January 2012 Archives

EARLY INTERVENTION KEY TO SHAPING COLLEGE DRINKING HABITS

Article from: psychcentral.com

Jan 31, 2012 | No Comments
Screen Shot 2012-01-31 at 9.27.22 AM.pngBy: Janice Wood

The first few weeks of college are a critical time in shaping students' drinking habits, according to researchers at Penn State, who say early intervention may help keep students from becoming heavy drinkers.

"Research shows there is a spike in alcohol-related consequences that occur in the first few weeks of the semester, especially with college freshmen," said Michael J. Cleveland, research associate at the university's Prevention Research Center and the Methodology Center.

"If you can safely navigate through that passage, you reduce the risk of later problems occurring."

The researchers tested two methods of intervention on freshmen -- parent-based intervention and peer-based intervention. They found that students who were non-drinkers before starting college, and who received the parent-based intervention, were unlikely to become heavy drinkers when surveyed again during the fall semester of their first year.

Students who were heavy drinkers during the summer before college were more likely to transition out of that group if they received either parent-based intervention or peer-based intervention.


Continue Reading: psychcentral.com

N.J. DRUG COURT EXPANSION IS SMART APPROACH TO CRIME

Article from: nj.com

Jan 31, 2012 | No Comments
10087677-large.jpgBy Daniel J. Meara

Gov. Chris Christie is known for flexing his political muscle. In his recent State of the State address, the Republican governor put his bully pulpit to the best possible use. He spoke about New Jersey taking the lead on an issue that has caused politicians of all stripes to recoil for fear of being cast as soft on crime. Putting policy first, he said the time has come to be smart on crime.

In language that was at once firm and compassionate, the governor called for providing treatment for nonviolent drug offenders instead of putting them in prison. The speech before both houses of the Legislature on Jan. 17 insisted that the lives of nonviolent offenders are not to be discarded. To those who would receive treatment under the program, the governor said, "We want to help you, not throw you away. We will require you to get treatment. Your life has value." These lives, as all lives, he said, are worthy of redemption.

He revisited and expanded on the plan he introduced late last year for mandatory treatment for offenders who are assessed and deemed to have a drug problem. The governor showed he understands addiction to be a disease that exempts no one, that "touches nearly every family" in the state. Denying a drug or alcohol problem, he said, has kept many offenders from entering drug court, so his proposal removes the possibility that, when referred to drug court, they would opt for a prison term instead, which would likely see them released only to return to drug use, crime and re-arrest.

Continue Reading: nj.com

SLEEPY TEENS ARE AT GREATER RISK FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Article from: newarkadvocate.com

Jan 31, 2012 | No Comments
Written by
Lewis R. Mollica


Now there is a headline to grab your attention if you are a parent. We are aware, or should be, that food is food for the brain. Sleep is critical to our well-being. Lack of appropriate sleep impacts both your body and mind in a negative way. Our thinking becomes cloudy, alertness declines, as well as our coordination and the ability to make decisions.

According to KNOW, for youth, insufficient sleep is additionally shown to be associated with a variety of health-risk behaviors, including drug and alcohol use. Lela McKnight-Eily, a lead researcher at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states, "Sleep-deprived students have a higher propensity toward risky behaviors due to a decreased ability to comprehend the consequences of negative behaviors, as well as an increased receptiveness to peer pressure."

Why are teens so sleep deprived? KNOW points out the obvious. Among school, homework, sports and other extra-curricular activities, it is no wonder getting enough sleep is such a challenge. Add the fact that during adolescence, the body's natural sleep cycle shifts to keep children up later at night and in bed later in the morning.

So what should a parent do? The first step is to figure out how much sleep your child requires. The second is to figure out how to make your child get the required sleep.

Continue Reading: newarkadvocate.com

DANGEROUS SYNTHETIC DRUG SEES INCREASED DRUG USE LOCALLY

Article from: thedailynewsonline.com

Jan 30, 2012 | No Comments
4f23785f48127.preview-300.jpgBy Paul Mrozek

It was a pair of unrelated incidents that happened four days apart in different counties, but there was a link between the two -- use and abuse of synthetic marijuana.

A 17-year-old from Le Roy suffered a seizure and ended up in the emergency room and an 18-year-old Livingston County woman crashed her car in Perry. Both had ingested the hallucinogenic substance, which can be legally purchased in novelty stores, shops that sell drug paraphernalia and on Indian reservations.

"People are abusing them. It's readily available in Batavia," said Genesee County sheriff's Sgt. Steve Mullen of the Genesee County Local Drug Task Force. It includes members of the sheriff's department, city of Batavia Police, village of Le Roy Police and the District Attorney's Office.

"This stuff is messing people up more than the marijuana," Sgt. Greg Walker of the Genesee Sheriff's Office said this week.

Continue Reading: thedailynewsonline.com

THE PARTNERSHIP AT DRUGFREE.ORG COLLABORATES WITH AWARD-WINNING TV PERSONALITY

Article from: prnewswire.com

Jan 30, 2012 | No Comments
Zimmern to Host Live FACEBOOK Chat on Substance Abuse Recovery

NEW YORK, Jan. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Partnership at Drugfree.org, a national nonprofit helping parents solve the problem of teen substance abuse, is partnering with award-winning TV personality, chef, father and food writer Andrew Zimmern. He will be the featured guest on the next "Meet The Parents Hour," a popular, live Facebook chat and Q&A session taking place on Thursday, February 2 at 12 p.m. EST/ 9 a.m. PST.

Zimmern is a chef, teacher and renowned personality in the food world. As the co-creator, host and consulting producer of Travel Channel's hit series "Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern" and "Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre World," he travels the world, exploring food and international cuisine. In May 2010, Zimmern won the James Beard Award for Outstanding TV Food Personality.  

Early in his life, Zimmern struggled with alcoholism and addiction and this year celebrates 20 years in recovery. During "Meet The Parents Hour," he will share his personal story and path to recovery, while offering encouragement to others who may be struggling with a loved one's addiction.

"Addiction/alcoholism is a devastating family disease that is responsible for corroding communities as easily as it takes the lives of those individuals suffering from the direct effects of drinking and drugging," said Zimmern. "But there is also the grace of recovery. The power of that transformation is available to any and all seeking the hand of help offered by those who have solved the problem in their own lives. As a recovering addict and alcoholic, and also as a father, a husband and a son, nothing is more important to me than carrying the message of hope to those that need it most. The Partnership at Drugfree.org believes that also and I am honored to join them to help anyone touched by this devastating illness."

Continue Reading: prnewswire.com

WES BENTLEY SKIPPED BROTHER'S WEDDING DURING DRUG BATTLE

Article from: contactmusic.com

Jan 28, 2012 | No Comments
wes_bentley_2893061.jpgActor Wes Bentley "risked everything" during his eight-year drug hell, and even missed his brother's wedding because he was "so messed up".

The actor shot to fame at the age of 20 after the 1999 release of the multi Oscar-winning American Beauty, but Bentley struggled to deal with the spotlight and fell into a downward spiral of drink and drugs, including ecstasy, cocaine and heroin.

He turned his back on his career as his substance abuse worsened - and Bentley began shunning his family to hang around with homeless men as he hunted for drugs.

Bentley tells Details magazine, "I was risking everything to get drugs. I was driving around with homeless guys and people just out of prison, then I'd hit the streets and smoke all day. I'd already nodded off on set a couple times, and now I was being asked to leave auditions mid-reading because it was just so sad for them.

"I missed my brother's wedding because I was so messed up... The shakes, hearing voices, paranoia - those were daily occurrences for me. I was nearly dead, and I didn't care."

Continue Reading: contactmusic.com

EAGLES TE BRENT CELEK PASSENGER IN CRASH INVOLVING DRUNK DRIVER

Article from: sbnation.com

Jan 27, 2012 | No Comments
Screen Shot 2012-01-27 at 9.44.58 AM.pngBy Field Yates - Newsdesk contributor

Eagles TE Brent Celek was the passenger in a car driven and crashed by a drunk driver. There were no injuries in the crash.

Philadelphia Eagles TE Brent Celek was the passenger in a car driven by a drunk driver that crashed early Thursday morning, according to Pennsylvania State Police in a report on SI.com.

There were no injuries in the crash, which occurred around 2:30 AM Thursday morning near the Eagle's stadium, located in South Philadelphia.

