Oregon Partnership’s Life Line Gets On-Site Boost

Oregon Partnership received a major show of support during a visit to the OP Crisis Lines Center this month from Brigadier General Mike Caldwell of the Oregon Military Department, Oregon National Guard Reintegration Team Director, Col (Ret.) Scott McCrae, and  U.S. Senator Ron Wyden.

Sen. Wyden assured OP board and staff members in attendance that he would be pushing for funding in a Senate appropriations bill that would allow OP to provide assistance for more veterans and returning soldiers.  Wyden said he considers OP’s LifeLine work with military men and women a “model project” when the need is severe and Oregonians are under such economic stress.

Judy Cushing, OP Board member Lon Getlin, Development Director Peter Jurney, Crisis Lines Director Leslie Storm, and Crisis Lines Assistant Director Deborah Zwetchkenbaum offered solid information and compelling examples of calls for help to OP’s suicide prevention line from an increasing number of Oregonians returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The presentations were received favorably with Caldwell, McCrae and Wyden all expressing appreciation for OP’s role in supporting Oregon’s soldiers and their families.  Wyden was especially interested in OP’s ability to make follow-up calls to insure that callers receive sufficient assistance in the days and weeks following their first contact with Life Line.
 
As Gen. Caldwell said, “Even if peace broke out around the world today, we would still have to take care of the 3,000 Oregonians who would be returning tomorrow.”
 
Following the briefing, Wyden, Caldwell and McCrae were given a tour of the crisis lines as part of their first-ever experience at the OP offices.  And what is now a common occurrence, crisis line calls were coming in.

Repeal Oregon’s Medical Marijuana Act

 

 

  For those who believe the Oregon medical marijuana program is out of control, there’s a move afoot to get it on the 2010 ballot…

Initiative #32 repeals the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act and replaces it with a state-
subsidized program providing prescriptions using cannabinoids, synthetic cannabinoids,
and cannabinoid derivatives for persons with diagnosed debilitating medical conditions
if such prescriptions are not covered by insurance.

 

The Department of Human Services shall establish program rules including

1.      independent medical exam at state’s expense if eligibility of the program
must be determined

2.      establish the standards for determining validity of participants’ application
based on a medically reasonable diagnosis and necessity of prescription
for treatment of diagnosed debilitating medical condition

3.      establish participation requirements including applicants to be legal Oregon
resident for one year prior to application  

4.      require attending physician to monitor participants’ use in same manner as
a controlled substance

5.      define “attending physician”, “controlled substance”, and “diagnosed
debilitating medical condition”, and

6.      invalidate current medical marijuana cards on March 31, 2011

Marijuana Harmless? Think Again.

It’s enough to get real about the effects of marijuana.

http://www.orpartnership.org/web/PDFs/clin_toxicol_47_517_2009.pdf

Old Navy T-Shirts Getting National Attention

From the recent e-newsletter from CADCA (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America)….It all started with one letter from a prevention specialist in Bend, Oregon. On a recent back-to-school shopping trip, Cameo Chambers found t-shirts promoting binge drinking in her local Old Navy store.

 The shirts carry messages such as “Beer Pressure – Worth Giving In To!” and “Sloshball Champions – Staggerin Falls, Hi.”

 She wrote to the company and shared her concern with Oregon Partnership, a statewide organization dedicated to ending substance abuse and suicide. In response, Oregon Partnership has launched a campaign to have the shirts removed from stores. CADCA encourages all coalitions to follow suit and write to Old Navy’s parent company, Gap, Inc, requesting that they remove the shirts from store shelves.

In a letter to Glenn Murphy, CEO of Gap, Inc, Old Navy’s parent company headquartered in San Francisco, Oregon Partnership said the sale of such items to a young customer base is repugnant and goes against the company’s pledge of social responsibility.

“Oregon Partnership and other anti-drug coalitions around the country will not let go of this,” said Pete Schulberg, Oregon Partnership’s Communications Director. “Other retail chains have stopped the sale of these t-shirts because they know that promoting binge drinking to young people is something they don’t want to be a part of.”

In a written reply to OP’s request Chris Wingenfield of Gap Customer Relations said “at Old Navy, we strive to offer merchandise that appeal to a wide range of interests….it is never our intention to offend our customers and we apologize for any concerns related to our product.”

But Oregon Partnership President/CEO Judy Cushing termed Gap’s response “wholly unsatisfying.”

“Oregon Partnership and other anti-drug coalitions are making inroads in informing parents, educators, and the business community about how alcohol use among adolescents is even more dangerous to their developing brains than previously believed,” said Cushing. “But for the culture to be changed, retailers such as Gap and Old Navy need to play their part.”

The price of the t-shirts was lowered to $5.00 on the weekend before the start of most public schools in the state. “It is obvious to us that Old Navy is marketing the shirts to the back-to-school crowd, which is irresponsible and hypocritical,” Schulberg said.

During last year’s holiday season, the store prominently displayed t-shirts with a Christmas tree and the words “Let’s Get Lit.” Another showed an elf drinking from a keg.

This is not the first time a popular chain has sold something that glamorizes alcohol or drug use. Other national chains have sold similar items in the past but have discontinued their sale after receiving complaints from coalitions throughout the country.

Old Navy T-Shirt Story Gets Mucho Media Coverage

When Oregon Partnership complained about Old Navy stores selling alcohol-related t-shirts to teen customers, the media noticed.

Four Portland TV stations, a Eugene TV station, and several Portland radio stations aired extensive coverage, and the reaction is pouring into Oregon Partnership.

