News: December 2011 Archives

UNDERAGE DRINKING: NEW YEAR'S REMINDS US TO BE VIGILANT

Article from: patch.com

Dec 30, 2011 | No Comments

Staggering statistics about teen drinking - and laws jailing adults for providing alcohol to minors - should be a wake-up call for parents.

By: Suzette Valle

New Year's celebrations always bring the issue of drinking to mind. Sadly, it's not the optimism inspired by a fresh start that will mark 2012's first news reports, but the tragedy involving deaths of teenagers due to underage drinking.

A study by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that an "estimated 1,980 underage-drinking related emergency visits were made on Jan. 1, 2009." This is a staggering number when compared to the national average of 546 intoxicated-minor ER visits per day.

The Alcohol Policy Panel of San Diego reported that in 2008 there were 105 fatal collisions involving 15 to 20 year olds who had been drinking. All of them were preventable.

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America and MetLife Foundation reported "alarming patterns in early adolescent alcohol" use in 2010. According to the study:

• Of those teens who reported alcohol use, 62 percent said they had their first full alcoholic drink by age 15, not including sipping or tasting alcohol.

• Of those teens who reported alcohol use, 25 percent, said they drank a full alcoholic drink for the first time by age 12 or younger.

Continue Reading: patch.com

RESOLVE TO LIMIT ALCOHOL TO PROMOTE HEALTHY SLEEP

Article from: stltoday.com

Dec 30, 2011 | No Comments

BY: ANGIE RANDAZZO

For many people, New Year's Eve includes celebratory alcohol consumption, but few women realize the effects alcohol may have on their sleep. It's important to know the facts before you start celebrating.

Alcohol is a depressant, so it shortens the time it takes to fall asleep and promotes sleep during the first part of the night. However, as alcohol is quickly processed and eliminated from the body at a rate of about one glass of wine or one beer an hour, the body will start to go through withdrawal. This leads to shallow and disrupted sleep and is called a "rebound effect," when the initial physical effects on sleep change in the opposite direction.

If alcohol intake is high, there is also potential for a headache, an upset stomach, a rapid heart rate and sweating (the onset of a hangover), all of which further interrupt sleep.

A recent study in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research compared men and women with equal breath-alcohol concentration and their response to evening alcohol consumption. Both men and women had higher sleepiness ratings at bedtime and fell asleep faster after drinking alcoholic beverages. But, both also had more awakenings, slept less of the time in bed and had worse sleep quality ratings.

Interestingly, women in the study were sleepier at bedtime and had more wakefulness during the night than men. Greater sleep disruption in women may be related to how the female body processes alcohol. For example, other studies have shown that breath-alcohol concentration decreases faster in women, so the rebound effect, or wakefulness, may occur earlier during the night.

Continue Reading: stltoday.com

DESIGNATED DRIVERS BEING REWARDED AT LOCAL BARS, RESTAURANTS

Article from: enterprisenews.com

Dec 30, 2011 | No Comments

By Neal Simpson

At least a couple of times a night, the staff at the Tinker's Son pub in Norwell pours a free soda for a customer who promises to stay sober and drive friends home at the end of the night.

The restaurant began rewarding its "designated drivers" a year ago at the urging of Norwell police, who got the idea from police in Hingham. Now Rockland is launching a similar program, bringing the total number of participating bars, restaurants and clubs on the South Shore to 50.

District Attorney Timothy Cruz, whose office provides marketing material for the program in all three towns, said he sees it as another way to reach people with a message about drunken driving. Every participating restaurant posts a blue sticker near the door advertising the program, and many bartenders and waitresses will ask large groups if they've designated a sober driver for the night.

"Prevention is a very difficult thing to measure, but I think awareness and a continued focus on awareness is a good thing," Cruz said. "I think it will have a deterring effect."

Hingham police began encouraging restaurants to offer free drinks to designated drivers during the holidays after a particularly bad crash on Route 3A in 2002. After several years, the initiative grew to include every business licensed to serve alcohol in town, and police decided to make it a year-round program.

The district attorney's office got involved in 2006, offering to print marketing material, including pamphlets and stickers, for any police department in Plymouth County that wanted to launch its own program. But Sgt. Steven Dearth, head of Hingham's traffic division, said other towns have been slow to join.

"I'm happy that these two are on board, but it has taken a while," he said. "It's a commitment of time, because obviously you need to meet with these restaurants and then you need to keep in touch with them."

Continue Reading: enterprisenews.com

KYLE RICHARDS VISITS SISTER KIM IN REHAB

Article from: people.com

Dec 30, 2011 | No Comments

Screen Shot 2011-12-30 at 9.45.38 AM.png

By Aili Nahas

Kim Richards is still in rehab, according to her rep.

Despite earlier reports she had left treatment and was home with her sister Kyle, she was, in fact, visited by Kyle.

"She's doing okay," a source tells PEOPLE of the The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star. "Everyone is hoping for the best."

Kim's daughter Kimberly as well as Kyle's three oldest daughters were part of the visit. "They were all happy to see each other," adds the source.

This is not the 47-year-old's first time in rehab. "But every time is a new time, and everyone just hopes this sticks and that she gets the help she needs," another source told PEOPLE when Kim sought treatment for alcohol abuse and "other problems" this December.

Continue Reading: people.com

WHEN KICKING THE HABIT BECOMES AN ADDICTION

Article from: nydailynews.com

Dec 29, 2011 | No Comments

The lifestyle of an eternal recoverer

By: Susan Shapiro

While most people struggle to relinquish bad habits for New Year's, over the last 10 years, I've successfully given up vice after vice. I've become such a successful quitter of substances, I almost want to quit quitting things. But temptation still overwhelms my self-control.

And for those who might think my penchant for acquiring -- then ditching -- habit after habit is dangerously addictive itself, I must say: This constant churning cycle of self-improvement has been a miraculous force in my life this past decade.

My passion for renouncement began at 40 when, after a cancer scare, I decided to finally stop smoking. An addiction specialist helped me cease my 20-plus-years, two-pack-a-day habit by learning how to "suffer well." He called my nine months of sweating, crying and nicotine patch dreams "the worst chemical withdrawal in history."

Next to go were nightly joints. As a freelance journalist, I feared I couldn't work straight. I gravitated to wine and rum to loosen up. Before becoming a serious alcoholic, I got sober. Then my endless oral fixation led me to shove 30 packs of Juicy Fruit in my mouth daily, ruining my teeth. I'd chew quickly, suck out the flavor and reach for a new stick, a sequence my husband said perfectly captured my personality.

That personality was so addictive, I could get hooked on carrot sticks. Like many addicts, I did the substance shuffle. Instead of conquering my impulse disorder, I'd brilliantly switch obsessions. So I banned Blow Pops (cavities) and bread products (calories). The only reliance left to quit was my addiction specialist, I joked. Then he quit me by moving away.

Continue Reading: nydailynews.com

SOBER FOR THE HOLIDAYS: HOW IT CHANGED MY NEW YEAR'S AND MY LIFE

Article from: huffingtonpost.com

Dec 29, 2011 | No Comments

By: Courtney Gillette

My first sober Christmas, I was 24, and I navigated every holiday party and family gathering with high anxiety, blurting out "Ginger ale!" in answer to any and all questions. It was only a few weeks earlier that I'd sat in my therapist's office, examining the wreckage of a few relationships, family visits, social gatherings and other moments sullied by my own drinking. I was pretty sure this was the worst possible time of year to quit. What would I do at end-of-year work parties, or on the Friday after Thanksgiving when hometown friends got smashed together, or on that booziest holiday of all, New Year's Eve? Questions like these haunted me as I nervously dodged alcohol left and right, avoiding spiked eggnog and re-gifting bottles of wine like I was playing some Sonoma Valley version of hot potato.

Slowly, though, through a lot of practice over the years, not drinking during the holidays began to feel just like not drinking the rest of the year: normal. My anxiety about it lessened, my self-pity abated, and I found that I didn't need a proverbial lampshade on my head to enjoy myself. I'm still struck by occasional pangs of envy (whipped cream flavored Smirnoff? How did I miss out on this?), but I know from experience that it's absolutely possible to enjoy the holidays sober.

Continue Reading: huffingtonpost.com

'SPICE' MAKERS ALTER RECIPES TO SIDESTEP STATE LAWS BANNING SYNTHETIC MARIJUANA

Article from: washingtonpost.com

Dec 29, 2011 | No Comments

By Justin Jouvenal

"Spice" is back.

Just months after Virginia and dozens of other states banned synthetic marijuana, the chemists who make it have found a way to outfox lawmakers.

Spice manufacturers, who spray herbs with compounds that mimic the active ingredient in marijuana, have altered their recipes just enough to skirt the bans and are again openly marketing spice in stores and on the Web. Some users report that the new generation of products could be more potent than the original formulas, which have sickened hundreds nationwide and been linked to deaths.

Spice, commonly sold in colorful packets as "herbal incense," is smoked to get high. A new National Institute on Drug Abuse study found that it is the second- most frequently used illicit substance among high school seniors, behind marijuana.

Continue Reading: washingtonpost.com

CURBING COUGH MEDICINE ABUSE TARGET OF CALIF. LAW

Article from: sfgate.com

Dec 28, 2011 | No Comments

By: Victoria Colliver

Starting Sunday, California will become the first state to try to curb the abuse of over-the-counter cold medicines containing a powerful cough suppressant by requiring consumers to show proof they're over age 18.

The ingredient is dextromethorphan, or DXM, and it's found in popular medications such as Robitussin-DM, Mucinex-DM, Delsym, Coricidin and NyQuil.

Some teenagers, and even younger kids, down the drug in excessive quantities to get a euphoric high, an act known as "robotripping," "skittling" or "dexing." The drug is sometimes referred to as "poor man's PCP" for its hallucinogenic effects.

"By limiting the sale to minors, we hope to reduce the number of cases where there's misuse or abuse of over-the-counter cough medications containing DXM," said the bill's author, state Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto. "This is really nasty stuff with very serious consequences."

