New White House drug czar has ideas for where to put nonviolent drug users: “hospital-slash-prison.” VIDEO
April 12, 2017 – Forced inpatient treatment in a hospital-slash-prison would presumably include drug users who are not necessarily drug abusers. Only about 21 percent of current marijuana users meet diagnostic criteria for abuse or dependence, for instance. The other 79 percent do not need treatment for their drug use. Marino acknowledged that implementing such a policy nationwide would “take a lot of money.” Whether he’ll push for such a strategy as drug czar remains an open question. Beyond that, the office’s track record on meeting its drug policy goals is not the greatest. In 2010, they set a series of ambitious goals to reduce drug use, overdoses and drugged-driving incidents.
Sheriff’s Warning to Heroin Dealers is Tone Deaf say Experts Video
April 10, 2017 – “Enjoy trying to sleep tonight, wondering if tonight’s the night our SWAT team blows your front door off the hinges,” he says to the underlay of battle-ready music.” A viral video from a Florida sheriff flanked by four masked officers in tactical gear while warning that he will “come after” heroin dealers is a misguided way to address the opioid epidemic, say drug policy experts. Lake County Sheriff Peyton Grinnell put out the ominous clip on Friday, warning drug dealers who happened to be viewing his agency’s Facebook page that he’s “coming for” them.
Why the DEA intentionally lets drugs into communities
April 11, 2017 – Last week, the acting director of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration was asked whether his agents ever intentionally allow drug shipments into communities in the interest of making a bigger bust later on … Federal law allows informants, like those employed by the DEA, to engage in “otherwise illegal activity” as part of an investigation. Those activities include “trafficking in what would be considered as large quantities of controlled substances” – 450 kilos of cocaine, for instance, or more than 90,000 kilos of marijuana … A more recent Inspector General’s report found that since 2007, the DEA had seized $3.2 billion in cash from people not charged with a crime.
APR 13 2017 – The vending machines, a first in the United States, would be available to clients of Trac-B Exchange, a program run by the Las Vegas Hard Reduction Center. The machines will also not take money but rather drug users will scan a card and enter an ID number to access the clean needles. For harm reduction workers, though, needle exchange is about a lot more than just lowering disease rates. “It’s a philosophy of service at the front end, and adjusting the way we look at drug users,” said Liz Evans, the Executive Director at New York Harm Reduction Educators. “Too often we fail to see drug users as human beings, and they become defined by that and get called all these names like junkies and addicts. It becomes harder as a society to respond to them with kindness.”
Kids Who Use Touchscreen Devices Sleep Less at Night
April 11, 2017 – Traditional screen time, like television and video games, has been linked to sleep problems in children, but less is known about portable touchscreens, such as smartphones and tablets. In the first study to investigate potential links between touchscreens and sleep in young children … According to their findings, babies and toddlers who spent more time with a touchscreen device slept less at night. Some of these kids managed to nap a bit longer during the day, but they still slept for less time overall. On average, each hour that a child spent on a smartphone or tablet resulted in 26 minutes less nighttime sleep.
April 13, 2017 – FACTS: – In 2015, as much as 8% of the 8th-grade students reported of using illicit drugs. – 44% of high school students know a classmate who sells drugs. – 86% of children in high school know someone who drinks, smokes or does drugs during the school day. – Boys first try drinking alcohol as early as 11 years old. 28% of 8th graders and 68% of 12th graders reported of trying alcohol at least once. 21% of high school students reported of consuming an excessive amount of alcohol. 10% drove after drinking. – NOW HERE”S HOW TOP HELP:
READ MORE @ Pumpic.com
Quality Does Not Have to Be Pricey
The Foundry Treatment Center opens transitional sober houses
April 10, 2017 – The housing is meant for people continuing their recovery after completing a residential program at The Foundry or elsewhere. “We can be collaborative with other treatment centers in that regard,” said The Foundry’s Chief Operations Officer Austin Eubanks. The 12-week transitional housing program is intended to help participants return to sober living after completing a residential program.
READ MORE @ SteamBoatToday.com
Don’t Pollute the Water
National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on April 29
APRIL 12, 2017 – On April 29, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will team up with local law enforcement agencies across the country for National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. The National Prescription Drug … These medications may have otherwise lingered in medicine chests and kitchen cabinets or have been thrown down the drain. Last year’s National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day event broke records by taking back 447 tons of unneeded medications … According to the DEA, the majority of prescription drug abusers report in surveys that they get their drugs from friends and family. Cleaning out old prescription drugs from medicine cabinets, kitchen drawers, and bedside tables reduces accidents, thefts, and the misuse and abuse of these medicines, including the opioid painkillers.
