P ag i A4
J anuary 25, 1995 • T he P o r il a n d O bserver
H EALTH
Friends, Parents, Schools Key Influences In Drug Use
New research confirms it: Mom
knew what she was talking about
when she asked you not to hang
around with friends who smoked,
drank or did drugs.
A survey of 11.000-plus Oregon
sixth-, eighth- and llth-graders
shows that the principal predictor of
whether students use alcohol, tobac
co or other drugs is the number of
their friends who use.
Also influential were parental
attitudes about alcohol, tobacco and
other drugs, the student's belief that
the drugs are harmful and student
attitudes that are shaped at home and
school.
"Parents need to know their chil
dren' s friends, need to know the par
ents of their children’s friends and
need to know what their children are
doing.' Jeffrey N. Kushner. director
of the state Oregon Department of
Human Resources' Office of Alco
hol and Drug Abuse Programs, said
Thursday. "This research is signifi
cant because it confirms that peer
behaviors, parental beliefs and
know ledge about harmful effects re
ally do affect adolescents’decisions.”
For the first time, the state's
biennial survey of drug use asked
students about factors in their lives
that influence whether they use alco
hol. tobacco and other drugs. The
Oregon survey confirmed findings
o f other research conducted over the
past 30 years that kids with best
friends w ho use are much more likely
to do so themselves.
For example, among eighth-
graders who had no best friends who
smoked tobacco, only 2 percent them
selves smoked. But of those with
four best friends who smoke, 66 per
cent smoked -- a 33-fold increase.
Findings were similar for sixth- and
1 lth-graders.
The survey found that, among
eighth-graders with no friends who
used marijuana, less then I percent
used it themselves. With only one
best friend who used the drug. 9
percent used it; with two best friends.
29 percent; w ith four best friends, 59
percent.
Students also reported that,
the greater their b elief that use o f
tobacco, m arijuana or another
drug was harm ful, the less likely
they would use it. For exam ple,
among eighth-graders who be
lieve that using m arijuana is
harm ful, only 3 percent used;
among those who believe m ari
juana is not harmful. 40 percent
used. About 12 percent o f eighth-
graders reported they believed
m arijuana use is not harmful.
For cigarettes, alcohol and mar
ijuana, these were the three primary
influences o f use (in order):
ELEVENTH GRADE:
C igarette smoking: Number o f
best friends who smoke, perceived
risks of smoking, parental attitudes
toward smoking. For llth-graders
who believed strongly that cigarette
smoking is harmful, 18 percent
smoked; for those who believed
strongly that smoking is not harmful,
EIGHTH GRADE
Cigarette smoking: Number of
best friends who smoke, personal
attitudes (whether it is OK for some
one this age to smoke), parental atti
tudes.
Alcohol use: Number o f best
friends who drink, parental attitudes
Problem Gambling Seminars
Oregon Lottery ’s video poker,
in operation since April, 1992. is the
type of gambling most frequently
mentioned in the calls for help com
ing to the Oregon Council on Prob
lem Gambling. O f over S30 million
total net receipts for the quarter end
ing September 30, 1992. S25.7 mil
lion was from video poker games.
Compulsive gambling is a pro
gressive illness. There is more to lose
than money. The "Gambler” is the
last person to sense the problem.
Hopefully, family and friends be
come the originators of help and re
covery. Persons can learn how they
can help by attending a workshop
sponsored by Ecumenical Ministries
of Oregon (EMO) around the state in
February.
The workshops will be held
front 8:30 a.in. - 4:00 p.m. on the
follow ing dates and locations:
• February 3. First United Meth
odist Church, 1771 W. Harvard
Street. Roseburg, Oregon
• February 10. First Presbyteri
an Church. 950 Boones Ferry Road.
Woodburn. Oregon.
The cost is S25 (includes lunch
and materials). Contact EMO (503)
221-1054, 0245 SW Bancroft. Port
land. Oregon 97201 for more infor
mation.
The Oregonian reported May
26,1994 that "The state government’s
take from the Oregon lottery is ex
pected to soar to almost S600 million
in the next budget cycle, a startling
70 percent increase from the current
two-year period". This is a bountiful
hand for the state, but at the expense
of gambling addicts such as two who
appeared on Town Hall Forum De
cember 1, 1994: one a young busi
ness man who lost $50.000 to video
poker in ten months, and the other a
woman who lost $80.000 o f her pen
sion funds in one year.
