellow from
Tillamook, he owned 200 head of dairy
cattle (I have two cows). Another fel
low owned a fleet of trucks. I was shut
up and didn't even say anything, one
of the few times I kept my mouth shut.
These people had all whipped al
cohol. They did not do it on their own
power, they had to have another souref
of power to give them that knockout
punch against alcohol.
We sometimes think we are unique,
that no one knows what is happening
in my life, but there are many who do
know. We have to listen and we have
to talk. We have to bring out these in
nermost feelings and take a look at
them. Then we listen to others about
how they overcome these barriers.
Today one of our metaphors is the
water, the most powerful force on earth,
the most patient force, the most deter
mined force and the most humble
force. It takes the easiest route, it goes
in the lowest areas, nothing stops it
over time.
Water comes to a barrier and will
go under it. around it or over it or re
move it. Dams are put on the rivers,
they have to be continually maintained
or water will remove it.
That is the way we have to attack
alcohol or any other addiction. We
have to be more determined than alco
hol or other drugs. It can be done, how
ever it's not easy or simple.
Many of us have whipped alcohol.
Its spirit, however, is wailing, also pa
tiently. for us to be in a weak moment.
Just like the little hawk that hovers over
the field waiting for a mouse to appear
and whop! It s done it again. Once we
are addicted, we are always addicted,
much to our dismay.
Asking for help is not a sign of
weakness, it's a sign of strength and
power. Everyone has it in them.
May 2008
•
Siletz News
•
9