Prevention includes healing principles, keeping drugs out of kids’ reach
By Jenifer Metcalf, Prevention Coordinator
Welcome back to school, all you stu
dents. Hope you have a great 2012-2013
school year.
Prevention is about raising protec
tive factors. The philosophy of the Siletz
Tribal Prevention Program is based on
four healing principles:
comes from within - ourselves, our
3.
Tribe and our community. We will
find the support and resources to heal,
renew and rebuild.
Our journey is linked to the past. It
2.
is with our traditions, cultural values
and today’s knowledge that we will be
1.
able to restore, mend and strengthen
Healing from problems associated
with alcohol, tobacco and other drugs
ourselves and future generations.
4.
We will educate our children about the
harmful effects of alcohol, tobacco
and other drugs from the time they
are in their mother’s womb until they
pass from this world. The health,
success and well-being of future gen
erations depend upon the strength of
our message.
Healing of the individual and Tribe go
hand in hand. The well-being of the
Opiate-based prescriptions declared an epidemic by the CDC
Wednesday, July 25, 2012, by Ben
(NaturalNews) There has been a
recent epidemic of opium-addiction that
is growing fast as one of America’s drug
problems. The CDC says this is not com
ing from foreign cartels, traffickers or
drug dealers, but from the pharmacy that
so many visit for prescribed medicines.
These opiate-based drugs include
Vicodin, Oxycontin, Oxycodone and
other opioid pain relievers. The CDC
says that last year alone, enough of these
drugs were prescribed to medicate each
and every American adult with “five mg of
hydrocodone (Vicodin and others), taken
every four hours, for a month and have
led to over 40,000 drug overdose deaths.”
Currently, there are more overdose
deaths from these prescribed drugs than
heroin and cocaine combined. Further
more, the consumption of these drugs
is costing health insurers approximately
$72.5 billion annually. As many people
know, the problem also lies in the fact
that the underlying causes are not being
managed, but rather just the pain when it
comes to painkillers like these.
Opiate-based drugs are by far the
most addictive painkillers available and
sadly, people who take these medications
to cope with legitimate pain can find
themselves becoming addicted. Even the
doctors who prescribe these medications
are at risk - some studies show that as
many as 10 percent of the doctors who
are prescribing these painkillers can
become addicted.
Why are these painkillers so addic
tive? The opiates themselves and the
effect they have on the human brain are
the reason.
The opiates found in these prescrip
tion drugs create and release artificial
endorphins in the brain, creating warm
and good feelings. With regular use, the
brain stops making these endorphins
and the only way the user can experience
the same feeling is to continue taking
these drugs.
After the body stops producing these
endorphins, the user now must take these
drugs to avoid feeling bad. It isn’t used as
a way to feel good anymore, but rather to
avoid negative feelings.
It is unfortunate that these addictions
are becoming common and there are many
factors that contribute to this epidemic.
Part of the problem lies in doctors, where
they may find it more efficient to prescribe
medication to help the pain instead of
spending more time on the underlying
cause of the pain.
Another problem is the patients,
demanding immediate relief from pain
rather than allowing doctors to follow
steps in properly curing them. Govern
ment too could better police prescriptions
to ensure that this problem isn’t spiraling
out of control.
If all these elements worked together,
there would be a much greater chance to
eliminate this unfortunate epidemic. The
end result is tragic for patients, when
there are so many options of alternative
medicine or natural remedies without
depending on prescribed medications.
Sources for this article include.
•
huffingtonpost.com
•
michaelshouse.com
•
cdc.gov/Features/VitalSigns/MethadoneOver-
doses/
USDA distribution dates in October
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Siletz
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Oct.
Oct.
Oct.
Oct.
Oct.
1
2
3
4
5
Turkey Chili
9
9
9
9
9
a.m.
a.m.
a.m.
a.m.
a.m.
- 3
- 3
- 3
- 3
- 3
p.m.
p.m.
p.m.
p.m.
p.m.
Salem
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Oct.
Oct.
Oct.
Oct.