The police have indicated that the driver was operating the vehicle too fast and spun out before crashing into a concrete barrier off of a highway ramp. The driver subsequently took and failed field sobriety tests, and was arrested on DUI charges.

Continue Reading: sbnation.com

PAT SAJAK'S HOSTED "WHEEL OF FORTUNE" DRUNK (video)

Article from: cnn.com

Jan 27, 2012 | No Comments
120126030625-pat-sajak-story-top.jpgNot being entirely sober is certainly one way to raise the stakes on "Wheel of Fortune."

It turns out the game show's longtime host Pat Sajak, who's been with the show since 1981, would sometimes head out for drinks with Vanna White while on a break from taping.

As he explained in a recent interview on "Dan Le Batard is Highly Questionable," when he first started - "and was much younger and could tolerate those things," Sajak said - the show was somewhat of a snooze.

"We had a different show then. You didn't win money, you won fake money with which you could buy cheesy prizes. A turntable would go around, and housewives from Teaneck would say, 'Ah, for $100, I'll have the lamp...' It was the most boring two minutes in television."

All of those prizes allowed for "endless time between shows. Our dinner breaks would be two-and-a-half hours long while they drove in new cars and boats and gazebos and stuff."

Continue Reading: cnn.com

HOST OF UNDERAGE PARTY CHARGED AFTER STUDENT'S DEATH

Article from: wral.com

Jan 27, 2012 | No Comments
Raleigh, N.C. -- State agents on Wednesday charged three people in connection with an alleged underage drinking party linked to a Millbrook High School student's recent death.

Hannah R. Smith, 18, of 8617 Hawksmoor Drive, was charged with two counts of aiding and abetting, and Samantha M. McKinney, 17, of Raleigh, was charged with underage purchase of spirituous liquor. A juvenile petition also was filed against a 15-year-old on a charge of underage purchase of spirituous liquor.

Elizabeth Molloy, 17, was killed on Jan. 7 when the Jeep she was riding in went out of control on Rainwater Road and slammed into a tree.

Agents with the state Division of Alcohol Law Enforcement allege that Smith hosted an underage party on Jan. 6 that Molloy and Garrett Prince attended.

Bryan House, assistant special agent-in-charge of the Raleigh ALE District Office, said the arrests should send a message to anyone involved in underage drinking: Criminal charges are possible.

"You don't always have to be the guy behind the wheel," he said. "You don't always (even) have to be present."

Prince, 16, of 11004 Coachman's Way, was driving the Jeep went it crashed. He has been charged with felony death by motor vehicle, driving while impaired, provisional DWI, careless and reckless driving, having an open container of liquor, speeding and possession of marijuana.

Continue Reading: wral.com

PACKED WITH HEROIN, BURRITO USED IN STING HAD BITE

Article from: latimes.com

Jan 26, 2012 | No Comments
67344197.jpgRecords reveal how an L.A. County Sheriff's Department task force used a lunchtime sting to target smuggling of drugs behind bars.

By Jack Leonard and Robert Faturechi

The young woman sat by herself in a hallway of the bustling courthouse, nervously clasping a brown paper bag. Inside was a warm bean and cheese burrito stuffed with 24 grams of black tar heroin.

Henry Marin, a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy, peeked out from a courtroom and waved her over.

Lunchtime was approaching -- lawyers in suits clutched their briefcases and witnesses waited to testify.

As the handoff was made, no one appeared to be paying attention -- until a voice commanded: "Deputy Marin, you need to stop."

What Marin didn't realize was that the hallway bystanders were undercover sheriff's investigators. And the woman was a cog in an elaborate sting targeting him and another deputy suspected of smuggling drugs into the county's lockups for inmates in a notorious prison gang.

Grand jury transcripts made public this week offer a rare glimpse into the world of drug smuggling into the jails and reveal for the first time how a secret Sheriff's Department task force has tried to combat corruption among deputies helping to fuel a lucrative drug trade behind bars.

Investigators have monitored phone calls in which jail leaders -- so-called shot callers for the Mexican Mafia -- plot in coded language to use sheriff's guards to bypass tight jail security. Successful schemes bring tidy profits, as heroin and other drugs can be sold at up to 10 times their street value to inmates who are desperate for a fix behind bars.

The grand jury transcripts give details of the successes and hiccups during the sting that ensnared Marin, complete with a video pen that failed to work, detectives in disguise and a couple who unwittingly walked into the sting with their own special package Marin was meant to deliver.

Continue Reading: latimes.com

HEATHER LOCKLEAR NOT GOING TO REHAB

Article from: abcnews.go.com

Jan 26, 2012 | No Comments
By Ali Gazan

When Heather Locklear was rushed to the hospital on Jan. 12 after mixing alcohol and Xanax, many speculated whether the "Melrose Place" actress would return to rehab for a third time. But according to a source close the family, that is not the plan.

Instead, the 50-year-old actress has resumed the ongoing sobriety program she began and maintained in 2011 until the difficult split with her fiance, actor Jack Wagner. Locklear will work with doctors who will monitor her progress, and she will also continue to be tested monthly for drugs and alcohol. The family is also receiving additional support from UCLA to help with the anxiety caused by the breakup.

According to the source, Locklear had not had a drink for months. But her split with fiance Jack Wagner in November and receiving numerous bottles of wine as gifts for Christmas led her to fall off the wagon. At the time of her hospitalization, Heather was "menopausal, depressed and dealing with a great deal of anxiety of a recent breakup," said the source. "When her sister suspected something was wrong, she didn't mess around and called 911."

Continue Reading: abcnews.go.com

DEMI MOORE HOSPITALIZED FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE, REPORT SAYS

Article from: foxnews.com

Jan 25, 2012 | No Comments
Demi-Moore-Rumor-Willis.jpgDemi Moore was hospitalized Monday night, with sources telling TMZ the actress was suffering from substance abuse.

Paramedics responded to a 911 call placed at 10:45pm PT and after assessing Moore's condition, transported her from her home in Los Angeles to a local hospital.

She has reportedly been moved to a facility to seek treatment for substance abuse, sources told the entertainment website.

"Because of the stresses in her life right now, Demi has chosen to seek professional assistance to treat her exhaustion and improve her overall health," a rep for the actress said.

Continue Reading: foxnews.com

MEXICO CONSIDERING RAISING DRINKING AGE FROM 18 TO 21

Article from: ktar.com

Jan 25, 2012 | No Comments
By: Sandra Haros

Every year, thousands of teens flock south of the border to enjoy spring break and take and advantage of the lower drinking age, but this year's plans could be swept out to sea.

To combat high rates of alcoholism, the Mexican Health Ministry is pushing to raise the legal drinking age from 18 to 21.

Mary Snyder, who works to promote tourism in the northern state of Sonora said in towns like Rocky Point, tourism has evolved so the new law would have a minimal impact.

"It wouldn't affect it extremely," she said. "Other than the couple times in the year the kids choose to come down here."

Snyder said it may affect some students' spring break plans, but the overall affect on Mexican tourism would be minimal.

Continue Reading: ktar.com

SUNDANCE 2012 REVIEW: "SMASHED"

Article from: filmschoolrejects.com

Jan 25, 2012 | No Comments
sundance12_smashed.jpgSundance 2012 Review: 'Smashed' Delivers Honesty and a Stunning Performance from Mary Elizabeth Winstead

Movie Review By Allison Loring

Kate (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) seems to lead a charmed life - she has a loving husband, friends and a job she is passionate about teaching first grade. But the one thing that is always present in Kate's life is alcohol. She and her husband, Charlie (Aaron Paul), spend every night getting (wait for it) smashed on beer, liquor, really whatever alcohol is available. The drinking (while excessive) appears to be just a harmless part of their lifestyle, but when Kate shows up hungover to work (and throws up in front of her class), one of her students asks if she is pregnant and Kate confirms the lie, figuring it is a better excuse than the truth.

Unfortunately the news makes it to the school's principal, Principal Barnes (Megan Mullally) and scared of what will happen if she tells the truth, Kate continues to pretend the news is true. However the school's Vice Principal, Dave (Nick Offerman, in a very un-Ron Swanson like role), recognizes what is really going on since he himself is a recovering alcoholic. Kate assures him she is fine and takes her personal day to - go to a bar and get drunk. As she leaves the bar, she takes pity on a girl in need of a ride and on their way home (thanks to her inebriated state) Kate agrees to smoke some crack with her. Having never done the drug before, once high Kate ends up hanging out with some homeless people and finds herself passed out on a discarded couch the next morning. The incident scares Kate and pushes her to take Dave up on his offer to be her "wingman" at an AA meeting.

