Page 8, Portland Observer, March 23, 1988 Billion Dollar Drug Business Finds Profits in Children Last year, 365 children between the ages of 11 and 14 were arrested on narcotics charges in the city of Los Angeles. The same year, nearly three thousand Los Angeles juveniles between 15 and 17 were arrested on the same charges. Those figures, however, are not limited only to the city of Los Angeles. Incidence of drug use and drug abuse among minors continues to rise at an alarming rate around the country. According to one expert, rising drug abuse among children is being fueled not only by the easy availability of substances such as crack —a cheap, highly concentrated, smokable form of cocaine that can be pur­ chased on the streets for less than the cost of a new compact disc recording but by peer pressure that makes taking drugs not only acceptable but even attractive. "Only half of all high school seniors say they find any risk in trying heroin or LSD once or tw ice," says John Duff, author of the book The Truth About Drugs". "The idea these kids have is that drugs are something you can just 'try' and then somehow remain unaffected. That's crazy. "W e have become very conditioned to the idea that drug use and drug abuse is something that is somehow socially acceptable says Duff, who is also President of Narconon International, one of the most successful drug education and rehabilitation programs in the country. Drugs are an $800 billion-a-year business worldwide," he notes. "That is a business that is larger than the gross national product of any single country in the world. There is obviously a very large vested interest that wants people on drugs. " "What is happening now is that the drug market is being expanded by selling more and more drugs to progressively younger and younger users," he says. "A t the same time, those drugs are not only being made more available but also more cheaply attainable, as with crack. That's why we are now faced with 11 and 12 year olds addicted to street drugs." The difficulty in getting juveniles off drugs is compounded by the fact that parents are often either unable to recognize their children's drug pro­ blems or are themselves abusing drugs. "Seventy to eighty percent of all Americans have tried some form of illegal drug by the time they reach their mid-twenties," says Duff. "Parents often have to handle their own drug problem before they can handle their children's." Though users usually consider it difficult, if not impossible, to kick a drug habit, there are effective rehab programs available according to Duff, who successfully freed himself from heroin addiction. "The Narconon program not only gets a person off drugs, but keeps them o ff," says Duff. "Narconon also provides drug education seminars for parents, teachers and anyone else who feels they may not be able to really recognize the symptoms of drug abuse. "If you know what the warning signs are, you can take steps to get your children off drugs before they become addicts," says Duff. "O f course, the best way to deal with the problem is to teach children to say no to drugs in the first place." The Black United Fund of Oregon ‘Helping People Help Themselves' The Black United Fund of Oregon provides financial and technical assistance to non-profit organizations operating in or serving Oregon s Black communities. Send your tax deductible contribution to the BUFO at P.O. Box 12400, Portland, OK. 97212, (503)282-7973, or contribute through your company's payroll deduction plan. These companies are leading the way in payroll deductions and helping the BUFO better serve our communities. IBM Corporation Portland Community College St. Andrew Legal Clinic M eli’sa Morgan: Burgeoning Talent Has Big Voice, Big Plans W ith the release of only her first album since her successful debut in 1985, sultry songstress M eli’sa Morgan is getting rave re­ views for her impressive follow ­ up effort, "Good Love,” reports the April EBONY. M o rg a n , th e 2 4 -y e a r-o ld Queens, N.Y., native, says she Hair Elegance Designers Easter Special *1 For the Whole Family : i j . • Hair Elegance Designers got started October 18,1986, on 13th and Dekum. We later decided to make another career move to 603 N.E. Killingsworth, where busi­ ness has been both a pleasure and success. We have a full- service salon, and plan to expand our business with hair supplies, facial room, snacks, and there w ill be no need to stop anywhere afterwards. Come and check us out. Three to keep you flying free. Here are three basic rules to keep kite flying free of trouble! One. al­ ways fly in dry weather away from any over­ head wires. Two. never use any wire or metal in your kite. Three, if your kite does get caught up in a power line, don’t try to get it untangled, lust call us. We spell help in some N ARCH 18-MAY » Organized by th . S«o J o « MuMam oi A n and rireubned undar ifw aiMptcm iV N N.E. Community Mental Health Clinic Portland Public Schools Tri-Met FIRST TIME BUYER 6 MOS. RESIDENCE 6 MOS. JOB D O N ’T PUT YOUR LIFE ON THE LINE. r.-f-i * • » » >?v “V ’ . «Z**« i..- fit For instance, # the number above that ends in PUMP puts you i n # touch with all kinds of information on heat pumps. The number that ends in SAFE Melds informa­ tion on outdoor lighting. The number that ends in WAIR covers electric water heaters And the number that ends in WARM is for weatherization. Fact is, we have a direct line for virtually every' one of our services-so we dont waste your time switching you from line to line. To call, simply look us up in your local NO CREDIT? YOU MAY QUALIFY PORTLAND OBSERVER The Eyes and Ears of the Community' 288-0033 telephone directory'. There, help is spelled just like you'd expect. “Portland General Electric. P O R T L A N D G E N E R A L NEW AND USED CARS ANY MAKE ANY MODEL ASK FOR DEXTER LESUEUR ASST. SALES MANAGER E L E C T R i - n % * ' !»•’ Ci Y - • 1 .......... . ‘ ." T ’ I