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Stiff cigarette tax.. .. cuts sales
Page A6
O re g o n ’s tax hike o f 30 cents
per pack for an an ti-to b ac co ca m ­
paign has resulted in an 11.3 p e r­
cent d ecrease in p er-ca p ita sales
o f cig arettes ov er the p ast tw o
years, accordin g to fed eral health
o ffic ia ls.S ales dropped by about
10 p acks per person from 1996 to
1998, th e C e n te rs fo r D ise a se
C o n tro l and P revention rep o rted
Thursday.
D uring the p revious four years,
M A R . 3, 1999
H k
O re g o n h ad a 2.2 p ercen t in crease
in sales p e r ca p ita .T h e C D C c a l­
cu late d th at the tax in c re ase alo n e
c o n t r i b u t e d to a 6 .3 p e r c e n t
d ec lin e .O re g o n voters in N o v em ­
b er 1996 raise d cig arette tax es to
68 c e n ts p e r p a c k . T h e e x tra
m oney w en t to w ard sm o k in g p re ­
v en tio n an d ed u c atio n p ro g ra m s
an d ex p a n d in g in su ran ce c o v e r­
age.
O reg o n is the third sta te to re ­
p o rt a d ram atic d ro p in sm o k in g
as a resu lt o f the co m b in ed u se o f
s tif f cig arette tax es a n d a g g re s­
siv e a n ti-to b ac co p ro g ra m s, the
C D C said. S im ilar fin d in g s h av e
been rep o rted by M a ssac h u setts
and C a lifo rn ia, the fed e ra l a g e n cy
said.
S om e stu d ies h av e sh o w n that
fo r ev ery 10 p e rc e n t in c re a se in
p ric e , th e re is a 4 p e rc e n t d e ­
cre ase in sm o k in g am o n g a d u lts,
the C D C sa id .T h e C D C said sm u g ­
g lin g o r c r o s s - b o r d e r sa le s o f
cig a re tte s p ro b ab ly d id not c o n ­
trib u te to the d ec lin e in O reg o n
b e c a u s e a la rg e p o rtio n o f th e
s ta te 's p o p u la tio n liv es in P o rt­
land, near W ashington state, w here
c ig a re tte p rices are ev en higher.
N atio n w id e, th e C D C said, the
a v e rag e an n u al rate o f d ec lin e in
c ig a re tte sales from 1990 to 1997
w as 1.4 p ercen t.
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Law School 101 seeks to attract
Minority Students
EU G E N E , O R In its continuing
effort to promote diversity, the Uni­
versity o f Oregon School o f Law will
m arked N ational M in o rity Law
Month on Feb. 26 with a special day­
long program for minority students
interested in finding out more about
law school.
“Law School 101’ is targeting m i­
nority high school and college stu­
dents. as well as all mem bers o f m i­
nority groups across the state who
may be interested in attending law
school.
The program, w hich is free and
open to the public, takes place from
10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 26, at
the UO law school G rayson Hall (UO
Law Center), 1101 Kincaid St.
“W e are strong believers in the
importance o f a diverse student body,
and are concerned about m isconcep­
tions that affirm ative action chal­
lenges are narrowing opportunities
for people o f color on law campuss,"
says Katherine Jem berg, director o f
adm issions, U O S chool od Law.
“W e’re trying to reach out to m inori­
ties in high schools and colleges, as
well as in the general population, to let
them know that they are welcome, and
that a law disagree is an attainable goal
which will open the door to a multi­
tude o f rewarding career opportuni­
ties.”
The event’s sessions will be held in
Rooms 121 and 229 at G rayson Hall
and include a mock trial, roundtable
discussions and simulated law classes.
Participants include UO law faculty
and students, and members o f the mi­
nority affairs committee o f the Lane
County Bar Association.
Law School 101 is sponsored by
the UO School o f Law, with funding
from the national Law School Admis­
sion Council Minority Affairs Com­
mittee.
