A pril 06, 1994 • T he P ortland O bserver P age A2 ------- S ^THtSvir I vôÂAv'ja aw^noM .•.•.•.•.•»>. -W» . V «IY< W4je ÿ o rtla n h (Pbseriier i! \s '■'■« Tracking The Crack Cocaine Epidemic in S tephen L loyd J ohnson Charting the course o f the crack/ cocaine epidemic through the 1980s and early 1990s offers addiction re­ searchers im p o rta n t in fo rm a tio n about the way urban communities react to entrenched patterns o f addic­ tion. Has crack/cocainc use tapered o ff in the 1990s? Are individuals vo lu ntarily abandoning their addic­ tions because o f the losses they are experiencing? Are there patterns o f crack use that w ill allow individuals to have life long addictions to this drug? W hat are the possibilities o f individuals and communities moving largely into the use o f depressant drugs, and the crack/cocaineepidemic w ind­ ing down as we approach the end o f this decade? THE NATIONAL PICTURE: The smoking o f cocaine through the process o f free-basing began to be noticed in the largest cities o f the United Suites by 1979 (Inciardi, 1993). Seen m ainly in individuals and social groups who were already addicted to inhaling powdered cocaine (chloral hydrate), this specific type method o f preparing cocaine for smoking lasted w ell into 1984, when it began to be largely replaced by crack/cocainc use. Out o f seventy individuals applying fo r outpatient care at our Seattle clinic in 1993, only six had initiated their cocaine use with freebase cocaine. Interviews completed in treat­ ment programs in Atlanta, Philadel­ phia, New York C ity, San Francisco, and Seattle in the summer o f 1992 indicate thatcrack/cocaine was being used in each o f these cities by 1981 or 1982. Many older individuals had 7- 12 year histories o f intranasal use o f cocaine or freebasing cocaine previ­ ous to their use o f crack, w hile most younger ¡individuals had a only one to two year histories o f interm ittent use o f powder cocaine, marijuana, and alcohol. The National Household Survey on Drug Abuse estimates that in house­ holds measured in 1991 3.9 m illio n individuals had tried crack in their life times w ith an estimated 35.9% o f the total being A frican-Am erican. In measuring the rates o f cocaine use among male booked arrestees in the major urban areas o f Philadelphia, New Y o rk C ity, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and M iam i, these cities continue to have the highest levels o f cocaine use in crim inal populations. DUFquarterly reports on booked male arrestees in these cities in 1992 indi- cate a 52-63% positive lest fo r co- caine, supporting some researchers b elieflh at the cocaine epidemic is far from over. A PROFILE OF INDIVIDUAL ADDICTION: W hile television portrayals o f crack addicted individuals are o f ur- ban African-American youth, thetypi- cal cocaine addict is a white, Latino, or African-Am erican male, about 30 years o f age, who goes to w ork every day and spends between 10-80% o f his paycheck on his addiction. The stereotype for female crack/cocaine addicts is that they are prostitutes, welfare mothers, or a part o f the c rim i­ nal population. The actual female crack using population is a very ra­ cially m ixed w ith high levels o f un- employment. W orking females make up a hidden but significant part ot the crack addicted population as well. As the crack/cocainc epidemic has move across the face o f the United States between 1981 and 1994, it has in c re a s in g ly em braced a m ore d i­ verse p o p u la tio n . C ocaine use at fir s t was la rg e ly fo u n d am ong o ld e r w h ite and A fric a n A m e ri- can m ales. H o w e v e r, it appears the average age o f use has c re p t d o w n w a rd so th a t th irte e n years into the e p id e m ic we have a c ra ck using p o p u la tio n th a t is ten years younger. Cocaine use in the 1980s moved beyond the entertainment industry and W all street crowd into general use in the racially diverse urban popu- lation. L ike any highly contagious discasecrack/cocaineaddictionpasses l'rom friend to friend and fam ily mem­ ber to fam ily member. Sixty five year old women w ith no prior history o f drug use, who have allowed their children to deal from their homes, P rof . M c K inley B urt ELL, AS WE DIM THE HOUSE LIGHTS AND RAISE THE CURTAIN ON THE SECOND ACT OF THE PERFORMANCE, PERHAPS WE CAN COME UP WITH A MORE UPBEAT EVALUATION. The recent articles on M in o rity Business on Alberta