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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 9, 2003)
April 09, 2003____________________________________ ®ljp ^LÌortklUÒ (ßbseWer Page A7 H ealth Health Care Forum Addresses Issues « Dr. John Kitzhaber, former governor o f Or egon. author o f the Or egon Health Plan and emergency room physi cian, led a recent discus sion with the health care professionals o f today John Kitzhaber, and tomorrow about the former Oregon evolution o f health care governor. in Oregon and what the future holds as the number o f uninsured families in creases. The forum at Oregon Health and Science Uni versity brought together a core group o f people to look at the history o f our health care system, the changes that have endured and speculations about what lies ahead for the440,000Oregonians without health care. Kitzhaber said as a physician, there was no debate about what consti tutes an emergency, yet as a legisla tor and governor, whether or not our children's health was an emergency was constantly up for debate. There is no safe level o f exposure, so contact with any amount o f asbestos can be harmful. DEQ Issues Asbestos Warning Homeowners and homebuyers should be cautious in houses built before 1987 For those planning to remodel homes built before 1987, it's impor tant to know if the home was built with asbestos-containing material. The Department o f Environmental Quality has answers to questions about how to protect homeowners from the dangers o f improper as bestos removal. Residents are encouraged to hire a contractor before attempting to handle asbestos or visit the DEQ Web site at www.deq.state.or.us and click on Consumer Comer. Inhaling asbestos has been linked to cancer and otherdiseases. There is no safe level o f exposure, so contact with any amount o f as bestos can be harmful. When as bestos-containing material is dis- turbed or damaged it releases tiny fibers into the air that are too small to be filtered by a dust mask. Asbestos is a mineral that can be broken down into very fine fibers that are heat-resistant and extremely durable. Because o f these proper ties, asbestos was widely used in construction materials until 1987. Depending on its condition, in- home asbestos may be a health hazard. As long as asbestos is not disturbed, damaged or worn, or the material is sealed, it is not consid ered a health hazard. DEQ recommends that the saf est way to handle asbestos-con taining material is to hire an asbes tos abatement contractor to per form the work. Most home repairor remodeling contractors do not have an asbes tos abatement license or certified workers who are trained and have the proper equipment to work safely with asbestos. Contact DEQ for a list o f licensed asbestos abatement contractors in Oregon. For those who plan to buy a pre- 1987 home in need o f remodeling, have a qualified inspector survey the house for asbestos before pur chase. Sprayed-on popcorn acoustical ceilings, sheet flooring such as linoleum or vinyl asbestos tiles, cement asbestos board siding and roofing, furnace and duct insula tion as well as boiler and pipe insu lation are all common materials known to contain asbestos. To be safe, DEQ recommends that all suspect materials as if they contain asbestos until their safety is know for sure. An asbestos con taining material cannot be deter mined simply by appearance. The only safe way to find out if material contains asbestos is to have a labo ratory analyze a sample o f the sus pect material. Laboratories that do this work are usually listed in the Yellow Pages under Asbestos Consulting & Testing. Call DEQ for informa tion on how to safely take a sample. For more information, call the DEQoftice at 503-229-5364 Problem Gamblers Find Help More Oregonians than ever are entering into problem gambling treatment, according to a report released by the ( )regon I iepartment o f Human Services. The study found that the num ber o f problem gamblers entering into treatment increased nearly 40 percent over the previous year and there was a 66 percent increase in the num berof family members en tering counseling. Based on a follow-up sur- a vey with people who went through gambling treatment, 90 days after they left treatment, about three-fourths o f them found the help they needed to slop or reduce theirgambling. By law, one percent o f the O r egon Lottery’s net proceeds are dedicated to a