The
INSIDE
Marriage licenses online
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Sheriff dept. poll
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Ag. summit
George Willis photo
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Why huffing is dangerous By the Lopez Island Prevention Coalition Special to the Weekly
People do not typically think of household products as drugs because they were never intended for that purpose. However, many products readily found in the home or workplace, such as glue, nail polish remover, lighter fluid, spray paints, deodorant and hair spray, whipped cream canisters and cleaning fluids, contain volatile substances that have psychoactive (mind-altering) properties when inhaled. These products are especially (but not exclusively) abused by young children and adolescents, and are the only class of substance abused more by younger than by older teens. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s Monitoring the Future survey, 13.1 percent of eighth graders have used inhalants. Parents and children need to know that even sporadic or single episodes of inhalants abuse can be extremely dangerous. Inhalants can disrupt heart rhythms and cause death from cardiac arrest, or lower oxygen levels enough to cause suffocation. Regular abuse of this substance can result in serious
LOPEZ LOBOS Varsity Basketball: 1/31 vs. Grace – Girls 2:30 p.m., Boys 4:00 p.m. ‘The Pack’
harm to vital organs, including the brain, heart, kidneys and liver. Most abused inhalants other than nitrates depress the central nervous system in a manner not unlike alcohol. The effects are similar – slurred speech, lack of coordination, euphoria and dizziness. Inhalant abusers may also experience light-headedness, hallucinations and delusions. With repeated inhalations, many users feel less inhibited and less in control. Some may fee drowsy for several hours and experience a lingering headache. People tend to abuse different inhalants products at different ages. New users ages 12 to 15 most commonly abuse glue, shoe polish, spray paints, gasoline, and lighter fluid. New users ages 16 to 17 most commonly abuse nitrous oxide or “whippets.” Adults most commonly abuse a class of inhalants known as nitrites (such as amyl nitrates or “poppers”). The Lopez Island Prevention Coalition encourages community members to make a concerted effort to help prevent this unsafe activity among our youth by being aware and alert to the dangers. For more info, visit drugabuse. gov.
Saturday, January 31st, 2 p.m.
Up Close & Personal
Andrea Rackl, Piano & Leslie Johnson, Viola Bach, Brahms & other modern masters Suggested donation $15 general $5/youth www.lopezcenter.org
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Shattering myths
Lopez Island Prevention Coalition presents information for National Drug Facts Week from Jan. 26 – Feb. 1 Did you know? • You are bombarded with messages about drugs in songs and movies. • A study of the most popular songs found that about 1 in 3 songs said something about drug, alcohol, or tobacco use. • Three in 4 rap songs said something about drugs, alcohol or tobacco use. • A study of the top 90 movies over the last two decades, almost 7 in 10 movies showed characters smoking. • One in 3 movies showed people getting drunk.
Did you know ?
• Vicodin is a medication prescribed to relieve pain. • Prescription pain medica-
tions were involved in more overdose deaths than heroin and cocaine combined.
Did you know?
• Most people who start smoking in their teens become regular smokers before they’re 18. • Four hundred and forty thousand Americans die from diseases associated with tobacco use each year
Did you know?
• Repeated drug use can reset your brain. • Repeated drug use can reset the brain’s pleasure meter, so that without the drug, you feel hopeless and sad. Eventually, everyday fun stuff like spending time with friends or playing with your dog doesn’t make you happy anymore.
Did you know?
•There is hope and help • It takes time to recover from addiction – not only for your brain to re-adjust, but to make life style changes to avoid drugs 1-800-662-HELP is a confidential hotline.
‘Warmth in Winter’ benefit show By Cali Bagby
Lopez Center 19th Century Parlor Concert
VOLUME 38, NUMBER 4 • JANUARY 27, 2015
Weekly editor
Last year the temperatures dropped so low that when Lane Langford started singing he could see his breath. In his unheated studio, musicians gathered despite the 20-degree weather and played even as the chill forced their guitars out of tune. The reason they were playing was for a simple goal: hope. “There is satisfaction in knowing that this concert contributes to hope,” said Langford. “I really believe that the hope of humanity lies in our children and our families and Lord knows we need a lot of hope these
Contributed photo
Lane Langford days.” This is Langford’s fourth concert, “Warmth in the Heart of Winter,” to raise funds for the Lopez Island Family Resource Center and the Lopez Children’s Center. Last year his musical endeavors produced $1,000 for each organization. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for youth $12 and can be purchased from the Lopez Center Office, Paper Scissors on the Rock, Blossoms Organic Grocery and the Lopez Bookshop. Once agin he will be joined by Byl Leonard from
Hawaii, along with Byl’s brother James, also from Hawaii, who will be handling the sound. The rest of the performers are local island musicians. They will be playing what Langford calls an eclectic set of music including original tunes and covers of well-known tunes. The last three years’ performances have been completely sold out and Langford attributes high turn out to the fact that people like to “share good feelings and like good music.” For this year’s concert he
said he would be happy to raise the same amount of money as last year, but it wouldn’t hurt to raise more. “If we can break record and make more money that would be great or that maybe that [$2,000] is the max we raise,” said Lanford. Either way Langford, his fellow musicians and the audience will have a good time sharing “Warmth in the Winter.” For more information visit the Lopez Center’s website at www.lopezcenter. org.