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P agi B4
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11
Childhood Lead Poisoning
What Kids Say Parents
Can Do About Drugs
A in id the bad news o f steadily
rising drug use among kids, there
also is good news. A t least h a lf o f
today 's youngsters say they are not
taking drugs.
A recent survey by Pride, the N a tio n ­
al Parents’ Resource Institute fo r
D rug Education, found that fo r every
type o f drug and fo r every age group,
drug use was higher among students
I he March 1946 issue o f Read­
who reported little o r no parental
discussion. The more parents spoke
w ith th e ir o ffspring about the dan­
gers o f drugs, the less frequently the
children used them.
er's Digest magazine suggests w in ­
ning strategies fo r parents to “ drug-
p ro o t" their children - based on tips
from kids who have successfully
avoided drugs.
Make sure your kids know what
drugs can do to them. A ccording to
th e ! n iv e rs ity o fM ic h ig a n In s titu te
fo r Social Research’ s 1995 survey
on drug use. the most common rea­
sons high school seniors give fo r
not trying marijuana, cocaine and
crack are fear o f physical and psy­
chological harm, and fear o f be-
| coining addicted.
Research shows that m arijuana
impairs short-term memory, ju d g ­
ment and problem -solving a b ility ,
and distorts perception, balance and
coordination. Regular use o f m a ri­
juana may lead to chronic b ronchi­
tis. contribute to lung cancer and
damage the reproductive system.
M any young people think inhal­
ants like paint thinner and butane
are not dangerous But continuous
and deep inhaling can cause irre ­
versible brain damage, and can bring
on disorientation, unconsciousness
and death - even when used ju s t
once
Talk toyourchildren about drugs.
It's important to start talking to
kids early. One inhalant user seen in
the emergency room was o nly 6 years
old. K eeping the dialogue going
throughout adolescence is equally
important.
D o n ’ t forget praise. When Joe’ s
m other discovered that her son had
been offered drugs and had refused,
she was quick to tell him , “ Y o u r dad
and I are proud o f you fo r being
w illin g to stick to what you believe.'
H elp your child cope w ith peer
pressure. “ The people who o ffe r you
drugs usually aren’ t dealers,” says a
C onnecticut high school sophomore.
“ T h e y’ re yo u r friends.” B eing able
to say no w ith con victio n w ith o u t
alienating others is a s k ill few kids,
especially younger ones, possess.
Parents can help th e ir kids devel­
op a plan fo r what to do in such
situation.
W ork w ith other parents and your
com m unity. A t the beginning o f I
each school year, Hinsdale Central
H igh School in Illin o is sends home
a fa m ily agreement. Parent and kids
sign a pledge that their fa m ily w ill
p ro h ib it alcohol and drugs at teen­
age gatherings in their homes, w ill
provide adult supervision and w ill
welcome calls from other parents to
v e rily these conditions when a par­
ty is planned. The names o f those
who sign are in a d ire cto ry a va il­
able to all fam ilies.
Three children and one adult were
lead levels. Studies show that even at
lead po isoned asaresultofaS e 11 w ood
home rem odeling project com pleted
in 1993, according to o ffic ia ls at
Oregon Health D ivisio n . The project
involved sanding and scraping o f
exterior lead-based paint on a 1902
vintage house. Dust and paint chips
lo w levels, lead can cause neurolog­
ical damage and can interfere w ith a
c h ild 's intellectual and m otor devel­
opment A t high levels lead can cause
kidney failure, coma, and even death
A ccording to Johnson, the most
com m on sources o f lead in a c h ild 's
from the scraping and sanding set­
tled in the soil in the c h ild re n ’ s play
area and exposed them to to x ic levels
o f lead
Chris Johnson, program director
o fth e Oregon C h ild h o o d Lead Poi­
soning Prevention Program at the
Health D ivisio n says that lead p o i­
soning continues to be a preventable
pediatric health problem . H is pro­
gram has been testing Oregon c h il­
liv in g space are lead paint and dust
and soil containing lead A lthough
use o f lead in residential paint was
banned by the Consumer Product
Safety Commission in 1978, it is
K n o w what to say i f you fin d
your c h ild has tried drugs. Remain
clam when rules are broken.
dren for lead since July, 1992; five to
seven percent o fc h ild re n tested have
estimated that 53,000,000 homes
nationw ide s till contain lead paint.
“ The older the home, the more like ly
that it contains lead. However, it is
im portant to remember that lead is
o nly dangerous when it is available
to a c h ild ,” he said.
As lead paint deteriorates it be­
“ So often a good k id experi­
been found to have elevated blood
gins to chip, peel, crack, or chalk.
C hildren often eat the peeling paint,
but a more comm on problem is the
dust that is form ed when lead paint is
disturbed or begins to break down
from age. T his dust may either be
breathed in o r picked up on a c h ild ’ s
hands, w hich are then placed in the
mouth.