Continue Reading: filmschoolrejects.com

SOBERLINK ONSITE

Article from: soberlink.net

Jan 24, 2012 | No Comments
Screen Shot 2012-01-24 at 2.55.01 PM.pngSOBERLINK is getting serious attention in the treatment community for launching the first handheld breath analyzer to remotely monitor a person's blood alcohol content.  This break-through technology sets a new standard for aggressive alcohol monitoring and creates an entirely new revenue stream for after care.  While SOBERLINK addresses the need for remote monitoring, current in-house alcohol testing remains inefficient.  To satisfy this need, SOBERLINK ONSITE was created to offer a cost effective, accurate, and convenient means of in-house testing.  This new feature allows facilities to monitor multiple clients using one SOBERLINK Breath Analyzer.  Below are reasons to upgrade your alcohol-testing program to SOBERLINK ONSITE.

SOBERLINK compared to standard breathalyzers:

Consistency and traceability is often sacrificed due to the tedium of manually recording BAC reports.  Since SOBERLINK ONSITE wirelessly sends each client's BAC, photograph, and time of report to a password protected monitoring website, the need for pen and paper is eliminated.  

SOBERLINK compared to Urinalysis:

SOBERLINK ONSITE provides instant, accurate results in contrast to urinalysis, which can show false positives from incidental exposure to alcohol in food, and a variety of household products.  Along with providing reliable results, ONSITE is a cost effective alternative to lab processing.

Cloud storage and report management:

The SOBERLINK Monitoring Website stores unlimited sobriety reports and has report management options to provide a facility with unprecedented knowledge and accountability of its testing program. 



Features:
• Cost effective, solution for in-house monitoring
• Detailed sobriety reports: BAC, client photo, time of test
• Paperless testing and cloud storage of reports
• Report management for improved documentation  
  (insurance reimbursable with CPT code #82075)
• HIPAA compliant for user confidentiality
• DOT certified breath analyzer



To find out more, call 714.975.7200 or visit our website at www.soberlink.net

'BLIND MULES' UNKNOWINGLY FERRY DRUGS ACROSS THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER

Article from: cnn.com

Jan 24, 2012 | No Comments
111214042744-mexico-border-sentri-pass-story-top.jpgBy Emily Smith

Editor's note: This story is part of a series looking at the violence tied to Mexican drug cartels, their expanding global connections and how they affect people's daily lives.

(CNN) -- Every weekday, Juan Andres drives across the U.S.-Mexico border from his home in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, to the University of Texas at El Paso.

The three-and-a-half-mile commute takes him a world away from a major flashpoint in Mexico's drug cartel war, away from a city with one of the world's highest murder rates.

Andres, who agreed to speak to CNN under the condition that his name was changed, has always been keenly aware of his and his family's safety while living in Juarez.

"The city was already pretty dangerous. We tried not to go to restaurants and things like that where [kidnappings] could happen," he said.

A few years ago, Andres walked away from his career as an optometrist in Mexico to follow his passion: music.

Continue Reading:cnn.com

BRADLEY COOPER'S BOOZE ADDICTION COULD'VE KILLED HIM

Article from: entertainmentwise.com

Jan 24, 2012 | No Comments
220112_bcooper1.jpgBy Claire Rutter

Bradley Cooper is the stag party icon, smooth suit, wild parties and handsome to boot, well his 'Hangover' character is - but, the actor admits that he's stopped drinking.

The 37-year-old suffered from an addiction to booze so he had to give it up before it killed him.

The 'Hangover 2' star was propelled to fame as Phil Wenneck in the movies, but he can't join in in real life. "I don't partake any more," the actor told Celebs On Sunday. "It just got to a point where it was like: 'You know what? I've got to stop'".

He also added: "It was just the kind of thing where if I wanted to continue to live..."

Bradley, who was voted the Hottest Man Alive by People magazine, also admitted that he didn't party with his co-stars after filming because they were put off by their character's predicaments.

Continue Reading: entertainmentwise.com  

THE WET HOUSE: HOMELESS PEOPLE WITH ALCOHOLISM DRINK LESS WHEN BOOZE IS ALLOWED

Article from: time.com

Jan 23, 2012 | No Comments
drink1.jpgWhy requiring abstinence may not be the best way to cut drinking in the homeless.

By Maia Szalavitz

It sounds like common sense: if you provide free food and shelter for homeless alcoholics and allow them their booze, they'll probably drink themselves to death. But conventional wisdom isn't always correct. Now a new study confirms earlier research on so-called "wet houses," showing that residents who are allowed to drink actually drink less.

The homeless residents in the study cut the number of drinks they consumed daily by 40% over the course of two years in a home that did not require abstinence. Moreover, for every three months of their stay, participants consumed 8%* fewer drinks on average on their heaviest drinking days. The occurrence of delirium tremens, or DTs -- potentially life-threatening withdrawal symptoms -- also declined by more than half, with 65% of residents reporting suffering DTs in the month before being housed, compared with just 23% in the month afterward.

The study followed 95 participants, mainly white and American Indian or Native Alaskan men in their 40s, who lived in Seattle's 1811 Eastlake residence. Unlike other shelters, the Seattle program does not require participants to observe curfews or abstain from drinking -- rules that in other cases tend to keep the heaviest drinkers on the streets and in and out of jail or the emergency room. At least 40% of chronically homeless people suffer from alcoholism.

"These individuals have multiple medical, psychiatric and substance abuse problems, and housing that requires them to give up their belongings, adhere to curfews, stop drinking and commit to treatment all at once is setting them up to fail. The result is that we are relegating some of the most vulnerable people in our community to a life on the streets," Susan Collins, lead author and assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Washington, said in a statement.


Continue Reading: time.com

PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE RESULTS IN ONE DEATH EVERY 19 MINUTES IN U.S.

Article from: drugfree.org

Jan 23, 2012 | No Comments
Drugs-and-watch-1-17-12.jpgBy: Join Together Staff

One person dies every 19 minutes from prescription drug abuse in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). An estimated 27,000 unintentional drug overdose deaths occurred in 2007, UPI reports.

The rise in unintentional drug overdose deaths has been driven by an increase in use of opioids, the CDC notes in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. For every unintentional overdose death linked to opioids, nine people are admitted for substance abuse treatment, 35 people go to the emergency room, 161 report drug abuse or dependence, and 461 report non-medical uses of opioids.

The rate of opioid misuse and overdose deaths are highest among non-Hispanic whites, men ages 20-64, and poor and rural populations.

Continue Reading: drugfree.org

WHY TEENS ARE MORE PRONE TO ADDICTION, MENTAL ILLNESS

Article from: livescience.com

Jan 20, 2012 | No Comments
new.jpgBy comparing the brain's response to a food reward in adult and teen rats, researchers have pinpointed some differences that might explain why adolescents take more risks and are more prone to addiction, depression and schizophrenia.

"The brain region that is very critical in planning your actions and in habit formation is directly tapped by reward in adolescents, which means the reward could have a stronger influence in their decision-making, in what they do next, as well as forming habits in adolescents," study researcher Bita Moghaddam, of the University of Pittsburgh, told LiveScience. "Teenagers could do stupid things in response to a situation not because they are stupid, but because their brains are working differently. Somehow they perceive and react to a situation differently."

The study was performed in rats, but teenagers throughout the animal kingdom show the same risk-taking and impulsive behaviors as human teens, so the results are likely to be applicable in humans too, the researchers said. Other studies show that the teen brain is also more susceptible to stress than the adult brain. Teenage brains are especially susceptible to addiction and mental illness, and the differences in the brain at that time may play a big role in these diseases.

Continue Reading: livescience.com 

SHEBOYGAN MAYOR RYAN GOES ON NATIONAL TALK SHOW TO DISCUSS HIS ALCOHOLISM

Article from: 620wtmj.com

Jan 20, 2012 | No Comments
620wtmj_092811bobryan.JPGSHEBOYGAN- Faced with a recall election - Sheboygan Mayor Bob Ryan went on the national talk show "Dr. Drew" to talk about his alcoholism.

"My alcoholism has never affected by performance on the job," said Ryan. "I've never missed a day of work due to alcohol.  I can say I've never drank at work, I've never gone to work intoxicated."

