When the Advisory Council on Drug Misuse (ACDM) recommended that cannabis should be downgraded, the team involved made it on the grounds that it was relatively harmless. There are two rather alarming facts which did not emerge at the time:
There was in fact ample evidence from America, predating the ACDM findings, which clearly indicated the physical, mental and social harms that cannabis caused. (1) Attempts by this writer to establish why such vital and relevant information did not appear to be included in the ACDM findings have been unsuccessful.
Not a single member of the ACDM team involved had any expertise on cannabis, psychosis or schizophrenia. (2)
Undeterred by either of the above, the ACDM, together with the Human Commission on Medicines, (HCM) indicated in the consultation document 'Independent Subscribing of Controlled Drugs', (3) that there was no evidence that licensing pharmacists and nurses to prescribe heroin, would lead to 'increased diversion or misuse'.
Apart from the widespread and abundantly documented evidence of how prescribed methadone is widely diverted and misused, a further omission is the evidence of how the ongoing use of opiates create and spread severe health problems. (4)
In fact there appears to be more omissions of evidence, of why prescribing heroin, for addicts, thus increasing its availability, is not only counter productive to recovery, but actually increases the use of heroin, than there is evidence of any alleged benefits for increasing subscribing and availability. First there is the empirical evidence clearly indicating that the severity of addiction increases with continued administration of drugs. (5) Next we have compelling evidence that a reduction in heroin availability, directly and drastically, reduces the number of injecting drug users, together with a huge reduction in the number of infections that are so widespread in injecting users. (6)
In the light of the evidence cited and, as generally accepted, the object of treatment, or the management of addictions is to arrest, or alleviate the condition of the patient, or at the very least, ensure that any proposed intervention, would not have any adverse affect on patients, it is difficult to understand how such proposals can be in the long term interests of addicts or for that matter, even seriously considered. Fortunately the proposals to increase subscribing have yet to reach Parliament. It is to be hoped that if, and when they do, the evidence omitted from the Home Office proposals will be included for the consideration of the Ministers responsible.
Notwithstanding the available evidence that ongoing injecting use of heroin increases the severity of addiction, and increases the spread of infections commonly associated with injecting drug use, we have experiments going on in the UK, where heroin addicts are given a twice daily fix. A report in the Independent dated 20 November, based on information provide by Professor Strang, (7) claims that these trials 'has dramatically cut crime rates and stopped addicts buying their supplies on the street.'.
Whilst it is true that later in the article, these wild claims are modified, the only evidence we are offered in support of the claims is the anecdotal evidence of a few of the addicted 'beneficiaries' of the experiments. There is no mention in the article of how injecting drug use spreads Hepatitis C. (8)
Insofar as any claimed reduction in crime is concerned, the article also failed to point out that the majority of heroin users are poly substance users of other illicit drugs, and will continue their criminal activities in order to fund them. Nevertheless it has been suggested in some reviews of Drug Consumption Rooms (DCRs) that those facilities can and do, reduce public drug use, encourages users to reduce 'risky drug use' and enter treatment, reduce morbidity and mortality of users, together with solving wider problems of drug markets and drug dealing. Unfortunately there is no objective evidence for such impressive claims. Nevertheless, a report from the Independent Drug Monitoring Unit (9) of the European Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, (EMCDDA) concludes that whilst what evidence there is, suggests that the benefits of DCRs can outweigh the risks, it is important to set that in the wider context of problem drug use, and to be modest in claiming what DCRs can and cannot achieve; the report continues by stressing that it is unrealistic to claim that DCRs can achieve what has been widely, (perhaps wildly would have been more accurate) claimed for them.
In view of all the evidence it is difficult to discern what benefits can be expected from the current UK experiments or for that matter any justification for their existence. However there may be undisclosed, and or politically expedient reasons why they are taking place.
It is to be hoped that pressure from pro legislation lobbies for the decriminalising of drugs and or the re-classification of some drugs, does not mean that these experiments are a pre-cursor to legalising highly addictive, psycho active drugs, the only beneficiaries of which would be the all powerful pharmaceutical industry at the expense of both the addicts and the UK taxpayer; for how else could addicts fund their supply without resorting to criminal activity, unless they were available on the National Health Service?
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/91574.php
Friday, December 28, 2007
It's a Myth: Suicides Do Not Increase During Holidays
It's a holiday myth.
No one knows how it started, but over the years it's become prevalent in American culture.
And it's not true.
Suicide rates are not higher during the holidays than at other times of the year. Experts have the numbers to prove it.
The hot line at Provident Life Crisis Services rings about 40 times on Christmas Day, said Susan M. Self, vice president of telephonic services and director of life crisis services. Nearly every other day of the year, the counselors field about 100 calls per day.
On average, about 9 percent of the 35,000 people who call the hot line each year are thinking about suicide. The percentage is the same on Christmas, New Year's and other holidays, she said.
In reality, suicide rates in the U.S. are lowest in December, peaking in spring and fall. Trends in Illinois and Missouri mirror those nationally, with December tallying some of the lowest counts of suicide deaths each year.
In Missouri, two people take their own lives each day on average.
A day-by-day analysis shows that Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and other holidays produce no more suicides than any other day of the year. But somehow a myth that suicides increase at year's end has embedded itself in the popular psyche.
"I probably believed it when I got here, that if I worked Christmas Day I'd get to do some good work," Self said.
It's unclear where the myth started, said Dan Romer, director of the Adolescent Risk Communication Institute at the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. The movie "It's A Wonderful Life" has a suicide attempt at Christmas at its heart. Other movies, such as "Gremlins" and "When Harry Met Sally," contain references to the myth as well.
Newspapers have been guilty of perpetuating the myth. The Annenberg Center found that in the winter of 1999 to 2000, 77 percent of newspaper articles linking suicide with the holidays supported the myth. Since then, the media have steadily caught on. In 2005-2006, just over half of newspaper stories supported the myth, while the rest debunked it. Last year, only 9 percent of stories perpetuated the myth, while 91 percent debunked it.
The myth may have taken root because people tend to remember tragedies that happen at holiday times, Self said. The contrast between the joy of the season and the pain of suicide is striking and may stick in people's memories more than at other times of year, she said.
And people have become more attuned to the stress, pain, loneliness and depression that some people feel around holiday time.
"For those of us who are feeling OK and doing well, when we look at someone who's not doing well we make certain assumptions that the holidays must be particularly hard for them," Self said. "It's a contagious kind of empathy which is nice, but not true."
The reason suicides decline in December is nearly as mysterious as where the myth began.
'Tis the season, Romer said. Suicides decline in the winter. In the Southern Hemisphere, where the seasons are inverted from the northern schedule, the dip in suicides comes in July.
"This seems counterintuitive because shorter, darker days would seem to be associated with thoughts of death," Romer said.
It may be that people are too lethargic in winter to take their own lives, he said.
Suicides spike in the spring.
"People have held on through the cold and the dark in the hopes that when the spring comes they'll feel better. But if the spring comes and they don't feel better, it's almost too much to bear," said Anara Guard of the Suicide Prevention Resource Center.
Marian McCord's son, Chad, took his life in the spring after suffering with depression.
"A person with depression doesn't necessarily want to look into the future. They are wearing dark shades, and it magnifies their hopelessness ... when others around them see the light and they can't see it," she said. McCord, of Oakville, is the executive director of CHADS coalition, an organization that raises awareness about and supports research on suicide.
The seasonal effect has become blunted in recent decades, research shows.
Some people attribute the December decline in suicides to the Christmas spirit.
"No matter how bad things are, people get hopeful around the holidays," Self said.
A study published this month in Psychiatry Research showed that suicides and suicide attempts in Switzerland plunge on Christmas Eve for women and Christmas Day for men. Men experience an upswing in suicide after the New Year.
The researchers speculated that higher levels of social support associated with the holidays could account for some of the reduction in suicide. So can having a time landmark to look forward to.
"Temporal landmarks help us to see things in focus; they promote the temporary postponement of hopelessness," the researchers said.