"The Oregon State Lottery is
banking on a big increase in the vid
eo-poker money because it plans to
add another 500 retailers to the cur
rent roster o f 1,350 now that the
Oregon Supreme Court has upheld
the constitutionality ofvideo poker.”
(The Oregonian 5-26-94)
"It would appear the legislature
is addicted to lottery and video-poker
revenue and it is time for the citizens
to do an intervention," says Rodney
Page, Executive Director of Ecu-
menical Ministries of Oregon.
Tips To Be Fit
Bv V ince & Y olanda
/•V
7
Fiber is found in all fruits and
vegetables. There’s no fiber in meats
or dairy products. Fiber comes in two
forms, soluble and insoluble. Water
soluble fiber is found in dried beans,
apples, citrus food and oat products.
Water soluble fiber absorbs fluid
while moving through your digestive
tract. This keeps moisture in your
digestive tract. Insoluble fiber is
found in vegetables and whole grain
products. Insoluble fiber aids in the
elimination of waste and toxic mate
rials. Fiber is not digestible, so it's
not a nutrient, but it is essential in
preventing and treating illness such
as cancer of the colon and rectum,
varicose
veins,
phlebitis,
diverticulosis. heart disease and ab
dominal pain.
The average American diet in
cludes about 10 grams o f fiber daily
which is less than half the amount
recommended by the National Can
cer Institute. It's recommended that
we eat no less than 35 grams but no
more than 50 grams o f fiber daily. If
your diet doesn't include wholegrains
and fresh fruits and vegetables, you
should add them to your diet gradu
ally . You should also include about 6
to 8 glasses of water daily. Get your
fiber from variety of high fiber foods
because balance is important. Too
much insoluble fiber prevents the
absorption ofcalcium. iron, zinc and
other important minerals. It can also
cause bloating and constipation. Try
to get in 5 to 7 serving of high fiber
fruits, vegetables and whole grains
daily. One serving of legumes has 8
grams of fiber, a banana has 3 grams
of fiber, a serving of green peas has
3 grams of fiber and a slice of corn
bread has 3 grams of fiber Other
high fiber foods include barley. bran,
wheat, rye. oat meal, prunes, berries,
pears, almonds, sunflower seeds,
beans, squash, carrots, brown rice,
bananas, grapes and oranges. W hen
picking foods high in fiber, keep in
mind that the more a food Is pro
cessed the less fiber you II find in the
food So keep your body regular.
include some fiber in your diet.
—/ want to break my caffeine
babil. How do / start?
-Vivian; Phila, PA
Caffeine is a psychoactive
stim ulant, it will increase alert
ness, decrease fatigue, cause eu
phoria and elevate your mood.
The bad affects o f caffeine can
include sleeplessness, irritabili
ty, anxiety and depression. A
person can suffer the bad affects
from one or two cups o f coffee a
day. If you drink more than 250
mgs o f caffeine a day which is
about two and a half cups you can
suffer from caffeine intoxication.
The symptoms include restless
ness, nervousness, excitem ent,
exessiv e u rin atio n , insom nia,
heartburn, m uscle itching and
AEROBICS
ram bling thought and speech.
It’s not easy to break the caf
feine habit, but you can with a little
help. There are some withdrawal
symptoms when you try to break the
caffeine habit. They can include de
pression, constipation, runny nose,
nausea, headaches and a craving for
caffeine.
To quit it’s best to gradually
reduce your caffeine intake. Try
to reduce your daily intake of
caffeine by lOOmgs each week.
One hundred mgs is about one
cup o f coffee. Continue decreas
ing y o u r c o n s u m p tio n u n til
y o u 're down to a safe level which
is about one cup a day. Your plan
should also include relaxation,
stress reduction, good nutrition
and exercise.
65 percent smoked. Eleventh-grad
ers were twice as likely to smoke if
someone else at home smoked.
Alcohol use: Personal attitudes
(OK for someone this age to drink)
and number of best friends who drink.
Eleventh-graders were also nearly
three times more likely to drink if
they perceived that their parents ap
proved than if they believed parents
opposed their drinking.
M arijuana use: Numberofbest
friends who use marijuana, perceived
health risks of marijuana use, best
friend dropped out of school. Elev
enth-graders were thirty-three times
more likely to use marijuana if they
had four best friends who did than if
they had none.
toward the student’s drinking, per
sonal attitudes (OK for someone this
age to drink alcohol). Eight-graders
were nine times more likely to drink
alcohol if they had four best friends
who did than if they had none.