Continue Reading: sfgate.com

PAINKILLER 10 TIMES STRONGER THAN VICODIN WORRIES ADDICTION EXPERTS

Article from: cbsnews.com

Dec 28, 2011 | No Comments

By: CBS News Staff

(CBS/AP) As pharmaceutical companies are approaching the final stages of development for a new type of painkiller said to be 10 times stronger than Vicodin, addiction experts worry a new wave of abuse may soon follow.

PICTURES: Painkiller deaths: 15 states with highest rates

Four companies have begun patient testing on the pills which contain a pure version of the highly addictive painkiller hydrocodone, and one of them - Zogenix of San Diego - plans to apply early next year to begin marketing its product, Zohydro.

If approved, it would mark the first time patients could legally buy pure hydrocodone. Existing products combine the drug with nonaddictive painkillers such as acetaminophen.

Hydrocodone belongs to family of drugs known as opiates or opioids because they are chemically similar to opium. They include morphine, heroin, oxycodone, codeine, and methadone.

Critics are especially worried about Zohydro, a timed-release drug meant for managing moderate to severe pain, because abusers could crush it for an intense, immediate high.

"I have a big concern that this could be the next OxyContin," said April Rovero, president of the National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse. "We just don't need this on the market."

Continue Reading: cbsnews.com

CHRISTMAS MIRACLE IN NELSONVILLE (video)

Article from: wtap.com

Dec 28, 2011 | No Comments

Screen Shot 2011-12-28 at 9.21.09 AM.png

Reported by: Mollie Lair

Sometimes the meaning of Christmas can get lost in the mad rush for gifts and the push from retailers to squeeze consumers for every last penny. But a lesson can be learned from one community who joined together to save a program that gives back much more than they receive.

"We just give until we can't."

And they did just that.

The Nelsonville Community Center gave until they literally had nothing left to offer. They were set to close December 31st due to a lack of funds.

"This is sad, but actually when I went to put up the sign to say we're closing I didn't have any tape. I had not even money to buy the tape," says Nelsonville Community Center Director Rhonda Bentley. "So we were pretty desperate."

In an economy where people are struggling to get by this private non-profit saw a rise in need and a decline in donations. It serves around 400 people each week and has a free lunch every Friday.

Continue Reading: wtap.com

RUBY ROSE: I THREW UP ON KATY PERRY AND IT CHANGED MY LIFE. I QUIT THE BOOZE

Article from: news.com

Dec 27, 2011 | No Comments

Screen Shot 2011-12-27 at 9.40.01 AM.png

I'VE got acne. For the first time in 25 years I'm waking up to the sort of zits that would scare a teenage boy.

Why?

The short answer: I threw up on Katy Perry. And that's one of the reasons I've been off the grog now for almost 90 days.

Before you jump to conclusions, nothing horrific happened, nor have I been hit with a DUI - but I just had enough, and it has been one of the best decisions of my life.

Spots aside, I feel a much better person for it, so I thought that as we are nearing the end of the year it would be good to write down why being sober is phenomenal.

1. Drinking is expensive.

I can't say for certain how much money I've wasted on getting wasted but I'm sure the figure would hit me harder than any hangover.

Continue Reading: news.com

COPS: DRUNK TRIED DRIVING HURT DEER TO NY HOSPITAL

Article from: abcnews.com

Dec 27, 2011 | No Comments

Police say a drunken New York man struck a deer with his vehicle, then tried driving the injured animal to a nearby hospital -- for humans.

Police say 29-year-old Andrew Caswell hit the deer early Monday in the suburban Rochester town of Greece. They say Caswell and three companions argued over what to do with it before Caswell decided the deer needed to go to the hospital.

An officer who pulled the car over discovered the deer was in the vehicle's trunk and had died.

Continue Reading: abcnews.com

9 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HOSTING SAFE HOLIDAY PARTIES

Article from: patch.com

Dec 24, 2011 | No Comments

Catherine LeVasseur, Coalition Coordinator for M.A.D.E. in Madison, has these suggestions on how to stay safe during the holidays; Last year, about 10,500 people died in alcohol-related crashes.

By Pem McNerney

Last year, approximately 10,500 people died in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes, according to figures released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Ad Council.

"Historically, holiday periods have shown higher incidences of alcohol-impaired driving crashes, so whether you're at a holiday party, a New Year's Eve bash at a bar or reveling with friends, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Ad Council are reminding everyone that the best way to stay safe is to plan ahead and designate a sober before you head out for your festivities."

The NHTSA and Ad Council provided these resources to help:

• Designated Driver Drink List -- "One of the most important things you can do before going out is designate a sober driver. If you're throwing a party, make sure to offer non-alcoholic drinks for the sober drivers. We've compiled a Facebook tab with 50 non-alcoholic party drink recipes." [The list is also available as a PDF next to this article]

Continue Reading: patch.com

DRUGS IN THE FAMILY: LEARNING FROM DAUGHTER'S ADDICTION, TEACHING OTHERS TO COPE

Article from: kansascity.com

Dec 24, 2011 | No Comments

By: Jeff Seidel

At 16 years old, Sarah Barden was using OxyContin, cocaine, Ecstasy, heroin, marijuana and still going to Walled Lake Central High School. She lied, stole, cheated and tried to manipulate everybody, but mostly her parents.

"My daughter convinced me that she didn't have a problem," said Jeannie Barden, Sarah's mother. "By the time I thought something was going on, I was already late. When I thought she was drinking and smoking pot, she was already doing cocaine and popping pills."

Dealing with her daughter's addiction was like "going through hell," Barden said. But with help, Sarah is now in recovery. She was treated at Henry Ford Maplegrove Center in West Bloomfield, Mich., and has been clean for three years.

Barden, 55, of West Bloomfield is now trying to help others avoid the same mistakes that she made in missing the signs of addiction in her daughter. She volunteers at Maplegrove, sharing her story and offering tips to parents with children who have substance-abuse problems - at a time when the number of young people using drugs is on the rise, according to the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Continue Reading: kansascity.com

STUDY OF THE DAY: ARGUING WITH MOM PROTECTS TEENS FROM PEER PRESSURE

Article from: theatlantic.com

Dec 23, 2011 | No Comments

Adolescents who are comfortable expressing their opinions at home can more easily resist negative influences to use drugs or alcohol

PROBLEM: How can parents protect their teens from peer pressure to use drugs or drink alcohol?

METHODOLOGY: University of Virginia researchers recruited a racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse pool of participants of more than 150 families to understand the influence of social skills, close friendships, and parent-teen ties on substance use. When the children were 13, 15, and 16 years old, the scientists observed their interactions with their peers and parents, and asked all of them to answer questionnaires.

RESULTS: Adolescents who held their own in family discussions were better at standing up to peer influences to use drugs or consume alcohol. The best protected of the group were the teens who persuaded their mothers with reasoned arguments, rather than with pressure, whining, or insults, when talking about topics like grades, money, household rules, and friends.

Continue Reading: theatlantic.com

CHRIS RENE'S MOMENT: SANTA CRUZ SCREAMS ITSELF HOARSE FOR HOMETOWN HERO

Article from: santacruzsentinel.com

Dec 23, 2011 | No Comments

By: Wallace Baine

SANTA CRUZ - Friends and fans of Chris Rene are holding their collective breath Thursday - which is just as well considering that, after a night of screaming themselves hoarse, they probably can't speak anyway.

On Fox's "The X Factor," the Santa Cruz singer made an audacious bid for the show's $5 million grand prize Wednesday while hundreds of his followers watched live from the Catalyst in downtown Santa Cruz.

The show cut away to the Catalyst crowd on five occasions during Wednesday's national broadcast for wide shots of a barely contained celebration. Rene himself, on stage in Los Angeles, watched in amazement as his hometown went berserk on his behalf.

Rene is one of three finalists for "The X Factor" grand prize, to be announced Thursday night after voting from the show's viewers have been counted. He did two songs - a spirited duet with Canadian pop star Avril Lavigne on her hit song "Complicated" and an inspired performance of the song that first launched the Chris Rene phenomenon, his own "Young Homie," the song he performed during his first audition for the show.

After his second performance, Simon Cowell, the normally acerbic judge and the show's creator, said "That was your five-million-dollar song."

Continue Reading: santacruzsentinel.com

JOHN GOODMAN HAS 'A LOT LESS REGRET' NOW THAT HE'S SOBER

Article from: chron.com

Dec 22, 2011 | No Comments

Screen Shot 2011-12-22 at 10.01.55 AM.png

By: Wenn

Actor John Goodman is grateful to mark his fourth year as a sober man because he lives with "a lot less regret" now that he's clean.

The former Roseanne star, 59, battled alcoholism for almost 30 years before realizing how detrimental his behavior was on his career and his marriage to his wife Annabeth.

Goodman admits he often "pushed the envelope" as a drunk, strolling into his hotel early in the morning and skipping work to sleep off his hangover.

Continue Reading: chron.com

THREE B.C. MEN LINKED TO HELLS ANGELS PLEAD GUILTY TO DRUG SMUGGLING

Article from: vancouversun.com

Dec 22, 2011 | No Comments

By Kim Bolan

VANCOUVER - Three B.C. men charged earlier this year in the United States in a drug smuggling ring linked to the Hells Angels have all pleaded guilty.

Dustin Meehan, 36, and Justin Harris, 40, appeared Monday before a U.S. Federal Court judge in Seattle to admit their roles in transporting marijuana across the border in the massive operation in which more than a dozen B.C. men have already pleaded guilty.

Anthony Jurcev, 26, who entered his guilty plea Dec. 9, admitted he arranged for hundreds of kilos of cocaine to be smuggled into B.C. using motorhomes and minivans.

His plea is expected to result in a three-year sentence instead of the minimum 10-year term for conspiracy to export cocaine.

Meehan should serve no more than a year as part of his deal. Details of Harris's plea bargain were not immediately available.

Jurcev admitted he worked under ex-Mountie Rapinder (Rob) Sidhu in the cross-border ring, ``the object of which was to transport illegal drugs across the international border between the United States and Canada with the intent that those drugs would be redistributed to others for profit,'' the plea agreement says.