Street that ap­ peared in both the Oregonian and W illam ette week newspapers don’t offer much encouragement. I f it is true as the media intimates - that here may be rascals involved - - then, who else is there to blame but the taxpayers who let the con take place? (Especially the A frican A m e ri­ can ones who claim at the very same tim e that they are sharp enough to be in business). Last week, we spoke o f “ Boards o f Directors” , heavily endowed w ith African Americans, but who, never­ theless, failed to watch the store w hile ownership o f m illion s in real estate went to interests outside the northeast comm unity. People in some o f the neighbor­ hood organizations are asking “ who got paid o ff - surely, these publicity - loving college graduates and' ta lk­ ing heads’ arc not ju st stupid?” W ell, what do you think? Then, there are those who just sit placidly by and vote as asked; happy for media attention and photo ops. Never ask to “ see the books” . N ow , in another place in this newspaper. I cite some problems in / ’N on -p rofit” enterprises; Perspec­ tives; “ The Health Care Agenda Con­ tinued” . A ctu a lly, the basic disabili­ ties that occur in both black 'F o r P ro fit’ and ‘ N on -P ro fit’ enterprise have a common source (not to say we don’ t have the same problems among whites in a sim ilar socio-economic grouping — but who can afford it?). I have drawn the reader’ s atten­ tion to some basic preparation and techniques I employed in structuring several o f my successful enterprises. Though these ventures were non­ pro fit, the basic procedures and meth­ odology were the exact same approach employed in my “ for p ro fit” enter­ prises and my business class designs at the university. When you wish to avail your-self o f people’ s money, assistance or goodw ill, there are sev­ eral starting points that w ill help alot. Invest some o f your own and/or risk some o f yourtime/resources in a dem­ onstration project. You do believe, don’t you? So, why is it then that I have these periodic tides o f com m unity activists (or wannabes) that threaten to over- whelm-me before I can get the door firm ly shut or the phone under con­ trol - they come in cycles, like lo ­ custs, or the swallows to Capistrano. You wonder what environmental or cultural factor activates them to visit you, given that there has been a w orld ­ wide information explosion and “ how to” expositions o f every process ever conceived by man are now available on the tube, C D -R O M or otherwise easily retrievable. A t first, you try reasoning w ith the ‘ old heads’ who should know better. “ Look, years ago when I was at Portland State U niversity, I had time, staff and support facilities including stenographic services, photo repro­ duction and meeting facilities - and a mission to educate and prepare the ‘ youth’ for the very traumatic times we are facing today (some o f you were ^Tortlanh (¡Observer (USPS 959-680) O R E G O N ’S O L D E S T A F R IC A N A M E R IC A N P U B L IC A T IO N Established in 1970 by Alfred L. Henderson Joyce Washington Publisher The P O R T L A N D O B S E R V E R is located at 4747 N E M a rtin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Portland, Oregon 97211 503-288-0033 * Fax 503-288-0015 D ead lin e f o r a ll subm itted m aterials: A rticles: M onday, 5 :0 0 pm Ads: Tuesday Noon P O S T M A S T E R : Send Address Changes to: Portland Observer, P.O. Box 3137, Portland, OR 97208. Second Class postage paid at Portland, Oregon. The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. Manuscripts and photographs should be clearly labeled and w ill be returned. I f accompanied by a self addressed envelope. A ll created design display ads become the sole property o f the newspaper and can not be used in other publications or personal usage, w ithout the written consent o f the general manager, unless the client has purchased the composition o f such ad. © 1994 T H E P O R T LA N D OBSERVER. A L L RIGHTS RESERVED, R EPRO DU C TIO N IN W H O LE OR IN PART W IT H ­ O U T PERMISSION IS PR O H IBITED . Subscriptions :$30.00 per year. The Portland O b scrvcr-O rcg o n ’ s Oldest African-Am erican Publica- tio n - is a member o f the National Newspaper Association-Founded in 1885, and The National Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc, New Y ork, N Y , and The West Coast Black Publishers Association • Serving Portland and Vancouver in my classes). N