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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (March 14, 2018)
10 A SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2018 Directions from 1A thinking about having five or more hard drinks in a row.” With those numbers in hand, the coalition looked to bring the conversation of alco- hol use into the forefront. “Sometimes, when a pro- gram like this is implemented, there can be a preconceived idea that we are here to judge,” Healthy Directions Chair Char Reavis said at the meeting. “That’s not what we are about, or what we are trying to accomplish. We are here to advocate and to support par- ents, educators and communi- ty members with the chal- lenges they face while raising and educating our youth.” Reavis stressed the impor- tance of community conversa- tion and communication when combating youth alcohol use. “We bring it out of the clos- et. We form a community coalition. We tell our youth about the dangers because they’re smart,” she said. “They have brilliant minds and they will listen if it makes sense to them.” Siuslaw Outreach Services (SOS) Executive Director Bob Teter laid out the difficulties in talking about youth drinking. “It seems like a daunting task to tackle this subject, but when you see people who are showing up and have a con- cern about it and willing to be a part of the solution, it’s always encouraging,” Teter said. “As a director of SOS, I see how alcohol is affecting our families. In a lot of the domestic violence and sexual assault and abuse we see come through our office, alcohol is most often a factor in every- thing.” Beyond the effects that alcohol abuse has on families, it also has a negative effect on the physical development of youth, as Lane County Commissioner Jay Bozievich explained. “Helping to control teen substance abuse is really important to me,” he said. “Really, the brains are still forming, well up to the age of 25. One of the last things that forms in your brain is the pre- frontal lobe that controls impulse. So, when you think about who shouldn’t have access to some of these things, there’s so many young people that haven’t quite got that impulse control.” It’s that lack of judgment and impulse control that can have devastating conse- quences, as Teter explained. He spoke about a family of six who were killed on their way to a basketball tournament by a young drunk driver who was driving with a suspended license. “I later ended up working with (the driver) and we were talking about the situation. And it brought back such memories that he went home that night and drank himself to death. … I look at this as a war. We have a war against our culture where this has become the norm. You talk with youth and they say everybody drinks. You look at television, and they market towards our youth, and all they want is the dollars. They don’t care about our youth at all. I’m willing to fight it, and I’m glad you’re here to take on that fight.” Culturally, that war is an uphill battle. “For many years, we have all been exposed to advertising that clearly tells us if we’re tired from a hard day’s work, we should drink to feel better,” Reavis said. “Or if we’re sad or grieving, a drink will take the edge off. Or, if we’re cele- brating, drink to celebrate. The list goes on and on. To make matters worse, it does make us feel better. It does help us feel relaxed. It does take the edge off.” Reavis said that message isn’t going anywhere, and that children will continue to hear it for generations to come. This is why the work of organizations like Healthy Directions is so important, she feels. It’s not to chastise those who drink, nor to demo- nize alcohol and those who use it, but to raise awareness of the medical and social issues that are particularly damaging for youth who drink. Coalition members listed a number of achievements in the past year that help bring about the awareness, including a media campaign, meetings with parents in conjunction with the PTA, and creating a team of organizations to help bring about awareness. These include the Florence Police Department, Trillium Comm- unity Health Plan, Siuslaw School District, Oregon State Police, Oregon Family Support Network, SOS, KSCR, the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians and the Siuslaw Area Partnership to Prevent Substance Abuse (SAPPSA). Healthy Directions also rec- ognized local businesses that presented alcohol in a family- friendly manner through the Florence Area Family Friendly Retailer Campaign. “So far, we have designated several different restaurants as family friendly,” Buff Bear said. “For instance, Restobar doesn’t have any alcohol advertising on the outside of their restaurant. It’s not that they don’t serve alcohol, it’s that they’re not making a big deal of it so that when youth walk down Bay Street, they are not bombarded with a bunch of different beer adver- tisements.” The coalition also worked closely with the Oregon Liquor Control Commission to check if businesses have a good track record with check- ing identification and not serv- ing to minors. “It’s a positive strategy, working