But Ryan admits it has hurt his public image - which is the big reason for the recall.  "Public image as a mayor, they hold you up to a higher standard than the normal person.  Some of my behavior out in public has not been acceptable to me or some of my constituents."

Continue Reading:620wtmj.com

TALE OF ADDICTION FILLED THE HALL

Article from: capecodonline.com

Jan 20, 2012 | No Comments
By RAYMOND V. TAMASI

When nearly 2,000 people show up to hear someone tell the story of their drug and alcohol addiction and recovery, something special has occurred. That something special happened at Barnstable High School on Jan. 12 when former Celtic Chris Herren came to Cape Cod.

In my 40 years in the addiction field I have never seen anything like it. This was a story people wanted to hear, whether it was the drama of where addiction took him or how, despite relapses and multiple treatments; Chris' courageous battle against his disease and his persistence in seeking treatment has given him a new life in sobriety.

Many in the audience knew little about his basketball exploits -- indeed many young people were still in middle school when Chris' career began unraveling. Yet they and all of the 1,700 who were able to get into the Performing Arts Center (300 were turned away) gave him a two-minute standing ovation as he entered the hall, even before he began to speak! The stigma of addiction and society's reluctance to fully recognize that this is a brain disease meriting treatment, not condemnation, were contradicted by the amazing response.

During his hourlong talk, the hall was eerily silent and rapt. The pointing finger of stigma and the darkness of the shame and isolation of addiction were cast out by the power and light of recovery.

Continue Reading: capecodonline.com 

BINGE DRINKING STILL PREVALENT IN US

Article from: alligator.org

Jan 20, 2012 | No Comments
By: Kelsey Grentzer

A recently released report shows binge drinking is still prevalent throughout the country, and experts say UF is no exception.

The report, published this month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, states that more than 90 percent of the alcohol youth drink is consumed while binge drinking.

According to the CDC's January 2012 Vital Signs report, most binge drinkers in the U.S. are 18 to 34 years old.

"Individuals in that age range, for the most part, tend to be more accepting of binge drinking among their peers," said Lisa Merlo, a clinical psychologist at UF. "It plays a larger role in social interactions compared to some other age groups."

UF's Core Alcohol and Drug Survey confirms that UF is no stranger to the issue of binge drinking. According to the 2010 survey, 41.6 percent of participating students reported having five or more drinks in one sitting within two weeks of taking the survey.

The CDC defines binge drinking as consuming four or more alcoholic beverages within a short period of time for women and five or more for men.

Additionally, more than half of UF students surveyed reported having a hangover in the past year, and about one third admitted to having memory loss due to drinking.

Continue Reading: alligator.org

STEVEN TYLER REVEALS SECRETS TO HIS DRUG USE THAT NO ONE KNEW?

Article from: examiner.com

Jan 19, 2012 | No Comments
73931674fd7cac65a9fa73b709900790.jpgBy: Roz Zurko

Steven Tyler credits cocaine for letting him keep up the grueling pace needed when his band was at their height of stardom, but he also says cocaine ruined his marriage, lost him his kids and ultimately lost him the band he loved so much. Tyler sat down with Ellen DeGeneres and talked about being two years sober and how he never wants to go back to that place again, meaning the time in his life when the drug ruled his world.

He had a few drug secrets, one of them being how he was able to do a line of cocaine on the stage while performing and no one else would know. Tyler said he'd take a cola can and blow air into it to make sure it was dried out and he'd fill that with cocaine. He'd put a straw in the can and when he picked it up it looked like the straw was going into his mouth; it was really up his nose. He would sniff up some of the substance throughout his performance.  


Continue Reading: examiner.com

PINKBERRY CO-FOUNDER ALLEGEDLY STRUGGLED WITH DRUGS (video)

Article from: latimes.com

Jan 19, 2012 | No Comments
Screen Shot 2012-01-19 at 9.19.26 AM.pngPinkberry co-founder Young Lee, who is facing a felony charge that he beat a homeless man with a tire iron, has struggled with drug use over the years, according to court documents, interviews and law enforcement officials.

Lee called some of the June 2011 assault allegations "false" when reached by phone Tuesday. His attorney has said authorities are only telling part of the story and that Lee and other passengers in his car felt threatened by the transient, who had been asking passing drivers for money.

In addition to the drug history, some alleged Lee was quick to make threats.

In 2001, he was charged with felony possession of cocaine and two misdemeanor counts of battery of a spouse -- not his wife -- and carrying a loaded firearm. According to court records, he pleaded no contest to some of the charges and was sentenced to two days in jail and three years' probation.

Court records indicate that Lee was then sober for a number of years, including while he secured a $27.5-million investment from a venture capital firm that helped fuel Pinkberry's expansion.

Lee relapsed in 2009, according to a court declaration filed by a man who described himself as a "former friend." The man asked for a restraining order against Lee in 2010, alleging that Lee had an "extreme violent temper," had a gun collection and once swung a knife at him.

A friend said in a sworn statement that Lee's wife at the time, Pinkberry co-founder Shelly Hwang, had come to him asking for advice about Lee's drug relapse, and that they had staged an unsuccessful "intervention" with a professional.

Continue Reading: latimes.com

STUDY: PREGNANT DRINKING MOST DANGEROUS IN 2ND, 3RD MONTHS

Article from: patch.com

Jan 18, 2012 | No Comments
558ba7edb0f637a40f9ae4805aeccb7e.jpgA new study from UC San Diego said drinking alcohol is most dangerous to the fetus between the seventh and 12th weeks of pregnancy.

While consuming alcohol at all when pregnant can be harmful to a fetus, the risk of developing fetal alcohol syndrome is greatest between the seventh and 12th weeks of pregnancy, according to a study released Tuesday by UC San Diego.

The study, to be published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research in April, involved 992 women who called the California Teratogen Information Service Pregnancy Health Information Line between 1978 and 2005 and agreed to participate in research on the health of their babies.

Research showed that drinking during pregnancy increased the risk of having an underweight newborn or a baby with a shorter length at birth, according to the study's authors.

Deformities associated with fetal alcohol syndrome include small head, small upper jaw, smooth and thin upper lip and small, narrow eyes.

When women consumed alcohol between the seventh and 12th weeks of their pregnancies, the risk of problems with their newborn's lips increased by 25 percent per drink, the chance of a shorter length of the baby climbed 18 percent, the possibility of reduced birth weight rose 16 percent, and the chance of having a smaller head size went up 12 percent, according to the study.

"These findings show that drinking alcohol between week seven and 12 of pregnancy are clearly associated with a risk for (fetal alcohol syndrome) facial features, as well as a decrease in birth weight and length," said Christina Chambers, a professor of pediatrics at UC San Diego and CTIS program director.

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RISK ATTITUDE LINK TO ALCOHOL ABUSE

Article from: belfasttelegraph.com

Jan 18, 2012 | No Comments
Teenagers from families with a history of alcoholism have brains wired for risk taking, a study has found.

The finding may help explain why alcoholism can run in families.

Scientists carried out brain scans on two groups of adolescents aged 13 to 15 while they performed a "Wheel Of Fortune" decision-making task.

Each participant was faced with risky versus safe probabilities of winning different amounts of money.

One group had a positive family history of alcoholism while the other did not.

Distinct differences emerged in the brain responses of the two sets of youngsters.

The group with a family history of alcoholism showed weaker responses during risky decision making in the pre-frontal cortex and cerebellum brain areas. Both are important for high level day-to-day functioning, including attention, working memory and inhibition.


Continue Reading: belfasttelegraph.com

DANCERS SAY NO TO DRUGS: CREW HELPS TEENAGERS STAY SOBER

Article from: guampdn.com

Jan 17, 2012 | No Comments
asfgbilde.jpgBy: Arvin Temkar

Tom Talavera has been sober -- and keeping teenagers sober -- for four years now.

Talavera, a recovering alcoholic and former Department of Youth Affairs corrections officer, is founder and leader of the Just Say No Dance Crew, a growing group of scrappy teenagers popping and locking their way off the streets and away from drugs and alcohol.

"Get your lines straight," he barked at a practice last Friday, slapping a wooden ruler against his leg in rhythm with a blaring hip-hop song. Fifteen or so teens quickly readjusted themselves as they bounced across a pavilion behind the Mangilao Community Center, where they practice.

In a few years the crew has exploded in popularity, going from a team of 12 incarcerated kids to a non-profit with more than 180 members. Under Talavera's watchful eye many of these teens have stayed off the streets, and out of juvenile detention.