Even though suicides don't peak around the holidays, people are still suffering with mental illness, addictions and life crises that cause them nearly unbearable pain, Self said.
"I'm still sending the police (to intervene) twice on Christmas Day. It's not like people aren't depressed or sad or lonely," she said.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,318467,00.html
No one knows how it started, but over the years it's become prevalent in American culture.
And it's not true.
Suicide rates are not higher during the holidays than at other times of the year. Experts have the numbers to prove it.
The hot line at Provident Life Crisis Services rings about 40 times on Christmas Day, said Susan M. Self, vice president of telephonic services and director of life crisis services. Nearly every other day of the year, the counselors field about 100 calls per day.
On average, about 9 percent of the 35,000 people who call the hot line each year are thinking about suicide. The percentage is the same on Christmas, New Year's and other holidays, she said.
In reality, suicide rates in the U.S. are lowest in December, peaking in spring and fall. Trends in Illinois and Missouri mirror those nationally, with December tallying some of the lowest counts of suicide deaths each year.
In Missouri, two people take their own lives each day on average.
A day-by-day analysis shows that Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and other holidays produce no more suicides than any other day of the year. But somehow a myth that suicides increase at year's end has embedded itself in the popular psyche.
"I probably believed it when I got here, that if I worked Christmas Day I'd get to do some good work," Self said.
It's unclear where the myth started, said Dan Romer, director of the Adolescent Risk Communication Institute at the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. The movie "It's A Wonderful Life" has a suicide attempt at Christmas at its heart. Other movies, such as "Gremlins" and "When Harry Met Sally," contain references to the myth as well.
Newspapers have been guilty of perpetuating the myth. The Annenberg Center found that in the winter of 1999 to 2000, 77 percent of newspaper articles linking suicide with the holidays supported the myth. Since then, the media have steadily caught on. In 2005-2006, just over half of newspaper stories supported the myth, while the rest debunked it. Last year, only 9 percent of stories perpetuated the myth, while 91 percent debunked it.
The myth may have taken root because people tend to remember tragedies that happen at holiday times, Self said. The contrast between the joy of the season and the pain of suicide is striking and may stick in people's memories more than at other times of year, she said.
And people have become more attuned to the stress, pain, loneliness and depression that some people feel around holiday time.
"For those of us who are feeling OK and doing well, when we look at someone who's not doing well we make certain assumptions that the holidays must be particularly hard for them," Self said. "It's a contagious kind of empathy which is nice, but not true."
The reason suicides decline in December is nearly as mysterious as where the myth began.
'Tis the season, Romer said. Suicides decline in the winter. In the Southern Hemisphere, where the seasons are inverted from the northern schedule, the dip in suicides comes in July.
"This seems counterintuitive because shorter, darker days would seem to be associated with thoughts of death," Romer said.
It may be that people are too lethargic in winter to take their own lives, he said.
Suicides spike in the spring.
"People have held on through the cold and the dark in the hopes that when the spring comes they'll feel better. But if the spring comes and they don't feel better, it's almost too much to bear," said Anara Guard of the Suicide Prevention Resource Center.
Marian McCord's son, Chad, took his life in the spring after suffering with depression.
"A person with depression doesn't necessarily want to look into the future. They are wearing dark shades, and it magnifies their hopelessness ... when others around them see the light and they can't see it," she said. McCord, of Oakville, is the executive director of CHADS coalition, an organization that raises awareness about and supports research on suicide.
The seasonal effect has become blunted in recent decades, research shows.
Some people attribute the December decline in suicides to the Christmas spirit.
"No matter how bad things are, people get hopeful around the holidays," Self said.
A study published this month in Psychiatry Research showed that suicides and suicide attempts in Switzerland plunge on Christmas Eve for women and Christmas Day for men. Men experience an upswing in suicide after the New Year.
The researchers speculated that higher levels of social support associated with the holidays could account for some of the reduction in suicide. So can having a time landmark to look forward to.
"Temporal landmarks help us to see things in focus; they promote the temporary postponement of hopelessness," the researchers said.
Even though suicides don't peak around the holidays, people are still suffering with mental illness, addictions and life crises that cause them nearly unbearable pain, Self said.
"I'm still sending the police (to intervene) twice on Christmas Day. It's not like people aren't depressed or sad or lonely," she said.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,318467,00.html
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Poll Results Show Marital Infidelity the Most Unforgivable Offense by a Spouse
Fort Lauderdale, FL (PRWEB) December 7, 2007 -- When it comes to marriage, the most unforgivable offense that a significant other can commit is marital infidelity. According to a poll conducted by www.ShouldIDivorceHim.com, an online community offering free marriage advice and catering to the trials and tribulations of marriage, family and divorce, an estimated 59 percent of respondents said cheating is the most serious impropriety above lying, substance abuse and inattentiveness.
Following marital infidelity, 16% of respondents selected inattentiveness, 16% chose lying and the remaining 7% chose substance abuse as the most serious crimes causing anger in marriage.
"In a way it holds true to what we're seeing on our support boards," says Kim Droze, KMJ Interactive CEO the parent company of Should I Divorce Him. "While most women continue to tolerate alcohol or drug abuse in their spouse, they draw the line when it comes to adultery."
"Lying, substance abuse and cheating all involve issues of trust. It just depends on how much a woman is willing to tolerate. In many cases, women can accept addictions yet they can't accept the idea of their husbands engaging in a physical or emotional affair with another woman," she added.
www.ShouldIDivorceHim.com has become a sounding board offering free marriage advice for many unhappily married women searching for an answer to the big question: "Should I Divorce Him?" While many women rely on family and friends for support, some women are not comfortable spilling the most intimate details of their marriage to people they know. With www.shouldidivorcehim.com, women have a safe place to discuss topics such as anger in marriage and marital infidelity anonymously and receive encouragement from women who've been there and done it.
"In a perfect world, women wouldn't have to deal with any of these issues. However, that's not the case. Many women are plagued by serious issues and anger in marriage, and it helps to have some place to go and vent and get free marriage advice. In many cases, there comes a time when women will throw up their hands and say 'enough is enough.' While we don't always advocate divorce, we also don't oppose it. A woman has to make the choice that is in the best interest of herself and her children, when applicable," Droze adds.
About Should I Divorce Him?
ShouldIDivorceHim.Com is an online destination and community catering to the trials and tribulations of marriage, family and divorce. The site provides free marriage advice from peers and experts as well as articles tackling the issues of anger in marriage, marital infidelity and emotional issues. A subsidiary of KMJ Interactive, the founding group is comprised of a team of seasoned internet and media professionals from a range of world-class companies including eDiets.com, Cox Media, American Media, CNN International, USA Networks, Autoweb.com, IBM and Sensormatic.
http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2007/12/emw574527.htm
Following marital infidelity, 16% of respondents selected inattentiveness, 16% chose lying and the remaining 7% chose substance abuse as the most serious crimes causing anger in marriage.
"In a way it holds true to what we're seeing on our support boards," says Kim Droze, KMJ Interactive CEO the parent company of Should I Divorce Him. "While most women continue to tolerate alcohol or drug abuse in their spouse, they draw the line when it comes to adultery."
"Lying, substance abuse and cheating all involve issues of trust. It just depends on how much a woman is willing to tolerate. In many cases, women can accept addictions yet they can't accept the idea of their husbands engaging in a physical or emotional affair with another woman," she added.
www.ShouldIDivorceHim.com has become a sounding board offering free marriage advice for many unhappily married women searching for an answer to the big question: "Should I Divorce Him?" While many women rely on family and friends for support, some women are not comfortable spilling the most intimate details of their marriage to people they know. With www.shouldidivorcehim.com, women have a safe place to discuss topics such as anger in marriage and marital infidelity anonymously and receive encouragement from women who've been there and done it.
"In a perfect world, women wouldn't have to deal with any of these issues. However, that's not the case. Many women are plagued by serious issues and anger in marriage, and it helps to have some place to go and vent and get free marriage advice. In many cases, there comes a time when women will throw up their hands and say 'enough is enough.' While we don't always advocate divorce, we also don't oppose it. A woman has to make the choice that is in the best interest of herself and her children, when applicable," Droze adds.