Continue Reading: vancouversun.com

NARCONON DRUG REHAB JOINS FORCES WITH SANTA TO BRING JOY TO LOCAL SCHOOLS

Article from: prweb.com

Dec 22, 2011 | No Comments

Treatment center continues to spread holiday cheer while helping local community.

The Narconon Arrowhead drug treatment facility had a special job to do this holiday season above and beyond their usual jobs of helping people recover from substance abuse. This year the organization teamed up with their very own Santa to visit local schools in southeastern Oklahoma and spread holiday cheer.

A Narconon representative along with Santa Clause visited nearly 500 children in the Canadian and Eufaula areas. Each child was gifted with a "Be Drug Free" Bendy Bracelet and a candy cane and were able to tell Santa their Christmas wishes. This is the 5th year the facility has done Santa visits with local schools.

"Some children asked for the most popular gifts of an X-Box and MP3 player, while others wished for peace and goodwill for others around them," said DannaSue Pruett, Narconon Arrowhead Representative.

"A few kids even told Santa that they would be better from now until Christmas because they had not acted as well as they should have," she adds.

Teachers were also gifted with their very own Bendy Bracelets as well as a brochure on Narconon Arrowhead and video and Narconon's very own Truth About Becoming Addicted book.

Continue Reading: prweb.com

RUGBY DRUG VIOLATIONS RARE, SAYS NZRU

Article from: msn.com

Dec 22, 2011 | No Comments

Two violations from 170 tests in rugby's anti-doping programme shows the sport is relatively drug free, the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) says.

The two positive results were the first violations detected since 2009, when the NZRU adopted the New Zealand Sports Anti-Doping Rules - a standard set of rules across a broad range of sports.

NZRU professional rugby general manager Neil Sorensen said there was no indication rugby had any significant problem with drugs being used to enhance performance.

"Two violations this year are two too many, but there were unusual circumstances in both cases," he said.

Both violations involved Bay of Plenty rugby players.

The first resulted in a player in the pre-season training group being suspended from all rugby for two years when he left training without providing a requested urine sample after misunderstanding the importance of compliance.

The second, a Bay of Plenty representative, was suspended for one week after being treated for cellulitis with intravenous antibiotics and a probenecid by a team doctor.

Continue Reading: msn.com

BLAME FOR PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE FALLS ON ONLINE PHARMACIES AND UNINFORMED DOCTORS

Article from: nydailynews.com

Dec 21, 2011 | No Comments

Oxycontin, Xanax and Ritalin can be purchased over the Internet without a prescription

By: Lindsay Goldwert

America's addiction to prescription drugs is fed via the Internet, not just through prescriptions signed by a doctor.

Many physicians are unaware that patients can obtain painkillers through online pharmacies, according to an article in the most recent edition of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

"Controlled prescription drugs like Oxycontin, Xanax and Ritalin are easily purchased over the Internet without a prescription, yet physician awareness of this problem is low," says Dr. Anupam B. Jena, the article's lead author.

Previous studies have found that 85% of websites that hawk prescription drugs allow the prescriptions to be faxed, increasing the risk of forgery or fraud.

Continue Reading: nydailynews.com

ZAK YOCHAM - YOUNG CHAMPION FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Article from: 1600kush.com

Dec 21, 2011 | No Comments

Screen Shot 2011-12-21 at 9.49.49 AM.png

11-year-old bringing awareness to the disease of alcoholism

By: Molly Payne

(Cushing, Okla.) Eleven-year-old Zak Yocham from Coweta, OK has a mission and is well on his way to make it a reality.

Zak was a recent guest on the Donna & Molly Show on 1600 KUSH radio in Cushing and shared his story with listeners. His mission is a big one - to build a show truck in memory of his father and use it to reach others, who like his father, may suffer from alcoholism. His dad battled the disease for many years but died in May 2010 in an alcohol-related accident. Zak's goal is to display the truck at car shows around Oklahoma and surrounding states, bringing awareness to the disease of alcoholism and to let others know help is available. Any money raised through Zak's efforts will go to Valley Hope in Cushing to help defray the cost of treatment for those who may not otherwise be able to afford it.

"I want to tell others who may be alcoholics that they can get help," Zak said. He went on to share something his doctor told him, likening alcoholism to a peanut butter allergy. "If you are allergic to peanut butter - you don't eat it," the youngster relayed. "And if you do, you have to go to the doctor. If you are an alcoholic, you can't drink alcohol."

Zak's mother Alisha Cherry Martin said he came up with the idea of the show truck right after his father's tragic accident. "It's a pretty big mission," Martin said.

Continue Reading: 1600kush.com

TRAITS IN SOBER PERSONALITY GIVES AWAY IF PEOPLE WILL BE AGGRESSIVE DRUNKS

Article from: dailymail.co.uk

Dec 21, 2011 | No Comments

Screen Shot 2011-12-21 at 9.48.31 AM.png

• People who 'live for today' more likely to be aggressive
• Men are more likely to be aggressive, but women with personality trait also respond violently
• Tests on 495 people social drinkers
• 'If you have this personality trait, you should watch your drinking' - researcher

By: Rob Waugh

During party season, it might seem difficult to predict which colleagues or relatives might suddenly 'flip' to being frighteningly aggressive when they have too much to drink.

But scientists at Ohio State University have found that people who 'live for today' - those who have difficulty thinking about the consequences of their actions - tend to become much more aggressive when drunk.

The testers used 495 social drinkers, some of whom thought they were drunk after drinking weak cocktails - and some who were.

They measured how likely drinkers were to respond violently to an electric shock after being told they were in a 'competition' with another person.

People who 'live for today' were far more likely to administer long, violent shocks to the other person - actually a computer which shocked them at random.

Continue Reading: dailymail.co.uk

STUDY FINDS THAT KAISER PERMANENTE EARLY START PROGRAM COULD SAVE U.S. BILLIONS IN HEALTH COSTS

Article from: marketwatch.com

Dec 21, 2011 | No Comments

Early Intervention Mitigates Risk of Substance Abuse Among Pregnant Women

OAKLAND, Calif., Dec. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- A program for women at risk of substance abuse during pregnancy could save nearly $2 billion annually in health care costs if implemented nationwide, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published online in the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' journal, Obstetrics & Gynecology.

The cost-benefit analysis of the Kaiser Permanente Early Start program follows a 2008 Kaiser Permanente study that showed the program helps pregnant women at risk of substance abuse achieve similar health outcomes -- for both mothers and their infants -- as women who do not use cigarettes, alcohol or drugs.

Kaiser Permanente has proved the program decreases maternal and neonatal morbidity and stillbirths, according to study lead author Nancy C. Goler, MD, of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology for The Permanente Medical Group in Vallejo, Calif.

"Now, we're able to show everyone that not only is it the right thing to do, we will save money," Dr. Goler said. "This program is a very low-technology intervention that has an enormous net cost savings."

Continue Reading: marketwatch.com

LOCAL SCOUT BUILDS 'FIELD OF DREAMS'

Article from: mdjonline.com

Dec 20, 2011 | No Comments

By: Marcus E. Howard

MARIETTA -- Thanks to a local Eagle Scout, women recovering from addiction at The Extension's Barbara J. Crafton Center in Marietta, now have a "Field of Dreams" where they can grow vegetables, meditate, reflect and dream.

Henry Tucker of east Cobb raised $16,800 in cash and donations to construct a vegetable garden at the women's residential recover center, in what has been touted as one of the largest Eagle Scout service projects in the nation.

He did so by sending out nearly 200 video packages that described the project and the work of The Extension, as well as donation brochures. He also made personal presentations to several civic groups. After six months, he had raised enough money to complete the project, originally estimated at about $9,000.

The ground breaking was conducted on April 29, with volunteers from Tucker's youth group from the Catholic Church of St. Ann in Marietta.

Continue Reading: mdjonline.com

HOLIDAYS MEANS THERE'S BOOZE EVERYWHERE

Article from: suntimes.com

Dec 20, 2011 | No Comments

BY: SHANDERIA POSEY

The holidays are in full swing and so are social gatherings where alcoholic beverages are served.

For recovering alcoholics, Thanksgiving through New Year's Day can be a daunting time of year with temptations and stressors that could lead to a relapse.

"One of the most difficult times is the Christmas season," says Patsy Hillard of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. "The holiday season is one of the most stressful for everybody."

Hillard, who has been in recovery for 25 years, knows firsthand all that is involved in staying sober. For recovering alcoholics, she says one of the first things to keep in mind is, "they are not alone." If a recovering alcoholic is out of town visiting family, he or she can pick up the phone in any major city and call a hotline for help."

Recovering alcoholics need to properly plan to stay sober through the holidays, Hillard says. She offers several tips to maintain sobriety.

Continue Reading: suntimes.com

ALCOHOL ABUSE: IS BINGE DRINKING IMPACTED BY ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS?

Article from: huffingtonpost.com

Dec 20, 2011 | No Comments

By: Jessica Pearce Rotondi

Who you date could influence how you drink, according to a new study from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada.

The study followed the drinking habits of 208 unmarried, heterosexual couples in their 20s (at least one partner in each relationship was in college) over a 28-day period. In all cases, the couples had been dating for at least three months and saw each other a minimum of five days a week. Researchers found they could predict a partner's binge drinking based on the binge drinking patterns of their partner.

Unlike previous studies, this one found that it wasn't just men influencing women to drink more: "Binge drinking in university students occurs in both young men and women. Studies with married couples show that men have more of an influence on women, but in our study, we found both young women and young men influence their partner's binge drinking," wrote researcher Aislin Mushquash in a press release.

This study is part of a growing body of research showing that more women are drinking to excess. According to a new study by Shelly Greenfield, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, there were five males dependent on alcohol for every female alcoholic in the 1980s, though by 2002 the gap had been drastically reduced to 2.5 men for every woman.

