8A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL MAY 10, 2017
YAC will visit Salem again for 'whippets' bill
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
When Karen Munsel spoke
before the city council, she told
them about the nitrous oxide
canisters being sold at local
smoke shops and about how the
cheap, easily accessible habit
had affected her personally. She
told them something should be
done about the dangerous habit
effecting local teens and while
she spoke, the youth advisory
council representative was pay-
ing attention.
After relaying Munsel’s story
and discussing the issue with
city administration, the Cottage
Grove Youth Advisory Council
approached representative Ced-
ric Hayden. Now, as the legis-
lative session readies to begin
turning bills into law, the youth
advisory council will see its ef-
forts pay off.
House Bill 3030 has passed
the house and will move onto
the senate with a few minor
changes. The age to purchase
the canisters has moved from 18
to 21. The youth advisory coun-
cil is expected to testify a sec-
ond time on the bill, requesting
that the location of the canisters
be altered as well.
“They would ask that they
not be sold in smoke shops be-
cause why? Why are they be-
ing sold there?” Cottage Grove
City Manager Richard Meyers
asked. “Anyone looking to use
them for baking is not looking
for them in a smoke shop.”
“It’s cheap,” Meyers said of
the high. “We may also ask to
clean up the language a little
in the bill,” Meyers said. Cur-
rently, the bill singles out use as
inhaling directly from the canis-
ter. However, teenagers are not
technically inhaling from the
canister. Instead, they are utiliz-
ing a “cracker” that punctures a
whole in the canister which fi lls
a balloon that is affi xed to the
other end and the user inhales
from the balloon.
“It’s easy, it’s cheap and it
lasts about 10 minutes so you
keep doing it over and over
again. The issue with that is that
eventually you can replace all
the oxygen in your lungs and
asphyxiate,” Meyers explained.
The youth advisory board is
expected to discuss the issue at
its next meeting and on Tues-
day, May 8, the youth board is
expected to travel to Salem to
testify on the issue again. This
time, in front of the senate and
with Munsel.
“It’s great for them, they’re
excited,” Meyers said. “They
saw a law through the entire
process.”
Are you ready?
D ISASTER P REPAREDNESS
Ten homeowner safety tips for protecting your home
from wildfi re this season
of these items quickly to
reduce fuel for fi re.
Inspect shingles or roof
tiles. Replace or repair the
shingles that are loose or
missing to prevent ember
penetration.
Cover exterior attic vents
with metal wire mesh no
larger than 1/8 inch to pre-
vent sparks from entering
the home.
Enclose eaves and screen
soffi t vents using 1/8 mesh
metal screening to prevent
ember entry.
Every year, wildfi res burn across the U.S., and more
and more people are living in areas where wildfi res
pose a risk. Nearly 45 million homes abut or intermin-
gle with wildlands and more than 72,000 U.S. commu-
nities are now at risk. By working together, residents
can make their own property - and their neighborhood
- much safer from wildfi re.
The Firewise Communities Program encourages local
solutions for safety by involving homeowners to pre-
pare their homes from the risk of wildfi re. The program
provides resources to help homeowners learn how to
adapt to living with wildfi re and encourages neighbors
to work together to take action now to prevent losses.
With fi re season approaching, homeowners and com-
munities can make their homes safer from wildfi re by
reducing fl ammable materials and creating more defen-
sible space around their property.
The following information has been released by the
Pacifi c Northwest region of the U.S. Forest Service.
These ten safety tips can help fi refi ghters and protect
homes and neighborhoods from wildfi res:
Clear leaves and other debris from roofs, gutters,
porches and decks. This helps prevent embers from
igniting your home.
Remove dead vegetation and other items from under
your deck or porch, and within 10 feet of the house.
Screen in areas below
patios and decks with wire
mesh to prevent debris
and combustible materials
from accumulating.
Remove fl ammable mate-
rials (wood piles, propane
tanks) within 30 feet of
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and outbuildings, includ-
ing garages and sheds. If it
can catch fi re, don’t let it
touch your house, deck or
porch.
Wildfi re can spread to tree
tops. Prune trees so the
lowest branches are 6 to
10 feet from the ground.
Keep your lawn hydrat-
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is brown, cut it down to
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South Lane Fire and Rescue has noted that while resi-
dents may feel safer after a particularly wet winter, it's
often when the department receives the most calls.
Because vegetation has grown more in some cases and
residents feel more comfortable than they would if the
winter had created a dry season, it is not ususual for
residents to become restless in their behavior around
campfi res or private burning in their yards.
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Make sure all the pieces are in place to render you and your family prepared in the event of a natural disaster.
• Listen to radio or television newscasts for the latest weather information, and follow all evacuation directions and suggestions.
• Keep a stock of non-perishable food items as well as bottled water on hand inside your home.
• Keep a 72 Hour Kit on hand inside your home that is easy to get to in the event of a disaster.
For more information and tips on disaster response and preparedness, contact your local emergency services center.
South Lane Fire & Rescue • 233 Harrison Ave, Cottage Grove 541-942-4493 • 55 South 1st Street, Creswell 541-895-2506
Twitter: @southlanefi re
Facebook: southlanecountyfi reandrescue