Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | November 26, 2018 | Worcester Business Journal 23 Finding the proper use Mentoring takes a village V I E W P O I N T E D I T O R I A L L ost in all the very much necessary discussion about the opioid crisis in Massachusetts and across the country is opioid drugs actually help people when used properly. Whether used to treat hos- pital patients immediately aer intensive surgery or prescribed in limited doses aer an outpatient procedure, opioids can be more effective in treating pain and suffering. at aspect of the conversation, though, is hard to have when five people die in Massachusetts per day from an opioid-related overdose. Over the last two years the Massachusetts Legislature has worked to limit the number of opioids a doctor can pre- scribe, as well as dedicate more resources to helping people with addiction find successful treatment. As News Editor Grant Welker notes in his cover story "An opioid shortage," the current shortfall of opioid for legitimate and medical purposes in Central Massachusetts hospital pharmacies has more to do with a lack of supply than legislative action. Still, Welker's story is important for noting while opioids have become a powerful and destructive weapon in our society, when used properly they have a place. It is all about making sure they are not abused, but used properly. Broadly speaking, this logic applies to marijuana as well. Medical patients have been able to use the drug since 2012, and – just this month – retailers starting selling recreational marijuana. Retail cus- tomers are limited to one ounce of pot, which costs $420 with tax and is the equivalent of more than 50 joints. While this still may seem like a lot for a single person, it shows how a well-regulated market can work to fulfill the goal of legalization. In making pot legal, Massachusetts is taking a previously illegal industry and bringing it into the light. is prevents consumers from having to com- W ho believed in you before you believed in your- self? Today, for one in three young people the answer is no one. Research shows a young person with a mentor is more likely to be successful not only on an academic level, but professional and personal ones. Mento- ring builds self-confidence and self-es- teem; provides motivation; delivers vital life skills; offers conflict resolution strategies; and enables young people to grow into their full potential. Wheth- er formal or informal, a mentor is considered a trusted resource making the difference in a person's life. ere's a capacity for greatness coming when someone supports you. In today's society, one in three children will reach the age of 19 without having an adult mentor. is is unfortunate, as mentors can play a critical role in the success of today's youth, and build stronger com- munities as a result of their investment of time. Young people who have access to a mentor are: • 55 percent more likely to enroll in college • 78 percent more likely to volunteer regularly • 90 percent are interested in becoming a mentor • 130 percent more likely to hold leadership positions • 46 percent less likely than their peers to start using illegal drugs and 27 percent less likely to start drinking • 81 percent more likely to have extracurricular activities And it's not just the mentees who benefit from the rela- tionship. Mentoring programs play a critical role in helping business attract and retain employees. Companies with mentoring programs have higher job satisfaction among employees. Corporate mentors make a difference by: • Helping set goals and taking the steps to realize them • Using personal contacts to help young people network • Introducing them to new resources and organizations • Providing skills for seeking and keeping a job At Quinsigamond Community College, mentoring is a critical component to our institution. An integral piece of our mentoring program are community partners. ese partners bring an added element, helping students to devel- op employer-desired skills, build professional networks and gain an understanding of workplace expectations. ese are the employers who will be looking for their next employee when students enter the workforce. By being a mentor, you can enhance your own profession- al skills, become a better leader and help shape the leaders of tomorrow. Mentors create a legacy by paying it forward. On a corporate level, mentoring brings benefits to compa- nies. By instituting a mentoring program, companies show their employees and the outside world they are engaged and care about their current and future workforce. e mentoring relationship is a special one. Many men- tees have become mentors, myself included, and that gi of paying it forward is transformative. It's up to us to help the next generation. Today, take a moment, think of your men- tors and how they changed your life, and consider the gi of mentorship. It may just be the best gi you've ever given. Luis Pedraja is president of Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester. BY LUIS PEDRAJA Special to the Worcester Business Journal Luis Pedraja The Worcester Business Journal welcomes letters to the editor and commentary submissions. Please send submissions to Brad Kane, editor, at bkane@wbjournal.com. WO R D F R O M T H E W E B mit a crime to obtain a widely available drug and removes the criminal element from the supply chain. By letting people buy up to an ounce – roughly the equivalent of a keg, in cra beer terms – Massachu- setts can make sure consumers are well supplied while not providing enough of the drug for an illegal drug dealer to sell on the street. e high cost of buying recreational marijuana, too, prevents it from being resold on black market, since street prices typically remain lower than the legal market. A decades-long battle to reduce cigarette smoking has been largely a success as smoking rates have steadily fallen since the 1970s. e downward trend- line for both youth and adults is promising, and one of the more recent innovations for smokers to help kick the habit has been vaping. While vaping may work to help smoking cessation among adults, there is a growing concern of an epidemic of addictive vaping among teens. What new laws and guidelines ought to be set to reduce that risk? States are grap- pling with the problem, trying to weigh the benefits against the pitfalls. As alcohol use is legal, it largely dodges the current debate, but we've all witnessed the effects of alcohol used in moderation vs. straight up abuse. Opioids, marijuana and vaping can all serve a purpose in a civilized society. However, we have to guard vigilantly against their abuse and misuse. Massachusetts seems to have struck the right note on its regulation of marijuana. e abuse of opioids remains the most deadly battle ground, and finding the right balance has a way to go, short of replacing opioids with a whole new class of pain reducing, non-addictive therapies. Teen vaping is an emerging battleground where we'll need to cut down on the easy supply to make a dent in the growing abuse. Knowing when to use a light touch and when to use a heavy touch will be the key to success. Tweets of the week "Have you been out to eat in #Worcester, lately? It's likely your meal was prepared by an #immigrant. 'Of the restaurants and other food-service businesses in Worcester, 71% are run by foreign-born residents,' say @WRRBureau & @WBJournal #ImmigrantsWelcome" - International Institute of New England, (@iine), Nov. 14, on WBJ's series on the impact of immigrants on business Facebook feedback "It was very surprising to see so much vacant space in a beautiful building." - Robert Norgard, Nov. 16 on a WBJ story about the vacant commercial space in Worcester's Union Station "Thank you to all the immigrants who have made Worcester a wonderful city." - Mariann Paladino, Nov. 12, on a WBJ story about the impact of immigrants on Worcester's business community W W

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