Take Brandy Puas, a stocky 18-year-old Talavera calls one of his "success stories." Puas cuts an intimidating figure, sporting dark shades and tribal patterns shaved into his short, spiky hair. He joined the crew in 2008, but later started hanging around with the wrong crowd.

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COCAINE: THE NEW FRONT LINES

Article from: wsj.com

Jan 17, 2012 | No Comments
Screen Shot 2012-01-17 at 9.34.57 AM.pngColombia's success in curbing the drug trade has created more opportunities for countries hostile to the United States. What happens when coca farmers and their allies are in charge?

By John Lyons

In the dusty town of Villa Tunari in Bolivia's tropical coca-growing region, farmers used to barricade their roads against U.S.-backed drug police sent to prevent their leafy crop from becoming cocaine. These days, the police are gone, the coca is plentiful and locals close off roads for multiday block parties--not rumbles with law enforcement.

"Today, we don't have these conflicts, not one death, not one wounded, not one jailed," said Leonilda Zurita, a longtime coca-grower leader who is now a Bolivian senator, a day after a 13-piece Latin band wrapped up a boozy festival in town.

The cause for celebration is a fundamental shift in the cocaine trade that is complicating U.S. efforts to fight it. Once concentrated in Colombia, a close U.S. ally in combating drugs, the cocaine business is migrating to nations such as Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia, where populist leaders are either ambivalent about cooperating with U.S. antidrug efforts or openly hostile to them.

Since 2000, cultivation of coca leaves--cocaine's raw material--plunged 65% in Colombia, to 141,000 acres in 2010, according to United Nations figures. In the same period, cultivation surged more than 40% in Peru, to 151,000 acres, and more than doubled in Bolivia, to 77,000 acres.

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BRAZIL POLICE: ADDICTS GETTING TATTOOED FOR DRUGS

Article from: abcnews.com

Jan 17, 2012 | No Comments
By: Sao Paulo

Brazilian police say a suspected drug trafficker is giving crack cocaine addicts free drugs in exchange for tattooing his name on their bodies.

Police in the northeastern state of Bahia said Monday that upward of 70 people in the small town of Itapetinga have tattooed the surname "Freudenthal" on their bodies.

Police have also found corpses of suspected drug addicts with the same tattoo.

Lt. Jose Mello says the name is unique in the town -- so they've got one suspect, Mario Freudenthal.

Mello says the suspect must be an "egotistical psychotic" for getting mostly young addicts to tattoo his name on their bodies.

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HEATHER LOCKLEAR WAS 'OUT OF CONTROL' ON DRUGS, ALCOHOL

Article from: people.com

Jan 16, 2012 | No Comments
heather-locklear-440.jpgBy: Sara Hammel

Heather Locklear's hospitalization on Thursday night reportedly came after the actress ingested a mixture of drugs and alcohol.

While a rep for Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center tells PEOPLE that Locklear, 50, was discharged from their hospital Friday evening, leaving in the care of her family, she was reportedly "out of control" when her sister dialed 911 night prior, according to Entertainment Tonight.

"Heather became a different person on drugs," a source tells the show, adding that Locklear, who was spotted on Tuesday night at an L.A. Lakers game, may be heading into rehab shortly.

Locklear's rep hasn't immediately commented on the actress's condition, but this isn't the first time 911 has been called on behalf of the actress.

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STUDY OFFERS CLUE AS TO WHY ALCOHOL IS ADDICTING

Article from: sciguru.com

Jan 13, 2012 | No Comments
Drinking alcohol leads to the release of endorphins in areas of the brain that produce feelings of pleasure and reward, according to a study led by researchers at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

The finding marks the first time that endorphin release in the nucleus accumbens and orbitofrontal cortex in response to alcohol consumption has been directly observed in humans.

Endorphins are small proteins with opiate-like effects that are produced naturally in the brain.

"This is something that we've speculated about for 30 years, based on animal studies, but haven't observed in humans until now," said lead author Jennifer Mitchell, PhD, clinical project director at the Gallo Center and an adjunct assistant professor of neurology at UCSF. "It provides the first direct evidence of how alcohol makes people feel good."

The discovery of the precise locations in the brain where endorphins are released provides a possible target for the development of more effective drugs for the treatment of alcohol abuse, said senior author Howard L. Fields, MD, PhD, a professor of neurology and Endowed Chair in Pharmacology of Addiction in Neurology at UCSF and director of human clinical research at the Gallo Center.

The study appears on January 11, 2012, in Science Translational Medicine.

The researchers used positron emission tomography, or PET imaging, to observe the immediate effects of alcohol in the brains of 13 heavy drinkers and 12 matched "control" subjects who were not heavy drinkers.

In all of the subjects, alcohol intake led to a release of endorphins. And, in all of the subjects, the more endorphins released in the nucleus accumbens, the greater the feelings of pleasure reported by each drinker.

In addition, the more endorphins released in the orbitofrontal cortex, the greater the feelings of intoxication in the heavy drinkers, but not in the control subjects.

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RADIANT KIM RICHARDS STEPS OUT POST-REHAB

Article from: usmagazine.com

Jan 13, 2012 | No Comments
Screen Shot 2012-01-13 at 9.40.47 AM.pngPhoto Credit: JD Pht Bx & MCGM/Splash News

By: Zach Johnson

Kim Richards seems to be in much better spirits since leaving an undisclosed rehab facility earlier this week.

The 47-year-old reality star was all smiles when she and older sister Kathy Hilton emerged from Mr. Chow in Beverly Hills Wednesday evening. Wearing matching black and white ensembles, the siblings happily posed for photographers outside the famous Chinese restaurant.

Still, one sibling was noticeably missing from the outing: Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards-Umansky, who turned 43 that same day. "So many loving birthday wishes!" Kyle tweeted. "Thank you all so much for your kind words!"


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MEXICO KINGPIN JOAQUIN 'EL CHAPO' GUZMAN IS 'WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL DRUG TRAFFICKER'

Article from: msnbc.com

Jan 12, 2012 | No Comments
Fugitive cartel leader is already on Forbes list of richest people with an estimated fortune of $1 billion

MEXICO CITY -- The U.S. Treasury Department called Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman "the world's most powerful drug trafficker" on Tuesday.

The fugitive Sinaloa cartel leader also got a boost from Mexican actress Kate Del Castillo, who said she believed in Guzman more than in the government.

It was the latest in an odd series of accolades for Guzman, who was included this year on the Forbes list of the world's richest people, with an estimated fortune of $1 billion.

The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City issued a statement saying three of Guzman's alleged associates had been hit with sanctions under the drug Kingpin Act, which prohibits people in the U.S. from conducting businesses with them and freezes their U.S. assets. The two Mexican men and a Colombian allegedly aided Guzman's trafficking operations.

The statement quoted Adam J. Szubin, director of the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, as saying the move "marks the fourth time in the past year that OFAC has targeted and exposed the support structures of the organization led by Chapo Guzman, the world's most powerful drug trafficker."

Bounty

Guzman, who escaped from a Mexican prison in 2001 in a laundry truck and has a $7 million bounty on his head, has long been recognized as Mexico's most powerful drug capo. Authorities say his Sinaloa cartel has recently been expanding abroad, building international operations in Central and South America and the Pacific.

Continue Reading: msnbc.com

DRUG DOG BUSTS SNOOP DOGG'S BUS

Article from: cnn.com

Jan 11, 2012 | No Comments
111006094823-snoop-dogg-story-top.jpgBy Alan Duke

(CNN) -- Hip hop star Snoop Dogg faces a drug charge after border agents searched his tour bus along the same stretch of a west Texas highway where singer Willie Nelson was busted in 2010, a Texas sheriff said.

Snoop Dogg, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, "freely admitted" that three prescription bottles filled with marijuana cigarettes were his, a statement from the Hudspeth County, Texas, Sheriff said.

The entertainer's representatives did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment.

The rapper, like Nelson, is an outspoken proponent of pot and he is known to have a license to use prescription medical marijuana in California.

The bust happened early Saturday at his bus approached the U.S. Border Patrol Checkpoint located in Sierra Blanca, Texas, at the U.S.-Mexico border about 85 miles southeast of El Paso, the sheriff's statement said.

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DRUG DOG HANGS UP HIS LEASH

Article from: msnbc.com

Jan 11, 2012 | No Comments
Tony+the+Norwich+Canine.jpgTony served the department for eight years.