About Should I Divorce Him?
ShouldIDivorceHim.Com is an online destination and community catering to the trials and tribulations of marriage, family and divorce. The site provides free marriage advice from peers and experts as well as articles tackling the issues of anger in marriage, marital infidelity and emotional issues. A subsidiary of KMJ Interactive, the founding group is comprised of a team of seasoned internet and media professionals from a range of world-class companies including eDiets.com, Cox Media, American Media, CNN International, USA Networks, Autoweb.com, IBM and Sensormatic.
http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2007/12/emw574527.htm
From peddling meth to pedaling cross country
Within a day, Mikael Luman went from biking in the comfort of the 75-degree Phoenix sun to chilly temperatures in the 20s.
For Luman, a Beaverton resident, it was just another day, marking the home stretch of a 12,000-mile cross-country bike trek to call attention to A Generation Free, Luman’s foundation designed to teach young people positive life skills.
Since leaving from Seattle in July, he’s had to deal with a variety of weather and topographic conditions, the worst being the wind and high elevations.
“The last five days of riding in the hills, it’s been windy and it’s been hilly,” said Luman during a phone call Tuesday.
But for Luman, a 1992 graduate of Aloha High School, the longest ride hasn’t been the 10,000 miles he’s logged so far. It’s been the long road to recovery.
On Dec. 14, Luman’s book, “800 Meters: A Journey of Addiction, Recovery and Redemption,” will be released, chronicling his abuse (and dealing in) ecstasy, cocaine, methamphetamine and nitrous oxide.
Noting that he’s a perfectionist, Luman, 33, said the book took about a year to write.
“I wanted to make sure everything in there was truthful,” he said. “Being an addict, you tend to elaborate on stories.”
“I’d been pulled over four times on (my motorcycle). Two of those times I probably had a pound or more of meth and ten to fifteen thousand dollars in cash on me along with scales and baggies. The first time, I got towed for no insurance. The other times, all they did was give me a ticket for driving without a license and tell me to get someone else to drive it. That didn’t bother me. I just waited until they left.”
— 800 Meters
The book is an unvarnished look into how Luman went from a clean-cut star high school athlete to being sucked into a world of drugs that would keep hold of him for almost a decade. Along the way, other addictions would pop up, including an affinity for strippers and a penchant for video poker. Also, before it was all over, he would find himself in his fair share of violent situations.
Drug-free for the last six years, Luman was always good at sports, playing soccer in local leagues as a boy. At Aloha High, he excelled in soccer, basketball and track and was named all-state in the latter where he ran the 800 meters, a grueling race that takes strength, speed and endurance.
But a blown-out kneecap and subsequent basketball injury seriously affected his self-confidence. His priorities began to change, he said, and before long he was tired of turning down friends when they offered him a drink.
“After the injuries, instead of saying ‘no,’ I said ‘yes,’” he recalls.
What made his descent into the drug world even more of an anomaly was the fact he grew up in a sheltered environment, having been raised in the Mormon faith. He wasn’t even familiar with drug slang.
“A lot of my drinking and drug use had to do with sports and not being able to compete. It filled the void and became my sport. Right at the end of high school, I tried marijuana for the first time. When I was about seventeen, I was driving with friends when they decided to do some.”
‘I’d never do that marijuana stuff,’ I said.
My friends broke up laughing, and one of them said, ‘You did marijuana last weekend.’
‘I did not,’ I insisted. ‘I smoked pot.’
That’s how naïve I was. I didn’t even know the jargon.”
— 800 Meters
The sports injuries gave him an excuse to justify doing what he wanted, he said. A drunken senior trip to Seaside ended up with Luman getting beat up in a fight at the beach. Heading to college, the scholarships had dried up but he played soccer for Portland State University, caring less and less about sports and more about partying.
Then one night, he and a friend decided to break into an apartment they thought was vacant.
It wasn’t.
As soon as they kicked in the door, they discovered a pair of shoes. They fled in Luman’s car but not before someone recorded the license plate.
When police pulled him over, they discovered stolen electronics in his trunk, taken from neighbors in the same apartment complex where he lived.
“When I got arrested for the burglary, I got kicked off the soccer team,” Luman recalled.
During his years of drug use he said there were times when he wanted to leave, but couldn’t find his way out.
“Although I was starting to think about changing, I wasn’t yet able to face the issues that were caused by addiction. I thought being clean was just not using drugs that day. I didn’t have the skills to stay clean for good. As soon as life got tough, I went right back to using.”
— 800 Meters
The book includes a chapter about his kidnapping where he was forced to help an ex-biker make meth. He found the chapter especially difficult to write because he wanted to provide enough information to paint a clear picture to readers, but not reveal too much information because it could have put people in danger.
“That was a big thing,” he said of the kidnapping. “It just goes to show how reckless and out of control you can get.”
Luman said he was fortunate to have escaped the world of drugs. Some aren’t as lucky. Such was the case of one drug dealer who was interested in forming a business partnership with Luman, impressed with the former high school athlete’s proficiency in manufacturing “the clearest, chunkiest crystal (meth) imaginable.”
The meeting never occurred. A couple of days later, Luman found out why when he talked with the dealer’s tearful girlfriend who explained what happened:
“‘He put one bullet in the gun, spun the chamber, put the gun to his head and fired. It’s not like what you see on TV. It’s real blood and real brains and a real hole in someone’s head.’ She was horrified by what she’d witnessed, and I doubt that she will ever recover from it.”
— “800 Meters”
Throughout his ordeal, Luman said there was always something in the back of his mind that pushed him along. Even when he was doing and dealing drugs, he thought maybe he was here for a reason.
“I almost felt I was there for a purpose,” he said.
In addition to being kidnapped, Luman had his fair share of other close calls. The vehicle he was riding in was once riddled with bullets, and while he was manufacturing meth, a glass beer bottle exploded, sending a shard of glass into his face.
Also, a jealous stripper girlfriend had an acquaintance threaten Luman by waking him up with a gun pointed at his head.
Although his addiction lasted almost 10 years, he clearly remembers the day he was arrested. It was Nov. 2, 2000, in Scappoose. He was out of drugs, out of money and tired.
“I was sleeping when (police) arrived, vaguely aware of voices, but unable to wake up. The next thing I knew, three of them were standing around the bed and I was handcuffed.”
— “800 Meters”
Surprisingly, the arrest provided him with a peaceful feeling.
“I knew I was done with being arrested,” he said.
He was incarcerated for 24 months with much of that time spent in the Oregon Summit Program, a boot camp.
When he did get clean, he reconnected with his spiritual side as well.
“In order for me to change my life and be clean and sober, I needed to find my center. I needed to repent for passed mistakes and make an effort to be the best Mikael Luman I can be,” he said.
Although he had thought about forming the “A Generation Free” foundation while serving time in prison, it was the birth of his now-14-month-old daughter, Mikaila, who inspired him to take the bike trip. The trip would be a way to call attention to his cause and his story.
“When she was born is when I thought I really needed to do something,” said Luman. “At some point in my life, with all my experiences, I couldn’t sit around and not do anything.”
Throughout his addiction and while in prison, he discovered how many drug users didn’t have the first clue about how to manage their lives.
As a result, Luman believes that in addition to reading, writing and arithmetic, some sort of life skills classes should be mandatory school curriculum, something he hopes to draw attention to through “A Generation Free.”
In addition to his parents and his wife, Amanda, Luman said a high school coach, Ken Yarnell, was extremely supportive in helping him during his recovery.
Yarnell is now an Aloha High School vice principal.
“If I had a list of Top 10, Top five people (in my life), he’s in there,” said Luman. “He’s what coaching and teaching should be about.”
Luman said Yarnell didn’t want only good athletes; he wanted students to do things the right way.
Heading to California this week, Luman hopes to talk to groups of students, ideally in the Beaverton School District, when he returns on Dec. 7 or 8. He might make a promotional tour for his book with tentative plans to ride around Hagg Lake.
