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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2017)
26 JULY 1, 2017 Applications Assister sets Portland date Certified Applications Assister Loretta Meneley will be at the Portland area office, 4445 S.W. Barbur Blvd., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 26, to help Tribal members with medical information and applications. For more information, contact Tribal Services Representative Lisa Archuleta at 503-879-1881 or lisa.archuleta@grandronde.org. Prescription drug misuse Facts & Figures •Many youth mistakenly believe prescription drugs are safer to abuse than illegal street drugs. •After marijuana and alcohol, the most common drugs teens are misusing or abusing are prescription medications. •12 to 17 year olds abuse prescription drugs more than ecstasy, heroin, crack/ cocaine and methamphetamines combined. •Two-thirds of people 12 and older (68 percent) who have abused prescription pain relievers within the past year say they got them from a friend or relative. •The most commonly abused prescription drugs are pain medications, sleeping pills, anti-anxiety medications and stimulants (used to treat attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorders). •Almost 1 in every 4 teens in America say they have misused or abused a prescription drug. •One in five teens (20 percent) who have abused prescription drugs did so before the age of 14. •9 percent of teens in a recent study reported using prescription pain relievers not prescribed for them in the past year, and 5 percent (1 in 20) reported doing so in the past month. Signs & Symptoms It is important to know the warning signs and symptoms of prescription drug abuse: •Loss of interest in appearance, sports or social activities •Cash, valuables or medication missing from the home •Sudden mood changes •Changes in friends •Deceitful and secretive behavior •Irregular schedule •Sleeping excessively or at atypical times •Noticeable increase in snoring International statistics Every day in the United States, 2,500 youth (12 to 17) abuse a prescription pain reliever for the first time. Prescription drug abuse, while most prevalent in the United States, is a problem in many areas around the world including Europe, southern Africa and south Asia. In the United States alone, more than 15 million people abuse prescription drugs, more than the combined number who reported abusing cocaine, hallucinogens, inhalants and heroin. In 2006 in the United States, 2.6 million people abused prescription drugs for the first time. A 2007 survey in the United States found that 3.3 percent of 12 to 17 year olds and 6 percent of 17 to 25 year olds had abused prescription drugs in the past month. Prescription drug abuse causes the largest percentage of deaths from drug overdosing. Of the 22,400 drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2005, opioid painkillers were the most commonly found drug, accounting for 38.2 percent of these deaths. In 2005, 4.4 million teenagers (aged 12 to 17) in the United States admitted to taking prescription painkillers, and 2.3 million took a prescription stimulant such as Ritalin. 2.2 million abused over-the-counter drugs such as cough syrup. The average age for first-time users is now 13 to 14. Cause of death Depressants, opioids and antidepressants are responsible for more overdose deaths (45 percent) than cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and amphetamines (39 percent) combined. In the United States, the most deaths used to take place in inner cities in African-American neighborhoods, but they have now been overtaken by white rural communities. The same trend can be seen in the rates of hospitalization for substance abuse and emergency hospitalization for overdoses. Of the 1.4 million drug-related o of emergency room admissions in 2005, 598,542 were associated with abuse pharmaceuticals alone or with other drugs. o By survey, almost 50 percent of teens believe that prescription drugs are much safer than illegal street drugs – 60 percent to 70 percent say that home medicine cabinets are their source of drugs. According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Co- lumbia University, teens who abuse prescription drugs are twice as likely to use alcohol, five times more likely to use marijuana and 12 to 20 times more likely to use illegal street drugs such as heroin, ecstasy and cocaine than teens who do not abuse prescription drugs. In 2007, the Drug Enforcement Administration found that abuse of the o pain- killer Fentanyl killed more than 1,000 people that year in the United States. It is 30 to 50 times more powerful than heroin. Reference: www.rxsafetymatters.org/families-and-communities/facts-and- figures/ S moke S ignals Health & Wellness Center closures • Monday, July 3 — 1 to 5 p.m. • Tuesday, July 4 – Independence Day (all day) Be sure to request pharmacy refills early. Massage at Health & Wellness Center Mind, Body & Soul Therapeutic Massage started at the Health & Well- ness Clinic last year. Remember: Appointments for massage are not managed by the Health & Wellness Center staff. To schedule an appoint- ment, call 971-237-2561. Eye Injury Facts and Myths • Men are more likely to sustain an eye injury than women. • Most people believe that eye injuries are most common on the job, especially in the course of work at factories and construction sites. But, in fact, nearly half (44.7 percent) of all eye injuries occur in the home, as reported during the fifth-annual Eye Injury Snapshot conducted by the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Ocular Trauma. • More than 40 percent of eye injuries reported in the Eye Injury Snapshot were caused by projects and activities such as home repairs, yard work, cleaning and cooking. More than a third (34.2 percent) of injuries in the home occurred in living areas such as the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, living or family room. • More than 40 percent of eye injuries every year are related to sports or recreational activities. • Eyes can be damaged by sun exposure, not just chemicals, dust or objects. • Among all eye injuries reported in the Eye Injury Snapshot, more than 78 percent of people were not wearing eyewear at the time of injury. Of those reported to be wearing eyewear of some sort at the time of injury (including glasses or contact lenses), only 5.3 percent were wearing safety or sports glasses. Eye Injury Facts and Myths