Most of what we are hearing  is positive from our point of view but for those who believe parents are responsible for what their kids buy and that Old Navy shouldn’t be held accountable,  remember this:

 By selling t-shirts with messages such as “Beer Pressure, Give in to it,” Old Navy is telling parents that the company doesn’t care about them, their kids, or their community. So much for the “social responsibility” that Old Navy and its parent company GAP, Inc. talk about.

OP is asking that Old Navy prove that they don’t dispute what most parents are telling their teens about the dangers of underage drinking and stop selling those t-shirts that encourage underage drinking or at the very least, make light of it.

OREGON PARTNERSHIP LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN AIMED AT OLD NAVY STORES: STOP SELLING T-SHIRTS PROMOTING BINGE DRINKING TO TEEN CUSTOMERS!

(Portland, Oregon)  Oregon Partnership, a non-profit organization dedicated to combating alcohol and drug abuse, has called for Old Navy stores to discontinue the sale of t-shirts with binge drinking messages such as “Beer Pressure – Worth Giving In To!” and “Sloshball Champions – Staggerin Falls, Hi.”

In a letter to Glenn Murphy, CEO of Gap, Inc, Old Navy’s parent company headquartered in San Francisco, Oregon Partnership said the sale of such items to a young customer base is repugnant and goes against the company’s pledge of social responsibility.

“Oregon Partnership and other anti-drug coalitions around the country will not let go of this.” said Pete Schulberg, OP Communications Director. “Other retail chains have stopped the sale of these t-shirts because they know that promoting binge drinking to young people is something they DON’T want to be a part of.”

See attachment for photo of t-shirt.  OP has other examples of the shirts for photo opportunities.

In a written reply to OP’s request, Chris Wingenfield of Gap Customer Relations said “at Old Navy, we strive to offer merchandise that appeal to a wide range of interests….it is never our intention to offend our customers and we apologize for any concerns related to our product.”

But Oregon Partnership President/CEO Judy Cushing termed Gap’s response “wholly unsatisfying.”

“Oregon Partnership and other anti-drug coalitions are making inroads in informing parents, educators, and the business community about how alcohol use among adolescents is even more dangerous to their developing brains than previously believed,” said Cushing. “But for the culture to be changed, retailers such as Gap and Old Navy need to play their part.”

The price of the t-shirts was lowered to $5.00 on the weekend before the start of most public schools in the state.

“It is obvious to us that Old Navy is marketing the shirts to the back-to-school crowd, which is irresponsible and hypocritical,” said Schulberg. “These are shirts that public schools would not allow kids to wear.

During last year’s holiday season, the store prominently displayed t-shirts with a Christmas tree and the words “Let’s Get Lit.” Another has an elf drinking from a keg.

Several years ago, after Oregon Partnership criticized Macy’s and Bloomingdales for selling similar t-shirts, the retailers decided to take the items off their shelves.  Other national chains have discontinued the sale of drinking games and similar products.

About Oregon Partnership:
Oregon Partnership is a statewide nonprofit that has worked to promote healthy kids and communities for well over a decade by raising awareness about drug and alcohol issues, providing prevention education in classrooms, and 24-hour crisis lines for people needing help. To learn more, visit www.orpartnership.org.

Rx Drug Abuse Increasing Among Youth

Prescription drug abuse is on the rise…in the general population and especially, among youth.

Oregon Partnership is trying to get the word out that the call volume for the OP crisis lines from those dealing with addiction to pain killers and other opiates is now second to alcohol-related calls.

 This is a relatively new occurance and a troubling one.

We met with KPTV(12) today about a half-hour special the station plans later in the year about this very subject. 

And where do most young people get their pills?  From their folks’ medicine cabinets or from friends’ parents’ medicine cabinets!  It’s a subject that needs to get out in the public arena.

Oregon Partnership Among “Best Oregon Non-Profits”!

Oregon Partnership placed in the top 25 of the “100 Best Non-Profits in Oregon, sponsored by Oregon Business magazine.  OP board members and staff were on hand for the big awards ceremony this week at the Portland Art Museum. 

Click here for more…

2009 Bell Blazers Classic Big Win For Oregon Partnership

What an awesome golf tournament this week out at the Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club, and once again Oregon Partnership is the big winner.

Proceeds from the Bell Blazer Classic – we’re talking Taco Bell and the Portland Trailblazers – go toward OP programs that help prevent drug and alcohol abuse. 

OP owes these outstanding community partners a huge amount of thanks.  We are so fortunate to have their support year after year.

Sunny skies, great golf, a super dinner that featured Blazers head coach Nate McMillan and a day worth of fun equaled the best Bell Blazer classic ever.

Oregon National Guard members comprized one of the 35 teams and several guardsmen served as volunteers.  When they were introduced at the dinner by OP President/CEO Judy Cushing, the soldiers (all of whom served in Iraq and Afghanistan) received multiple standing ovations. 

For the sponsors, the players, the celebrities who took part, and all the volunteers who make this event so successful - what a class bunch of folks you are.  It’s one of the highlites of the year for our organization.

Alcohol Ads Out of Control – Even in Russia!

Oregon Partnership and other non-profits are warning that alcohol advertising is rampant (especially on TV) and the industry is always looking at ways to increase its reach to young people.   Maybe Russia has the right idea….according to this item from Join Together newsletter:

Alcohol advertising would be banned and sales limited by location and time of day under a plan endorsed by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, CBC News reported Sept. 11.

 Medvedev called alcoholism in Russia a “national disaster” in unveiling plans that also include bans on sales of large containers of beer and prison sentences for those convicted of selling alcohol to youths under age 18.

 The new rules would go into effect before the end of the year. Experts say that more than half of all deaths in Russia are related to alcohol use.