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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 15, 2002)
Page A4 May 15,2002 Opinion articles do not necessarily reflect or represent the views o f (TljeiJllortlanb (D b seru er The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. Manuscripts and photographs should be clearly labeled and will be returned if accompanied by a self addressed envelope. All created design display ads become the sole property of the newspaper and cannot be used in other publications or personal usage without the written consent of the general manager, unless the client has purchased the composition of such ad. © 1996 THE PORTLAND OBSERVER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, REPRODUCTION IN W HOLE OR IN PART W ITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. 5 0 3 -2 8 8 0 0 3 3 • FAX5 0 3 -2 8 8 0 0 1 5 • EMAIL: news@portlandobserver.com subscriDtion@Dortlandobserver.com , LETTER TO THE EDITOR Make a Difference on Teen Drinking Unless we work together and take responsibility as parents and concerned adults to stop the cycle o f teen use and addiction, we are creating future generations o f alcohol and drug abusers. Dispel Mental Health Ignorance Regarding the article in your May 1 edition, page A5, entitled “Agency M ergers Helps M ental H ealth C lients,” may I offer some enlightenm ent? — Barbara Cimaglio, special assistant for child and adolescent health services First o f all, on a personal note, I expect to graduate this December, not next December. O n a quite personal level those who struggle with a m ental health issue prefer the term “consum er” or even “client.” Your use o f the term “m ental patient” reflects a B edlam -m entality that intim ates that the m entally ill should be locked aw ay in hospitals. The caption reads “Grant is a m ental patient and C oncordia student who is recovering from her d is ability.” This is unfortunately untrue also. At this point, bipolar affective disorder is not som ething from which one “gets over.” Learning to func tion, sustain and live know ledgeably w ith the anticipation o f event reoc currence is a lifelong challenge. And last, U nity’s New M ezz Connection is not actually a place o f study, but a drop-in center for individuals w ith m ental challenges at which I did an A m eriC orps stint and a practicum (internship) required for my social work major. The Mezz is open only to Unity clients with referrals from their case m anagers. The reason the m erger effects our com m unity is because m any people who live in the north and northeast com m unity receive m ental health services from w hat is now U nity N E M ental H ealth at 5432 N. A lbina. T hat is only one o f several Unity clinics in Portland M etro area that is part o f the merger. As o f July 1, form er N etw ork and Mt. H ood m ental health agencies w ill officially m erge to form C ascadia, the m ost com prehensive m ental health agency in M ultnom ah County. The m erger is expected to increase avail able services, and consum ers should see an im provem ent in what is o f fered in services, support and treatm ent, county wide. The director is Leslie Ford. The main Cascadia num ber is 503-238-0769. I hope that any and all those requiring additional inform ation will not hesi tate to call. To dispel ignorance is to ease the transition. Thank you for allow ing us the forum to do so. Your service to the com m unity is, as al ways, invaluable. Rev. Lindsey Morrison Grant La Casa de Paz, director The Portland Observer-Oregon’s Oldest Multicultural Publication—is a member of the National Newspaper Association-Founded in 1885, and The National Advertising Repre sentative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc, New York, NY, and The West Coast Black Publishers Association • Serving Portland and Vancouver. Barbara Cimaglio B y B arbara C imaglio We would never lead our children in front of a moving car and yet many of us unknowingly place our youth in harm’s way everyday. We do this with our perception that underage drinking is nothing more than a harmless rite of passage. We also do this by thinking that we, as parents and adults, cannot influence the actions of our teen agers. Wrong on both counts! American teen-agers consume alco hol more frequently than all other illicit drugs combined and alcohol is the drug most likely to be associated with injury or death. Underage drinking is at epidemic lev els in Oregon. More than 43 percent of our eleventh graders and nearly 25 percent of our eighth graders are likely to consume alcohol within the next 30 days. This activity is not harmless. The younger the drinkers, the greater the risk to the development of their brain. They are also twice as likely to develop alcohol- related problems, 10 times more likely to use marijuana and 20 to 30 times more likely to use tobacco. In addition to addiction to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, we know that excessive underage drinking can lead to health problems, poor grades, car crashes, drowning and other accidents, date rape and teen pregnancy, criminal activity in cluding violence, suicide and even death of oneself and others. All this is proof that alcohol is not harmless and cannot be treated casually. Parents must take the lead in convey ing accurate information about alcohol use to their children — this includes set ting a positive example. The good news is that our Healthy Teen Survey told us that parents do make a difference. In fact, when parents do not enforce clear rules, Oregon teens said they are twice as likely to drink alcohol and do drugs. Our state research, as well as national research, indicates that teens are listen ing to their parents even if they don’t show it. They want their parents to show they care and they want their parents to get involved in their lives. This means that parents need to take the responsibility for discussing alcohol with youth, acting as a role model and laying down the rules. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia Univer sity has a great checklist for parents: Set rules and expectations and enforce consequences; eat dinner together; moni tor TV and Internet use and CD pur chases; know your child’s friends and where they go; send clear messages about alcohol use; discuss negative conse quences o f drinking; give youth perspec tive on media messages; don’t show your children that it takes a drink to relax or celebrate; don’t accept underage drink ing as a rite of passage; and when your child needs help, get treatment — fast. In Oregon, help is only a toll-free tele phone call away. Call the Oregon Partner ship Help Line at 800-923-4357 or the Youth Help Line at 877-553-TEEN. Unless we work together and take re sponsibility as parents and concerned adults to stop the cycle of teen use and addiction, we are creating future genera tions o f alcohol and drug abusers. Barbara C im aglio is special assis tant for child and adolescent health services in the O regon D epartm ent of Hunjan Services. H. & B. Too NOW OPEN Oregon’s Oldest Licensed Pawnshop 4709 N.E. Martin Luther King Blvd. 2 blocks south of Alberta Weekdays til 6 p.m. - Saturdays til 4 p.m. Free Parking - State Controlled Rates - Se Habla Español www.hbloan.com Oregon Family Business for over 50 years L
