TRIBAL PROGRAM NEWS
Notes from Healthy Family
Healthy Child Project
The good news is that illegal drug use • A family history of substance or
by our kids is down. The bad news is that
alcohol abuse
the abuse of preseribed drugs is up and • Depression
parents and grandparents are the source • Low' self-esteem
of these drugs.
• Feel like they don't fit in and are not
Today, teen-agers are not using as
popular with the mainstream
much cocaine, crack. LSD and ecstasy
• Frequently feel sluggish and have
as the teen-agers of the 1960s. Kids have
difficulty sleeping
found other ways and means to get high;
* Aggressive and rebellious attitude
painkillers and other prescription drugs
toward authority figures
. are being abused at record levels. This
upcoming generation of teens has been
Prescription drug abuse is increas
given the name “Generation Rx.”
ing; the main reason is they are so easily
Teens often get caught raiding their
parents' or grandparents’ medicine cabi accessible. If your child has one or more
nets in order to get high. For the first time, of the above behaviors, seek help from a
professional.
national studies show that today’s teens
Some things you can share with
lcvi commons ana Jeremy Sweet register for the White Bison training held at Chi
are more likely to have abused a prescrip
your teen about prescription medications
nook Winds Casino Resort in December. Helping out with registration are Edwina
tion painkiller than any illicit drug.
include:
Flagg, Jennifer Metcalf, LeiLani Cordova. Jenifer Most and Shannon Cook-Wright.
Teen-agers can get involved with
prescription drugs in various ways. The
White Bison s focus is wellness or Wellbriety, which means to nurture the whole
experimental stage can be very danger • Pharmaceuticals taken without a pre
person, the whole family and the whole community - to move people beyond sur
scription or a doctor’s supervision can
ous because kids often don't see the link
vival to thriving in a cultural way. The "well" part of Wellbriety means to live the
be just as dangerous as taking illicit
between their actions today the conse
healthy parts of the principles, laws and values of traditional culture.
drugs or alcohol.
quences of their actions tomorrow.
• Abusing painkillers is like abusing
Most teens have a tendency to feel
heroin because their ingredients are
indestructible and immune to the prob
similar (both are opiates).
lems that others experience. Some teens
will experiment and stop, while others • Prescription medications are power
ful substances. Medications help sick
may continue to use occasionally without
by Walt Klamath
people and are administered by a doc
any significant problem. Then there are
tor. When prescription medication is
Well, another year has come and gone. Time is going too fast, I still am in about those who develop a dependency; these
June, I think, maybe last year. It’s said that time flies when one is having fun; didn’t are the ones who need immediate inter
not used for sickness and not admin
realize how much fun I have been having.
vention and help learning to make better
istered by a professional, it becomes
I go to prison once a month. By golly, seems like I just get back and they call again. decisions.
a controlled substance and the impact
It’s impossible to predict which teens
I have been going into the prison system now for a number of years.
on the person can be deadly.
1 have met a lot of people and have seen a few after release. I don’t know how will experiment and stop and which ones • Many pills look the same and teen
will develop serious problems. Know
many do well afterward, but I personally know 13. If there are that many, I know then
agers can get them mixed up. This
there are a lot more.
what your teen is doing and who they are
can cause different reactions in dif
I have not seen as many Tribal members as I would like; for some reason I don’t doing it with. The following are some
ferent people because of the body’s
get to see them. I don’t know if they are in the institution or another. Lately, I have warning signs of teen-agers at risk for
chemistry. It s extremely dangerous
been going into the Santiam; that is a minimal security, get those from OSP, Milk developing serious prescription drug
to take pills that are unknown.
dependency:
Creek and Santiam.
• Mixing drugs with other substances is
Sometimes I get up to 42 for the sweat ceremony. I see many from Grand Ronde
very dangerous. Some people have al
Hoopa, Kurok, Klamath people. Some are from local areas like Summit.
lergic reactions to different chemicals
I have not gone to OSCI for a long time; Two Rivers I went to when I was hunt
when they are mixed together.
Narcotics Anonymous Toll-Free
ing, Ukia and Snake River also. I don’t know who else goes to the prisons, but there
Help Line - 877-233-4287
are not enough of us doing this type of work,
What can you do to help prevent teens
Many are getting up in years so hopefully some young bucks will step forward
or any other person from getting involved
For information on Alcoholics
and pick up the feather. It’s true we cannot change anybody, but we can kind of set a
with prescription drug abuse? The best
Anonymous: www.aa-oregon.org/
direction and nudge a little bit. But the full responsibility is on their shoulders.
thing to do is keep your prescription drugs
Many of them have never had a taste of Native ceremony or belief till they became
in a safe place.
incarcerated. Why? I don’t know, maybe it’s not advertised, maybe fear, maybe don’t
Don t put them in the medicine cabi
have time or maybe not enough is being done in the Indian community. Like so many
net in your bathroom because that is the
other things, a lot of questions and few answers.
first place teen-agers will look. If possible,
I believe that we all need to get behind our people and teach. Really, it makes little
Siletz Tribal A&D
lock them up in a cabinet or safe box. Talk
difference how it is approached; in my case, it’s the sweat lodge. However, that is not
to your teen and warn them of the dangers
Programs
the only avenue. Like other self-help activities, it’s a kick-start. One does not have to
of prescription drug abuse.
be tied down to “this is the only way.” There are many ways.
Prevention, Outpatient
Sometimes I go on Saturday and turn around and go on Sunday, then at my place
Treatment and
References
on Monday. Kind of busy at times. It hasn’t always been that way, but it’s starting to
Generation Rx ? Teens abusing prescrip
Women’s Transitional
happen more often.
tions. MSNBC.com. Report: More
I think I will patent a weight-loss thing, though. I usually lose two pounds a
youth getting high on painkillers
sweat. Of course, that is mostly water I guess, but it’s a loss of weight for a day or
Siletz: 800-600-5599 or
than on illegal drugs, The Associ
two anyway.
7
541-444-8286
ated Press, April 21, 2005. www.
At my place, we have sweats every Monday night at 5 - rain, snow, hail or what
msnbc.msn.eom/id/7582787/print/l/
have you. Holidays? Well, our lodge is dedicated to recovery and alcohol and drugs
Eugene: 541-484-4234
displaymode/1098/.
do not take a holiday. In fact, holidays are days to double up so if necessary, we will
Drugs and Teens Substance Abuse, www.
double up on the stones and water.
focusas.com/substanceabuse.html.
Our lodge is open to all peoples - red, yellow, white and black. Spirituality belongs
Salem: 503-390-9494
The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol
to any who seek it, I believe anyway. We have had those who recover in the lodge and
and Drug Information (NCADI).
we have had those who die because they could not remain clean and sober. It’s not a
Portland: 503-238-1512
www.drugfree.org/portal/DrugIssue/
religious ceremony, however, it is spiritual.
Features/Prescription JVIedicineMisuse.
Walt’s Words of Wit and Wisdom
January 2009
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Siletz News
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