For Luman, the bike trip has been an eye-opener, although he hasn’t received the interest or media attention he originally had hoped for. Scenery-wise, he hasn’t come up with a high point. He said he’s not picturing the beauty of the ride but of images of people fighting drug addiction and those in prison.
“If it was just about the ride and scenery, I probably would have stopped a long time ago because it’s pretty brutal,” he said.
He recalled one distinct image while riding under the subway in Philadelphia where he observed adverse poverty.
“When I was in prison or in jail, I had better living conditions than people living on that street,” he said.
At some point, Luman said he wants to meet more of the people he hurt during his days on drugs.
“Eventually I’d like to make contact and make amends to all the people I was a negative influence on in their lives,” he said. “Now I’d like to be a positive influence.”
To order his book, support his ride or access a link for A Generation Free, visit www.800meters.com. To find out how his ride is going, visit his blog at http://12000mileride.blogspot.com.
Comment on this story
• Readers are solely responsible for the content of the comments they post here. Comments are subject to the site's terms and conditions of use and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or approval of The Beaverton Valley Times.
• Comments are published and readable immediately upon submission. If you want to submit a comment that you don't want published, either send it via email to one of our staff or use the "Letters" submission form.
• Comments are not edited. They are either displayed in their entirety or not displayed at all.
• Comments judged to be inappropriate for publication due to personal attacks, unsubstantiated allegations of criminal activity, libel or other objectionable content will be removed.
• Comments containing profanity will be rejected automatically.
• Comments containing the full text of articles or stories from other web sites will be removed as republication on this site would be a violation of copyright. Web addresses to those other sites are allowed, however.
• HTML, including style tags and hyperlinks, will be automatically removed.
http://www.beavertonvalleytimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=119629958153633000
For Luman, a Beaverton resident, it was just another day, marking the home stretch of a 12,000-mile cross-country bike trek to call attention to A Generation Free, Luman’s foundation designed to teach young people positive life skills.
Since leaving from Seattle in July, he’s had to deal with a variety of weather and topographic conditions, the worst being the wind and high elevations.
“The last five days of riding in the hills, it’s been windy and it’s been hilly,” said Luman during a phone call Tuesday.
But for Luman, a 1992 graduate of Aloha High School, the longest ride hasn’t been the 10,000 miles he’s logged so far. It’s been the long road to recovery.
On Dec. 14, Luman’s book, “800 Meters: A Journey of Addiction, Recovery and Redemption,” will be released, chronicling his abuse (and dealing in) ecstasy, cocaine, methamphetamine and nitrous oxide.
Noting that he’s a perfectionist, Luman, 33, said the book took about a year to write.
“I wanted to make sure everything in there was truthful,” he said. “Being an addict, you tend to elaborate on stories.”
“I’d been pulled over four times on (my motorcycle). Two of those times I probably had a pound or more of meth and ten to fifteen thousand dollars in cash on me along with scales and baggies. The first time, I got towed for no insurance. The other times, all they did was give me a ticket for driving without a license and tell me to get someone else to drive it. That didn’t bother me. I just waited until they left.”
— 800 Meters
The book is an unvarnished look into how Luman went from a clean-cut star high school athlete to being sucked into a world of drugs that would keep hold of him for almost a decade. Along the way, other addictions would pop up, including an affinity for strippers and a penchant for video poker. Also, before it was all over, he would find himself in his fair share of violent situations.
Drug-free for the last six years, Luman was always good at sports, playing soccer in local leagues as a boy. At Aloha High, he excelled in soccer, basketball and track and was named all-state in the latter where he ran the 800 meters, a grueling race that takes strength, speed and endurance.
But a blown-out kneecap and subsequent basketball injury seriously affected his self-confidence. His priorities began to change, he said, and before long he was tired of turning down friends when they offered him a drink.
“After the injuries, instead of saying ‘no,’ I said ‘yes,’” he recalls.
What made his descent into the drug world even more of an anomaly was the fact he grew up in a sheltered environment, having been raised in the Mormon faith. He wasn’t even familiar with drug slang.
“A lot of my drinking and drug use had to do with sports and not being able to compete. It filled the void and became my sport. Right at the end of high school, I tried marijuana for the first time. When I was about seventeen, I was driving with friends when they decided to do some.”
‘I’d never do that marijuana stuff,’ I said.
My friends broke up laughing, and one of them said, ‘You did marijuana last weekend.’
‘I did not,’ I insisted. ‘I smoked pot.’
That’s how naïve I was. I didn’t even know the jargon.”
— 800 Meters
The sports injuries gave him an excuse to justify doing what he wanted, he said. A drunken senior trip to Seaside ended up with Luman getting beat up in a fight at the beach. Heading to college, the scholarships had dried up but he played soccer for Portland State University, caring less and less about sports and more about partying.
Then one night, he and a friend decided to break into an apartment they thought was vacant.
It wasn’t.
As soon as they kicked in the door, they discovered a pair of shoes. They fled in Luman’s car but not before someone recorded the license plate.
When police pulled him over, they discovered stolen electronics in his trunk, taken from neighbors in the same apartment complex where he lived.
“When I got arrested for the burglary, I got kicked off the soccer team,” Luman recalled.
During his years of drug use he said there were times when he wanted to leave, but couldn’t find his way out.
“Although I was starting to think about changing, I wasn’t yet able to face the issues that were caused by addiction. I thought being clean was just not using drugs that day. I didn’t have the skills to stay clean for good. As soon as life got tough, I went right back to using.”
— 800 Meters
The book includes a chapter about his kidnapping where he was forced to help an ex-biker make meth. He found the chapter especially difficult to write because he wanted to provide enough information to paint a clear picture to readers, but not reveal too much information because it could have put people in danger.
“That was a big thing,” he said of the kidnapping. “It just goes to show how reckless and out of control you can get.”
Luman said he was fortunate to have escaped the world of drugs. Some aren’t as lucky. Such was the case of one drug dealer who was interested in forming a business partnership with Luman, impressed with the former high school athlete’s proficiency in manufacturing “the clearest, chunkiest crystal (meth) imaginable.”
The meeting never occurred. A couple of days later, Luman found out why when he talked with the dealer’s tearful girlfriend who explained what happened:
“‘He put one bullet in the gun, spun the chamber, put the gun to his head and fired. It’s not like what you see on TV. It’s real blood and real brains and a real hole in someone’s head.’ She was horrified by what she’d witnessed, and I doubt that she will ever recover from it.”
— “800 Meters”
Throughout his ordeal, Luman said there was always something in the back of his mind that pushed him along. Even when he was doing and dealing drugs, he thought maybe he was here for a reason.
“I almost felt I was there for a purpose,” he said.
In addition to being kidnapped, Luman had his fair share of other close calls. The vehicle he was riding in was once riddled with bullets, and while he was manufacturing meth, a glass beer bottle exploded, sending a shard of glass into his face.
Also, a jealous stripper girlfriend had an acquaintance threaten Luman by waking him up with a gun pointed at his head.
Although his addiction lasted almost 10 years, he clearly remembers the day he was arrested. It was Nov. 2, 2000, in Scappoose. He was out of drugs, out of money and tired.
“I was sleeping when (police) arrived, vaguely aware of voices, but unable to wake up. The next thing I knew, three of them were standing around the bed and I was handcuffed.”
— “800 Meters”
Surprisingly, the arrest provided him with a peaceful feeling.
“I knew I was done with being arrested,” he said.
He was incarcerated for 24 months with much of that time spent in the Oregon Summit Program, a boot camp.
When he did get clean, he reconnected with his spiritual side as well.
“In order for me to change my life and be clean and sober, I needed to find my center. I needed to repent for passed mistakes and make an effort to be the best Mikael Luman I can be,” he said.
Although he had thought about forming the “A Generation Free” foundation while serving time in prison, it was the birth of his now-14-month-old daughter, Mikaila, who inspired him to take the bike trip. The trip would be a way to call attention to his cause and his story.
