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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 25, 2016)
3A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 2016 DRUGS AND KIDS Brides on parade Recovering addict says it’s about education County teens have higher rates of reported drug use By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian When people need a sober assessment of how serious a community’s drug problem is, Eric Martin said, that is when he is usually invited to speak. Martin, a recovery coun- selor, expert on drug ad- diction and a recovering addict who is an instruc- tor at the 8QLYHUVLW\ of Oregon, was brought Eric Martin in by North Coast Prevention Works Thursday to educate the pub- lic during two forums about heroin and recently legalized marijuana. “Oregon is one of the top 10 drug-using states in one of the most drug-using countries in the world,” Martin said, not- ing the state ranks in the top 10 nationally in past-year usage rates of every major drug, a distinction matched only by Colorado. Younger problem Clatsop County teens, he said, also have a higher rate of drug and alcohol use in the past 30 days than the rest of the state. According to the 2015 Oregon Health Teens Survey, taken anonymously by eighth- and 11th graders, 9 percent of eighth-graders and 31.2 percent of high school juniors reported using marijuana at least once in the past month. More than 15 percent of ju- niors reported using prescrip- tion drugs in the past month without a doctor’s note. From tobacco and alcohol to mari- juana and prescription drugs, Clatsop County had higher rates of reported drug use than the state. Astoria High School Coun- selor Andrew Fick said that with all the grim statistics, it is important to note that most kids do not use drugs or alcohol. “I don’t want the impres- sion to be that schools look the other way,” he said. Fick said the high school focuses on preventative educa- tion, increasing access to help for those who have problems and providing students with plenty of opportunities to live an active, sober lifestyle. Martin said the issue of youth drug and alcohol abuse is especially troubling because Oregon ranks in the top three nationally for high school dropout rates. He said there is a strong correlation between dropout rates and drug use. Many people who end up in treatment for drug and alcohol abuse also show an earlier on- set of use. By age 25, Martin said, people become much more likely to get clean, party less and become more adult, based on behavioral data. Opiates Of special concern are opi- ates, which Martin said are the hardest to wean off of and have the highest rates of relapse. The drug is experiencing a re- surgence, including overdose rates rivaling the HIV epidem- ic in the 1980s. “We are sort of awash in black tar heroin on the West &RDVW RI WKH 86´ 0DUWLQ said, adding cartels ramped XS SURGXFWLRQ DIWHU 86 DQG Mexican authorities clamped down on methamphetamine. Kerry Strickland, a for- mer secretary at Astoria High School who spoke at one of the forums, said her son Jor- dan’s issues started in high school, when he and friends started using prescription opi- ates when partying. Someone eventually introduced Jor- dan to heroin, she said, and he spent the next seven years EDWWOLQJDGGLFWLRQYLVLWLQJ¿YH WUHDWPHQWFHQWHUVEHIRUH¿QDO- ly getting clean at a facility in Hollywood, California. After seven months of sobriety, she said, he and a friend decided to go have a beer. Within two days, her son had relapsed and died of an overdose. Community issue “We live in a society where altering oneself is what we do to socialize,” Strickland said, adding society needs to over- come the stigma of addiction and work together on the issue. The closest people came to a consensus at the forum was on education. Some put the onus on schools, while others said the problem is one for the community as a whole. “The scare tactics don’t work on kids these days,” said Michael Sahlberg, a para- medic with Medix who goes into schools to educate young people on drugs and alcohol. “They have to be informed.” YOUTH DRUG PREVENTION North Coast Prevention Works, a Clatsop County coalition focused on preventing youth drug and alcohol abuse, meets from 3:30 to 5 p.m. the third Thursday of each month at Warrenton City Hall, 225 S. Main Ave. Prosecutors, parents, health experts address heroin abuse Millett of the Oregon Public Health Division State Prescrip- A Connect the Dots panel tion Drug Monitoring Program presentation, “The Opioids & and Overdose EPI/Injury and Heroin Epidemic,” takes