The O H SU S ellw ood-M oreland
Health Center is w o rkin g w ith the
Oregon C hildhood Lead Poisoning
Project to conduct an education and
blood lead screening program in the
Sellwood, East Moreland, and B rook­
lyn neighborhoods. R ick Leiker. re­
search analyst w ith the Health D iv i­
sion says, “ the percentage o f pre-
1940 housing in these areas, along
w ith the number o f children under
five years o f age who I i ve there means
these are neighborhoods w ith a high
risk fo r lead exposure.”
ments once o r tw ice, and the pun­
ishment ro o f caves in ,” says psy­
chologist Robert Schwebel, c lin i­
cal d ire cto r o f alcohol and drug
treatment servicesat the Desert H ills
Center fo r Y outh and Fam ilies in
Tucson. “ K id s end up saying to
themselves. I f you want trouble,
I ’ ll show you tro u b le .’ Instead, ask
firs t w hy they did this and then ask
i fthey plan to do it again. N ext, start
educating, ta lk in g and m aking your
point o f vie w on the consequences
o f continued drug use clear.”
K ids can use their parents as b u ff­
ers. A Georgia mother said her son
tells his friends, “ M y parents doze on
For a free re p rin t o f “ H o w to
D ru g -P ro o f Y o u r C h ild ,” send a
self-addressed, stamped envelop to
R eprint Manager, Reader’ s Digest,
my bed u n til I get home. T hey’ d
know in a minute i f I came in stoned.”
P O . B o x 406, D ept. 3 9 6 -0 0 1 ,
Pleasantville, N Y 10570-7000.
White House Taps Youth For Summit
A t 18, Portland’ s Chocka Guiden
w il I bi ing seven years o f expertise on
alcohol and drug abuse and violence
plus proven leadership to the W hite
House Leadership C onference on
Youth. Drug use. and Violence. N ow
a PSIJ Freshman, Ms. G u iden’scred-
its include Roosevelt H igh School
Student Body President, Roosevelt
Student C ouncil C hair, Black Stu­
dent U nion President, and Regional
D rug In itia tiv e Y o u th C o a litio n
Chair
Portland PoliceChiefCharles Moose,
House Leadership Conference next
sums up Ms. G uiden’ s leadership.
“ P ortland’ s young aduIts care a great
deal about our com m unity and are
taking an active, leadership role in
m aking the com m unity a better place.
Chocka is an outstanding example o f
month. Y o u r participation can make
a real d ifference.”
Portions o f the M arch 7th confer­
ence w ill be aired as a teleconfer­
ence, w hich w ill be hosted in the
Portland area by General M otors
dedicated, enthusiastic young lead­
Training Center and co-sponsored
by the Regional D rug In itia tive .
ership. She plays a key role in mak­
ing the R D I Youth C o a litio n a suc­
cess. Her hard w ork was essential to
the success o f the tw o Y outh C o a li­
Ms Guiden has also served as state­
wide president o f Oregon Student
Safety on the M ove (O SS O M ); M u lt­
Chocka enjoyed w o rkin g on the
Regional Drug In itia tiv e (R D I) Youth
C oalition dance held January 13th:
tion c ity -w id e alcohol and drug free
dances. We look forw ard to seeing
Chocka continue her leadership in
college and beyond.”
nomah C ounty Teen Im pact panel on
alcohol and drug prevention, v io ­
“ It’ s really important to focus on the
positive, support good teens, and
P re s id e n t C lin to n ’ s le tte r to
Chocka expressed his interest in her
pone Sexual Involvem ent); member
o f the M u ltn o m a h C o u n ty D U II
promote good clean fun. The Y outh
participation: “ D uring the conference
we w ill discuss how to strengthen the
efforts o f fa m ily, the media, com m u­
(D riv in g U nder the Influence o f In ­
C o a litio n sponsors alcohol and drug
free events to give teens positive
alternatives and reward them fo r do­
ing the right thing. The 700 youth at
our alcohol and drug free dance had
a good time and knew they were
safe.”
Regional D rug In itia tiv e chair,
lence and violence prevention; M u lt­
nomah C ounty leader fo r PSI (Post­
toxicants) A d v is o ry Board; and Res­
idence Assistant fo r tw o years at the
nities, and businesses to reduce drug
N ational Student Safety Conference
use and violence and help our young
people to make positive choices fo r
themselves. K n ow ing o f yo u r in ­
(NSSP). She is a ski lied public speak­
er and expert on alcohol and drug
abuse and violence among her peers.
She currently serves on the R D I Task
volvem ent w ith these c ritic a l issues,
I invite you to jo in us at this W hite
Force and Executive Committee.
HIV Is Knocking On Our Door
b \
D r . M. Kt
ihi
R awlings
A ID S has claimed approximately
300,000 lives in the U.S. W hile A ID S
cases are steadily increasing in our
country, the virus is exploding in com-
m unitiesofcolor. As an A frican-Am er­
ican, I am extremely concerned about
the disproportionate number o f A fri­
can-Americans w ith AID S. Yet, as a
physician, I am excited about the ad­
vancements that are providing me with
new weapons to combat H IV , the virus
that causes AID S. Given the rising
numbers o f Blacks w ith H IV , these
developments are critical to us. These
new methods o f battling H IV can sig­
nificantly improve
the lives ofpeople
in our comm uni­
ties.