M a riju a n a use: Num ber of
best friends who use m arijuana,
personal attitudes (OK to use at
this age), perceived health risks.
E ig h th -g rad ers w ere 50 tim es
more likely to use m arijuana if
they had even two best friends
who did than if they had none.
SIXTH GRADE
C ig a re tte sm oking: Number
o f best friends who sm oke, p er
sonal attitude, perceived risks o f
sm oking. Am ong sixth-graders
with no best friends who sm oked,
only 1.2 percent sm oked; that
rose to 54 percent o f six th -g rad
ers with four friends who smoke.
Sixth-graders were five tim es as
likely to sm oke if they perceived
that "adults at sch o o l” did not
believe sm oking was wrong.
Health Screening
For Seniors
Legacy Visiting Nurse Asso
ciation is offering during February,
Health Screenings for adults 55 and
older. The free screenings may in
clude general physical assessment,
nutrition testing, blood pressure
check, foot care evaluation, medi
cation review, pulmonary functions,
cancer education, and vision and
glaucoma. Blood tests are optional
at a $5 fee. Appointm ents are
necessary and may be made by
calling the following screening
sites:
February 3; Clay -Tower; 1430 S.
E. 12th: 222-7467; 9 am - noon
• February 10; Kirkland Union
Manor: 3530 S. E. 84th; 777-
8101; 9 am - noon
• F eb ru ary 17; Westmoreland
Union Manor; 6404 S. E. 23rd;
233-5671 ; 9 am - noon
• February 24; Marshall Union
Manor; 2020 N. W. Northrup; 9
am - noon
Legacy VNA's Senior Health
Screening program conducts 25
screenings a year at senior and com-
munity centers located throughout
the Portland metropolitan area. The
screening team includes reg is
tered nurses, respiratory th era
pists, podiatrists, dentists, phar
m acists, m ed ical la b o ra to ry
technologists, ophthalm ologists
and dietitians. For more infor
mation about the Senior Health
Screening program and dates
and locations o f future screen
ings. call 225-6300.
Join Us In Celebrating
<Ebe JJortlanb © bseruer’a
A N N IV E R S A R Y
Join
W eight W atchers
today and cut the fat,
not the food.
N e w Year's
R esolution Solution
SQUASH
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LOW FAT
LIVING PLAN
CHILD CARE
MAS^ARF
THERAPY
CYCLING
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RACQUETBALL
TAI CHI
If 1995 is the year you plan
to lose weight and get back
into shape, then see
Lloyd Athletic Club
for the solutions to your
New Year's resolutions
Start with a free 10-day trial
membership Please call
Bnan or Holly at 287-4594
before January 31, 1995 to
activate your trial
membership.
WEIGHT WATCHERS NEW FAT & FIBER PLAN
JOIN
ANY
MEETING
ANYTIME
W ant to lose weight? You
can count on the new Fat
& Fiber Plan. It’s an
incredible breakthrough in
a weight loss plan because
it’s an entirely new way to
count food. And it’s only
at Weight W atchers. All
you do is choose foods that
meet your required daily
fat and fiber intake. You
select what you want,
YOGA
STAIRCLIMBING
ROWING
WEIGHT
TRAINING
STEAM
SAUNA
WHIRLPOOL
The healthier you are, the
more you enjoy life, so keep
fitness in mind all year
round - beginning now'
Lloyd A th le tic Club
Y o u r place. Y o u r pace.
north Pfiffland
Auditorium. Thurs
llo Y d
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when you want. A t the
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And you can count on
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C < . ;'
V
.
•
Alcohol use: Num ber o f best
friends who drink, parental a tti
tudes tow ard his or her drinking,
personal attitude (OK for som e
one this age to drink). Sixth-grad
ers were 10 times more likely to
consume alcohol if they had four
best friends who did than if they
had none. They were eight times
m ore lik ely to d rin k if they
thought parents approved.
M arijuana use: Numberofbest
friends who use marijuana, parental
attitudes about student's using, adult
attitudes toward marijuana in school.
Only one percent of sixth-graders
used marijuana i f they perceived that
their parents believed it was wrong;
among those who believ ed their par
ents thought marijuana was OK. 33
percent used it.
The survey was conducted for
the state Department o f Human Re
sources’ Office o f Alcohol and Drug
Abuse Programs by Michael Finigan.
Ph. D., who heads the North west Pro
fessional consortium in West Linn.
! * fe fe b
.< y •
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