ow , her you are all these years later w ith a game to inter­ pose yourself between ‘ the man’ and your brothers fo r a blood p ro fit (the youth are dying in the street) and rip me o ff too.” “ You tell me 'w h o got some big money’ and then insult me by o ffe r­ ing me m inim um wages fo r time, expertise and facilities after I tell you good help is expensive - m an-pow er $17.50 an hour, attorney $90, pro­ posal w riter $30.00 - and that my effective rate was $32.50 an hour when I retired and later when doing programs for the government, IB M and the U.S. Forest Service and School D istrict. There are other problems beside greed and ineptitude that besiege the com m unity. Shenanigans go on w ith individuals and organizations you’d never suspect. Lawyers o f my ac­ quaintance send me photostats o f cor­ porate documents bearing my “ signa­ ture” when I ’ ve never even heard o f the group. “ Thought you m ight like to see this Mac! - W e knew you didn’ t have any part o f this o u tfit’ s opera­ tion” . Y o u ’ d be surprised. Tw ice in the last several years I ’ve had to have my lawyer recover monies from culprits who have forged my name on a grant and on checks. I suppose the authorities figure its no use spending the taxpayer’ s money to incarcerate them because they w ill have to turn around and support their wives and children on welfare - and then, too, “ they only rip o ff other blacks” . I have no problem at a ll w ith people who are developing legitimate programs to belter the comm unity and who believe like I do in spending their tim e and money to insure their success. Continued next week. New Safety And Health Publication Announced A new publication to help farm and ranch employers identify w ork­ place hazards and reduce injuries and illnesses is available at no cost. “ Occupational Hazards Common to Farming and Ranching in Oregon- ASelf-InspectionChecklist” providcs guidance to preventing and elim inat­ ing hazards common to this industry. The booklet was developed by the Oregon O ccupational Safety and Health D ivision (O r-O S H A ) at the request o f the agricultural industry. O R -O S H A ’ s Consultative Ser­ vices Section has been w orking with several employer associations to help their industries reduce injuries and illnesses. Easy-to-use booklets iden­ tify in g workplace hazards have been developed as one tool toward this goal. In addition to the farm and ranching b oo kle t, self-inspection checklists w ill soon be available from OR -O SH A for the retail food indus­ try , construction and rem odeling, automotive trades, and garbage haul­ ing and recycling. For a free copy o f any o f these publications, or fo r a list o f other inform ation materials, contact OR- O S H A ’ s technical Resource Center at (503) 378-3272 or 1 -800-922-2689 (message only). the most addictive form o f the most addictive drug known to man, is rap­ idly becoming the new social drug o f urban Am erica. AN END TO THE COCAINE EPIDEMIC? What are the c hances o f the crack/ cocaine epidemic just spending itself out or m oving into a fu ll epidemic o f heroin and alcohol use? Many re­ searchers (A n s le y H a m id /D a v id Smith) suggest that downward trends in cocaine use experienced in 1990- 91 indicate a retreat o f the fu ll scale use o f cocaine found in the 1987-89 period. Some researches have sub­ scribed to a theory that stim ulant drug addiction is cyclic in nature and even­ tually moves into a period where de­ pressant drug use becomes more epi­ demic. Significant increases in the intranasal use and sm oking o f high grade heroin in New Y o rk C ity, grow ­ ing alcohol use among crack using populations, and increasing use o f IV C iv il More On Minority ‘Show’ Business by have become addicted. Senior males become addicted as they frequentpros- titutes who are cocaine addicts. Crack, heroin on the west coast w ould seem to support such beliefs. Other researchers understanding o f the crack/cocaine epidemic is that it is not governed or motivated by any one single cause or drug us trend, but is the resu ltof a m u llip lic ity o f events. These m ultiple factors w ould include supply levels o f cocaine from Peru, B olivia, and C olum bia, economic conditions in U.S. inner cities, law enforcement trends, prevention and treatment efforts, and drug quality. Crack cocaine use in 1994 has become w ell integrated into patterns o f prostitution and crim e in urban America. A