Continue Reading: huffingtonpost.com

SHOCK TRUTH ABOUT DRUNK DRIVING

Article from: times.com

Dec 19, 2011 | No Comments

Photo: Volunteers in the Sunday Times alcohol-testing experiment get an education in drunk driving and knowing their limits Picture: SIMPHIWE NKWALI

By: Monica Laganparsad

It took just two beers for Bryan Rufener, 32, to be over the legal alcohol limit - making it illegal for him to get behind the wheel of a car.

The self-confessed Joburg binge drinker thought it would take a lot more to put him over the legal limit.

He admitted that, in the past, he had driven after having had at least a dozen beers. ''This has been an eye opener for me. I am completely surprised by these results. I would never have thought that two beers would put me over the limit. ''

Rufener, who weighs 73kg and is 1.77m tall was among a group of nine volunteers who participated in a Sunday Times experiment to test how many drinks it took before it would be illegal for them to drive - as well as how people react differently to booze. The exercise was done under the expertise of a panel which included a paramedic, a trauma doctor and a breathalyser analyst and revealed that:

   • There is no standard for how many drinks would place you over the limit;
   • Beer is way more dangerous than, for example, whisky;
   • One needs at least one hour to allow each glass/tot/beer to wear off; and,
   • One can beat the breathalyser, but fail a blood test.

Continue Reading: times.com

TWO MILLION DRUNK DRIVERS ON HIGHWAYS AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT

Article from: examiner.com

Dec 19, 2011 | No Comments

By: Edward Lane

Photo: Prosecutor John Gillespie.......crusader against highway slaughter caused by impaired drivers.

There are two million repeat drunk drivers on our highways at any given time, according to the Mothers Against Drunk Drivers who have designated December of 2011 as National Prevent Impaired Driving Month.

Wichita County Assistant District Attorney John Gillespie said today, "As head of the Intoxication Prosecution Unit at the DA's Office (Wichita Falls), I get called out to the scenes in the middle of the night. I have personally seen the deadly wake that impaired drivers leave behind. This is a senseless crime. I highly encourage people to get a designated driver. They very well may save their life or the life of someone else."

Gillespie, who started the Intoxication Unit at the District Attorney's Office several years ago, prosecuted Driving While Intoxicated cases in Dallas while working for a major law firm working in conjunction with the Dallas District Attorney's Office. Gillispie's dedication has always been strong to do as much as he can to get drunk drivers off the streets and to stop the needless heartbreak they cause.

Continue Reading: examiner.com

CARTELS USE LEGITIMATE TRADE TO LAUNDER MONEY

Article from: latimes.com

Dec 19, 2011 | No Comments

Fruit, fabric and toys are purchased and then exported south, generating paperwork that gives drug money the appearance of lawful proceeds from a transaction, authorities say.

By Tracy Wilkinson and Ken Ellingwood

Reporting from Mexico City--
It's fast becoming the money-laundering method of choice for Mexican drug traffickers, U.S. and Mexican officials say, and it involves truckloads not of cash, but of fruit and fabric.

Faced with new restrictions on the use of U.S. cash in Mexico, drug cartels are using an ingenuous scheme to move their ill-gotten dollars south under the guise of legitimate cross-border commerce.

U.S. and Mexican authorities say trade-based money-laundering may be the most clever -- and hardest to detect -- way in which traffickers are washing and distributing their billion-dollar profits.

"It's such a great scheme," said an undercover agent with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, agency. "You could hide dirty money in so much legitimate business, and they do. You can audit their books all day long and all you see is goods being imported and exported."

Continue Reading: latimes.com

A CRASH COURSE FOR CHRISTMAS

Article from: care2.com

Dec 16, 2011 | No Comments

By: Ann Pietrangelo

I haven't had much to drink. I can hold my liquor. I can still drive safely. That's what a lot of people say right before they get behind the wheel of a car. Unfortunately, a lot of them end up dead, taking innocent victims along with them.

More people are likely to die in alcohol-related traffic crashes during the holidays than any other time of year. Statistics from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) show that during Christmas and New Year's, the death rate for alcohol-related crashes is two to three times higher than other times of the year.

Despite all the efforts at public awareness of the hazards of drinking and driving, people still try to convince themselves that they're firmly in control.
Alcohol works fast!

According to the NIAAA, our decision-making abilities are diminished long before signs of intoxication are noticeable. At first, alcohol acts as a stimulant, so it's easy to be fooled by the increased energy, but our inhibitions soon relax. Reaction time and the ability to make safe judgements quickly become impaired.

Additional drinks lead to balance issues, sluggishness, and sleepiness. The effects of alcohol last long after the last sip is consumed, as alcohol in the stomach and intestines continues to enter the bloodstream.

Continue Reading: care2.com

FIRE CHIEF ON MISSION TO SHOW TEENS HARSH REALITY OF DRUGS AND ALCOHOL

Article from: patch.com

Dec 16, 2011 | No Comments

Mike Schofield's In the Blink of an Eye program exposes students to real stories of drug abuse, death and loss to prevent more drug-induced tragedy.

By Ben Feldheim

Mike Schofield wasn't all that surprised to encounter heroin in parts of Chicago while on emergency calls in the 1980s. But he didn't expect to see them as frequently as he did about two years ago, working as a fire chief in Homer Glen and Orland Park.

The overdoses had an added disturbing factor that Schofield also didn't expect.

"To see the resurgence here, and to see it targeted at young kids in high school, that's what took me by surprise," said Schofield, fire chief of the Homer Township Fire District and battalion chief with the Orland Fire Protection District. "I had no clue we had an issue until we had multiple fatalities."

From what Schofield learned, heroin was affecting teens so much because the pushers were operating near schools, willing to give out free samples to hook a new customer.

"It takes an average of six stays in rehab to kick heroin," Schofield said. "But before that can even happen, parents miss it because these kids are functioning. They are getting good grades, and still showing up for classes."

Continue Reading: patch.com

ONCE-HOMELESS MIAMI MAN EARNS MASTER'S DEGREE (video)

Article from: msnbc.com

Dec 15, 2011 | No Comments

Screen Shot 2011-12-15 at 9.52.57 AM.png

By Christina Hernandez

After several arrests, drug addiction and being homeless, a Miami man has overcome the odds to graduate from Florida International University with a master's degree in social work.

Out of thousands of graduates, only one -- 50-year-old Aaron Alvin Sr. -- got a standing ovation at Tuesday night's graduation ceremony in Miami.

"I wanted to make sure I was in a position to help people, and so I went ahead and got my master's," Alvin said. "I just continued to pursue something that was bigger and better, and ended up here."
To cheers and tears, blind 11-year-old finishes marathon

Alvin was arrested several times for drugs, grand theft auto, and domestic violence. He was also homeless for a time.

Continue Reading: msnbc.com

AMIE WINEHOUSE FAMILY OPEN TO BIOPIC

Article from: mtvnews.com

Dec 15, 2011 | No Comments

Dad Mitch Winehouse reversed course and said he'd consider a movie.

By Gil Kaufman

Singer Amy Winehouse had a brief career full of jubilant highs and crushing lows. From Grammy wins and multiplatinum worldwide sales for her breakthrough Back to Black album and recording with Tony Bennett  to drug arrests, struggles with substance abuse and her untimely death at age 27  as a result of excessive alcohol intake, Winehouse's roller-coaster ride seems primed for the big screen.

After initially rejecting reports that a biopic was in the works and saying that the family would not grant the rights to the "Rehab" singer's music for such a project, a spokesperson for the Winehouses clarified on Tuesday that "[father] Mitch [Winehouse] and the family would entertain ideas perhaps for a film but only one they were sure would tell the truth," according to Entertainment Weekly.

On Monday, Mitch Winehouse told England's Daily Mail that he would not let Amy's music be used in a rumored biopic that is reportedly being shopped and produced by his daughter's boyfriend, Reg Traviss. "It would hardly be a biopic without the music and we'd never allow the songs to be released," Winehouse told the paper.

Continue Reading: mtvnews.com

MARIJUANA USE UP, ALCOHOL USE DOWN AMONG U.S. TEENS

Article from: cbsnews.com

Dec 15, 2011 | No Comments

(CBS/AP) Results from the latest teen survey from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) are a mixed bag. The survey showed fewer teens are turning to alcohol and cigarettes than ever before. But the "Monitoring the Future" survey also found that marijuana use is rising steadily among America's teens.

The findings are based on a survey of 47,000 eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan on behalf of the NIDA. The researchers found one out of every 15 high school seniors smokes pot on a daily or near-daily basis. That's the highest rate since 1981.

The percentage of teens saying they see "great risk" in using marijuana has dropped in recent years.

"One thing we've learned over the years is that when young people come to see a drug as dangerous, they're less likely to use it," said survey author Dr. Lloyd Johnston, a distinguished senior research scientist at the University of Michigan. "That helps to explain why marijuana right now is rising."

It's the fourth straight year marijuana use grew among teens compared with last decade when pot use declined among teens.

The survey found more than 36 percent of 12th-graders used marijuana in the past year, compared to nearly 32 percent in the 2007 survey. Almost 29 percent of 10th-graders and 12.5 percent of eighth-graders used marijuana in the past year, the survey showed.

The teen students are also turning to the fake stuff. One of every nine high school seniors said they've used synthetic marijuana, sometimes called Spice or K2, within the previous 12 months. This is the first year the survey asked about synthetic pot use. Fake marijuana, sometimes sold on the internet or in drug paraphernalia shops as "potpourri," contains leaves coated with chemicals that provide a similar high when smoked.

Continue Reading: cbsnews.com

WOMAN CAUGHT SMUGGLING 1.5KG OF COCAINE IN HER DREADLOCKS ON FLIGHT TO BANGKOK

Article from: dailymail.com

Dec 14, 2011 | No Comments

• The smuggled cocaine had a street value of £93,000
• Nolubabalo, 23, was hired as a drug mule for £1,200
• Judges in Thailand can impose the death penalty for drug traffickers

By Stewart Maclean

A woman was caught trying to smuggle 1.5 kilograms of cocaine in her dreadlocks on a flight to Bangkok, it was reported today.

South African Nobanda Nolubabalo, 23, was arrested and held in Thailand's capital yesterday after customs officers allegedly noticed a suspicious white substance in her hair.

