FATE

Jim Riley, former Miami Dolphin, honored for his recovery work

fateAdmin — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 03:53:13 +0000

Congrats to our friend Jim Riley who is being honored for his decades of work helping people in recovery. Jim and his wife Robin are dedicated and tireless in their work and deserve the recognition being given by Chance to Change.

http://newsok.com/edmond-resident-former-nfl-star-to-speak-about-addiction-and-recovery/article/3650667

You can help reduce meth labs–here’s how….

fateAdmin — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:49:45 +0000

We recently received an email from our friend David Starkey about a way you can help with the meth lab problem in Oklahoma. While I understand some people are reluctant to make the allergy medication, pseudoephedrine (PSE), a prescription, David’s proposed solution is to only make “dry tab” PSE a prescription. Gel caps, which cannot be used in the production of meth, would still be available as an over the counter drug. This is a straight forward idea that can work and is endorsed by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, as well as FATE. Read below and take action!

(email from David Starkey)

Most of you know I run a web site called StopMethLabs.com in support of prescription pseudoephedrine in the ( dry ) form. I have just put a ” How you can help ” section on my web site that has a pre-written letter that will go to every lawmaker with just one click. I have made it as simple as possible and all you need to do is put you name, E mail and phone and press send.

I really cannot stress the importance of taking 2 minutes to fill this out because I am up against a multi billion dollar drug lobby that makes about a billion dollars a year off the meth cook market alone. They have a full staff of paid bloggers that go out on the Internet every day and spin the story and the numbers to try and defeat prescription pseudoephedrine. We know that prescription pseudoephedrine pseudoephedrine will put a stop to the meth labs because Oregon has had a prescription law in place for 6 years now with fantastic results. Oregon went from 584 meth labs to and average of 10 meth labs a year and in 2011 they had only 9 but Oklahoma had 902 and broke the 2010 record of 818. The meth labs are just out of control and they are killing Oklahoma children like 15 month old baby Ayden Jennings, 3 children in Del City, 1 child in McAlester and just a couple of days ago they was another death from a meth fire in Tulsa.

Please take just 2 minutes of your time and click on this link to take you to the form and letter that will be sent to every lawmaker in Oklahoma. I want to also ask you to please copy this link and send it out to everyone on your E mail list and post it on Facebook and just everywhere you can think of. I know if we can get enough people E mailing we can get this passed and save the next child from burning to death from a horrible meth lab explosion.

Thank you so much for you time, David Starkey

Click the link now !! http://stopmethlabs.com/how-you-can-help

–

Oklahoma Coaches’ Association endorses OKLOA

fateAdmin — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:32:22 +0000

The Oklahoma Coaches Association recently sent a letter endorsing Oklahoma Life of An Athlete. OCA had previously been on record as supporting OKLOA but the letter spells out specifically why coaches should adopt the program. Thanks to Milt Bassett and his staff for their interest and support!

OCA letter

Have dinner as a family and fight substance abuse!

fateAdmin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:43:13 +0000

We’re shooting a new commercial, speaking to parents about what they can do to help their teens stay free of alcohol and other drugs. One of the things we talk about in the commercial is family dinners. This is something you can start doing today to fight substance abuse. Look at this information from the National Center on Substance Abuse and Addiction (CASA):

“This year’s study reinforces the importance of frequent family dinners,” said Joseph A. Califano, Jr., CASA Columbia’s Founder and Chairman and former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. “Ninety percent of Americans who meet the medical criteria for addiction started smoking, drinking, or using other drugs before age 18. Parental engagement in children’s lives is key to raising healthy, drug-free kids and one of the simplest acts of parental engagement is sitting down to the family dinner. Seventeen years of surveying teens has taught us that the more often children have dinner with their families the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs.”

http://www.casacolumbia.org/templates/PressReleases.aspx?articleid=653&zoneid=87

We’re #1! (but it’s not good news….)

fateAdmin — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:32:12 +0000

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, Oklahoma has the highest rate of nonmedical use for painkillers. Find out what’s being done to combat prescription drug abuse…..

FATE speaking to Putnam City North

fateAdmin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:40:40 +0000

On February 1 and 8 FATE will be speaking with Seniors and Juniors at Putnam City North High School. Britt Stanley, PCN Nurse heard about FATE’s program and asked the group to present their interactive and impactful message to the students.