significant part o f the community isdependenton the “ crack economy” for housing, food, and in ­ come. Drug dealing, increasingly ac­ complished by beeper and cellular phone, is largely unseen by the gen­ eral public. From where we sit the cocaine epidemic has not retreated, but moved into w orking populations that are less visible, less like ly to be arrested, and more lik e ly to continue long term crack cocaine use. ¿Joupncil Following The Doctor’s Orders B ernice P owell J ackson gcncy rooms to pay for the costs o f HEN PEOPLE USE THE TERM “RENAISSANCE MAN" THEY ARE USUALLY REFERRING TO A PERSON HIGHLY CULTIVATED IN BOTH THE ARTS AND SCIENCES, LIKE THE ARTIST AND SCIENTIST LEONARDO DA VINCI. running the clinic. B ut some evenings are devoted to his other love, jazz. Trading his stetho­ scope fo r the piano keyboard, Dr. Myers has found another way to raise funds fo r the Tchula health c lin ic - through jazz concerts w ith his trio. Dr. Myers developed a love for the music o f his people at age 11, when he began playing the trumpet. Today he plays piano and trumpet not only in surrounding M ississippi towns, but in fund-raising concerts across the country. Funds raised are used fo r the c lin ic and fo r a m entoring program for rural youth who have an interest in medicine. He even keeps a piano at the c lin ic to help relieve stress-both his own and the patients’ . Dr. M yers is a man o f many talents driven to serve the people o f the ru ra l M is s is s ip p i delta. The founder and pastoroflheTchula Bible Fellowship BaptistChurch, he clearly believes that ministering to the people o f God is a full-tim e, m ulti-faceted by There’ s a modern day renais­ sance man liv in g and w orking in rural M ississippi. Dr. Ronald Myers, Sr. is a practicing physician in Tchula, M ississippi. He’ s also a Baptist m in­ ister and a jazz musician. And he’s 100 percent dedicated to providing health care to the A frican Am erican comm unity o f Tchula. Tchulais a Mississippi delta com ­ m unity o f 2,000 people, many o f whom are unemployed, w hile others are agricultural w orkers,, most o f whom live below the poverty line. Dr. Myers originally came to work in nearby Bclzioni, as a part o f his com ­ mitment to the National Public Health Service, to repay his medical school tuition. When he completed his ser­ vice in Belzioni, he saw the need for health care in Tchula, where there had been no doctor in eight years, and he established a rural health c lin ic there. L ittle did he expect to receive resistance from the government. But the county, state and federal govern­ ments fe lt that thccom m unity was too impoverished to support a clinic and would supply no funds fo r his effort. So, remembering the old slave adage about God making a way out o f no way, Dr. Myers used his own funds to renovate a deserted restaurant for the clinic and works days at the c lin ic and ly nights many nights in in nearby nearby hospital hospital emer- emer job. Dr. M yers’ newest challenge is taking on state and federal health care issues as they impact his com m unity. He challenged the M ississippi De­ partment o f Health, w hich had never hired an A frica n Am erican in one o f its top 16 positions, w hile 80 percent o f its A frican American employees work in service and maintenance. He also pointed to the Governor’ s C om ­ mission on Health Care, w hich had only three A frican Americans out o f its 31 members in a state w ith a 37 percent A frican Am erican popula­ tion. “ There arc no A frica n A m e ri­ cans sitting at the health care deci­ sion-making tables in M ississippi,’ ississippi, says Dr. Myers, “ so the people in the comm unity can’ t be empowered,” he added. The state has now set up a m inority task force to make recom­ mendations. Last summer those e f­ forts led to a march and rally held in downtown Jackson. M eanwhile, Dr. M yers co ntin ­ ues to challenge the federal govern­ ment and its refusal to support the Tchula Fam ily Health C lin ic, w hile planning to support a nearby new clinic w ith no history o f service to the poor people in his com m unity. As a member o f the Interreligious Health Care Access Campaign, he is in the forefront o f challenging the health care reforms proposed by the C linton A dm in istra tio n to include q uality health c a rt for rural people o f color. Education is also important to Dr. Myers. He devotes some o f his own time to visiting schools and ta