place Violence Prevention; John from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tues- McIllven, a licensed mental day at the Judge Guy Boying- health counselor, Oregon’s state opioid authority, operations and ton Building. Presenters include Clatsop policy analyst and manager of County District Attorney Josh the Health Professionals Ser- Marquis; Clatsop County Dep- YLFH 3URJUDP DQG 'U 6D¿QD uty District Attorney David Koreishi, medical director of Goldthorpe; Kerry Strickland, WKH &ROXPELD 3DFL¿F &RRUGL- D&ODWVRS&RXQW\SDUHQW/LVD nated Care Organization. The Daily Astorian Couples and future brides were treated to a fashion show and sampled exhibits at the ShoreStyle Wedding Faire Sat- urday at the The Loft at the Red Building. Charlene Harbor, along with other models, took a final turn modeling bridal gowns. Photos by Linh DePledge/For The Daily Astorian Erin Wilson and Nick Muir, of Beaverton, who are planning a coastal wedding, check out Holly McHone Jewelers of Astoria. .081EURDGFDVW area reduced due to equipment failure .081¶V EURDGFDVW KDV taken over KCPB. But the .081&RDVW&RPPXQLW\ broadcast area for KCPB is Radio is down to its secondary only 700 watts, compared station, KCPB (90.9 FM), af- WR DERXW IRU .081 ter a piece of equipment broke Rideout said, meaning the on its Megler Mountain trans- station only reaches parts of WKH /RQJ %HDFK :DVKLQJ- mitter. General Manager Joanne ton, Peninsula and as far as Rideout said an exciter, the Cannon Beach, instead of to term for the oscillator creat- Raymond, Washington, and ing the radio frequency signal 3DFL¿F &LW\ ZLWK WKH XVXDO and the modulator adding the transmitter. Rideout said the parts information to be transmitted, have been ordered from Port- has broken. :KLOH .081¶V VLJQDO land, and the radio station still goes from the Tillicum could be back to normal as House to Megler Mountain, VRRQ DV :HGQHVGD\ /LVWHQ- the transmitter does not send HUV FDQ DOVR VWUHDP .081 at www.coastradio.org anything out. The Daily Astorian Clatsop County hires new human resources director The Daily Astorian Clatsop County hired a new human resources director. Robin Koch will join the county Feb. 8. She replaces Dean Perez, who left the posi- tion in June after 16 years for a new job in Bothell, Wash- ington. Mark Story served in the position on an interim basis since October. Koch, a Portland native, has an extensive 20-plus- years background in human resources in both the private and public sectors, according to the county. She most recently served as employee relations manag- er for Tacoma. She has bach- elor’s and master’s degrees IURP3DFL¿F/XWKHUDQ8QLYHU- sity. The human resources director oversees person- nel-related responsibilities for the county’s approximately 200-person workforce, in- cluding recruitment, training, performance evaluation, com- SHQVDWLRQDQGEHQH¿WVDVZHOO as risk management. Cari Knapp modeling one of many bridal gowns from the fashion show. Transit district recognizes riders with free bus service The Daily Astorian The Sunset Empire Trans- portation District has an- nounced that its annual Rid- ership Appreciation Day is Thursday. The district sets aside one day every year to offer free bus service on all regular routes in Clatsop County to bus riders and the local community in apprecia- tion of their support. Refreshments are avail- able from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Astoria Transit Center, 900 Marine Drive, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sea- side Kiosk, 1111 N. Roosevelt Drive in Seaside. Ridership Appreciation Day is scheduled to coincide with the Project Homeless Connect event, which is also being held Thursday at the Seaside Convention Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For information about Rid- ership Appreciation Day or Project Homeless Connect, contact Mary Parker at 503- 861-5370. Rep. Boone to appear at town hall on storm insurance tonight The Daily Astorian State Rep. Deborah Boone is part of a town hall on storm insurance tonight at Tillamook Community Col- lege in Tillamook. “During the month of De- cember, severe winter storms hit the North Coast,” Boone wrote in a release Sunday. ³8QIRUWXQDWHO\ VRPH IRONV incurred damage to their homes, cars, and property IURP ÀRRGLQJ IDOOLQJ WUHHV blown-off shingles, etc. And LI\RX¶YHHYHU¿OHGDQLQVXU- ance claim, you know how frustrating that can be.” Boone, D-Cannon Beach, will hold the town hall with 5HS'DYLG*RPEHUJ'/LQ- coln City, and representa- tives from the Oregon In- surance Division. 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