Smoking banned in all Portland parks starting July 1

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portland smoking banThe city of Portland has expanded its smoking ban to all of its public parks, making the rule consistent across all parks in the city. Previously, smoking was only prohibited in certain parks under the city’s purview. City officials say the move will promote public health and protect parks from certain hazards, including pollution and fire.

A statement from Commissioner Amanda Fritz read in part:

“The intent of the smoke and tobacco-free parks policy is to promote public health and protect Portland’s parks and natural areas, not to criminalize those who smoke or use tobacco,” Fritz said in a statement. “We expect people to comply with the expanded policy because it’s the right thing to do for our parks and for themselves, not solely because they’re faced with major penalties.”

The new measure, which takes effect July 1, would also make the smoking ban a little less stringent, with violators simply asked to leave the park for the rest of the day if caught lighting up.

SAMHSA: Millions of full-time workers have issues with anxiety

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substance abuse preventionA newly released study from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration found that nearly 4 percent of all adult American full-time workers had at least one anxiety disorder over the past year. This amounts to about 4.3 million workers nationwide.

According to a SAMHSA news release, individuals who do not work full time had even higher rates of anxiety disorders, with about 5.3 percent of those working part time experiencing these issues. The agency defines an anxiety disorder as an “ongoing state of overwhelming worry and fear.” Dealing with anxiety disorders has been shown to lead to other challenges, including substance abuse.

Click here to access the study online.

Baby boomers more prone to drug overdoses than younger adults

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Recent numbers from the Centers for Disease Control indicate that more than 12,000 baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) died from accidental drug overdoses in 2013. It marks the first time in recorded history that overdoses in this age group have surpassed those ages 25-44, and represents an 11-fold increase from 1990.

The Fix: “More older adults died of accidental drug overdoses than from car accidents or influenza and pneumonia. In 2012, people between ages 45 and 64 had the highest rate of inpatient hospital stays for opioid abuse.”

New Oregon marijuana possession, underage drinking laws to into effect this year

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With the beginning of the year, there are a number of new laws that went into effect yesterday. Among these is a new law that provides immunity to anyone under the age of 21 who seeks police or emergency assistance, even if they have been drinking illegally. The law was designed to encourage young people to seek help without the fear of receiving an underage drinking citation.

In November, voters passed Measure 91, legalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana and allowing residents to grow up to a half-pound on their properties. But it’s important to note that this law doesn’t go into effect until July 1, and even then, employers still have the right to prohibit their employees from marijuana use.

The state continues to look at ways to help prevent substance abuse in young people under the legal age of 21, especially when it comes to edibles.

State Sen. Ginny Burdick and OLCC Chair Rob Partridge recently discussed the implementation of Measure 91 in the state:

The state of Oregon has also established this website so that residents can learn more about the process, along with what is and is not legal effective July 1.

NIDA releases ‘Monitoring the Future’ survey results

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The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has released the results from its 2013 Monitoring the Future Survey, which asked eight, 10th and 12th-grade students about their tobacco, alcohol and cigarette use. This video provides a great summary of the study, which included more than 41,000 students from 389 public and private schools across the United States (including Oregon):

Learn more about the NIDA survey and results here: http://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics/infographics/monitoring-future-2013-survey-results