For eight years, Tony has sniffed out drugs in Norwich, but he is turning in his leash and retiring after helping take 7 kilograms of cocaine and crack, several thousand bags of heroin, marijuana and ecstasy off the streets.

"Tony should enjoy his retirement, he has done excellent work for the Department," Norwich Police Chief Louis Fusaro said.

Tony was Norwich's first narcotic detector dog and was specifically trained to detect the odor of cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, marijuana, ecstasy and illegal steroids.

The dog worked with Sgt. James C. Tetreault and it would have been difficult to find many of the locations where drugs were hidden without the use of a police canine because some were concealed inside mechanical hidden traps, police said.

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DRINKING AND DRIVING - WITH HORRIFIC RESULTS

Article from: washingtonpost.com

Jan 10, 2012 | No Comments
By Editorial Board

KEVIN COFFAY was incoherently drunk, stumbling into walls at a late-night party in Montgomery County on May 15, when four friends took him up on the offer of a ride. Three would not survive what law enforcement officials described as a horrific, high-speed crash that flipped and crushed the vehicle and virtually sheered off its right side.

Mr. Coffay, 20, was likely saved by an air bag; he fled the crash and, according to court documents, evaded police officers for some three hours as he dodged through woods near Olney. Mr. Coffay pleaded guilty to three counts of vehicular manslaughter and one of failing to remain at the scene of the crash. On Thursday, he was sentenced to 40 years behind bars; all but 20 were suspended.

This case has hit a nerve. Law enforcement officials believe more people attended the Coffay sentencing hearing than showed up on any given day of the trial of sniper John Allen Muhammad or of the Lululemon murder prosecution.

Despite years of public-service announcements, driver's education classes, and community and law enforcement campaigns regarding drunk driving, more still needs to be done to thwart these preventable tragedies. The criminal justice system is an important tool in that quest.

Mr. Coffay's lawyers argued for a prison term of no more than 18 months. The judge rightly rejected that as too lenient -- a penalty that would have communicated crass indifference to the deaths of three young people.

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CHINESE TREE EXTRACT STOPS RATS GETTING DRUNK

Article from: newscientist.com

Jan 10, 2012 | No Comments
dn21337-1_300.jpgBy: Andy Coghlan

For hardened drinkers, it sounds too good to be true: a natural substance that keeps them sober no matter how much they drink, neutralises hangovers and eventually breaks the cycle of alcohol addiction.

Alcoholism is a huge problem globally, killing 2.5 million people a year according to the World Health OrganizationMovie Camera. There has been serious research recently looking for drugs that stop people drinking, or at least encourage them to drink less.

Extracts of a Chinese variety of the oriental raisin tree (Hovenia dulcis) could be the answer. The extracts have been used for 500 years to treat hangovers in China. Now dihydromyricetin (DHM), a component of the extract, has proved its worth as an intoxication blocker in a series of experiments on boozing rats. It works by preventing alcohol from having its usual intoxicating effects on the brain, however much is in blood.

Soon, a preparation containing DHM will be tested for the first time in people. "I would give it to problem drinkers who can't resist going to the pub and drinking," says pharmacologist Jing Liang of the University of California, Los Angeles, who led the research team.

"DHM will reduce the degree of drunkenness for the amount of alcohol drunk and will definitely reduce the hangover symptoms," says Liang. "In time, it will reduce their desire for alcohol."

Continue Reading: newscientist.com

US AGENTS HELPED LAUNDER MILLIONS IN DRUG PROCEEDS

Article from: abcnews.com

Jan 10, 2012 | No Comments
By OLGA RODRIGUEZ

MEXICO CITY

Mexico's government allowed a group of undercover U.S. anti-drug agents and their Colombian informant to launder millions in cash for a powerful Mexican drug trafficker and his Colombian cocaine supplier, according to documents made public Monday.

The Mexican magazine Emeequis published portions of documents that describe how Drug Enforcement Administration agents, a Colombian trafficker-turned-informant and Mexican federal police officers in 2007 infiltrated the Beltran Leyva drug cartel and a cell of money launderers for Colombia's Valle del Norte cartel in Mexico.

The group of officials conducted at least 15 wire transfers to banks in the United States, Canada and China and smuggled and laundered about $2.5 million in the United States. They lost track of much of that money.

In his testimony, the DEA agent in charge of the operation says DEA agents posing as pilots flew at least one shipment of cocaine from Ecuador to Madrid through a Dallas airport.

The documents are part of an extradition order against Harold Mauricio Poveda-Ortega, a Colombian arrested in Mexico in 2010 on charges of supplying cocaine to Arturo Beltran Leyva. A year earlier, Beltran Leyva was killed in a shootout with Mexican marines in the city of Cuernavaca, south of Mexico City.

The documents show Mexico approved Poveda-Ortega's extradition to the United States in May, but neither Mexican nor U.S. authorities would confirm whether he has been extradited. Mexican authorities listed his first name as "Haroldo."

Continue Reading: abcnews.com

ZUFFA NEEDS TO STEP UP AND STOMP OUT CHEATS

Article from: espn.com

Jan 9, 2012 | No Comments
mma_s_ospts_576.jpgBy: Josh Gross

Why should fighters stop doping when the risk doesn't come close to outweighing the reward?

This needs to be clear off the top: Zuffa is not responsible for mixed martial artists who dope up.

Athletes make, and will continue to make, decisions to use banned substances regardless of the deterrents and penalties. There will always be someone seeking an edge. Someone who realizes they can't rise to the top without the aid of modern science. Someone willing to play a risky game in order to train harder than his or her body would normally allow.

That's the reality in the money-rich, winning-is-everything sports world mixed martial arts has joined over the past decade.

This also needs to be clear: Zuffa can, with one move, catalyze a sea change in MMA's widespread performance-enhancing drug culture. The purveyors of Strikeforce and the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the uncontested pinnacle of the sport, could decide that banned substance users aren't welcome at their events. That they won't do business with fighters who dope. They won't make money with 'em. That the risk for using must, for the first time, outweigh the reward -- because it most certainly does not now.

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DRUG ADDICTS ARE 'OUR CHILDREN, MOTHERS, FATHERS, AUNTS, UNCLES'

Article from: timesherald.com

Jan 9, 2012 | No Comments
By JEFF BISHOP

We used to think we knew what a drug addict looked like, Coweta County Drug Court Coordinator Pam Shepherd told the Newnan Rotary Club on Friday.

"The movies told us," she said. They were usually hardened criminals, gang members like Al Pacino's "Scarface," violent and irredeemable.

That's not what the face of addiction looks like today, she said.

"These are our children, our mothers, our fathers, aunts and uncles," said Shepherd. "That's what the drug problem is today."

There are now 35 people in the Coweta County Drug Court's two-year recovery/ alternative sentencing program, she said. They cover the age spectrum, from 18 to 59.

"They come from all walks of life," she said. "We even have ex-law enforcement in the program. It used to be that one out of seven people had used illegal drugs. Now that's down to one out of four."

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DRUNK-DRIVING, GUN TOTING SON OF RYAN O'NEAL ARRESTED ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CHARGES

Article from: laist.com

Jan 9, 2012 | No Comments
By Emma G. Gallegos

Griffin O'Neal, the son of actor Ryan O'Neal, rang in the new year from a San Diego Central Jail after being arrested on domestic violence charges.

Cops came to O'Neal's home in Ramona on 6:23 pm on New Year's Eve, after they received a 9-1-1 call that someone had been drinking too heavily at his home, according to the Los Angeles Times Times. When police arrived, they arrested O'Neal for behaving aggressively toward his wife, although police aren't describing exactly what happened that night.

What is clear is that O'Neal is facing a heap of legal trouble. O'Neal was already due to be sentenced next week after he crashed head-on into another car last August while driving under the influence of cocaine, marijuana, Xanax and amphetamines.

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KATE MIDDLETON'S NEW CAUSE: ADDICTION AND RECOVERY (video)

Article from: latimes.com

Jan 7, 2012 | No Comments
Picture dskj2.pngBy Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times/For the Booster Shots blog

Eight months after wedding England's Prince William, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge (formerly Kate Middleton), has revealed she will become a patron of the British charity Action on Addiction, which supports research, prevention and treatment of addiction, support for addicts' families and the education and training of those working in the field.