The numbers
o f Blacks infect­
ed w ith H IV are
impossible to ig ­
ment to keep infected people healthier
longer.
drug, provides a much better chance o f
delaying the progression o f H IV over
Often, feelings o f denial, fear, and
discrim ination, combined w ith pover­
an extended period o f time. For in­
ty and lack o f access to health care,
keep people in our communities from
stance, when the newly available anti-
I l IV drug 3TC is combined w ith A ZT ,
there is often a boost in the body’s
being tested and from receiving c riti­
cal medical treatment. Some people
also w rongly believe that H IV infec­
number o f C D 4 cells - a key indicator
o f a person’ s immune health. The
tion is untreatable. A ll o f these factors
have led to countless cases o f Blacks
being diagnosed in hospital emergen­
cy rooms w ith an infection typical o f
the advanced stage o f the disease, such
as AIDS-related pneumonia (PCP).
This late diagnosis is unfortunate and
unacceptable. Re-
search shows that
The numbers o f Blacks
infected with HIV are
impossible to ignore.
nore. A fi ivan-Americans account tor
12% o f the total U.S. population, yet
represent more than 32% o f al1 A ID S
cases. One in 33 Black men aged 27 to
39 are HIV-infected. The number o f
women andchildren infected with H IV
is grow ing as well, and Blacks now
account for over 50% o f all A ID S
cases among women and children.
Given these numbers, we must ensure
that people in our communities are
educated about H IV , encouraged to be
tested, and provided medical treat­
a n ti- H IV drugs
and a h e a lth y
lifestyle can help
the body actively
fight the virus the
moment it enters
the body. Early diagnosis and inter­
vention also enables an infected w om ­
an to significantly reduce the lik e li­
hood o f transm itting the virus to her
child during pregnancy O ur people
deserve the chance to benefit from this
knowledge and to receive the best
possible treatment they can for this
disease
Recently, there has been more good
news for people w ith H IV Research­
ers now believe that using combina­
tions o f drugs, rather than a single
use ofthis combination ofantiretroviral
drugs is an excellent example o f the
new treatment options available for
persons infected with H IV .
Fortunately, as our understanding
o f H IV grows, health care profession­
als are better able to treat H IV Blacks
need to w ork closely with their physi­
cians who can help them identify im ­
Students from the Portland Street Academy and Wilson High School were among 64 teams
participating in the Feb. 24 Bonneville Power Administration high school science bowl. Woodinville
High School in Woodinvile, Wash, won the regional competition and will go to the national science
bowl in Washington, D.C.
Free Noon
Lectures
At Friendly
House
Learn w orkplace and personal
skills w hile you eat. The popular
lunch-hour “ Brow n Bag” lecture
series continues on Wednesdays
in april at Friendly House in N o rth ­
west Portland. A nd it's even free.
H ere are the le ctu re to p ics in
A p r il:
CELERY
crisp tender stalks
■59 0
ASPARAGUS
New Crop large size
SPINACH
try spinach salad
EACH
BUNCH
0
59
KIWI FRUIT
large size and kids love them
a ll green
spears
contagious! Speaker Frank M ills
considers the m a jo r causes o f
lilly T miller .
stress in the w orkplace and ways
to relieve them.
A p r il 17 -- W o rkin g a Room:
(C R N 2 8 181) Learn how to meet
people, network, and start con­
services. Physicians should be thought
o f as partners in our health care.
versations in today’ s busy w o rld
from lecturer Richard M ohle.
Today, much can be done to avoid
and to treat H IV . It is c ritic a l that
A p r i l 24 — C hange C o n d i­
t io n s
in
Your
L ife :
anyone w ho doesn’ t know his o r het
H IV status be tested. Should the re­
sult o fth e H IV test be positive, treat­
(C R N 2 7 9 9 5 ) S peaker A e ria l
L o n g show s h o w to change
y o u r re la tio n s h ip s , and
ment should be sought im mediately.
Further, we need to make sure that
p ro v e any area fro m fa ilu re to
jo y .
news about any prom ising new treat­
F rie n d ly H ouse C o m m u n ity
C e n te r is lo ca te d at N W 2 6 th
nosed w ith the disease can s till enjoy
fu ll lives. N ow , w ith our increased
understanding o f the disease, people
w ith H IV can tru ly look forward to
their futures
red ripe
slicers
BAKING
POTATOES
New Crop U.S. No. 1 Russet SO count
A p r il 10 - Stress in the w o rk ­
place: (C R N 2 7 9 5 1) Stress can be
portant com m unity resources, such as
educational, social and psychological
ments reaches all those affected by
H IV A lthough H IV remains a life -
threatening in fe ctio n , those diag­
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