Officials later carried out a search and discovered she had allegedly matted the Class A drug into her dreadlocks before boarding a flight from Brazil.

Thailand's Bangkok Post reported that the smuggled cocaine had a street value of £93,000 (4.5 million baht).

The newspaper reported: 'Authorities found something unusual about her dreadlocks.

Continue Reading: dailymail.com

STUDY: ALCOHOL CAN LEAD TO UNSAFE SEX

Article from: usatoday.com

Dec 14, 2011 | No Comments

Screen Shot 2011-12-14 at 10.02.03 AM.png

By: HealthDay

Drinking too much alcohol can lead to unsafe sex, a new study confirms.

Unsafe sex is the most common cause of HIV infection and finding ways to prevent unsafe sex is a major goal of public health efforts to prevent HIV/AIDS.

Alcohol use has long been associated with HIV incidence. However, it hasn't been clear whether unsafe sex associated with alcohol use actually led to HIV infection, or whether certain personality traits, such as sensation-seeking or risky behavior, led to both alcohol use and unsafe sex.

In this study, researchers led by Jurgen Rehm, director of social and epidemiological research at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Ontario, Canada, conducted 12 experiments that tested this cause-and-effect relationship. They concluded that alcohol affects decision-making and that this effect increases with the amount of alcohol consumed.

The more alcohol the participants drank, the more willing they were to engage in unsafe sex, the study authors said. For each 0.1 milligrams per milliliter increase in blood alcohol level, there was a 5 percent increase in a participant's likelihood of having unsafe sex.

The study is published in the January issue of the journal Addiction.

Continue Reading: usatoday.com

'REHAB' WALK-OFF: LEIF GARRETT LEAVES AFTER BOOZE, POT AND PAINKILLER TALK

Article from: msnbc.com

Dec 14, 2011 | No Comments

By: Ree Hines

Former-teen-idol-turned-heroin-addict Leif Garrett gave "Celebrity Rehab" a try during the show's fourth season, but if his recent update on "Celebrity Rehab Revisited" is any indication, he hasn't completely stuck to the program.

Following his first "Rehab" appearance, Garrett claimed show producers urged him to use drugs for on-screen drama.

"They asked to get some footage of me using, and I said, 'I haven't been using,'" Garrett told the Los Angeles Times in January. "They said, 'We really have to get footage of you using.' Anyway, I was easily talked into showing them."

But there weren't any cameras around for the drug and alcohol use that occurred after the show. During the "Revisited" update, Garrett admitted to drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana and following a recent motorcycle accident, taking pain meds.

Continue Reading: msnbc.com

MAN DRESSED AS SANTA DRUGS TEEN AT BERLIN CHRISTMAS MARKET, 9TH VICTIM IN A WEEK

Article from: washingtonpost.com

Dec 13, 2011 | No Comments

Germany Christmas Attacks.JPEG-08ce3.jpg

BERLIN -- A man dressed as Santa drugged a 15-year-old girl at a Berlin Christmas market over the weekend -- the latest such attack that has seen holiday revelers left either sickened or unconscious, police said Monday.

At about 10 p.m. Saturday the suspect approached the girl and her friend at Berlin's downtown Alexanderplatz Christmas market, offering both of them what he said was a shot of alcohol in a paper cup, police said.

One girl refused, but the other girl drank both of the shots. She soon started vomiting and had to be taken to the hospital, where she underwent a blood test, before being released.

Police said it appeared she had been slipped some type of a date rape drug, but released no further details, citing the ongoing investigation.

Eight other people at various Berlin Christmas markets have fallen prey to similar attacks -- usually with an unidentified man in regular clothes handing out single-shot bottles of alcohol, asking people to join him in celebrating the birth of his child.

Continue Reading: washingtonpost.com

MOST PHYSICIANS SUCCEED IN SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAMS, STUDY SAYS

Article from: ama.com

Dec 13, 2011 | No Comments

An analysis finds surgeons are less likely than other doctors to return to practice after treatment.

By: Carolyne Krupa

Surgeons battling substance abuse have similar rates of success as other doctors in completing treatment and monitoring programs, a study says.

Researchers analyzed data on 780 physicians and found that 63% of 144 surgeons and 65% of 636 nonsurgeons successfully completed monitoring programs within five years. The two groups also had equal rates of relapse and reports to medical licensing boards for failing to comply with monitoring agreements, says the November Archives of Surgery study.

"Overall, the prognosis for recovery is really good," said Krista L. Kaups, MD, program director of surgical critical care at Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno, Calif.

The results are positive compared with other populations, said Amanda Buhl, MPH, lead study author and research and communications coordinator with the Washington Physicians Health Program.

"No other group of individuals with substance use disorders has demonstrated similar outcomes over this length of time," Buhl said.

Researchers conducting the comparison hypothesized that success rates would be higher for surgeons, but that turned out not to be true.

Continue Reading: ama.com

STUDY: FAMILY-CENTERED PROGRAMS WAY TO PREVENT SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN TEENS

Article from: cnn.com

Dec 13, 2011 | No Comments

High school can be a scary time for teenagers and parents. The chances for drinking, drug use and depression all increase once a teen heads to high school, and there aren't as many resources available to help deal with these problems in the more rural parts of the country.

However, a new study conducted by the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center suggests that family-centered programs may be a way to prevent these increases.

Continue Reading: cnn.com

MORE TEXAS CITIES TO DEMAND BLOOD TESTS FOR DRUNK DRIVERS

Article from: foxnews.com

Dec 13, 2011 | No Comments

Texans arrested for drunken driving should be prepared to give blood this holiday season.

Cities and counties across the state are increasingly demanding that drunken-driving suspects who refuse to take Breathalyzer tests submit to blood tests that measure the amount of alcohol in their systems.

The blood-test policy -- dubbed "no refusal" by law enforcement officials, because it prevents drivers from refusing to provide evidence of intoxication -- has grown from a novel procedure used in a few Texas jurisdictions to an initiative used by police statewide, particularly during weekends and holidays when drunken driving is most common. The no-refusal initiative has also caught on in other states, including Florida, Illinois, Louisiana and Missouri.

The attraction for law enforcement and prosecutors is that blood evidence is a powerful tool in front of juries. Armed with blood evidence of intoxication, prosecutors can win convictions in more than 90 percent of drunk-driving cases, said Houston police Capt. Carl Driskell, who works in the traffic enforcement division.

And often, lawyers say, defendants faced with blood evidence admit their guilt and don't bother with a trial. "If it bleeds, it pleads," said Fort Worth prosecutor Richard Alpert.

Continue Reading: foxnews.com

HOW MANY DRINKS ARE ONE TOO MANY UNDER ALBERTA'S NEW DRUNK DRIVING LAW?

Article from: 660news.com

Dec 12, 2011 | No Comments

Screen Shot 2011-12-12 at 9.12.35 AM.png

By: Pete Curtis - Nadia Jannif

With Alberta on the verge of effectively making .05 the new legal limit for drunk driving, how much is too much for that patron at the bar, pub or dinner table?

According to Andrew Murie, the CEO with MADD Canada, if you have one standard drink -- that includes a 12-ounce bottle of beer -- then there shouldn't be a problem.

But if that beer is a pint or schooner, Murie tells the Calgary Herald you're toying with danger.

Other combinations where you shouldn't have to worry -- unless you're a petite 80 pounds -- includes a five-ounce glass of wine with 15 per cent alcohol content or 1.5 ounce shot of hard liquor.

Continue Reading: 660news.com

GIRL ALLEGEDLY HANDS OUT DRUGS TO CLASSMATES

Article from: msnbc.com

Dec 12, 2011 | No Comments

By Kelly Bayliss, Dan Stamm

A 13-year-old girl was in police custody at St. Christopher's Hospital after she and some classmates took prescription sleeping pills during school hours, according to authorities.

The girl allegedly brought the drugs, believed to be Ambien, to H.A. Brown Elementary School in the Kensington section of the city and them out to at least six other students, the school district said.

A teacher noticed the students appeared to be drowsy and the teacher called 9-1-1, officials said.

All the children were taken to St. Chris' to be evaluated, according to officials.

Hospital officials say two students were being kept overnight in good condition. They were being observed for unstable heartbeats, their mothers said.

Five others were treated and released, hospital officials said.

At least one of the students thought the pills were candy.

Continue Reading: msnbc.com

SKYLINE GRADS VIEW THEIR ALCOHOL -AWARENESS FILM, 25 YEARS LATER

Article from: timescall.com

Dec 12, 2011 | No Comments

By Pam Mellskog

LONGMONT -- The sniffles started during the film's opening scene, when the middle-aged audience viewed themselves in a film they made to dramatize the alcohol-related death of their Skyline High School classmate.

Back then, in January 1984, the group had been drinking and smoking at a neighborhood party when buddy Richie Dorman, 15, stumbled out the door to walk home. A boy found him on a bike path the next morning, his mustache and beard frozen to his pale face. The coroner pronounced Dorman dead of alcohol poisoning, with a blood alcohol level four times the legal limit for driving in Colorado.

Instead of letting the students work out their grief alone, Joseph Sundram -- then-director of Alternatives for Youth, a nonprofit outreach to at-risk kids -- recognized a teachable moment and contacted Beverly Title about dramatizing the story to send a message that alcohol consumption can be fatal.

Title then taught a program for at-risk middle school students across the street from Skyline at Northeast Junior High School, which is now Heritage Middle School, and earned a master's degree in children's theater and creative dramatics.

She agreed.

"Kids hear the message better from other kids than they do from adults," she said.

She wrote the screenplay for the film, "The Last Party," and then selected the cast from Dorman's friends.

Then, Title joined them on Saturday night to view it again for the first time in at least 25 years.

Continue Reading: timescall.com

TNT PROMOTES DRUG-FREE LIFESTYLE, HELPING OTHERS

Article from: mywebtimes.com

Dec 12, 2011 | No Comments

By: Melissa Garzanelli

The club's nickname is TNT, and, according to its members, it really is dynamite.

