During September, Let’s Reflect On Hope & Recovery
A free confidential online assessment tool called “About My Drinking,” www.aboutmydrinking.org is a practical way to determine if there is a problem. Many treatment centers, including the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, offer programs for relatives of substance-dependent people. Through these programs, attendees gain a better understanding of addiction, treatment, recovery and family dynamics.
Celebrity Chef Todd English Arrested On DUI Charges
Police said English was arrested Sunday morning on a county road on Long Island. He made a court appearance later in the day, and authorities said he posted $1,500 bail. An email to English’s representative and a call to his attorney were not immediately returned. In September 2009, his former fiancee was charged with assault, and authorities accused her of hitting him with a metal wrist watch, leaving him needing multiple stitches.
Researchers Hope Drunken Fruit Flies Can Help Cure Alcoholism VIDEO
For the last three years, UH researchers have been literally pumping alcohol into thousands of flies and watching as they get so drunk they can’t get back on their six feet. Yes, those annoying, tiny, flying insects are attracted to beer, wine and fermenting foods for a reason. Like people, the flies enjoy a good “drink.” They can develop a taste for alcohol, build tolerance and sometimes head toward alcoholism.
The threat of incarceration has done little to deter the use and sale of drugs and a robust public health response is long past due. The most effective and well-studied technique to reduce drug overdose deaths (and also slow the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C associated with IV drug abuse) are supervised injection facilities.
“At approximately 28 recovery beds per 1,000 residents, Prescott arguably has a higher concentration of recovery beds per capita compared to other communities in the state.” And that gives Prescott “arguably” one of the highest concentrations of recovering addicts in the state, if not in the country. “We want to get a handle on how many are out there, who owns them, and were they in place before the ordinance?” said Police Lt. Tim Fletcher.
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Could It Be That Easy?
Small Rewards Might Lead To Big Results In Alcohol Treatment
Recovery from alcoholism is notoriously difficult. The satisfaction of a quick drink often trumps the idea of a later reward, such as better health, stronger relationships, and more stability.Koffarnus plans to use a technique that has shown success with drug users, but isn’t currently considered feasible for alcoholics. The solution to help recovering alcoholics pursue distant, intangible goals is surprisingly simple “We pay them.”
See clips from last year’s Award Winning REEL Recovery Film Festivalwith Paul Williams, Russell Brand, Robert Blake, Barbara Eden and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. SEE VIDEO
HIS HOUSE
Nip It In The Bud
Parents Need To Stop Addiction Before It Starts
Drug abuse affects the developing brain and its effects are long-term. The effects are felt not just by the individual, but by families, friends and communities. Because addiction’s roots are often in adolescence, parents, teachers, health care providers and public health officials need to work together to stop it before it starts – when our children are young.
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For the High Holy Days?
Jewish Addicts And Alcoholics Wanted
Jewish Family Services of Middlesex County (JFS) is seeking Jewish alcoholics, addicts and anyone (family, friends) affected by addiction. “If you are feeling isolated and hopeless, this is the place for you,” said Sara Levine, executive director of the organization in a prepared statement. “Join us each Monday on our journey of comfort and support.”
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Family of Origin
Will Sipping A Parents’ Alcoholic Drinks Harm Children?
A young child’s sipping or tasting alcohol may not be an early signal that they will have drinking problems or behavior problems later. Rather, sipping may reflect their parents’ attitudes toward children drinking alcohol, More research is needed to know whether supervised sipping in childhood could contribute to healthy drinking habits later in life, or it would lead to problem drinking.
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Because It’s Not Free
Why a Nashville Startup Sees $$$$$$$$$ In Fighting Addiction
We have two facilities up and running that we own and operate, and then we have partner facilities in South Florida … I will tell you that our facilities stay full. We hope to have about 400 beds in the next 36 months. We’ll have eight to 10 facilities strategically placed across the country. We just raised another $3.5 million for a facility in the Midwest.
Being An Addict’s Mom: ‘It’s Just A Very, Very Sad Place’
CNN VIDEO
“You almost wake up and get this haunting feeling, this horrible feeling that my God, I just wish I wasn’t going to live today,” said Theodosiou, a mother of four from Davie, Florida. “Not that you would take your life but you’re so scared.”Debbie Gross Longo, whose son started using drugs at 13 and taking prescription drugs at 15, says the powerlessness of being an addict’s mom is worse than people might imagine. “As a mother, it’s been hell,” said the mom of four in Stony Brook, New York. “It’s like having a child that you cannot help and sitting on the edge of your seat all at the time because you know something might happen.”