lk­ ing to students about jazz and about careers in medicine. Now he is spon­ soring, together w ith the M ississippi Legislative Black Caucus, a scries o f health education activities on black college campuses. The first is a con­ ference in Jackson to be held in June. Every now and then in life one finds someone who destroys stereo­ types. Ronald Myers, physician, jazz musician, m inister, educator, com ­ m unity advocate is not a stereotypical physician or musician or m inister. He is truly a man fo r all seasons, a man comm itted to his people, a renais­ sance man in the M ississippi delta. Thanks, Dr. Myers. Thanks from us all. ( I f you w ould like to reach Dr. Myers, w rite to the M yers Founda­ tio n , P .O . B o x 6 3 7 , T c h u la , M ississippi 39169). 59169). Demand More, Get More . . . W ith U.S. students ranking be­ hind those in most developed coun­ tries academically, w ith rising teen­ age pregnancies and guns in schools, parents and educators should be de­ manding tougher standards. But in the classroom and the liv in g room, Americans are demanding less o f their kids-and getting less. Parents need to remember that great expectations are the key to children’ s success. To help build children’ s self con­ « O _______ ■_____ C t n n i n r r ” t r i v n c r ing” h ild r o n ii f children riim P U /i gives 1. Rem em ber w h o ’ s who. Stan dards are set by parents, society and schools, not by kids. Make expecta­ tions clear and don’ t send double messages. Listen to your children, but let them know that you set the rules. 2. D on ’ t accept q u ittin g . A c ­ cording to one expert, i f the average Am erican student can’ t solve a math problem w ith in 10 minutes, he gives up. Teach your children to stick w ith tasks and strive repeatedly for suc­ cess. 3. G ive c h ild re n chores. Regu­ lar, m eaningful household duties re­ inforce responsibility to others, build confidence, and help children view themselves as valuable members o f their fam ilies. A long-term study o f inner-city males who grew up in the 1930s shows that those who had regu­ lar chores as children proved to be happier and more successful in every respect o f their adult lives. Illin o is. A c h ild ’ s tasks can be basic, bug “ Selfesteem and self confidence should carry clear responsibility. One don’t come from being told you arc 7-year-old was assigned to m onitor great,” she adds. “ You get them by the fam ily soap and toothpaste sup­ facing challenges and mastering them ply. When one or the other was about through hard w ork and persistence. to run out, his job was to replace it Parents must stop indulging c h il­ from the cupboard or go shopping dren andcrcatc instead an atmosphere w ith his mother to stock up. o f high expectations, says the A p ril 4. B u ild scaffolding. “ Scaffold- 1994 Reader’ s Digest. Here’s how: fidence parents and educators try to make children feel good about them­ selves. Kids arc repeatedly reminded they arc “ special” , praised for each accomplishment, and rewarded for their schoolwork not w ith grades but w ith “ smiley faces” slickers o f ap­ proval. W hat this translates into is “ A nything I do is good enough,” says L ilia n Kate, professor o f early c h ild ­ hood education at the University o f a fram ework to reach upward step-by-step. Scaffold­ building parents seize opportunities to equip children w ith skills to move higher on their o w n -fo r example, teaching a ch ild to use reference ma­ terials to answer a question. 5. Encourage worthwhile fun. Steer children towards after-school activities that involve the m ind and foster independence, like reading, m odel-building, stamp collecting or cooking. One California study showed / ’latchkey children” were least lik e ly to get into trouble when parents set parameters foraftcr-school recreation. 6. Don’t solve their problems. It’ s easy for adults to step in when things go wrong for a c h ild -a n argu­ ment w ith a playmate, a lost library book, an overspent allowance. I t ’ s painful to sit back when a ch ild is being published for misbehaving in school. Yet each o f these tough mo­ ments teaches important lcssons-thal actions produce consequences. 7. Point the way to the stars. The key to a c h ild ’ s confidence and success is support from parents, teach­ ers and other adults. Once you make it clear that you expect the best from your children, offer encouragement to help them achieve their goals.