15
1:30 - 6:30 p.m.
16 9 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
17
9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
18
9-11 a.m.
OQKKXX
You can reach us at our Siletz ware
house at 800-922-1399, ext. 1393 or
ext. 1279, or you can call direct at
541-444-8393 or 541-444-8279.
Joyce Retherford
USDA Food Program Director
Lisa Paul
USDA Clerk/Warehouseman
2 pounds diced, fully cooked turkey
roast*
CEDARR
Community Efforts
Demonstrating the Ability to
1 can diced tomatoes*
1 can tomato sauce*
Rebuild and Restore
2 cans black beans (with juice)*
Mission Statement: We will
2 cans kidney beans (with juice)*
2 bell peppers, diced*
1 onion, diced*
utilize resources to prevent the
use of alcohol and other drugs,
2 palms-ful chili powder
delinquency and violence; we
will seek to reduce the barriers to
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
treatment and support those who
choose abstinance.
Saute onion and pepper together
in a big pot. Add diced turkey roast
and heat through. Add remaining
ingredients; simmer for 30 minutes.
Oct. 3
*Foods found in the FDPIR com
modity food package
Siletz Tribal Behavioral Health Programs
X
Noon
Siletz Public Library
255 SE Gaither
Siletz
Prevention, Outpatient Treatment, and Women’s and Men’s Transitional
6
*
Siletz: 800-600-5599 or
541-444-8286
Narcotics Anonymous Toll-Free
Eugene: 541-484-4234
Help Line - 877-233-4287
Salem: 503-390-9494
For information on Alcoholics
Portland: 503-238-1512
Anonymous: aa-oregon.org
Siletz News
*
October 2012
Tribe is inseparable from the well
being of the individual.
In years past, we have had town halls
in our community and with partnering pre
vention agencies in Lincoln County. The
most recent town halls in the past two years
have been on opiate epidemiology and how
opiate use and abuse is on the rise. On July
25, 2012, the Centers for Disease Control
declared a national opiate epidemic.
Parents, protect your
teens from opiate
addiction
The prescription drug epidemic in the
U.S. is leading to an increase in heroin
use for those who can no longer afford
or obtain prescription opiates - especially
among teens.
“Parents should not hesitate to force
their kid to seek help for this,” said Dr. Joe
Gay, an Athens, Ohio, psychologist who
treats addiction, noting the “ever-present
danger” of overdose. “This is such a
critical condition and it’s progressive. It’s
important to get help as soon as you can.”
Studies show that the earlier opi
ate addiction is treated, the greater the
chances for long-term abstinence, said Dr.
Lynn Fiellin, a Yale internist who treats
and studies addiction.
To read the full article. For parents:
Opiate use warning signs and getting
help, from MSNBC, visit vitals.msnbc.
msn.com/_news/2012/06/07/12091788-
for-parents-opiate-use-wam-
ing-signs-and-getting-help?utm_
source=Join+Together+Daily&utm_
campaign=b09b5f4572-JT_Daily_
News_Voters_in_Califomia&utm_
medium=email
To read the full article, Opi
ate addiction: How prescription pain
killers pave the way to heroin, from
MSNBC, visit vitals.msnbc.msn.
com/_news/2012/06/06/12091427-
opiate-addiction-how-prescription-
painkillers-pave-the-way-to-heroin?lite
Please take the time to look at
these articles on the Internet. If you are
concerned for your children or a loved
one, please contact someone in your area
so they can help you protect your family
or friends.
More information on this issue for
the Siletz/Lincoln County area will be
discussed at our upcoming CEDARR
Coalition meeting. At our last meet
ing, a patrol deputy from the Lincoln
County Sheriff’s Office attended and
spoke about the opiate epidemic on the
rise in this county.
Prevention starts at home. Parents -
talk to your children about the risks of
drugs and alcohol. Talk to your children
about being honest and kind with words
and actions.
For more information about
Community Iftorte Domonitrotlne the Ability
to Rebuild and Reaiom
the Siletz Tribe, please
visit ctsi.nsn.us.