problem gambling treatment fund. This fund is used to support 17 regional problem gam bling prevention programs, 30out- patient programs, three short-term residential programs, one telephone counseling program and the toll- free Problem ( ¡ambling Helpline at 877-2-STOP-NOW. According to the re port, o f the 1,380 gamblers who re ceived trea t m ent last y e a r, 74 p erc en t Racial & Ethnic Approaches to Community Health A program of the Afncan American Health Coalition. Inc. "’I Sponsored by the CDC (Centers tor Disease Control and Prevention) Wellness Within REACH: Mind, Body, and Soul Activity Calendar I Mon Matt Dishman 77 NE Knott Tues Wed S at Fri Th urs Strength Traminç Strength Trainimi Strength Training M a m and 2-3pm 8 9am and 2 3pm 8 Nam aad 2 3pm 10:00-1 1:00am Br»»o Broun Brown Addo African Dance Chicago Step 6.3X1-7:00pm Kendrick Salvation Army 5325 N W itt» ms. Salsa Water Aerobics Tai Chi 6:30-7:30pm 2:00 34)0pm 6 :3 0 -7:30pm 2:00-3:00pn. Hanghnd Harapino Lyles Hampton Water Aerobics Begins 4/16/03 Nature's 3535N E15tL Yoga Yoga Rodi fnaditiomng 7:30-830 pm 7:45-8:45 pm 9:30-10:30am U R o.rU ORourkr Nickerson --------- Penins uia Park. 700 N Portland Malory Avnme Christiu Church (G y-) 126 NE Alberta J Highland Uiied Church of Christ 4635 NEW . Ave. Walking Groap 6:00-7310 pm 6:00-73X1 pm 12:30 pm Nickerson Nickerson Nickerson (Meel inside the (Meet inside the fluid Center in Lloyd Center in front of Sears ) hont of Sears ) Aerobics Aerobics Aerobics 6:30-7:30pm 630-7:30pm 6 3 0 -7:30pm Nickerson Nickerson Nickerson Aerobics Aerobtcs Aerobics Aerobtcs 63X)-700am 63X1-700pm 6:00-7:(Xlam 6:00 700pm Fierce Kellei Pierre Keller # è Walking Groap Walking Grnap ’ “Must be 21 or older to participate. Please check with AAHC before showing up to the first class 503-413-1850 Please receive approval from your doctor before beginning exercise class All classes are free o f charge! African American Health Coalition, Inc. were hooked on video poker and 10 percent on slot machines. While the average gambling-related debt was $22,840, several individuals re ported gambling debts exceeding $100,000. A quarter o f the gamblers re ported that theirgambling cost them a marriage or other significant rela tionship. Forty percent committed i I legal acts in order to gamble or pay back gambling losses. Fifteen per cent reported losing their job as a result o f gambling and 10 percent 2800 N Vancouver A v e , Suite 100 • Portland. OR 97227 • were on the brink o f committing suicide in the months prior to enter ing treatment The power to quit smoking is within your reach. Gordly Sponsors Mental Health Bill Discrimination in health insur has created barriers to sound treat ance coverage against people with ment practices and to the overall mental illnessand substance abuse well being o f the people o f this problems may soon end in Oregon state" under a bill considered today by a For Gordly, who has a son who senate committee. suffers from mental illness, the hear Senate Bill I, ing is the first c o -sp o n so re d sta g e in the by A frican ach iev em en t a American State long time goal Sen. A vel to en su re that Gordly, requires mental health and a company that substance abuse provides health treatment receive insurance in Or equal coverage egon to offer the from insurance sam e level o f companies. co v e rag e for “ I look fo r m ental illness - State Sen. Avel Gordly ward to the day and dnig and al this bill becomes cohol dependency as it does for law, because at that moment this other medical conditions. large barrier to treatment will fall for “The lack o f parity in health care many o f our most vulnerable Or coverage has fostered stigmatiza egonians and the gates o f access tion o f those with mental illness will open," ( iordly said. “This bill and su b stan ce ab u se issu es," ranks with the best o f laws pro Gordly said. “This stigmatization duced by this great institution." The lack o f parity in health care coverage has fostered stigmatization o f those with mental illness and substance abuse issues. Phone 503-413-1850 E-mail: kdempsey@aahc-portland org • Web www.aahc-portland.org We know how hard it is to quit smoking and we know what works. Let us give you a helping hand. Call us today. )( dhs ’ O regon D epartm en t o f H um an Services Oregon Tobacco Prevention & Education Program www.healthoregon.org/tobacco 1-877-2N0-FUME (Spanish) TTY: 1-877-777-6534 / 5