Attorney General announces lawsuit against Central Ohio Sober Living accused of identity theft
April 13, 2017 – Central Ohio Sober Living’s stated purpose was to provide sober support meetings, counseling, and housing, but law enforcement determined that Marcum had used clients’ personal information to open checking accounts and credit cards, which he allegedly used to make fraudulent transactions. In 2016, Marcum was indicted in Franklin County Common Pleas Court on charges of passing bad checks, identity fraud, forgery, and theft … The Ohio Attorney General’s Charitable Law Section investigated the charity’s operations and found little evidence of charitable programming, even though the organization had solicited contributions on GoFundMe and through its own website. Central Ohio Sober Living also failed to properly register as a charity in Ohio or file annual reports that are required by law.
READ MORE @ CirclevilleHerald.com
See, AA is Not The Only Way
Ghost of Frank Sinatra saved me from booze hell
APRIL 15, 2017 – Nightclub singer Jack Valentine is convinced the ghost of Frank Sinatra has saved his life. Recovering alcoholic Jack, 56, reckons the legendary crooner is a guardian angel who has helped him through his darkest days … He said: “I was on my uppers and Frank came in and saved me. Alcoholism is a disease that kills. I wanted to die but seeing Frank made me realize I had to fight.” Jack, a Sinatra tribute act for 37 years, was drinking three bottles of wine a day … “Alcohol helped me relax but it took over my life. It almost cost me everything.” Jack, who was helped with a recovery program, is at the top of his game and said My Way is the most popular tune.
April 4, 2017 – In Hallelujah Anyway: Rediscovering Mercy Lamott ventures to explore where to find meaning in life. We should begin, she suggests, by “facing a great big mess, especially the great big mess of ourselves.” It’s up to each of us to recognize the presence and importance of mercy everywhere-“within us and outside us, all around us”-and to use it to forge a deeper understanding of ourselves and more honest connections with each other. While that can be difficult to do, Lamott argues that it’s crucial, as “kindness towards others, beginning with myself, buys us a shot at a warm and generous heart, the greatest prize of all.”
If you ask most parents, we’ll probably tell you that we want our kids to know who they are and to love themselves. Because it’s both, right? We want them to know their strengths and understand their uniqueness and embrace both, loving and accepting every bit. This develops as children come of age, but it can also be nurtured by the daily life lessons we share and the books we read together. I hope these books prompt rich discussion and valuable life lessons about knowing and loving all of who we are.
Writing about marijuana as a consumer good has traditionally been relegated to magazines or alternative news weeklies. But that’s changing … On Nov. 9, the day after voters approved Proposition 64, legalizing recreational marijuana, a coalition of 25 California newsrooms introduced a website, The Cannifornian, to host their cannabis reporting. Around the same time, The San Francisco Chronicle became the latest big city newspaper – after The Denver Post – to create a cannabis editor position … Q. And product reviews? Yeah. We will be reviewing cannabis products as well as vaporizers and other hardware. We think that cannabis has the potential to be more mainstream and be reviewed like wine or beer or other consumables at a really high level with a really discerning and independent perspective.
To our Readers and Advertisers: An Open Letter from Leonard Buschel Publisher/Editor of the Addiction/Recovery eBulletin
Gratitude is always in season, and as we begin Spring, I want to thank our readers and astute progressive advertisers for your loyalty and confidence. The Addiction/ Recovery eBulletin is approaching four and a half years of continued growth and influence. This would not have been possible without the support of “The Good Guys” – our sponsors who continually stand on the side of truth, integrity and Best Practices. It is an honor to serve our readers and a responsibility I do not take lightly.
“I’ve been reading the Addiction/Recovery eBulletin for some time and I look forward to receiving it on a weekly basis. I’m a very busy professional, and I find the succinct details in which the articles are written both informative and enlightening. Please continue with your great work.”
Johanna O’Flaherty, PhD
Her doctorate in clinical psychology is from Pacifica Graduate Institute.
Go Make a Movie
REEL Recovery Film Festival
is a social, educational, networking and recovery forum showcasing first-time filmmakers and experienced professionals who make films about addiction and recovery. Our audience is treatment professionals, people in recovery, members of the entertainment industry, media representatives, educated moviegoers & the general public.
April 11, 2017 -Americans over the age of 60, especially women, drink more than they did 20 years ago, a study found … The information was concerning for researchers because alcohol consumption can result in more health problems for older people. The body metabolizes alcohol differently as people age and it can interact with prescription and over-the-counter medications that many older adults may take. Women who drink are also more prone to cancer, brain damage, heart disease and liver damage, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
What is “brain hacking”? Tech insiders on why you should care that your phone is a slot machine VIDEO
April 9, 2017 – Have you ever wondered if all those people you see staring intently at their smartphones – nearly everywhere, and at all times – are addicted to them? According to a former Google product manager you are about to hear from, Silicon Valley is engineering your phone, apps and social media to get you hooked. He is one of the few tech insiders to publicly acknowledge that the companies responsible for programming your phones are working hard to get you and your family to feel the need to check in constantly.
