On Monday November 29, 2010 from 6:30-8:00 at King Middle School, we will gather with members of the Portland community to discuss the risks of prescription drug abuse among teens. This event is sponsored by Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) and King Pharmaceuticals as well as the City of Portland's Public Health Division (HHSD) and the Portland Public Schools (PPS).
This blog post stems from an article that was posted this morning by @LaDonna Coy from a ScienceDaily article entitled "Low Socioeconomic Status Affects Cortisol Levels in Children Over Time" (January 21, 2010). When we think of the challenges children face, it's important to keep in mind the influence of environmental factors but to still explore how we can build assets and have meaningful relationships with children despite - or maybe because - of their situations. 
"As a young girl, two of the more traumatic things I went through were growing up with an alcoholic parent and my parents’ divorce. I tried to stuff the void I experienced with drugs and alcohol. I never even considered the idea that I might become an alcoholic or drug addict, and I swore to myself that I would never end up like my father. However, as I would later find out, the cards were stacked against me. My family’s long history of drug and alcohol addictions played a huge role in where I ultimately ended up. The lifestyle itself was so familiar to me that it didn’t even register that I wouldn’t be able to stand up to the pressure to succumb to it."Reporting a party can be difficult choice for a parent, and we appreciate this parent’s decision to prioritize the health and safety of the young people involved. It’s up to each one of us to help make sure youth are safe, and we all are responsible for reporting dangerous situations—like underage drinking parties.
PORTLAND – Police broke up a party during the weekend involving 35 to 40 teenagers, mostly from Deering and Portland high schools. Police were called to 16 Hope Ave. at 11:50 p.m. Saturday, after the parent of a teenager who had been drinking at the party reported it, police said …Police issued a court summons to a 16-year-old for furnishing the alcohol. [A father and son] were ordered to appear in court on charges of furnishing a place for minors to drink.
ScienceDaily (Dec. 7, 2009) — Half of Australian adults and 63 per cent of Australians on a higher income believe 15- to 17-year-olds should be allowed to consume alcohol under parental supervision at home, according to the latest MBF Healthwatch survey.
"Most people know the holidays can be a period of emotional highs and lows. Loneliness, anxiety, happiness and sadness are common feelings, sometimes experienced in startling succession. The bad news is the holiday blues can trigger relapse for people recovering from alcoholism and other drug addiction. The good news is the blues can be remedied by planning ahead.
The Portland Public Health Division's (HHSD) Substance Abuse Prevention Program is trying to gather information from parents/parenting adults to see if they'd like to receive a substance abuse prevention-focused message sent to their phone via text on a monthly basis. (Messages would be conversation starters, tips for getting involved, informational statistics about teen substance use, and more.)
From the blog, Giving Youth the Asset Edge
October is "Talk About Prescriptions Month," and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is launching a prescription drug abuse education video to promote the observance.
Old and unwanted medications will be collected for safe disposal at the Portland Expo on Thursday.
Portland officials are encouraging residents to sort through their medicine cabinets and bring in any over-the-counter or prescription drugs that are expired or no longer used by the household. Veterinary medicines also will be collected.
The event is intended to raise awareness about the risks associated with leaving expired medications in the home and the consequences of disposing of medications improperly by flushing them or throwing them in the trash.
If not properly disposed of, the medications can be used illegally or cause accidental poisoning. And, if flushed down a toilet or put in a landfill, they can eventually contaminate water supplies.
Medications should be brought in their original containers if possible. Individual privacy will be protected by removing any personal information. Labels should not be removed before drop-off, because they identify substances and drug classes.
The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at the Portland Exposition Building on Park Avenue.
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