Action on Addiction is one of several charities to which the Duchess will lend her highly visible support: Other charities relate to Catherine's interest in the arts, including a charity that provides art therapy to children. She also announced she would become a patron of East Anglia's Children's Hospices, which help care for children with life-threatening illnesses.

The duchess' choices of organizations were announced Thursday. For some observers, her support of a charity focusing on addiction was reminiscent the late Princess Diana's decision to support the cause of HIV/AIDS--then a highly stigmatized disease--in the early 1980s. But with an estimated 1 in 3 Britons suffering from addiction at some point in their lives, the issue is hardly invisible: It touches families across the country.

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PRO SKATER GOES ON DRUG-FUELED RAMPAGE

Article from: nydailynews.com

Jan 7, 2012 | No Comments
image567.jpgCalifornia boarder had similar episode in June 2009

By John Doyle, Kerry Burke and Rich Schapiro

A pro skateboarder with a passion for God and psychedelic drugs was arrested Thursday after he went on a drug-fueled rampage inside a Midtown hotel wearing only his birthday suit, cops said.

Jereme Rogers, 26, was high on angel dust when he ran naked out of his room at the Afinia Shelburne hotel and started tearing down framed pictures lining an 11th floor hallway, sources said.

"It was a rampage," said a witness who declined to give her name. "He was screaming. We didn't even know what he was doing. He was incoherent and belligerent."

Rogers, a heavily-tattooed Californian who has appeared in several X Games and says his skills come from God, was taken to Bellevue Hospital. He was charged with criminal mischief and unlawful possession of marijuana, cops said.

"He has real problems," said a staffer of the Lexington Ave. hotel. "He must have been high on something powerful."

It isn't the first time Rogers' antics have landed him in hot water.

Continue Reading: nydailynews.com

DEMI LOVATO SAYS BEING SOBER IS 'SEXY'

Article from: nydailynews.com

Jan 6, 2012 | No Comments
Screen Shot 2012-01-06 at 9.43.32 AM.pngDemi Lovato says being sober is 'sexy': 'I think it's way cooler to be above the influence than under the influence'

Disney actress-singer tells Seventeen about hitting rock bottom

By: Joyce Chen

After a rough 2011, Demi Lovato is ready to kick off 2012 with a new outlook on life, and a new definition of "sexy."

"I think sober is sexy. It's cool," the Disney songstress tells the February issue of Seventeen. "I think it's way cooler to be above the influence than under the influence."

In the issue, Lovato, 19, speaks candidly about last year's downward spiral, which ended with her checking into rehab.

"I'm not gonna lie. I was self-medicating. I was doing things like drinking and using [drugs], like a lot of teens do to numb their pain," she says of her troubles.

But throughout her healing process, Lovato says she found two huge pillars of support in her fellow tween queens Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez.

"No matter how many times we fight, we will always be in each other's lives," she says. "[Miley Cyrus and I] are very strong-headed, so when we fight, it's brutal and we're like, 'We're never going to be friends again!' Then two days later, we're like, 'I love you and I miss you!'

Continue Reading: nydailynews.com

CAN HIGHER ALCOHOL PRICES CURB DRINKING?

Article from: foxnews.com

Jan 6, 2012 | No Comments
A new Canadian study suggests increasing the minimum price of beer, liquor and other alcoholic beverages may reduce how much people drink.

Researchers used data from the Canadian province of British Columbia, where the government sets the minimum price for alcohol and keeps information on its sales.

For every 10-percent price hike, they found people drank 3.4 percent less alcohol, and their consumption of particular drinks dropped even more.

"This is an important finding about an effective but under-utilized policy," said Dr. Tim Naimi, who studies alcohol control policies but wasn't involved in the new work.

In an email to Reuters Health, Naimi, of Boston University's School of Medicine, said raising the minimum price is "something of a silver bullet" when it comes to reining in drinking.

And it could have important implications for public health, said study researcher Tim Stockwell, because cutting back on alcohol might also help curb car accidents and ailments such as fatty liver disease.

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L.A. STAND-UP COMIC KILLED BY SUSPECTED DRUNK DRIVER

Article from: latimes.com

Jan 6, 2012 | No Comments
6a00d8341c630a53ef0168e506ccfa970c-600wi.jpgAngelo Bowers, a stand-up comedian and actor who performed in Los Angeles comedy clubs, was killed in a late-night Hollywood traffic collision that police say was caused by a drunk driver.

The driver caused two collisions just minutes apart, involving different vehicles on the streets of Hollywood. The second collision killed Bowers and seriously injured a friend in the car with him, fellow comedian Josh Adam Meyers, KTLA-TV reported.

A 21-year-old man driving under the influence of alcohol was involved in a hit-and-run crash near the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Argyle Avenue on Jan. 3 about 12:40 a.m., police say.

Five minutes later, the driver hit a second car at Vine and Yucca streets. The violent collision caused serious injury to both drivers of the vehicles, as well as a passenger.

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MEXICAN DRUG KINGPIN WHO INSPIRED 'TRAFFIC' PLEADS GUILTY IN US COURT

Article from: msnbc.com

Jan 6, 2012 | No Comments
Cartel leader Benjamin Arellano Felix was one of the world's most powerful drug bosses during the 1990s

SAN DIEGO -- Mexican drug kingpin Benjamin Arellano Felix pleaded guilty Wednesday to racketeering and conspiracy to launder money, avoiding the spectacle of a trial for the leader of a cartel that once smuggled hundreds of tons of cocaine and marijuana into the United States and dissolved bodies of its rivals in vats of lye.

Under an agreement with federal prosecutors, Arellano Felix, 58, can be sentenced to no more than 25 years in prison -- a lighter punishment than ordered for lower-ranking members of his once-mighty, Tijuana-based cartel. He also agreed to forfeit $100 million in profits.

Prosecutors agreed to dismiss other charges that could have brought 140 years in prison if he was convicted.

The half-hour hearing was an anticlimactic finish to the U.S. government's pursuit of one of the world's most powerful drug bosses during the 1990s.

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THIS VIETNAM STUDY ABOUT HEROIN REVEALS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT KICKING ADDICTION

Article from: businessinsider.com

Jan 5, 2012 | No Comments
vietnam.jpgDuring the Vietnam War, around 20% of U.S. servicemen were addicted to heroin. It was an epidemic.

To figure out what was going on, the U.S. government started checking every soldier for addiction before sending them home -- and those on drugs had to stay in the country until they were clean. Once they returned to the U.S., psychiatric researcher Lee Robins tracked their progress, reports Alix Spiegel at NPR.

Amazingly, only 5% relapsed on heroin use, according to Lee's research. When addicts were treated in the U.S., 90% relapsed.

This finding supports the theory that when it comes to behavioral change, environment is a key factor.

A change in attitude is not enough. For example, when a smoker sees the outside of his office building, he'll have a much stronger inclination to smoke than as if he were in a different environment, psychologist David Neal told NPR:

"People, when they perform a behavior a lot -- especially in the same environment, same sort of physical setting -- outsource the control of the behavior to the environment."

Continue Reading: businessinsider.com

CARNIE WILSON TALKS ADDICTION AND WEIGHT GAIN

Article from: sheknows.com

Jan 5, 2012 | No Comments
Screen Shot 2012-01-05 at 9.42.03 AM.pngBy: Perry WIlson

Carnie Wilson has never been shy about speaking publicly about her weight. The Celebrity Wife Swap star famously underwent gastric bypass in 1999 live on the Internet. She dropped a whopping 150 pounds thanks to the surgery, but has publicly struggled with her weight ever since. What does Carnie Wilson have to say about dropping weight in 2012? Read on to find out.

Carnie Wilson has always struggled with her weight. The 43-year-old pop star and married mother of 2 young girls hopes that 2012 will be the year that she takes off the weight for good. "I've had so much stress in the last year, so it's really a struggle," she tells FOX News. "I'm definitely up in weight. I'm looking forward to getting an exercise routine again. It's like a daily decision."

One of the main problems says the Celebrity Wife Swap star, who swapped lives with Tracey Gold in a recent episode,  is her inability to relax since she got sober in 2004. "I can't smoke a joint. I can't have a glass of wine because I want 10 joints and 10 glasses of wine. That's my obsessive compulsive and addictive behavior," she reveals. "I've really struggled since I've become sober."