“When she was born is when I thought I really needed to do something,” said Luman. “At some point in my life, with all my experiences, I couldn’t sit around and not do anything.”
Throughout his addiction and while in prison, he discovered how many drug users didn’t have the first clue about how to manage their lives.
As a result, Luman believes that in addition to reading, writing and arithmetic, some sort of life skills classes should be mandatory school curriculum, something he hopes to draw attention to through “A Generation Free.”
In addition to his parents and his wife, Amanda, Luman said a high school coach, Ken Yarnell, was extremely supportive in helping him during his recovery.
Yarnell is now an Aloha High School vice principal.
“If I had a list of Top 10, Top five people (in my life), he’s in there,” said Luman. “He’s what coaching and teaching should be about.”
Luman said Yarnell didn’t want only good athletes; he wanted students to do things the right way.
Heading to California this week, Luman hopes to talk to groups of students, ideally in the Beaverton School District, when he returns on Dec. 7 or 8. He might make a promotional tour for his book with tentative plans to ride around Hagg Lake.
For Luman, the bike trip has been an eye-opener, although he hasn’t received the interest or media attention he originally had hoped for. Scenery-wise, he hasn’t come up with a high point. He said he’s not picturing the beauty of the ride but of images of people fighting drug addiction and those in prison.
“If it was just about the ride and scenery, I probably would have stopped a long time ago because it’s pretty brutal,” he said.
He recalled one distinct image while riding under the subway in Philadelphia where he observed adverse poverty.
“When I was in prison or in jail, I had better living conditions than people living on that street,” he said.
At some point, Luman said he wants to meet more of the people he hurt during his days on drugs.
“Eventually I’d like to make contact and make amends to all the people I was a negative influence on in their lives,” he said. “Now I’d like to be a positive influence.”
To order his book, support his ride or access a link for A Generation Free, visit www.800meters.com. To find out how his ride is going, visit his blog at http://12000mileride.blogspot.com.
Comment on this story
• Readers are solely responsible for the content of the comments they post here. Comments are subject to the site's terms and conditions of use and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or approval of The Beaverton Valley Times.
• Comments are published and readable immediately upon submission. If you want to submit a comment that you don't want published, either send it via email to one of our staff or use the "Letters" submission form.
• Comments are not edited. They are either displayed in their entirety or not displayed at all.
• Comments judged to be inappropriate for publication due to personal attacks, unsubstantiated allegations of criminal activity, libel or other objectionable content will be removed.
• Comments containing profanity will be rejected automatically.
• Comments containing the full text of articles or stories from other web sites will be removed as republication on this site would be a violation of copyright. Web addresses to those other sites are allowed, however.
• HTML, including style tags and hyperlinks, will be automatically removed.
http://www.beavertonvalleytimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=119629958153633000
Tireless septuagenarian must retire her nonprofit attire business, Dress for Success
A decade ago, Suzanne Lafond was chosen from more than 8,000 nominated grandmothers and crowned the Granny Smith of 1997 by the Washington Apple Commission.
The Nashville transplant from Montreal, now 76, with her stunning white hair, brilliant blue eyes and elegant voice, is a cross between Helen Mirren and Mrs. Claus so it’s easy to see how she caught the eyes of apple farmers-turned judges seeking an energetic and quintessential granny to represent their livelihood.
In the 365-day spokesperson role, Lafond received royal treatment and handsome earnings as she toured the country storytelling the virtues of apples and a healthy lifestyle. The legacy, however, of winning the Granny Smith title would prove to be discovering the nonprofit Dress for Success during an Oprah episode Lafond was watching while waiting in her hotel room to be taken to an interview.
Dress for Success helps disadvantaged women enter the workforce by providing them with suits and dresses to wear to interviews and first days of work. But Lafond saw an opportunity to do more than fasten buttons of professional attire — she saw a chance to extend a kind hand and a confidence boost to women in need.
“I thought to myself, ‘Oh baby, Nashville needs that,’ and so when I got back to town I wrote Dress for Success headquarters asking for the start up material,” Lafond said. “I got very sold on it. I have been doing volunteer work since I was 17 in the Motorcorps. We drove big limousines with the big Canadian Red Cross on the door. I picked up blind people at their place of residence — I had about six or eight — and I would take them to a recreational center and leave them for about two or three hours and then pick them back up in the limo and take them back home.”
In 1998 at the end of her tour of duty as Granny Smith, Lafond helped spearhead Nashville’s first Dress for Success affiliate in Nashville. And, after the start up year spent in a donated classroom in Cockrill Elementary School, Lafond took over as the director of the nonprofit.
Lafond, for the past nine years, has been a one-woman show helping more than 2,500 local women in their journey from welfare to the workforce. The majority are between the ages of 20 to 55 and come referred to her by various local agencies like the American Red Cross, Catholic Charities, Department of Human Services, National Council on Aging, YWCA, Workforce Essentials, Hope Center or Mental Health Co-op.
When women come for their dressing appointments, Lafond greets them with her simple philosophy:
“I am very prepared to love them when they walk in the door,” Lafond said.
The women are often hardened and have endured violent domestic abuse, drug or alcohol addictions, serious illnesses, the struggles of raising children with disabilities, losing their homes and more, but Lafond has a way of disarming the women with her patient demeanor. They seem to instinctively know they can share their stories and not be judged or pitied. The stories Lafond hears often reveal ways that she is able to help them further. One woman explained that she was missing her front teeth after a blow delivered by her husband, and Lafond referred the woman to a dentist who performs charity work.
Or, if they choose, the women can silently listen to the classical music playing in the background and enjoy the attention lavishly bestowed by Lafond.
“I tell them their experience will be like the expensive boutiques in big cities where clients are brought the clothes,” Lafond said.
The garments, mostly donated articles by affluent women or local department stores, are stored in a tidy back room where Lafond hangs them neatly by size. Their tags reveal designer names such as Anne Klein, Dana Buchman, Jones of New York, Le Suit, Ellen Tracy and Talbot’s.
Part of finessing the job is Lafond’s ability to dress the women’s various body types while also encouraging the women to be proud of their curves and characteristics. Most have been too overwhelmed by the hardships of their lives to eat healthy or exercise regularly, which means many are overweight and larger sizes are the most in demand, Lafond said.
“The women will say things when I start dressing them like, ‘Oh, I am too short,’ or ‘I had a big butt,’ or ‘I am bosom-y,’ and I will say, ‘These aren’t flaws, that’s how you are. It’s there and we are working around it and we have something that skims over it. That’s what I try and teach them,” Lafond said. “A well-fitting garment, whether it’s a dress or a suit, should touch you on the shoulders, on the bosoms and on hips and just skim over the rest of your body. That is a word that I use a lot with these ladies: skimming — it should be skimming not grabbing. That’s not easy to achieve. That’s what I keep in mind. It’s what my mother taught me; she was a good teacher.”
A photograph of Lafond’s mother sits on a table inside her Dress for Success office. The woman is captured strolling the streets of downtown Montreal while on a shopping trip, clad in gloves, a hat and a fur jacket.
A bowl of ‘thank you’ letters overflows on a coffee table. The cards are handwritten messages like, “Dear. Ms. Suzanne, Many thanks for the suits last week. I was the one with the black slacks and green jacket. Thank you for everything, thank you for sharing your pictures,” “Thank you so much for the suit, shoes and undergarment. I really appreciate your help. I hope to do you proud,” and “Thank you for the attention I received and all your gifts.”
Lafond began deliberately leaving the letters out so that the women can learn from the manners of the women before them. She is also quick to politely correct fashion faux pas and incorrect grammar as well as give advice on interview skills like a firm handshake, straight posture and smart questions to ask.
At the end of the month, though, Lafond will begin dismantling Dress for Success because of lack of cash.
“Too many sleepless nights because we can’t get the funding. We are stagnating, we aren’t moving forward, we are moving backward,” Lafond said. “I had a little crying jag for a few days, but now I feel a sense of relief because it’s been very stressful, and I feel very secure in saying where one door closes, another opens.”