For inform ation or to register, con­
tact Ben Greer, assistant to the direc­
tor o f adm issions, UO School o f f
Law, (541) 346-1810.
Three former Attorneys General
named to Tobacco Fund Panel
W A S H IN G T O N ,D .C .-
F o rm e r A tto r n e y s G e n e ra l o f
C a lifo rn ia , O reg o n an d T e n n e s­
see w ill h ead up a p an e l cre ate d
to a llo c a te $8 .6 b illio n to sta te s
fo r th e ir role in the h isto ric to ­
b a c c o s e ttle m e n t a g re e m e n t
rea ch ed b etw e en sta te A tto rn ey s
G en e ra l and the to b a cc o in d u stry
on N o v em b e r 23, 1998.
A to ta l o f 46 s ta te s . T he
D isa tric t if C o lu m b ia , th e N o rth ­
ern M a ria n a Islan d s, P u e rto R ico ,
an d th e U .S . V irg in Isla n d s h av e
a p p lied for a share o f the funds
w hich w il be allo ca te d b ased upon
th e e x te n t o f th e s ta te ’s c o n tri­
b u tio n s to th e litig a tio n o r re so ­
lu tio n o f sta te to b a c c o litig a tio n .
T he sta te p a y m e n ts a re to be
d e c id e d by a th re e -m e m b e r S tra ­
te g ic C o n trib u tio n F u n d P anel.
A s o u tlin e d in th e s e ttle m e n t
ag re em e n t, tw o o f the th re e m em ­
b ers - fo rm e r O re g o n A tto r n e y
G e n e ra l D ave F ro h n m a y e r
(1 9 8 1 -1 9 9 1 ) and fo rm e r T e n n e s­
see A tto rn e y G en e ra l M ik e C o d y
(1 9 8 4 -1 9 8 8 ) - w ere s e le c te d by
th e N a tio n a l A sso c ia tio n o f A t­
to rn ey s G en e ra l (N A A G ) E x e c u ­
tiv e C o m m ittee. T h e y se le c te d
fo rm e r C a lifo rn ia A tto rn e y G e n ­
e ra l Jo h n V an de K am p (1 9 8 3 -
1 9 8 8 ) A s A t t o r n e y G e n e r a l,
C o d y , F ro h n m a y e r. a n d V a n de
K am p w o rk e d to g e th e r in la n d ­
m a rk m u l t i s t a t e s e t t l e m e n t s ,
su c h as th e o il o v e rc h a rg e litig a ­
tio n w h ere sta te s an d te rrito rie s
su c c e ssfu lly re c e iv e d m u lti- b il­
li o n d o l l a r j u d g e m e n t s a n d
s e ttle m e n ts a g a in s t m a jo r o il
c o m p a n ie s fo r p e tro le u m p ric e
v io la tio n s .
O n Ja n u ary 7, 1999, th e N A A G
E x e c u tiv e m e t in W a sh in g to n ,
D .C . a n d s e le c te d C o d y a n d
S A L E M — C itiz e n s p a rtic ip a ­
tio n in th e o p e n in g d e b a te on
school funding w ill help shape
the o u tc o m e o f how m uch state
L aw m akers b udget fo r ed u c atio n .
R e p resen tativ e D eb o rah K afoury
told ed u c ato rs, stu d e n ts and c o n ­
cern ed p aren ts w ho are p art o f a
co a litio n that is lo b b y in g le g isla ­
tors for ad eq u ate funds for ed u ­
cation.
“ It is ex tre m ely im p e ra tiv e for
you to bring your co n c ern s to S a­
le m " R e p r e s e n ta ti v e K a f o u ry
said. “A s a p ro d u c t o f p u b lic
sc h o o ls, it is to u ch in g for m e to
h ea r th a t stu d en ts are read in g old
text b o o k s, lack ev en m ost basic
co m p u ter so ftw are and barely have
sp ace to s it du e large classes. I
ho p e m y c o lle a g u e s w ill listen
and learn from y o u r valu ed su g ­
g estio n s on how to sav e ed u c a ­
tion n o w .”