Teens 'n' Teamwork was formed about nine years ago to offer Marseilles Elementary School students a chance to have fun while avoiding the lure of drugs and alcohol.

"We had a former student die due to an accidental overdose," said Stacy Brannan, school social worker and one of the club sponsors. "We want to keep that from ever happening again."

Other sponsors include Pat Solis, Gayle Bianchi, Linda Olsen and Derek McMullan.

Over time, the club began to branch out to find ways to help others -- something that can produce its own kind of high. The group has spread the anti-drug message through town, raised money for Relay for Life and made blankets for the nursing home residents. Members also annually decorate a Christmas tree at Knudson Park.

"We're very big on community service," Brannan said. "The kids love it."

The group meets twice each month before school. Membership is loose and attendance is not mandatory every meeting. Some doughnuts, a fun activity and time to plan for upcoming events is open to anyone who can get a ride to school that morning.

Continue Reading: mywebtimes.com

AUTHORITIES WARN SHOPPING JOBS ALONG BORDER MAY BE PART OF DRUG SMUGGLING SCHEME (video)

Article from: kvue.com

Dec 9, 2011 | No Comments

Screen Shot 2011-12-09 at 9.24.31 AM.png

By: Angela Kocherga

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico -- Police along the border say some of those ads that claim you can get paid to shop are actually part of a drug smuggling scheme and they say the victims have no idea until they get caught.

In the border city of Juarez, job seekers who search help wanted ads in local newspapers see several that require a visa or border crossing card. People who apply hear an enticing offer.

"Basically, the selling point is youre going to get paid to shop," said Oscar Hagelsieb, of Homeland Security Investigations.

But authorities say its a scheme to use motorists who cross the border to smuggle drugs.

Continue Reading: kvue.com

DRUNK DRIVING FATALITIES CUT IN HALF SINCE MADD'S FOUNDING

Article from: yahoo.com

Dec 9, 2011 | No Comments

Updated Data Reveals Almost Five Percent Drop in Annual Drunk Driving Fatalities

DALLAS, Dec. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With the release of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) new 2010 drunk driving fatality data, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is pleased to announce that this decline in fatalities means that drunk driving deaths have now been cut by more than half since MADD's founding 31 years ago. New data from NHTSA shows that driving fatalities have dropped 4.9 percent from 10,759 in 2009 to 10,228 in 2010. The first-ever recording of drunk driving fatalities nationally was 21,113 in 1982.

"MADD is proud to see that the hard work of millions of Americans who've taken a stand against drunk driving have helped cut this deadly crime in half since our founding," said MADD National President Jan Withers. "However, one life impacted by this terrible crime is one life too many as there are still more than 10,000 drunk driving fatalities and hundreds of thousands of injuries every year." Withers' daughter, Alisa, was killed by an underage drinking driver in 1992, leading Withers to join the fight against drunk driving and underage drinking.

Today's announcement of a significant reduction in drunk driving fatalities marks another victory in MADD's Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving(R). Launched in 2006, after more than a decade of stagnant fatality data, the Campaign has seen a 24 percent decrease in drunk driving fatalities in its first four years.

Continue Reading: yahoo.com

KIM RICHARDS IN REHAB FOR 'SERIOUS' ISSUES

Article from: cnn.com

Dec 8, 2011 | No Comments

By Aili Nahas and Sara Hammel

(PEOPLE.com) -- "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Kim Richards entered rehab last week to seek treatment for alcohol abuse and "other problems," a source tells PEOPLE.

"Kim has been to rehab more than once before," says the source, "but every time is a new time, and everyone just hopes this sticks and that she gets the help she needs. It's serious."

Richards has been "erratic. Everyone was really worried about her," says the source, who adds that Richards is not living with Ken, the boyfriend who was introduced as her love interest this season.

During a recent episode of the Bravo show, Richards says she's planning to move in with Ken, and cameras show her packing up her belongings.

"He's not in the picture. No one really knows what the deal was with them, but Kim doesn't live with Ken," the source says. "She's basically homeless, staying with various friends. She doesn't have a home base. It's not unusual for people to not hear from her for long stretches of time. It's been that way for years."

"Her family is relieved she's getting help," adds the source. "She has lots of issues. She needs help."

Continue Reading: cnn.com

RETIREES SUE NFL OVER PAINKILLER

Article from: go.com

Dec 8, 2011 | No Comments

A lawsuit filed by 12 former football players against the NFL about its concussion policies says there was widespread pregame use of an anti-inflammatory drug that could put someone with a head injury at increased risk.

Pro Bowl receiver Joe Horn is among the plaintiffs named in the complaint that attorney Christopher Seeger said was filed in federal court in New Jersey on Monday.

It's one of about a half-dozen suits filed against the NFL in recent months by past players who say the league did not do enough to protect them from concussions. As in other complaints against the league, the latest criticizes the NFL's original committee on brain injuries and says the league concealed risks of concussions.

"The difference with this case is what we've learned from our players is that they used to administer a drug called Toradol, which is basically a painkiller ... even when players didn't have symptoms," Seeger said in a telephone interview. "Our experts say that's the worst thing you can do for a brain injury or a concussion."

Seeger said it would be "impossible" to say exactly how much money Horn -- who caught more than 600 passes for the Chiefs, Saints and Falcons from 1996-2007 -- and the other plaintiffs are seeking.

"We're looking for better medical benefits and compensation," Seeger said.

"Some time back, we contacted the NFL about trying to work this out," he said, but those discussions didn't lead to a settlement.

Asked about the lawsuit, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello wrote in an email to The Associated Press: "The NFL has long made player safety a priority and continues to do so. Any allegation that the NFL intentionally sought to mislead players has no merit. It stands in contrast to the league's actions to better protect players and advance the science and medical understanding of the management and treatment of concussions."

Continue Reading: go.com

TV'S MEREDITH BAXTER SPEAKS ABOUT ABUSE AND ADDICTION

Article from: patch.com

Dec 8, 2011 | No Comments

By Jill Arnone

Many of us loved television's Family Ties mom Meredith Baxter, with Michael J. Fox. Others of a certain age have been in love with Baxter since Bridget Loves Bernie in the 1970s.

Either way, Baxter told Patch Tuesday that most of her career was just showing up, learning lines and keeping the secret of what was going on in her own home.

It was in her personal life that Baxter learned about herself. After ten years of sobriety, she finally did what the 12-Step program suggested and began therapy. She hopes that now people will realize that they have choices and can get help.

Baxter was in St. Louis on behalf of COMTREA, Community Treatment, Inc., a nonprofit that provides programs and services for mental health, domestic abuse and substance and rehabilitation treatment for Jefferson and St. Louis Counties. She appeared Tuesday evening, December 6, at Sunset Hills' The Viking for the Premiere of A Safe Place, a one-act domestic abuse-focused play by St. Louisan Carol Kline.

Baxter's St. Louis flight was delayed but she took time to talk candidly over a cup of tea before the performance to Patch and KSDK Channel 5.

In a small banquet room at The Viking conference center in Sunset Hills, Baxter said it was through her 12-Step Program for alcoholism that gave her the courage to write her book, Untied--A Memoir of Family, Fame, and Floundering.

"We need to break the chain," Baxter said about abuse and addiction. It is important to treat everything she said--alcoholism and abuse go hand-in-hand.

Baxter was also in TV's Family. Several mini-series, sitcoms, and movies later she is now an accomplished author. In 2009 she came out as a lesbian in an interview with Matt Lauer.

"They had to tell (Lauer) in advance," Baxter said. "They didn't want him falling off his chair. I thought everyone 'came out' with a spread in People magazine and an interview on The Today Show."

Continue Reading: patch.com

MATTHEW BARNADY ARRESTED: ESPN ANALYST CHARGED WITH DWI

Article from: huffingtonpost.com

Dec 7, 2011 | No Comments

ESPN hockey analyst Matthew Barnaby was arrested early Monday morning in Clarence, N.Y. and charged with DWI after being pulled over for driving erratically.. His Porsche was missing a front tire and was sparking as it ran on the front rim.

According to WGRZ, Erie County Sheriff's Department, the 38-year-old former Buffalo Sabres player failed several sobriety tests and refused a breath test, which automatically caused his license to get revoked.

An spokesperson for ESPN said that the network is looking into the situation.

Earlier on Sunday, Barnaby tweeted a photo of himself watching the Jets-Redskins game with some friends at a bar.

Barnaby was arrested earlier this year after an incident with his estranged wife. He pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal mischief, criminal trespass and harassment.

Continue Reading: huffingtonpost.com

IF PARENTS DRINK AND DRIVE, THEIR KIDS MAY TOO: STUDY

Article from: msn.com

Dec 7, 2011 | No Comments

TUESDAY, Dec. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Teens whose parents drink and drive are much more likely to do so themselves, a new U.S. government study finds.

The research, from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), suggests that parents' behavior behind the wheel has a very strong influence on teenagers.

The study was based on national survey data of roughly 67,500 people aged 12 and older. The SAMHSA researchers found that more than 18 percent of 16- and 17-year olds living with a mother who drove under the influence of drugs or alcohol had also driven under the influence. In contrast, only about 11 percent of teens living with a mother who didn't drive after drinking engaged in this risky behavior.

Fathers may even wield a greater influence. The study, published online Dec. 6, found that 21.4 percent of teens living with fathers who drove under the influence also drove after drinking or doing drugs, compared to just 8.4 percent of teens whose fathers didn't drink and drive.

Continue Reading: msn.com

SURFING SHERIFF'S DETECTIVES FIGHT YOUTH WAVE OF DRUG USE

Article from: floridatoday.com

Dec 6, 2011 | No Comments

Screen Shot 2011-12-06 at 11.00.10 AM.png

By: Scott Gunnerson

Citing an increase in crime influenced by young people using or seeking prescription drugs, three detectives with a passion for surfing want to get bored teens interested in boards to curb the problem.

Brevard County Sheriff's investigators Steve Fernez, Troy Deavers and Brandon Gish created the Law Enforcement Officer Surfing Association this year to shred prescription drug abuse among youth. They initially want to target beach communities rich with surfing tradition.

