HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-17-2015 Public Comment CaderLomeli, Monique
Subject: FW: SLO mayor takes aim at partygoers after roof collapse I Local News I SanLuisObispo
-- - - - - -- Original message -- - - - - -- MAR 16 2015
From: Rushdi Cader COUNCIL MEETING:
Date:03 /15/2015 12:17 PM (GMT- 08:00) _ ITEM NO.:_A+!x!W-
To: Council ALL
Cc: "Marx, Jan"
Subject: Fwd: SLO mayor takes aim at partygoers after roof collapse I Local News I SanLuisObispo
Good morning our esteemed elected leaders,
Please see my brief comments below to Jan Marx, which I will add to here.
The alcohol culture amongst young people here in slo has become so overwhelmingly destructive to lives and
property that the leadership of our community has an obligation to do something about it.
Over the last 15 years in this community, myself and my colleagues in the ER have literally cared for 1000's of
Cal Poly students who have either harmed themselves, others or property due to drug use or excessive alcohol
intoxication. It is not uncommon for these students to have alcohol levels to be many times the legal limit
ranging from 200 to 450 mg /dl. Many of these youth have been either the victim or perpetrator of physical or
sexual assault. Their injuries have ranged from cuts and scrapes to lifelong devastating neurologic deficits or
disfiguring facial injuries. The vast majority are incapacitated putting them at risk for becoming the victims of
sexual predators or acts of violence.
Nowadays drug use is so rampant at Cal Poly that young people feel it to be the norm. 90 +% of underage Cal
Poly students engage in alcohol use, with a large percentage of those who drink to excess. These young people
feel no remorse or sense of shame in using meth, cocaine or marijuana. Prescription drug abuse, like
hydrocodone, "xanybombs" (Xanax), and oxycodone is also commonplace.
As a community we have failed to channel our youth towards positive behaviors and instead relegated this
responsibility to their peers who provide them destructive examples.
Our lack of response is saying to the educated future backbone of our society that it's okay to break the law and
that there are minimal consequences to such behavior.
The parents of these young people sent their children to our community to become educated, not to graduate as
alcoholics and drug addicts.
I believe there is an answer to curbing the problem and it lies in supporting SLOPD, Sheriffs, and CalPoly PD
for increased enforcement, and EXPONENTIALLY increasing fines and penalties for publically intoxicated
students, underage drinkers, drug peddlers, those who sell alcohol to minors, those who cause injury and
property damage while inebriated, and for intoxicated drivers.
If being drunk in public costs someone $2500. They are far less likely to repeat the offense. Likewise if being
an underage drinker increases that fine by $1500, I believe we will start to see a downslide in the problem.
In turn the revenue from such enforcement should be channeled towards treatment programs and covering the
cost of having more officers on the street.
We are a community with a far worse alcohol and drug problem than any similar sized community in the
country.
People say that we don't want to become the next Isla vista. I believe we are worse. Years ago during the last
Poly Royale, I took care of 23 patients with lacerations on that night alone. The injuries were all related to
alcohol intoxication or assaults by someone who was under the influence of drugs and / alcohol: one was a
young woman who lacerated off half of her tongue, another was a man who had deep facial lacerations, lost part
of his nose and required almost 75 stitches in his face.
Our staff has been assaulted by some of these these students while attempting to care for them (including
myself). They swear and are abusive to staff, which horrifies children who are in the ER for other serious
conditions. Some urinate and defecate on themselves and on the floor due to their inebriated state.
Lastly the cost of housing 4 -5+ inebriated cal poly kids at Sierra vista every weekend night as they metabolize
off their alcohol is more than just the use of a resource and money out of the pocket of patients, parents and
insurance companies. It means that while little Johnny is fighting and verbally abusing one of my nurses, that is
one less staff person to attend to the child with the broken arm in the waiting room, or the pregnant woman with
vaginal bleeding, or even to discharge or admit patients with conditions that they didn't cause themselves. There
is a cost to the inaction of enforcement and politicians, and it is in the reduction of the efficiency of the medical
services that we in ER's at both Sierra and Twin provide to the rest of our community.
Again please consider my feedback as each of you considers how we solve this problem that has clearly spiraled
out of control.
With the deepest respect and thanks to each of you for your service to our town.
Rushdi
Dr. Rushdi Cader M.D., F.A.C.E.P.
Attending physician, Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center
Medical Director, SLO Regional SWAT Team
Sent from handheld device: excuse misspelling & errors
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Marx, Jan" <jmarx(d),slocity.org>
Date: March 15, 2015 at 8:30:26 AM PDT
To: Rushdi Cader <emergencMed(iDgmail.com>
Subject: RE: SLO mayor takes aim at partygoers after roof collapse I Local News
SanLuisObispo
Thanks for getting in touch. Just call Shannon at 781 -7123 to set up a time. Please send an email
to council_ allAslocity.org or come to public comment thus Tuesday 6pm if you would like to
support my effort to increase safety for the community and students themselves.
Best
Jan
Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone
-- - - - - -- Original message -- - - - - --
From: Rushdi Cader
Date:03 /15/2015 8:01 AM (GMT- 08:00)
To: "Marx, Jan"
Subject: SLO mayor takes aim at partygoers after roof collapse I Local News I SanLuisObispo
Hi Jan,
We should talk. I take care of these kids every weekend with all levels of injuries and self induced inebriation.
I believe we should dramatically increase fines for public intoxication within city limits and even moreso for
underage drinkers. Insodoing we can start to induce a change in the culture of our young people at cal poly.
httn: / /www.sanl ui sobisno .com/2015/03/09/3527362/sio- mayor- takes - aim- at- partyP- oers.htm]
Let me know and we can connect for coffee.
Glad to see you are tackling this issue head on!
Best,
Rushdi
Dr. Rushdi Cader M.D., F.A.C.E.P.
Sent from handheld device: excuse misspelling & errors