16 Cancer Causing Foods You Probably Eat Every Day
With almost 1.5 million people diagnosed with some type of cancer just last year, perhaps it’s time to look at what is in our foods that could be causing such a huge number of new cancer patients. Here is a list of the top 10 foods that you most likely consume every day that may contain carcinogens or be suspected of causing cancer.
Why The White House Has Shifted On Busting Drug Use
The White House has shifted its drug policy away from putting low-level offenders in jail and prison and toward helping them access addiction treatment – an approach that dovetails with the life of acting drug czar Michael Botticelli, a recovering alcoholic. As the nation grapples with fresh waves of prescription drug and heroin abuse, members of both parties are calling for a shift away from using the criminal justice system to address the problem, and toward public health-based approach to drug addiction.
Everyone who has lived inside the institutional church, in a presbytery or a religious house, or a convent, will know about alcoholism, for alcoholism is, historically speaking, often regarded as the curse of the Catholic clergy. I doubt that figures are published or much serious research done into the problem any more.
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Family Of Origin
Children of Addicts
Grow Up Confused
If you haven’t experienced it yourself, it’s hard to imagine. These young people are raised in a system that’s in full-on denial of reality. Not just in the little ways we all sometimes fool ourselves, but a denial so deep that some of the most outrageous ways of seeing things can seem normal. These children grow up with at least one parent who distorts the family’s perceptions of people and situations so they can maintain the flow of alcohol or other drugs. Drug-seeking is always under the surface.
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Casey Jones Better Watch His Speed VIDEO
Bus Driver High On Synthetic Marijuana, Morphine, Methamphetamine Cocktail VIDEO
A bus driver who lit a pipe of synthetic marijuana before ploughing into the side of a house also had methamphetamine and morphine in his system, a court has heard. Security camera footage tendered to the court shows the driver behind the wheel of an empty bus, steering with his belly, as he stuffs synthetic marijuana into a pipe before appearing to fall asleep.
Gary Busey: His Crazy Life Revealed – Motorbike Accidents, Dogs Covered In Cocaine and CBB
If you didn’t know who Gary Busey was before this week, you will now, and we have taken a look at the actor’s turbulent rise to fame and how he’s changed through the years. The Point Break actor, 70, joined the likes of Lauren Goodger, David McIntosh, White Dee and more on the new series of Celebrity Big Brother and made possibly the most awkward exit we’ve ever seen on the show. “At one time they had me under 12 layers of drugs and strapped down to a metal table, naked, in the mental health alert ward – cause they were going to ‘Cuckoo Nest’ me,” Busey said in a video previously.
One guy in particular caught my eye. He was hunky and fit with a wicked glint in his eye. Before I knew what I was doing I’d read out my credit card details and ordered him upSo a few nights later I used the same agency again. My next guy was tall, dark and exotic and made me scream. Now I’m addicted to paid sex with hunky beasts. I’m overdrawn at the bank and oversexed in my head and don’t know who I am any more.
E-cigarettes should be banned indoors over fears that they can be as toxic to bystanders as normal cigarettes, the World Health Organization said. Despite releasing vapor instead of smoke, the devices still pollute the air with harmful chemicals, health experts warned. Many smokers use e-cigarettes as a way to quit, as they deliver the nicotine hit but without the carcinogens associated with breathing in smoke. There are no laws currently banning their use inside.
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HOPE BY THE SEA
Keeping AA Alive and Well
Alcoholics Anonymous: Let’s Drop the Stigma
Alcoholics Anonymous just celebrated 79 years of bringing drowning alcoholics back to shore. Not only is AA a safe shore, but it’s a place where the most broken spirits may be revived, and even more so, they may begin to thrive unlike any time in their life before. So isn’t it time we drop the stigma and learn more about it? My hope is any alcoholic reading this article may find the rooms of AA should anything I’ve written ring true. Also, that any prejudice you have against alcoholics or AA may be subdued, whether you be alcoholic or not. AA isn’t just a religious bunch of old men drinking coffee, sharing war stories.”
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BRIDGES TO RECOVERY
Legal and Deadly
Sugar Addiction Is Key Contributor To Heart Disease and Cancer
Another effect of excessive sugar intake is change in microbial flora in the gut. In the long run, this can eventually lead to bloating, and may worsen gastrointestinal problems such as heartburn and flatulence. Abnormal gut flora has also been linked to lower immunity, allergies, skin problems like acne and eczema. Excessive sugar intake can deplete nutrients like B-vitamins, zinc and chromium.
