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When
you toss a pebble into a pond,
at the point of contact you cause a change; a change that ripples out in all directions. And these waves of change are felt by whatever else they happen to touch. This simple image symbolizes both the vision and responsibility of who we are. |
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ChangePoint
in the Media
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News Kroger Sees Meth Abuse As Major Issue For New AG By April Baer Portland, OR May 5, 2008 9:09 a.m. In the coming weeks, Oregonians are being asked to select a new lawyer for the state. Attorney General Hardy Myers is resigning. The election will very likely be decided in the Democratic primary, since no Republican candidate is running this year. We've asked the two frontrunners to talk about issues they consider central their approach. Thursday on Morning Edition, we heard from Greg Macpherson on sentencing policy. Now, April Baer talks to John Kroger about meth abuse. John Kroger's standing in front of a huge picture window. The scene outside his Portland campaign headquarters in the urban Old Town district isn't always pretty. John Kroger: "One of the things that's amazing about this space is we're not only surrounded by lots of folks who are needing drug treatment. We're right near Central City Concern, one of the largest drug treatment providers in the city. We see hand-to-hand drug deals within a block of our campaign headquarters. I saw one just two days ago." This office used to be a tattoo parlor. Now it houses a Kroger campaign in which the candidate is promising to fight meth abuse, and the societal problems it causes. In recent years, meth has taken a back seat to issues like the economy and the war. State leaders have made major progress shutting down small local meth labs. But ask anyone in law enforcement or the health care industry, and you'll find the trade is booming. At five o'clock, recovering meth addicts start to flood the phone lines and staff at Changepoint. This is one of the best known treatment centers in the state -- famous for its evidence-based studies on addiction. Director Chris Farentinos says Oregon might have a shot at beating meth if the state could get behind two goals. Chris Farentinos: "A combination of treatment, as well as a collaboration with law enforcement work together toward improving the system. I would say this would be the perfect world." Click to read the rest of the story. |
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Show -- Faith Takes on Reason in the Latest Anti-meth Media Blitz METH-ED UP: Oregon gets its own Scary Movie coming to TV stations Oct. 9. BY COREY PEIN | CPEIN AT WWEEK DOT COM [October 3rd, 2007] On Tuesday, Oct. 9, television stations in Portland, Eugene and Medford will donate a half-hour of airtime to a documentary, called Crystal Darkness, about the evils of methamphetamine. The privately financed documentary originally aired in Nevada in January, though Oregon-specific content has been added. WW wasn’t able to preview the Oregon remix, but the original is available on YouTube and in five parts below. |
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original Crystal Darkness echoes the current federal line on meth—a
message that’s faith-based, in-your-face and, according to independent
studies, ineffective at best. It’s also an approach at odds with
the lower-key and more scientific tack taken by Oregon public health
officials. “We don’t subscribe to the scare tactics,” says Karen Wheeler, addictions policy manager with the Oregon Department of Human Services. “We try to put the evidence-based messages out.” Wheeler, who hasn’t seen the film, believes depictions of scabby, rotten-toothed tweakers (which are shown and spoken of in the original version of Crystal Darkness ) give people the wrong idea. “Addiction is a brain disease,” says Wheeler. “And showing things like that stigmatizes people who have addiction.” The original Crystal Darkness echoes the current federal line on meth—a message that’s faith-based, in-your-face and, according to independent studies, ineffective at best. It’s also an approach at odds with the lower-key and more scientific tack taken by Oregon public health officials. There’s a huge stigma with addiction, which makes it very hard for some people to seek help until very late in the game,” Farentinos says. State health materials say meth is dangerous, but also note that meth addicts recover at about the same rate as other narcotic abusers. (Last year, half of the 120 people in a model Oregon program for meth addicts completed treatment.) That’s an “evidence-based” message. Click to read the rest of the story. |
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 Drug Use, Addiction Welcome Some to U.S. Immigration - A study finds the pressures of adapting to a new country and culture can often lead to substance abuse Thursday, August 16, 2007 The Oregonian and Oregon Live.com PAIGE PARKERThe Oregonian Staff Adapting to the United States might come with its own side effects. As Spanish speakers learn English, they also turn to illegal drug use, with English-speaking Latinos reporting illegal drug use at a rate 13 times higher than their Spanish-speaking peers, reports an Oregon State University sociologist who studied Washington residents. The pressures of immigrating can fuel an existing addiction or spark new substance abuse, Portland-area drug and alcohol treatment experts agree. Immigrants face learning a language, finding a home and working two or more jobs, and they often grapple with loneliness. "That's exactly what we see," says Chris Farentinos, director of ChangePoint, a Portland-based drug and alcohol treatment center where 20 percent of clients speak Spanish. "When they arrive, there's a period of time where they're very poor. As their language skills increase, their disposable income is also increasing, and they have more access to drugs and alcohol." |
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 NIDA's Scientific Journal to become Journal of Addiction Science & Clinical Practice For Release August 1, 2007 New Name, Increased Number of Issues Reflect Public Interest in Addiction Science The National Institute on Drug Abus e (NIDA), a component of the National Institutes of Health announced today that it is changing the name of its scientific journal Perspectives to the Journal of Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, beginning with the November issue. The new title is designed to better reflect the journal's committment to covering the exchange of ideas between researchers, clinicians, and others in the field of addiction science. NIDA will also increase the number of issues per year from once to twice a year, to accommodate the sizeable portfolio of scientific literature being produced in the growing field of drug abuse and addiction research. The peer-reviewed NIDA publication is the most widely distributed journal on addiction science. Click to read the rest of the story. |
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Farentinos Speaks at Meth Summit June 15, 2005 Mayor Potter, Chair Linn host Meth Congress on Friday to Find Solutions to Drug Epidemic Portland Mayor Tom Potter and Multnomah County Chair Diane Linn will convene a day-long Public Policy Action Congress on Meth this Friday (6/17). Judges, state legislators, Oregon's two U.S. Senators, City Council members, school board officials and others will discuss treatment, law enforcement and prevention strategies. At the end of the congress, policy makers will prioritize and vote on their recommendations. The Congress is co-sponsored by Mayor Potter, Chair Linn, Community Action to Reduce Substance Abuse (CARSA) and the Oregon Partnership. CARSA is an outgrowth of Portland's 25 Cities Initiative that was launched in August of 2003, with broad representation of city leaders. Through its Drug Free Communities Support Grant, CARSA is focusing on facilitating communication and collaboration among public and private partners, with a goal of reducing duplication of services and efforts for a more effective strategy to deal with substance abuse. Before the Congress begins, Oregon Partnership will release the first edition of its Portland Profile, a measure of the impact of substance abuse in the tri-county area of Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas Counties. The Profile documents trends in drug and alcohol abuse and includes a statewide comparison. Click to read the rest of the story. |
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