“ I w ill co n tin u e to ch allen g e
the H ou se lead ersh ip to p u rg e out
sch o o l fu n d in g , to p ut ed u catio n
funding b efo re tax b rea k s an d to
su p p o rt d istre ssed area sc h o o ls.”
S aid Rep. K afo u ry “ I am behind
HOUSTON — A drug for Lou
G ehrig’s diease/ALS is being studied
as a possible treatment to slow or stop
the progression o f Parkinson’s diease.
“Current Parkinson’s drugs treat
only the symptoms," said Dr. Joseph
Jankovic, director o f the Parkinson's
Diease Center and M ovement Disor­
ders Clinic at Baylor College o f M edi­
cine in Houston. “This drug, riluzole,
might offer a way to block a brain
chemical contributing to nerve cell
death."
Parkinson’s diease, a progressive
neurodegenerative disorder, affects
movement, rigid muscles and balance
problems. It is caused by setenoration
o f the brain’s nerve cells that release
dopamine, a chemical necessary for
normal m ovem ents.Parkinson’s pa­
tients have increased activity in a brain
re g io n c a lle d th e s u b th a la m ic
nucleus," said Jankovic. a staff neu­
rologist at The Methodist Hospital.
"This overactive area produces too
much glutamate, a brain chemical that
in excess can overstimulate nerve cells
and cause them to die.”
Researchers hope that blocking the
release o f glutamate will slow or stop
Parkinson’s-related nerve cell death.
Riluzole is known to prevent the re­
lease o f glutamate.
“In studies o f animals with experi­
mentally-induced Parkinson’s diease,
the blocking o f glutamate has less­
ened the diease,’’ Jankovic said.
In a pilot study at Baylor, riluzole
appeared to be w ell tolerated by
Parkinson’s patients. However, the
study was too small to determine if
the d ru g w as a b le to slow
progression.The current multi-center
study will involve approx imately 1,050
patients in 11 countries. Forty-three
U.S centers are participating
“Each center will enroll patients
with early-stage Parkinson’s diease
who have not been treated with the
standard Parkinson's medication, L-
dopa, or with other dopamine-related
drugs," Jankovic said. “Symptoms ol
resting tremor, rigidity or slowness
must have been present less than three
years "Early-stage patients taking L-
dopa or other Parkinson’s drugs can
be considered for the study if they
stop their m edications one-m onth
priorto entering the study Participants
will receive eith er rilu zo le or an
inactive m ed icatio n for tw o years
and w ill have b rain im ages, called
P E T scans, taken at the beginning
and end o f the study. T he im aging
w ill allow research ers to see the
co n d itio n o f the nerve term inals
in the brain that release dopam ine.
“ Since P ark in so n ’s p atien ts nor­
m ally lose th ese nerve term inals,
w e hope to see that p atien ts on
rilu zo le have g reater preservation
o f th o s e a r e a s in th e b r a in ,”
Ja n k o v ic s a id .P a tie n ts w an tin g
study inform ation can call 1-800-
2 2 0 -8 6 1 0 .
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S ch o o l to ld th e le g is la to r p e r­
sonal sto ries o f in a d eq u a te co m ­
p u te rs, larg e class siz e, o u td ated
b ooks and in a d eq u a te sch o o l re­
so u rc e s.
“ M y co m m itm en t to ad eq u ate
and su stain a b le sch o o l fu n d in g is
u n w av erin g . O u r c h ild re n ’s hope
an d o p p o rtu n itie s are the casu alty
fo r starv in g sc h o o ls o f ad eq u ate
funding and I am n ot rea d y to su b ­
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Drug tested to control
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progression
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M o o re a d d e d , “ D u rin g th e ir te n ­
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