with businesses and telling them they’re already doing a great job,” Buff Bear said. “Instead of going to busi- nesses and saying, ‘Here’s what you could do better,” we’re talking about what they are already doing in the com- munity to be a good partner, and that we appreciate it. We will be continuing that strate- gy in the community in the coming year.” Healthy Directions has also implemented a new MIP (Minor in Possession) pro- gram with Lane County Sheriff’s Office. “What often happens is youth are drinking in the forest or on the beach, exactly 20 minutes outside of town where they know that Florence Police Department are not going to go to bust up a party,” Buff Bear said. “If there’s an emergency, the police cannot get way out there.” A newly approved grant will provide funding for the sheriff’s department to make patrols in the area, outside Florence Police Department jurisdiction, to find parties and enforce drinking-age reg- ulations. How the sheriffs deal with youth who they find drinking will also change. In the past, officers often gave warnings instead of MIPs. “Officers still have the ability to use their own judg- ment, but the marching orders are to write MIPs instead of give warnings,” Buff Bear Let me Showcase your property. said. One of the reasons officers focused on warnings was the diversion classes that are required with MIPs. “There’s really no reason to write MIPs if nothing is going to happen with them,” Buff Bear said. The diversion classes, which are offered by Youth Services, a division of Lane County, is an evidence-based course that allows youth to think about substance abuse and other ways they can cope with the difficulties in their life. The course also helps youth expunge the MIP from their record when they turn 18. But the problem was, the Siuslaw region had limited access to the class, which was held in Eugene on a Thursday night once a month. Starting this summer, the class will now be held in Florence, possibly on a quar- terly basis. On April 5, Healthy Directions will sponsor a comprehensive course for local businesses who serve alcohol and other addictive substances. “It’s going to be really comprehensive,” Buff Bear said. “It’s going to be all about alcohol from the OLCC perspective — how to prevent over serving and not serving to minors.” The session will also include experts on problem gambling, tobacco prevention and the latest drug trends. Beyond these accomplish- ments, Healthy Directions will continue to look at new ways to combat youth alcohol use, working with similar organizations throughout the state to discover what has worked for them, share ideas and build a network. “The bottom line is this: our youth have a great future ahead of them and the tools we give them now can help them choose to be free of addiction in that amazing culture,” Reavis said. “And the reality is their future is our future.” Mapleton from 1A “We thought it would be a great opportunity for us to bring in some professionals to come and support our stu- dents and our community,” O’Mara said. “We’ll learn about everything from inter- net safety to what is out there for teen proofing your home, suicide prevention, drugs and alcohol and how to support somebody who might be struggling with those.” Four groups will present information in the meeting, which is open to the public and free. Representatives from Ophelia’s Place, a preven- tion-based organization dedi- cated to helping girls make healthy life choices through empowerment, education and support, will give a talk on internet safety. Serenity Lane, a private nonprofit treatment center for alcohol and other drug addic- tions, will present informa- tion on drug and alcohol sup- port. Lane County Public Health will cover teen proof- ing a home, which includes information on signs of alco- hol and other drug use with youth, as well as how parents can safely keep those sub- stances out of reach. The Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians will present information on Canoe Journey, which is the tribe’s drug and alcohol-free pro- gram. Each presentation will last 10 to 15 minutes to talk about issues facing youth, which will be followed by a dinner. Afterward, each group will be able to provide one-on- one discussions with the pub- lic. “I’m just excited to bring this wealth of knowledge to our community,” O’Mara said. The event will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Mapleton Elementary School gymnasium, located at 10870 East Mapleton Road. in Our Community. Thank You. www.edwardjones.com Member SIPC EASTER SCHEDULE St. Mary Our Lady of the Dunes Catholic Church ~Healing Masses: Saturday, March 17 at 5:30 Sunday, March 18 at 11:00am ~Reconciliation Service Wednesday, March 21 at 6:00pm ~Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord: Amy Johnson Broker, CSA 541 999-7875 Sunday, March 25 at 5:30pm Sunday, March 25 at 11:00am ~Good Friday Passion of the Lord: 1713 Upas St – Exceptional in-town home near a park. Corner lot with room for RV parking. New siding, paint, lighting and fl ooring throughout. 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