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Science to the Rescue
Scientists Link Alcohol-Dependence Gene to Neurotransmitter
Researchers have long sought a gene or genes that might be responsible for risk and severity of alcohol dependence. “Despite a significant genetic contribution to alcohol dependence, few risk genes have been identified to date, and their mechanisms of action are generally poorly understood,” “As GABA release in the central amygdala has been shown to be critical in the transition from recreational drinking to alcohol dependence, we thought that Nf1 regulation of GABA release might be relevant to alcohol consumption,” said Herman.
America Is Spending Billions To Combat Drugs And Drug Use Keeps Getting Higher
In raw dollar terms, spending on drug treatment has nearly doubled over the same period – a welcome development. Spending on prevention activities – such as the infamous anti-drug public service announcements of your childhood – has actually declined. So on the one hand, yes – it’s true that more federal dollars are going toward drug treatment. On the other hand, treatment and prevention account for less than half of federal drug spending, most which still goes to law enforcement efforts.
Does Medical Marijuana Reduce Opiate Deaths? VIDEO
It is the most common reason people seek medical marijuana: chronic pain. And while the jury may still be out on just how effective it is, a new study says medical marijuana appears to be having a positive effect on another health risk, which is killing Americans at a record rate. “So they compared states that have medical marijuana versus those neighboring states that don’t have it and showed that the opiate death rate was about 25 percent less.”
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There But The Grace…
Drew Barrymore’s Half-Sister Jessica Barrymore Died Of Accidental Drug Overdose
Actress Drew Barrymore’s half-sister Jessica Barrymore died of an accidental drug overdose in Southern California last month, according to a report. The 47-year-old had vodka, meth and pills in her car when she was found lifeless July 29 in a parked Toyota Camry outside a National City, Calif. home, her brother told the Daily News shortly after the incident. The coroner’s report, obtained by CNN, confirms the details: Barrymore had meth, booze, methadone, tramadol and nordiazepam in her system, toxicology tests showed.
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We Can Get Finally Get Out of Afghanistan
Scientists Get Closer To Create Painkillers From Yeast Instead Of Poppies
For centuries, poppy plants had been grown to provide opium, the compound from which morphine and other important medicines such as oxycodone are derived, but now bioengineers at Stanford have hacked the DNA of yeast, reprograming these simple cells to make opioid-based medicines via a sophisticated extension of the basic brewing process that makes beer.
Mischa Barton: Insider Reveals Details Of Actress’ Substance Abuse Problems
According to the Perez Hilton report, a concerned insider has described the former Hollywood It Girl’s road to self-destruction as “extremely heartbreaking.” “She’s broke and ashamed – and I’m afraid that she may try to numb the pain. We worry that she could turn to alcohol to try and forget her troubles. Even though she’s basically broke, whiskey is cheap and she can use what’s left of her money. I’m worried she could end up in worse shape than ever,” the insider said. “Her parents are incredibly worried for her,” the insider added. “They’re very afraid of what might happen next.”
States With Medical Marijuana Have Fewer Overdose Deaths VIDEO
The researchers looked at death rates from opioids between 1999 and 2010 and found that the 13 states that allowed medical marijuana at the time had lower opioid mortality rates-the hypothesis being that patients with chronic pain perhaps switched from the heavy drugs to marijuana, since cannabinoids in marijuana react similarly in the brain. About 60% of all opioid deaths happen among people who have legitimate prescriptions, but abuse is also problematic.
Booze Maker in Korea Sued for Encouraging Alcoholism
A group of self-described “soju addicts” have filed suit against two of Korea’s largest producers of the distilled beverage, arguing “we have become alcoholics because they failed to warn the dangers of alcohol.” According to the Korea Observer, 26 plaintiffs filed suit in the Seoul Central District Court, seeking 2.1 billion won (or $2.06 million) in damages from soju-makers Hite Jinro and Muhak.
Celebrity Chef Todd English Arrested On DUI Charges 
Sober Houses Grow Like Weeds In Prescott Arizona?
Parents Need To Stop Addiction Before It Starts 
Jewish Addicts And Alcoholics Wanted
Will Sipping A Parents’ Alcoholic Drinks Harm Children? 
Why Are So Many Priests Alcoholics? 
Children of Addicts 
Ban ‘Toxic’ E-Cigarettes Indoors
Alcoholics Anonymous: Let’s Drop the Stigma 
Sugar Addiction Is Key Contributor To Heart Disease and Cancer 
Scientists Link Alcohol-Dependence Gene to Neurotransmitter
Does Medical Marijuana Reduce Opiate Deaths? VIDEO
Drew Barrymore’s Half-Sister Jessica Barrymore Died Of Accidental Drug Overdose