How does the Wilson Phillips singer's struggle with her weight affect her two young daughters, Lola, 6, and Luciana, 2? "Lola knows I struggle with it. I see Lola loving sugar like all the other children, but I also see her pay a little more attention like when there's a birthday party. I see her being the first in line to get the cake.

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TON OF MARIJUANA SEIZED OFF VENTURA COUNTY COAST, 10 ARRESTED

Article from: latimes.com

Jan 5, 2012 | No Comments
About 2,000 pounds of marijuana were seized and 10 people were arrested Wednesday in an early-morning raid off the Ventura County coast, federal officials said.

Agents from the Department of Homeland Security raided the boat around 3 a.m. in an operation aimed at curbing drug trafficking along the coast.

The Ventura County Sheriff's Department said nine people were initially arrested, and another person who had been hiding among the rocks onshore was later arrested.

A similar boat as the one raided Wednesday -- known as a panga, or small, open watercraft powered by outboard motors -- was found Tuesday in Santa Barbara County, local officials said.

The boat was found abandoned near Refugio State Beach and was empty, but officials said it was apparent that the craft was used for drug smuggling.

Continue Reading: latimes.com

HOLIDAY HUNTING TRIP NEAR BORDER YIELDS HUNDREDS OF POUNDS OF DRUGS (video)

Article from: azfamily.com

Jan 4, 2012 | No Comments
Screen Shot 2012-01-04 at 9.32.53 AM.pngBy: Carina Sonn

SASABE, Ariz. -- A holiday hunting trip didn't yield any animals for a group of Valley men, but it did turn up hundreds of pounds of illegal drugs.

Pierre Mondotte was hunting white-tailed deer in Sasabe, which is located on the Mexican border, with a friend and his son.

"I've been trying to get a December tag for probably 20 years, they're not easy to draw," he said. "We found a lot of little deer but we didn't find the big one that we wanted to shoot."

On Thursday, Mondotte says he ran to the top of a mountain to hunt, and looked down to find bundles of marijuana.

Continue Reading: azfamily.com

RUSSELL BRAND VISITS ADDICTION CENTRE

Article from: zeenews.com

Jan 4, 2012 | No Comments
Russell-Brand-In-A-Suit.jpgLondon: Russell Brand was spotted visiting an addiction centre in London.

The comedian, who filed for divorce from his pop star wife Katy Perry on Friday citing 'irreconcilable differences', went to the Body doctor Interactive Fitness and Therapy studios in Belgravia accompanied by 'Florence And The Machine' singer Florence Welch, Daily Star reported.

It was 36-year-old's second visit to a therapy centre within 24 hours.

He had also visited the Focus 12 rehab centre in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, where he is the patron.

The former addict dropped into the recovery facility, which focuses on drug and alcohol addiction, in an attempt to lift the spirits of guests at the charity.

Continue Reading: zeenews.com

DRIVER PARALYZED IN CAR CRASH SUES THE BAR THAT SERVED HER ALCOHOL AS A MINOR

Article from: dailymail.co.uk

Jan 4, 2012 | No Comments
article-2081229-0F5157A700000578-164_468x309.jpgBy Leon Watson

A driver is suing a bar that served her alcohol as a minor the night she was paralysed in a car crash, it emerged today.

Chelsea Hess, now 22, filed a lawsuit claiming she went to Jock's Sports Grill in Beaumont, South Carolina, for a game of billiards when she was 20.

Miss Hess said she ordered an alcoholic drink at the bar in August 2009 and was served without being asked for identification, ABC News reported.

The legal drinking age in South Carolina is 21.

Miss Hess then left the bar at around 1.05am driving her own car and had a serious accident. Two years on she has accused the bar of negligence and blamed it for the crash.

Her allegations include that the bar failed to check her id, served alcohol to minors, and 'failed to ascertain whether Plaintiff was impaired by the consumption of alcoholic beverages at the time Plaintiff purchased the alcoholic beverage'.

Continue Reading: dailymail.co.uk

ONE OF 10 TEENS ADMIT TO DRUNKEN DRIVING ON NEW YEAR'S EVE

Article from: usatoday.com

Jan 3, 2012 | No Comments
teensx-large.jpgBy: Chris Woodyard

One out of 10 teen drivers say they have driven while drunk on New Year's Eve, according to a new survey. It's the worst holiday night of the year for driving after drinking, they say. The Fourth of July was in second place.

The Liberty Mutual insurance survey of nearly 2,300 11th and 12th graders also found a large majority, 94%, of teen drivers say that they would stop driving under the influence of alcohol or marijuana if asked by a passenger. Some 87% of teen passengers say they would ask a peer to stop driving after drinking. That's more than marijuana, which was 72%.

"New Year's Eve is a time to celebrate both the past year and the possibilities of the year to come, yet far too often poor decisions by teens result in tragic injuries and deaths," said Stephen Wallace, senior adviser at Students Against Drunk Drivers, or SADD.

Continue Reading: usatoday.com

JOCKEY REVIVES HER CAREER AFTER METH TROUBLES

Article from: cincinnati.com

Jan 3, 2012 | No Comments
Screen Shot 2012-01-03 at 9.15.26 AM.pngGreta Kuntzweiler is making the most of her second chance.

The 36-year-old jockey from Louisville has won more than 500 races in her career, with purse earnings that top $10 million.

Her career ascent began in the year 2000, when she won more than 100 races and was a finalist for an Eclipse Award as the leading apprentice jockey in North America. For the next few years she was recognized as one of the top female jockeys in the sport and captured a leading rider title at Turfway Park in Florence in 2002.

Then drugs threatened to ruin her career.

Kuntzweiler developed an addiction to methamphetamine and by 2005 her life was spiraling out of control. She won only 12 races that year.

In November 2006, Kuntzweiler was arrested and charged with several crimes related to the possession and manufacture of methamphetamine. Sitting in jail and facing a long prison term, her once-promising career appeared to be over.

Continue Reading: cincinnati.com

LETTING YOUR TEEN SIP ALCOHOL AT HOME: GOOD IDEA OR NOT?

Article from: abc.com

Jan 3, 2012 | No Comments
By: Monica Malpass

It's the holidays, and some families let their teens or young adults have a sip of wine, beer or liquor to celebrate along with the rest of the family. For some, it's part of a family tradition, having wine with the Christmas ham, tasting alcoholic eggnog and or ringing in the New Year with a beer.

It may seem harmless enough, and acquaintances of mine who do it with their children think it's better to expose their children to limited alcohol in a "safe" environment rather than leave them untested before they go off to college at age 18 yrs.

But the U.S. Surgeon General adamantly disagrees and in fact has issued a strong warning, in a "Call to Action." You can read the sobering report yourself at www.surgeongeneral.gov. I printed it out for my 11-year-old to read.

Continue Reading: abc.com

DANIEL RADCLIFFE CONFESSES HE ENJOYS SOBER LIFE

Article from: gather.com

Jan 2, 2012 | No Comments
Screen shot 2012-01-02 at 12.11.06 PM.pngBy: Katie Sharp-Dierks

Daniel Radcliffe, star of the Harry Potter film series, is relieved to be able to enjoy a calmer lifestyle after revealing this past summer that he secretly hid a drinking problem for years. According to WENN, the young actor insists he now enjoys socializing with his friends without worrying about what would happen after partying.He is certainly young to be so aware of how his drinking habits were affecting his life, but he is also obviously making the right decision.

"(My life is) a lot better and less chaotic. 449 or so days ago--but who's counting?--was my last drink. I just felt like I was chasing chaos and making my life difficult, all the time thinking I was having fun. So it feels very nice to not be putting myself in danger, to be waking up in the mornings and not thinking, 'Oh my god, who am I going to hear from? What did I do?'

Continue Reading: gather.com

'DANCING WITH THE STARS' ALUM DAVID ARQUETTE CELEBRATES ONE YEAR SOBER

Article from: examiner.com

Jan 2, 2012 | No Comments
David_37.jpgBy: Matt Carter

After a rather difficult year in 2010, David Arquette is officially turning things around. In a new post on Twitter, the actor and "Dancing with the Stars" alum proclaimed on Friday that he has officially been sober now for an entire year:

    "Today marks one year of sobriety for me ... I thank God for the strength and guidance and my family and friends for their love and support & I TY."

This year has marked a turnaround for Arquette both personally and professionally. He launched a new movie in "Scream 4," appeared on the hit ABC ballroom competition, and even started up a new relationship with reporter Christina McLarty.

Continue Reading: examiner.com
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