“The good memories in here are when the women are happy and they are sweet about it. Once several women arrived by a van all together, so I took care of all these ladies and they were very nice. There was this very, very tall woman who asked me if she could hug me and I said, ‘Of course,’ so we all hugged. Then she said, ‘Let’s all join hands and pray.’ I was so moved I was crying while she was praying. Not ugly tears just tears rolling down my cheeks. That was beautiful.”
http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/news.php?viewStory=58226
The Nashville transplant from Montreal, now 76, with her stunning white hair, brilliant blue eyes and elegant voice, is a cross between Helen Mirren and Mrs. Claus so it’s easy to see how she caught the eyes of apple farmers-turned judges seeking an energetic and quintessential granny to represent their livelihood.
In the 365-day spokesperson role, Lafond received royal treatment and handsome earnings as she toured the country storytelling the virtues of apples and a healthy lifestyle. The legacy, however, of winning the Granny Smith title would prove to be discovering the nonprofit Dress for Success during an Oprah episode Lafond was watching while waiting in her hotel room to be taken to an interview.
Dress for Success helps disadvantaged women enter the workforce by providing them with suits and dresses to wear to interviews and first days of work. But Lafond saw an opportunity to do more than fasten buttons of professional attire — she saw a chance to extend a kind hand and a confidence boost to women in need.
“I thought to myself, ‘Oh baby, Nashville needs that,’ and so when I got back to town I wrote Dress for Success headquarters asking for the start up material,” Lafond said. “I got very sold on it. I have been doing volunteer work since I was 17 in the Motorcorps. We drove big limousines with the big Canadian Red Cross on the door. I picked up blind people at their place of residence — I had about six or eight — and I would take them to a recreational center and leave them for about two or three hours and then pick them back up in the limo and take them back home.”
In 1998 at the end of her tour of duty as Granny Smith, Lafond helped spearhead Nashville’s first Dress for Success affiliate in Nashville. And, after the start up year spent in a donated classroom in Cockrill Elementary School, Lafond took over as the director of the nonprofit.
Lafond, for the past nine years, has been a one-woman show helping more than 2,500 local women in their journey from welfare to the workforce. The majority are between the ages of 20 to 55 and come referred to her by various local agencies like the American Red Cross, Catholic Charities, Department of Human Services, National Council on Aging, YWCA, Workforce Essentials, Hope Center or Mental Health Co-op.
When women come for their dressing appointments, Lafond greets them with her simple philosophy:
“I am very prepared to love them when they walk in the door,” Lafond said.
The women are often hardened and have endured violent domestic abuse, drug or alcohol addictions, serious illnesses, the struggles of raising children with disabilities, losing their homes and more, but Lafond has a way of disarming the women with her patient demeanor. They seem to instinctively know they can share their stories and not be judged or pitied. The stories Lafond hears often reveal ways that she is able to help them further. One woman explained that she was missing her front teeth after a blow delivered by her husband, and Lafond referred the woman to a dentist who performs charity work.
Or, if they choose, the women can silently listen to the classical music playing in the background and enjoy the attention lavishly bestowed by Lafond.
“I tell them their experience will be like the expensive boutiques in big cities where clients are brought the clothes,” Lafond said.
The garments, mostly donated articles by affluent women or local department stores, are stored in a tidy back room where Lafond hangs them neatly by size. Their tags reveal designer names such as Anne Klein, Dana Buchman, Jones of New York, Le Suit, Ellen Tracy and Talbot’s.
Part of finessing the job is Lafond’s ability to dress the women’s various body types while also encouraging the women to be proud of their curves and characteristics. Most have been too overwhelmed by the hardships of their lives to eat healthy or exercise regularly, which means many are overweight and larger sizes are the most in demand, Lafond said.
“The women will say things when I start dressing them like, ‘Oh, I am too short,’ or ‘I had a big butt,’ or ‘I am bosom-y,’ and I will say, ‘These aren’t flaws, that’s how you are. It’s there and we are working around it and we have something that skims over it. That’s what I try and teach them,” Lafond said. “A well-fitting garment, whether it’s a dress or a suit, should touch you on the shoulders, on the bosoms and on hips and just skim over the rest of your body. That is a word that I use a lot with these ladies: skimming — it should be skimming not grabbing. That’s not easy to achieve. That’s what I keep in mind. It’s what my mother taught me; she was a good teacher.”
A photograph of Lafond’s mother sits on a table inside her Dress for Success office. The woman is captured strolling the streets of downtown Montreal while on a shopping trip, clad in gloves, a hat and a fur jacket.
A bowl of ‘thank you’ letters overflows on a coffee table. The cards are handwritten messages like, “Dear. Ms. Suzanne, Many thanks for the suits last week. I was the one with the black slacks and green jacket. Thank you for everything, thank you for sharing your pictures,” “Thank you so much for the suit, shoes and undergarment. I really appreciate your help. I hope to do you proud,” and “Thank you for the attention I received and all your gifts.”
Lafond began deliberately leaving the letters out so that the women can learn from the manners of the women before them. She is also quick to politely correct fashion faux pas and incorrect grammar as well as give advice on interview skills like a firm handshake, straight posture and smart questions to ask.
At the end of the month, though, Lafond will begin dismantling Dress for Success because of lack of cash.
“Too many sleepless nights because we can’t get the funding. We are stagnating, we aren’t moving forward, we are moving backward,” Lafond said. “I had a little crying jag for a few days, but now I feel a sense of relief because it’s been very stressful, and I feel very secure in saying where one door closes, another opens.”
“The good memories in here are when the women are happy and they are sweet about it. Once several women arrived by a van all together, so I took care of all these ladies and they were very nice. There was this very, very tall woman who asked me if she could hug me and I said, ‘Of course,’ so we all hugged. Then she said, ‘Let’s all join hands and pray.’ I was so moved I was crying while she was praying. Not ugly tears just tears rolling down my cheeks. That was beautiful.”
http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/news.php?viewStory=58226
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Drinking is not the Dene way
I am glad to see that News/North has consistently made the effort over the years to address the issues of alcoholism and homelessness in the North, two issues that do not get enough coverage from our money-making news industry these day. First of all I would again like to mention why I am doing this series of articles for my column.
We - the survivors of residential schools across Canada - are now starting to receive some monies from the Canadian Government as a monetary apology of sorts for the years of abuse and cultural genocide we were put through. Many people, coming from where they invariably do, will be bound to see this as more free money for the First Nations. Well, this money is definitely not free, not even close to being enough to adequately pay for our lost childhoods and culture.
We are continuing to pay, and so are our children and their futures, for the losses we suffered. I do know that every day of my life is marked somehow by these traumatic earlier years. One of the things I do want our other survivors to know is that spending this money on anything other than something useful is also a great waste of it.
No matter the amount or what it may or may not represent, it is a step in the right direction by our government and we need to know what the intent of this is. It also has to do with the power of alcohol. Whether we want to, can, or do face our addictions, this alcohol has a powerful spirit that it represents, which has to be respected as such and to be dealt with on a daily basis. I am also grateful for the likes of News/North reporter Christine Grimard for her good writing lately.
Stories that come to mind are a homeless Gwich'in woman forced to live out at the campground, and now for her latest, that of a recovering alcoholic, with a story much like my own. Alcohol is an escape, yes, but definitely not a solution. When you choose to take that drink no one else puts it in your hands.
The money for it has to come from somewhere, and besides, when you pay for it, the money really does not have anything to do with it. It is simply a means for you to feed your addiction. You begin to pay with the loss of your health, and then your job and finally with the loss of your family, your relations and then your culture, and too often, your life. Drinking is not Dene.
http://nnsl.com/northern-news-services/stories/papers/dec3_07mountain.html
From peddling meth to pedaling cross country
Within a day, Mikael Luman went from biking in the comfort of the 75-degree Phoenix sun to chilly temperatures in the 20s.