More and more we see addiction portrayed in popular media, from the drug business of “Breaking Bad,” to the everyday debauchery of “Shameless.” Review stars Andy Daly as critic Forrest MacNeil, … From the dangers of drug addiction to the joys of sleeping with a? Forrest speeds through all the stages of cocaine addiction … More and more we see addiction portrayed in popular media, from the drug business of “Breaking Bad,” to the everyday debauchery of “Shameless.”
READ MORE @ VidInfo.org
What It Was Like – 10 Years Before AA
How F. Scott Fitzgerald’s addiction became the archetype of an alcoholic artist AUDIO
April 20, 2017 – “When Fitzgerald was in Hollywood working as a scriptwriter, he instructed his secretary to drive his sack of empty gin bottles away from his house so his neighbors wouldn’t know how much he drank.” The Great Gatsby, an American classic, was published on this day in 1925. The book sells half a million copies each year, totaling over 25 million copies sold since it was published. It’s been made into a movie five times. But author F. Scott Fitzgerald went to his grave thinking it was a flop … PBS contributor Dr. Howard Markel spoke with Stateside about F. Scott Fitzgerald’s life, and his struggle with alcohol.
I got sober in AA when I was 22 and haven’t had a drink or puffed a joint since (or lit up a cigarette, if you can believe it). That’s five and a half years so far … It feels like our world is increasingly being pushed to take a position on one side or another, pigeon-holing us into a realm of black and white thinking that, in recovery, only causes us even more pain…While taking on the important work of researching new approaches to treatment for alcohol and drug addiction, some reporters and scientists have, in the process, attempted to strengthen their own argument by tossing 12-step programs like AA under the bus, referring to them as dated and irrational. As my current sponsor says-and she’s one of these women in the New York Circuit that everyone knows and respects-as women in recovery, we learn to rely on ourselves and become people who are capable of trusting their own thinking again because we’ve grown and changed, and learned to do that.
Reduced Substance Abuse Treatment Under ACA Repeal 2 min. AUDIO
APR 14, 2017 – According to the report, Utah ranks 9th nationwide in drug-related deaths due to substance use disorders. It estimates funding for Medicaid would drop by $2 billion in Utah under the previous Republican plan, reducing options for drug treatment … Just how much programs like Medicaid change will depend on Congress as they decide whether to tweak the ACA or amend the Republican plan after their Easter recess.
All Drinking Aside: The Destruction, Deconstruction and Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal by Jim Anders
Denial, anger, fear, depression, self-pity, doubt: a toxic cocktail of emotions enflamed by alcohol, narcotics and prescription drugs. Where does one begin? Where will it end? In this 90-piece orchestration of autobiographical flashbacks, the author describes his descent into alcoholism while three fictional alter egos (unnoticed by him) discuss his prospects for recovery. This intense, introspective and illuminating fiction looks at alcoholism and addiction from the inside out and back again…
Addiction drug Suboxone is popular prison contraband
Apr 16, 2017 – Behind prison walls in Ohio, inmates regularly are abusing an opioid normally used to wean people off drugs. Inmates, many of whom are in prison on drug charges in the first place, are sneaking in Suboxone, which is legally prescribed to treat people recovering from heroin addiction. The drug is vying to become the most common contraband drug brought into state prisons – neck-and-neck with marijuana…The strips are easy to hide behind a postage stamp, in the spine of a book, slipped into a greeting card, or liquefied and placed on paper so it looks like a smudge but retains its drug properties. The inmate then eats the paper.
You Draw It: Just How Bad Is the Drug Overdose Epidemic?
How does the surge in drug overdoses compare with other causes of death in the U.S.? Draw your guesses on the charts below. Since 1990, the number of Americans who have died every year from car accidents … Since 1990, the number of Americans who have died every year from guns … Since 1990, the number of Americans who have died every year from H.I.V. … Since 1990, the number of Americans who have died every year from drug overdoses…
The West Coast Symposium on Addictive Disorders is one of C4 Recovery Solutions’ premier addiction conferences. WCSAD is dedicated to continuing education and networking in the field of addictions. WCSAD hosts more than 1,000 addiction professionals from across the country.
READ MORE @ WCSAD.com
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American author, journalist, comedian, and founder of the magazine The Realist. Krassner became a key figure in the counterculture of the 1960s as a member of Ken Kesey‘s Merry Pranksters.
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Sober Indian, Dangerous Indian
Four liquor stores in a town of twelve people may finally dry up
April 11, 2017 – In Lincoln, Nebraska last week, 150 people attended a 10-hour hearing that could decide the fate of a town with a population of less than 12. Roughly 400 miles north, just off a lonely stretch of Highway 87, lies the locale in question: the unincorporated community of Whiteclay, Nebraska-home to four liquor stores that sell millions of cans of beer a year. “We’re dealing with a small cartel that is resorting to violence and criminal activity to profit.”
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