Stanley said, “As the RN/School nurse I see the effects of addiction on my students. Prescription drug abuse is at an all time high. Not just here at PC North but at all schools.”

Stanley’s exactly right. Oklahoma leads the nation in deaths caused by prescription drug abuse. In Oklahoma last year over 80% of deaths caused by drugs were from prescription drugs, not street drugs.

To schedule a presentation for FATE contact Jim Priest by emailing: jim@changeyourfate.org or calling 405-202-8863

Parents: start substance abuse talks with kids at age 9

fateAdmin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:13:37 +0000

Here’s a good article about how important parents are in educating their children about drugs: The recommendation is that you start talking with your kids at age 9!

Last week, the Kane County sheriff’s office presented a program for parents and other adults who care for kids. Speakers included Sheriff Patrick Perez, Undersheriff David Wagner, and Lea Minalga, drug counselor and director of Hearts of Hope in Geneva.

“Parents are the key in terms of educating children and teens about drugs,” Wagner said. “Kids who learn about the danger of drugs at home are 50 percent less likely to use drugs.

“We encourage open and honest dialogue. Some kids will start smoking marijuana by age 11. Parents should start drug education around age 9.”

http://beaconnews.suntimes.com/news/10045242-418/parents-do-matter-in-battle-against-teen-drug-use.html?utm_source=Join+Together+Daily&utm_campaign=71c5317f10-JT_Daily_News_Dual_Diagnosis&utm_medium=email

Red Ribbon Contest Winners Honored

fateAdmin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 04:07:59 +0000

In the Blue Room of the Oklahoma State Capital parents, grandparents and students crowded in to watch as the winners of the Jim Thorpe/FATE Red Ribbon week poster and essay contest were honored. Jim Priest, Executive Director of FATE served as emcee and the audience heard a call to action from Edmond Police Chief Bob Ricks who encouraged those gathered to remember the sacrifice made by DEA agent Kiki Camerana who lost his life fighting drug lords in Mexico.

Along with the student winners, Thunderbird Youth Academy was honored as the Governor’s Enrique Camerana Award winner. TYA, in Pryor Oklahoma, provides a quasi military setting to give young people ages 16-18 a second chance to reclaim their lives.

Red Ribbon week occurs the last week of October and in Oklahoma the Jim Thorpe Association and FATE help schools fight substance abuse with literature and by sponsoring the poster and essay contest.

Thanks to all who made this great event possible!

Meth program in prison offers “hope from dope”

fateAdmin — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:18:20 +0000

Here’s a great story about an inspiring group of people working with inmates who have struggled with meth addiction. The offer spiritual and practical help. Thanks to this group for their labor of love and for their impact on the lives of inmates as well as those beyond the wall.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=336&articleid=20120116_16_A1_CUTLIN798166

FATE Exec Director named “Preventionist of the Year” by American Athletic Institute

fateAdmin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 23:55:09 +0000

American Athletic Institute-Life of an Athlete announcement:

Jim Priest, the Executive Director of FATE, has been named the Preventionist of the Year by the American Athletic Institute and the national Life of an Athlete program.

“Jim’s total dedication to the OKLOA program has made so much happen in this past year in Oklahoma. The materials they have generated and the professionalism of the program has already started to impact his state,” ” It is hard to believe how far they have come in such a short time in OK. said John Underwood AAI Director

“Like many Oklahomans, I had a general awareness that our state faced a problem with drugs, but in talking with law enforcement and district attorneys across the state I have come to a much deeper understanding about the scope and impact of the problem we face with both alcohol and other substances”, says Priest. “Alcohol and drugs take a terrible toll on individuals and families but also economically cripples our state in many ways. In talking with law enforcement across the state I have learned that approximately 80% of the crime in Oklahoma is either directly or indirectly related to substance abuse. Underage drinking alone costs our state over $900 million per year. It causes our prisons to be overcrowded, rips families apart and hurts our businesses and our economy. I decided to try to do something about it through FATE.”

Jim has been married to his wife Diane for 34 years and they have two adult children Amanda and Spencer. Jim was born in Syracuse, New York and graduated from Houghton College and Syracuse University Law School before moving to Oklahoma in 1980. Jim will be honored at the AAI Summer Session in Lake Placid, NY in June, 2012.