For Luman, a Beaverton resident, it was just another day, marking the home stretch of a 12,000-mile cross-country bike trek to call attention to A Generation Free, Luman’s foundation designed to teach young people positive life skills.
Since leaving from Seattle in July, he’s had to deal with a variety of weather and topographic conditions, the worst being the wind and high elevations.
“The last five days of riding in the hills, it’s been windy and it’s been hilly,” said Luman during a phone call Tuesday.
But for Luman, a 1992 graduate of Aloha High School, the longest ride hasn’t been the 10,000 miles he’s logged so far. It’s been the long road to recovery.
On Dec. 14, Luman’s book, “800 Meters: A Journey of Addiction, Recovery and Redemption,” will be released, chronicling his abuse (and dealing in) ecstasy, cocaine, methamphetamine and nitrous oxide.
Noting that he’s a perfectionist, Luman, 33, said the book took about a year to write.
“I wanted to make sure everything in there was truthful,” he said. “Being an addict, you tend to elaborate on stories.”
“I’d been pulled over four times on (my motorcycle). Two of those times I probably had a pound or more of meth and ten to fifteen thousand dollars in cash on me along with scales and baggies. The first time, I got towed for no insurance. The other times, all they did was give me a ticket for driving without a license and tell me to get someone else to drive it. That didn’t bother me. I just waited until they left.”
— 800 Meters
The book is an unvarnished look into how Luman went from a clean-cut star high school athlete to being sucked into a world of drugs that would keep hold of him for almost a decade. Along the way, other addictions would pop up, including an affinity for strippers and a penchant for video poker. Also, before it was all over, he would find himself in his fair share of violent situations.
Drug-free for the last six years, Luman was always good at sports, playing soccer in local leagues as a boy. At Aloha High, he excelled in soccer, basketball and track and was named all-state in the latter where he ran the 800 meters, a grueling race that takes strength, speed and endurance.
But a blown-out kneecap and subsequent basketball injury seriously affected his self-confidence. His priorities began to change, he said, and before long he was tired of turning down friends when they offered him a drink.
“After the injuries, instead of saying ‘no,’ I said ‘yes,’” he recalls.
What made his descent into the drug world even more of an anomaly was the fact he grew up in a sheltered environment, having been raised in the Mormon faith. He wasn’t even familiar with drug slang.
“A lot of my drinking and drug use had to do with sports and not being able to compete. It filled the void and became my sport. Right at the end of high school, I tried marijuana for the first time. When I was about seventeen, I was driving with friends when they decided to do some.”
‘I’d never do that marijuana stuff,’ I said.
My friends broke up laughing, and one of them said, ‘You did marijuana last weekend.’
‘I did not,’ I insisted. ‘I smoked pot.’
That’s how naïve I was. I didn’t even know the jargon.”
— 800 Meters
The sports injuries gave him an excuse to justify doing what he wanted, he said. A drunken senior trip to Seaside ended up with Luman getting beat up in a fight at the beach. Heading to college, the scholarships had dried up but he played soccer for Portland State University, caring less and less about sports and more about partying.
Then one night, he and a friend decided to break into an apartment they thought was vacant.
It wasn’t.
As soon as they kicked in the door, they discovered a pair of shoes. They fled in Luman’s car but not before someone recorded the license plate.
When police pulled him over, they discovered stolen electronics in his trunk, taken from neighbors in the same apartment complex where he lived.
“When I got arrested for the burglary, I got kicked off the soccer team,” Luman recalled.
During his years of drug use he said there were times when he wanted to leave, but couldn’t find his way out.
“Although I was starting to think about changing, I wasn’t yet able to face the issues that were caused by addiction. I thought being clean was just not using drugs that day. I didn’t have the skills to stay clean for good. As soon as life got tough, I went right back to using.”
— 800 Meters
The book includes a chapter about his kidnapping where he was forced to help an ex-biker make meth. He found the chapter especially difficult to write because he wanted to provide enough information to paint a clear picture to readers, but not reveal too much information because it could have put people in danger.
“That was a big thing,” he said of the kidnapping. “It just goes to show how reckless and out of control you can get.”
Luman said he was fortunate to have escaped the world of drugs. Some aren’t as lucky. Such was the case of one drug dealer who was interested in forming a business partnership with Luman, impressed with the former high school athlete’s proficiency in manufacturing “the clearest, chunkiest crystal (meth) imaginable.”
The meeting never occurred. A couple of days later, Luman found out why when he talked with the dealer’s tearful girlfriend who explained what happened:
“‘He put one bullet in the gun, spun the chamber, put the gun to his head and fired. It’s not like what you see on TV. It’s real blood and real brains and a real hole in someone’s head.’ She was horrified by what she’d witnessed, and I doubt that she will ever recover from it.”
— “800 Meters”
Throughout his ordeal, Luman said there was always something in the back of his mind that pushed him along. Even when he was doing and dealing drugs, he thought maybe he was here for a reason.
“I almost felt I was there for a purpose,” he said.
In addition to being kidnapped, Luman had his fair share of other close calls. The vehicle he was riding in was once riddled with bullets, and while he was manufacturing meth, a glass beer bottle exploded, sending a shard of glass into his face.
Also, a jealous stripper girlfriend had an acquaintance threaten Luman by waking him up with a gun pointed at his head.
Although his addiction lasted almost 10 years, he clearly remembers the day he was arrested. It was Nov. 2, 2000, in Scappoose. He was out of drugs, out of money and tired.
“I was sleeping when (police) arrived, vaguely aware of voices, but unable to wake up. The next thing I knew, three of them were standing around the bed and I was handcuffed.”
— “800 Meters”
Surprisingly, the arrest provided him with a peaceful feeling.
“I knew I was done with being arrested,” he said.
He was incarcerated for 24 months with much of that time spent in the Oregon Summit Program, a boot camp.
When he did get clean, he reconnected with his spiritual side as well.
“In order for me to change my life and be clean and sober, I needed to find my center. I needed to repent for passed mistakes and make an effort to be the best Mikael Luman I can be,” he said.
Although he had thought about forming the “A Generation Free” foundation while serving time in prison, it was the birth of his now-14-month-old daughter, Mikaila, who inspired him to take the bike trip. The trip would be a way to call attention to his cause and his story.
“When she was born is when I thought I really needed to do something,” said Luman. “At some point in my life, with all my experiences, I couldn’t sit around and not do anything.”
Throughout his addiction and while in prison, he discovered how many drug users didn’t have the first clue about how to manage their lives.
As a result, Luman believes that in addition to reading, writing and arithmetic, some sort of life skills classes should be mandatory school curriculum, something he hopes to draw attention to through “A Generation Free.”
In addition to his parents and his wife, Amanda, Luman said a high school coach, Ken Yarnell, was extremely supportive in helping him during his recovery.
Yarnell is now an Aloha High School vice principal.
“If I had a list of Top 10, Top five people (in my life), he’s in there,” said Luman. “He’s what coaching and teaching should be about.”
Luman said Yarnell didn’t want only good athletes; he wanted students to do things the right way.
Heading to California this week, Luman hopes to talk to groups of students, ideally in the Beaverton School District, when he returns on Dec. 7 or 8. He might make a promotional tour for his book with tentative plans to ride around Hagg Lake.
For Luman, the bike trip has been an eye-opener, although he hasn’t received the interest or media attention he originally had hoped for. Scenery-wise, he hasn’t come up with a high point. He said he’s not picturing the beauty of the ride but of images of people fighting drug addiction and those in prison.
“If it was just about the ride and scenery, I probably would have stopped a long time ago because it’s pretty brutal,” he said.
He recalled one distinct image while riding under the subway in Philadelphia where he observed adverse poverty.
“When I was in prison or in jail, I had better living conditions than people living on that street,” he said.
At some point, Luman said he wants to meet more of the people he hurt during his days on drugs.
“Eventually I’d like to make contact and make amends to all the people I was a negative influence on in their lives,” he said. “Now I’d like to be a positive influence.”
http://www.beavertonvalleytimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=119629958153633000
For Luman, a Beaverton resident, it was just another day, marking the home stretch of a 12,000-mile cross-country bike trek to call attention to A Generation Free, Luman’s foundation designed to teach young people positive life skills.