"There are a lot of cops that surf. We thought this would be a great way to present drug education," Gish said. "It all came about while we were surfing."

Gish, who investigates property and violent crimes, said drug dependency is the root cause in most of his assigned cases from the past three years.

"It's astounding how bad, specifically, the prescription drug epidemic has become," Gish said. "Teenagers get in trouble when they are idle and they have nothing else to do to occupy their time."

Continue Reading: floridatoday.com

TO WRITE LOVE ON HER ARMS IN RUNNING FOR $1M AWARD

Article from: floridatoday.com

Dec 6, 2011 | No Comments

by Dave Berman

For Jamie Tworkowski, the growth of the nonprofit organization he founded five years ago often amazes him.

Tworkowski was trying to help an acquaintance who was struggling with drug addiction when he began to sell T-shirts to help raise money for her treatment.

That effort evolved into To Write Love on Her Arms, a Melbourne-based nonprofit with an international following and a stable of high-profile celebrity supporters. "Renee," a feature film about Tworkowski and the friend who inspired him, has been shot and is due for release in 2012.

But, next Saturday, To Write Love on Her Arms will have its biggest stage to date. It will be one of five nonprofits featured on a two-hour, prime-time special on NBC, the "American Giving Awards." One of the five will be announced as the winner of a $1 million prize.

Tworkowski says he never envisioned forming a nonprofit when he posted a story on MySpace in 2006 about a friend, Renee Yohe, who was dealing with depression, drug abuse and cutting her arms with razor blades. Others saw the posting, and momentum built to help Yohe through social networking, the sale of T-shirts Tworkowski had made and publicity generated by members of bands Tworkowski knew, including Orlando-based Anberlin and San Diego-based Switchfoot.

Continue Reading: floridatoday.com

COCAINE USE INCREASING AND DRUG IS ON 11% OF BANKNOTES

Article from: healthcareglobal.com

Dec 6, 2011 | No Comments

Tests have found more than one in 10 banknotes in the UK contained traces of cocaine, prompting warnings use of the drug is increasing

Police and health experts are warning that cocaine use in Britain is increasing after tests revealed that the drug is present on 11 percent of banknotes that are in circulation in the UK.

This his number has almost trebled since 2005, rising seven percent from just four percent.

It is thought this increase in cocaine abuse is the result of changes to alcohol licensing laws which have allowed pubs, bars and clubs to stay open for longer.

There are also suggestions that the growing popularity of the substance could also be responsible for increasing levels of violence in Britain.

Fifteen police forces across the UK carried out the tests, which were part of an official enquiry conducted by the Home Office's advisory council for the misuse of drugs (ACMD).

Commenting on the findings of the report, police drug expert PC Adrian Parsons said: "Gone are the days of the 1980s when it was just champagne Charlies in the City. That's out of the window now.

Continue Reading: healthcareglobal.com

ROCK IN PREVENTION: MUSIC WITH A MESSAGE

Article from: wcfcourier.com

Dec 6, 2011 | No Comments

By EMILY CHRISTENSEN,

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- Devin Simmons' hand was one of the first to shoot up when Patrick Tape Fleming asked for volunteers.

The North Cedar Elementary fifth-grader was excited to volunteer for any unknown task Fleming had in mind.

At least he thought he was.

Then Fleming, a Rock in Prevention presenter, told Simmons he wanted him to sing. A whole song. By himself. In front of all of his classmates.

Simmons started to lose some of his confidence until his schoolmates offered up their voices, chanting his name in support. His smile returned as he sang the song, accepted his Rock in Prevention shirt and returned to his seat.

Rock in Prevention is a nonprofit organization that teaches alcohol, drug and tobacco prevention and character and anti-bullying education through music. The program also teaches the kids the skills the need, like confidence and refusal skills, to stand up for what they believe in.

"Most schools feel the need or want this kind of programming in their school, but state and federal funds have been cut so much there just aren't enough resources," Fleming said.

Sixth-grader Alissa Huffman said she already knew that smoking cigarettes, drinking and doing drugs was bad, but it was fun to see the message presented through song and dance.

"I even got to go up and sing with them," she said.

The program uses local high school students as mentor role models who help lead the activities. Emma Husome, a Cedar Falls High School junior, was tapped to be one of those mentors.

Continue Reading: wcfcourier.com

'THIS IS NOT ME, I'M MEANT TO DO GREAT THINGS'

Article from: hudsonreporter.com

Dec 5, 2011 | No Comments

By: Gennarose Pope

"Yeah, my friends know I have my own personal motto," 23-year-old art student Antony Sable said as he sat in the cafeteria of West New York's Town Hall last month, black canvas portfolio in hand, a few doors down from where his drawing of Mayor Felix Roque hangs in the mayor's office. His motto is, "It's time for change."

A mere four months ago, Sable was a different man.

After 10 years of drug use, fights, failing grades, and a brief time at a lockdown facility in Jamesburg, N.J., Sable saw his father lose his battle with brain cancer in August. Immediately, young Sable gave up drinking, smoking, and using drugs. He left West New York for two months to remove himself from an environment that had nearly cost him his life.

"Everybody can change. It's hard. It's really hard, but it's really that simple." - Antony Sable

Continue Reading: hudsonreporter.com

SHEEN'S EX-WIFE ARRESTED IN COLORADO

Article from: cnn.com

Dec 5, 2011 | No Comments

(CNN) -- Brooke Mueller, the ex-wife of actor Charlie Sheen, was arrested early Saturday in Colorado and charged with assault and cocaine possession, police said.

Shortly before midnight Friday, police encountered a woman at the Belly Up -- a bar and performance venue in Aspen -- who said Mueller had been "the aggressor" in an assault, the Colorado city's police department said in a news release.

Mueller was found and arrested after midnight at another bar, Escobar, according to Aspen police. She was charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, which is a felony, and third-degree assault, which is a misdemeanor.

She was released after posting an $11,000 bond, said Aspen police. A court date is scheduled for December 19.

Mueller has appeared as an actress in several movies, including 2004's "A Love Song for Bobby Long," according to IMDb. But she is more widely known as the ex-wife of Sheen, with whom she has twin sons.

The boys and Mueller were part of Sheen's volatile public fall-out with CBS earlier this year as he left his starring role on the network's "Two and Half Men."

She claimed in March that he'd threatened to kill her, saying, "I will cut your head off, put it in a box and send it to your mom," according to a declaration made in a restraining order against Sheen. The revelations led to a court order removing the 2-year-old boys from Sheen's home.

Continue Reading: cnn.com

MOTLEY CRUE DISCUSS HEROIN ADDICTION, JACK DANIELS WITH 'PIERS MORGAN'

Article from: ultimateclassicrock.com

Dec 5, 2011 | No Comments

Screen Shot 2011-12-05 at 9.38.30 AM.png

By: Joe Robinson

Video clips from Friday's Motley Crue appearance on CNN's 'Piers Morgan Tonight' have surfaced online, showing the band in fine form as they discuss a wide variety of topics, from heroin addiction and an incident that somehow involved IVing Jack Daniels to their current sobriety (Vince Neil admits he still drinks occasionally -- which we already knew).

The Crue stopped by 'Piers' briefly on Thursday to announce an upcoming residency in Las Vegas at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in February of 2012, then returned Friday for a longer segment that offered a bit of a peak into the life of Motley Crue.

Nikki Sixx says his heroin addiction, which he chronicled in 'The Heroin Diaries,' started because heroin "was just there." He continues: "We wanted to experience everything and I have a very addictive personality and those things don't go together well. I had to get away from it. All that stuff makes you who you are today."

Sixx says he quit after multiple trips to rehab and multiple overdoses. One day a "light just went on and it was over. I never picked up again. It was hard. I had to go through withdrawal. I knew it didn't want this. I loved my band. I didn't have any family back then. I didn't want to throw it away."

As for those IV injections of whiskey -- well kids, as Piers Morgan says, don't try this at home. "We thought it was a good idea," Sixx told Morgan. "I went to sleep quickly. It only happened once." Drummer Tommy Lee then goes a long way in verbalizing exactly what everybody was thinking at home: "There was really no reason to inject it," Lee says.

Continue Reading: ultimateclassicrock.com

RESEARCH SHOWS THAT MANY ADULTS SUPPORT UNDERAGE DRINKING

Article from: topnews.com

Dec 5, 2011 | No Comments

By: Jason Ramsey

With December being celebrated as 'National Drunk and Drugged Driving (3D) Prevention Month', the findings of a new research carried by SADD and Liberty Mutual Insurance have highlighted the disquieting results of the growing trend which has adults supporting underage drinking.

Drawing attention to the increasing evidence which shows that adults permit teen drinking at home, the research revealed that nearly one-third of the teenagers confessed to having consumed alcohol with their parents; with approximately 25 percent of the teenagers having disclosed that they were allowed to consume alcohol when their parents were not around.

In addition, it was also found that almost one in eight teenagers are hosts parties in which alcohol is served; with a little over 40 percent of them also revealing that their parents did not object to their attending parties in which alcohol was available.

The research also showed that while 53 percent of the adults said that they supported underage drinking because, in their opinion, they hardly have any control in the matter.

Continue Reading: topnews.com

AVOID A DUI - AND CAR INSURANCE DISASTER

Article from: foxbusiness.com

Dec 2, 2011 | No Comments

By: Des Toups

One of the safest political decisions in America is to treat criminals more harshly. And drunken drivers are criminals.

It's no surprise, then, that the penalties for drunken driving have grown increasingly more punitive even as the threshold for legal intoxication has fallen.

For example, if convicted of a first-offense DUI, you're now required to spend at least some time in jail in most states -- 24 to 72 hours is common. You'll lose your license in many places for a year. You'll pay fines as high as $5,000. In some states, you'll face an additional $1,000 "driver responsibility fee" for three years. Some courts will order treatment or education classes, and some might require that you install an ignition interlock device once you're driving again.

You will probably have to file an SR-22 form certifying that you carry car insurance. That will cost you a small fortune. Drunken drivers are risky, and insurance companies do not like risk.