Since leaving from Seattle in July, he’s had to deal with a variety of weather and topographic conditions, the worst being the wind and high elevations.
“The last five days of riding in the hills, it’s been windy and it’s been hilly,” said Luman during a phone call Tuesday.
But for Luman, a 1992 graduate of Aloha High School, the longest ride hasn’t been the 10,000 miles he’s logged so far. It’s been the long road to recovery.
On Dec. 14, Luman’s book, “800 Meters: A Journey of Addiction, Recovery and Redemption,” will be released, chronicling his abuse (and dealing in) ecstasy, cocaine, methamphetamine and nitrous oxide.
Noting that he’s a perfectionist, Luman, 33, said the book took about a year to write.
“I wanted to make sure everything in there was truthful,” he said. “Being an addict, you tend to elaborate on stories.”
“I’d been pulled over four times on (my motorcycle). Two of those times I probably had a pound or more of meth and ten to fifteen thousand dollars in cash on me along with scales and baggies. The first time, I got towed for no insurance. The other times, all they did was give me a ticket for driving without a license and tell me to get someone else to drive it. That didn’t bother me. I just waited until they left.”
— 800 Meters
The book is an unvarnished look into how Luman went from a clean-cut star high school athlete to being sucked into a world of drugs that would keep hold of him for almost a decade. Along the way, other addictions would pop up, including an affinity for strippers and a penchant for video poker. Also, before it was all over, he would find himself in his fair share of violent situations.
Drug-free for the last six years, Luman was always good at sports, playing soccer in local leagues as a boy. At Aloha High, he excelled in soccer, basketball and track and was named all-state in the latter where he ran the 800 meters, a grueling race that takes strength, speed and endurance.
But a blown-out kneecap and subsequent basketball injury seriously affected his self-confidence. His priorities began to change, he said, and before long he was tired of turning down friends when they offered him a drink.
“After the injuries, instead of saying ‘no,’ I said ‘yes,’” he recalls.
What made his descent into the drug world even more of an anomaly was the fact he grew up in a sheltered environment, having been raised in the Mormon faith. He wasn’t even familiar with drug slang.
“A lot of my drinking and drug use had to do with sports and not being able to compete. It filled the void and became my sport. Right at the end of high school, I tried marijuana for the first time. When I was about seventeen, I was driving with friends when they decided to do some.”
‘I’d never do that marijuana stuff,’ I said.
My friends broke up laughing, and one of them said, ‘You did marijuana last weekend.’
‘I did not,’ I insisted. ‘I smoked pot.’
That’s how naïve I was. I didn’t even know the jargon.”
— 800 Meters
The sports injuries gave him an excuse to justify doing what he wanted, he said. A drunken senior trip to Seaside ended up with Luman getting beat up in a fight at the beach. Heading to college, the scholarships had dried up but he played soccer for Portland State University, caring less and less about sports and more about partying.
Then one night, he and a friend decided to break into an apartment they thought was vacant.
It wasn’t.
As soon as they kicked in the door, they discovered a pair of shoes. They fled in Luman’s car but not before someone recorded the license plate.
When police pulled him over, they discovered stolen electronics in his trunk, taken from neighbors in the same apartment complex where he lived.
“When I got arrested for the burglary, I got kicked off the soccer team,” Luman recalled.
During his years of drug use he said there were times when he wanted to leave, but couldn’t find his way out.
“Although I was starting to think about changing, I wasn’t yet able to face the issues that were caused by addiction. I thought being clean was just not using drugs that day. I didn’t have the skills to stay clean for good. As soon as life got tough, I went right back to using.”
— 800 Meters
The book includes a chapter about his kidnapping where he was forced to help an ex-biker make meth. He found the chapter especially difficult to write because he wanted to provide enough information to paint a clear picture to readers, but not reveal too much information because it could have put people in danger.
“That was a big thing,” he said of the kidnapping. “It just goes to show how reckless and out of control you can get.”
Luman said he was fortunate to have escaped the world of drugs. Some aren’t as lucky. Such was the case of one drug dealer who was interested in forming a business partnership with Luman, impressed with the former high school athlete’s proficiency in manufacturing “the clearest, chunkiest crystal (meth) imaginable.”
The meeting never occurred. A couple of days later, Luman found out why when he talked with the dealer’s tearful girlfriend who explained what happened:
“‘He put one bullet in the gun, spun the chamber, put the gun to his head and fired. It’s not like what you see on TV. It’s real blood and real brains and a real hole in someone’s head.’ She was horrified by what she’d witnessed, and I doubt that she will ever recover from it.”
— “800 Meters”
Throughout his ordeal, Luman said there was always something in the back of his mind that pushed him along. Even when he was doing and dealing drugs, he thought maybe he was here for a reason.
“I almost felt I was there for a purpose,” he said.
In addition to being kidnapped, Luman had his fair share of other close calls. The vehicle he was riding in was once riddled with bullets, and while he was manufacturing meth, a glass beer bottle exploded, sending a shard of glass into his face.
Also, a jealous stripper girlfriend had an acquaintance threaten Luman by waking him up with a gun pointed at his head.
Although his addiction lasted almost 10 years, he clearly remembers the day he was arrested. It was Nov. 2, 2000, in Scappoose. He was out of drugs, out of money and tired.
“I was sleeping when (police) arrived, vaguely aware of voices, but unable to wake up. The next thing I knew, three of them were standing around the bed and I was handcuffed.”
— “800 Meters”
Surprisingly, the arrest provided him with a peaceful feeling.
“I knew I was done with being arrested,” he said.
He was incarcerated for 24 months with much of that time spent in the Oregon Summit Program, a boot camp.
When he did get clean, he reconnected with his spiritual side as well.
“In order for me to change my life and be clean and sober, I needed to find my center. I needed to repent for passed mistakes and make an effort to be the best Mikael Luman I can be,” he said.
Although he had thought about forming the “A Generation Free” foundation while serving time in prison, it was the birth of his now-14-month-old daughter, Mikaila, who inspired him to take the bike trip. The trip would be a way to call attention to his cause and his story.
“When she was born is when I thought I really needed to do something,” said Luman. “At some point in my life, with all my experiences, I couldn’t sit around and not do anything.”
Throughout his addiction and while in prison, he discovered how many drug users didn’t have the first clue about how to manage their lives.
As a result, Luman believes that in addition to reading, writing and arithmetic, some sort of life skills classes should be mandatory school curriculum, something he hopes to draw attention to through “A Generation Free.”
In addition to his parents and his wife, Amanda, Luman said a high school coach, Ken Yarnell, was extremely supportive in helping him during his recovery.
Yarnell is now an Aloha High School vice principal.
“If I had a list of Top 10, Top five people (in my life), he’s in there,” said Luman. “He’s what coaching and teaching should be about.”
Luman said Yarnell didn’t want only good athletes; he wanted students to do things the right way.
Heading to California this week, Luman hopes to talk to groups of students, ideally in the Beaverton School District, when he returns on Dec. 7 or 8. He might make a promotional tour for his book with tentative plans to ride around Hagg Lake.
For Luman, the bike trip has been an eye-opener, although he hasn’t received the interest or media attention he originally had hoped for. Scenery-wise, he hasn’t come up with a high point. He said he’s not picturing the beauty of the ride but of images of people fighting drug addiction and those in prison.
“If it was just about the ride and scenery, I probably would have stopped a long time ago because it’s pretty brutal,” he said.
He recalled one distinct image while riding under the subway in Philadelphia where he observed adverse poverty.
“When I was in prison or in jail, I had better living conditions than people living on that street,” he said.
At some point, Luman said he wants to meet more of the people he hurt during his days on drugs.
“Eventually I’d like to make contact and make amends to all the people I was a negative influence on in their lives,” he said. “Now I’d like to be a positive influence.”
http://www.beavertonvalleytimes.com/news/story.php?story_id=119629958153633000
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)