You should expect your insurance rates to double. That varies from driver to driver, of course. We ran auto insurance quotes for a 24-year-old woman in Seattle driving a 2005 Honda Accord EX to and from work, with no prior violations, and saw quotes from $742 to $1,814 a year for basic liability and personal injury protection. After adding a garden-variety DUI, her insurance quotes ranged from $1,608 to $2,492.

Continue Reading: foxbusiness.com

STUDENTS LEARN DANGERS OF DRUNK DRIVING FROM BEHIND WHEEL (video)

Article from: wspa.com

Dec 2, 2011 | No Comments

Screen Shot 2011-12-02 at 10.29.52 AM.png

By: Emily Pace

It took two minutes and one lap before 16-year-old Jordan Ballenger understood what it would be like if she were ever to get behind the wheel after having too much to drink.

"I didn't think it was going to be such a drastic difference," says Ballenger, a 10th grader at Chapman High School. "I will definitely never drink and drive after this experience."

The Simulated Impaired Driving Experience (SIDNE) is not a cheap ride. The DUI simulator costs $18,000.

Duncan, Lyman and Greer Police Departments used money from seized property to pay for the specialized go-cart.

Lt. Chris Miller with Duncan P.D. thinks it's worth the money because unlike other educational tools, officers can manipulate what's happening to the driver through a remote control.

"If the student strays off course or seems to lose control, the instructor can stop the vehicle," Lt. Miller said.

7 On Your Side contacted several local law enforcement agencies to find out if DUI simulators really do make the roadways safer.

A spokesman for Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office says they'd like to believe so. In 2009 there were 10 vehicle fatalities involving alcohol. So far this year, there has been only five.

Chapman High School's Drivers Ed instructor Kevin Carr is hoping that number will continue to go down.

Carr is aware of at least 10 current or former Chapman High students who've died in car accidents in the past 15 years.

Continue Reading: wspa.com

AS PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE SOARS, DOCTORS SEEK ACCESS TO PA. MEDICATION DATABASE

Article from: newsworks.com

Dec 2, 2011 | No Comments

By Taunya English

Federal officials call improper prescription drug use "an epidemic" in the United States.

Some Pennsylvania doctors are pushing for a change they say could help curb prescription drug abuse, and a state House panel is set to discuss the legislation, House Bill 1651, Tuesday.

Besides concerns over fraud and abuse, in Pennsylvania prescription overdose is a leading cause of death among young people.

The state attorney general's office keeps a database of prescriptions for the most addictive narcotics--drugs such as OxyContin that also have a high street value.

Right now, the state's prescription monitoring program tracks Schedule II controlled substances, and the information is available only to law enforcement. A new proposal would expand the database to include less addictive drugs--and give access to doctors and pharmacists.

Dr. Jeanmarie Perrone, an emergency room physician at Penn Medicine, says data show emergency department visits are up because of prescription drug abuse.

"It now exceeds the amount of deaths from cocaine and heroin. Prescription drugs are essentially more lethal than cocaine and heroin, and prescription drug deaths have quadrupled in the last decade," she said.

Perrone envisions a secure, easy-to-access Web portal where doctors could look up a patient's medication history. She says giving health-care providers access could help curb "doctor shopping" and identify those who need substance abuse help. She's convinced by stories from medical colleagues in Minnesota who used that state's database to improve patient care.

Continue Reading: newsworks.org

CHRIS HERREN TELLS A CAUTIONARY TALE AT SEEKONK HIGH SCHOOL

Article from: patch.com

Dec 2, 2011 | No Comments

Former NBA player Chris Herren shared his story of addiction and recovery with families at Seekonk High School Tuesday night.

By: Justin Pacheco

When former NBA Player Chris Herren was 18 years old, he sat in an auditorium listening to former New England Patriot Steve DeOssie speak about his battles with substance abuse and addiction.

At the time, Herren did not pay attention to DeOssie's cautionary tale. Instead, he goofed around with his friends during the lecture and believed he could never end up like DeOssie.

By the time he was 33 he had become addicted to Oxycontin, heroin and cocaine, become a convicted felon, been nearly homeless, and nearly dead.

Now sober since 2008, Herren finds himself delivering speeches to kids, just like the one from Steve DeOssie that he never listened to.

He has firsthand knowledge that high school students are a difficult audience to reach, but says if he could just help one of them, all the lectures are worth it.

"It just takes one," said Herren Tuesday night to an audience at Seekonk High School.

Herren began drinking when he was 14, going to parties with his basketball teammates at Durfee High School in Fall River.

Continue Reading: patch.com

ALCOHOL HAS DIZZYINGLY DIFFERENT EFFECTS ON WOMEN AND MEN

Article from: thestar.com

Dec 1, 2011 | No Comments

By: Ann Dowsett Johnston

This is your brain on alcohol. If you are adolescent and female: consume four drinks at one sitting, and you leave yourself vulnerable to compromising what is know as your spatial working memory. Binge drinking in adolescence can interrupt normal brain cell growth, particularly in the frontal brain regions critical to logical thinking and reasoning. In short, it damages cognitive abilities -- especially in female teens.

"Even though adolescents look like adults, their brains are still maturing," says researcher Lindsay Squeglia, lead author of a new study in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. "Throughout adolescence, the brain is becoming more efficient, pruning. In female drinkers, we found that the pre-frontal cortex was not thinning properly. This affects executive functioning."

"Are the girls trying to keep up with the boys?" asks Edith Sullivan, a researcher at Stanford's School of Medicine. "Quantity and frequency can be a killer for novice drinkers. Adding alcohol to the mix of the developing brain will likely complicate the normal developmental trajectory. Long after a young person recovers from a hangover, risk to cognitive and brain functions endures."

Sullivan, who has done a lot of work with the brain structure of alcoholics, is certain that what is known as "telescoping" is real: "As they develop alcoholism, women seem to develop dependence sooner than men. Drink for drink, it is worse for females."

Continue Reading: thestar.com

EX-COLORADO SHERIFF ACCUSED OF TRADING DRUGS FOR SEX SITS IN JAIL NAMED AFTER HIM

Article from: foxnews.com

Dec 1, 2011 | No Comments

A well-known former Colorado sheriff accused of trading drugs in exchange for sex is now sitting in a jail named after him.

Former Arapahoe County Sheriff Patrick Sullivan, a one-time national "Sheriff of the Year," is facing felony charges for allegedly using and distributing methamphetamine in exchange for sex, according to authorities.

Sullivan is currently behind bars at a jail bearing his name, the Patrick J. Sullivan, Jr. Detention Facility, according to Fox affiliate KDVR-TV.

On Wednesday, Arapahoe County chief judge William Sylvester doubled the bond for Sullivan. He also ordered Sullivan not to try to contact anyone else who may be involved in the case.

The investigation began on Nov. 17 when several people came forward with claims that Sullivan, 68, was selling the drug in exchange for sex.

According to investigators, Sullivan "arranged to meet an adult male acquaintance and agreed to provide the (man) with methamphetamine in exchange for a sexual encounter," the station reported.

Continue Reading: foxnews.com

AUTHORITIES FIND 32 TONS OF MARIJUANA IN LATEST BORDER DRUG-SMUGGLING TUNNEL IN SAN DIEGO

Article from: washingtonpost.com

Dec 1, 2011 | No Comments

By: The Associated Press

SAN DIEGO -- Authorities have discovered a major cross-border tunnel linking warehouses in San Diego and Tijuana and found more than 32 tons of marijuana in one of the largest pot busts in U.S. history, immigration officials said Wednesday.

The 600-yard passage was equipped with a hydraulic lift, electric rail cars, a wooden staircase and wood floors from one end to the other, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Derek Benner told The Associated Press.

The passage was lit and ventilated, and ICE's head investigator in San Diego said it is tall and wide enough for comfortable movement inside.

Several arrests have been made. Authorities believe operations in the tunnel began recently.

The discovery Tuesday was the latest in a spate of secret passages found to smuggle drugs from Mexico.

"It is clearly the most sophisticated, major tunnel that we have found in the last five years, perhaps ever," said Lauren Mack, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in San Diego.

Continue Reading: washingtonpost.com

December 2011 Archives

Article from: patch.com

Article from: stltoday.com

Article from: enterprisenews.com

Article from: people.com

Article from: nydailynews.com

Article from: huffingtonpost.com

Article from: washingtonpost.com

Article from: sfgate.com

Article from: cbsnews.com

Article from: wtap.com

Article from: news.com

Article from: abcnews.com

Article from: patch.com

Article from: kansascity.com

Article from: theatlantic.com

Article from: santacruzsentinel.com

Article from: chron.com

Article from: vancouversun.com

Article from: prweb.com

Article from: msn.com

Article from: nydailynews.com

Article from: 1600kush.com

Article from: dailymail.co.uk

Article from: marketwatch.com

Article from: mdjonline.com

Article from: suntimes.com

Article from: huffingtonpost.com

Article from: times.com

Article from: examiner.com

Article from: latimes.com

Article from: care2.com

Article from: patch.com

Article from: msnbc.com

Article from: mtvnews.com

Article from: cbsnews.com

Article from: dailymail.com

Article from: usatoday.com

Article from: msnbc.com

Article from: washingtonpost.com

Article from: ama.com

Article from: cnn.com

Article from: foxnews.com

Article from: 660news.com

Article from: msnbc.com

Article from: timescall.com

Article from: mywebtimes.com

Article from: kvue.com

Article from: yahoo.com

Article from: cnn.com

Article from: go.com

Article from: patch.com

Article from: huffingtonpost.com

Article from: msn.com

Article from: floridatoday.com

Article from: floridatoday.com

Article from: healthcareglobal.com

Article from: wcfcourier.com

Article from: hudsonreporter.com

Article from: cnn.com

Article from: ultimateclassicrock.com

Article from: topnews.com

Article from: foxbusiness.com

Article from: wspa.com

Article from: newsworks.com

Article from: patch.com

Article from: thestar.com

Article from: foxnews.com

Article from: washingtonpost.com

Search

Monthly Archives

Tag Cloud