At our drug and alcoholism treatment center, we believe in our patients’ ability to succeed. With the help of our outstanding staff, we support our patients’ growth and recovery. We can help. (866) 930-4673
The colder parts of the country have always been plagued by alcoholism and addiction. Long winters and very little work is the perfect recipe for heavy drinking. In many parts of America there is no authority present to control drunk driving, which means that in a place like Alaska a person can drink for many years without seeing many consequences, if any, from the law. More deaths are caused by addiction in Alaska than any other one thing. In fact, "nine of the 10 leading causes of death in Alaska - all but Alzheimer's disease - include alcohol, tobacco or other drug addiction as an underlying cause", the Juneau Empire reported March 15.
David Driscoll of the University of Alaska Anchorage and colleagues examined seven underlying causes of death in communities in the north polar region of the globe. They determined that many deaths in Alaska are preventable with the aid of community programs and education about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Smoking is a leading cause of many health problems including cancer, heart disease and stroke. Alcohol use, aside from being highly addictive, can contribute to serious liver and pancreas problems, as well as, influence the onset of diabetes. There are many cases of people committing suicide while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. Cold, dark and depressing climates in conjunction with drugs and alcohol can be a recipe for disaster - many people simply lose the will to continue living.
Unfortunately, places like Alaska, Montana, and northern Maine have very limited education due to the lack of funding. It is very difficult getting teachers out to the middle of nowhere to teach a few kids. Many kids are home schooled and are influenced heavily by the actions of their parents. If a child is around a parent all the time who happens to have a drinking problem, the child will without a doubt adopt some of that parent's behavior. Without community outreach programs and better schools in rural areas it is unlikely this pattern of addiction related death will change.
Testing for drugs and alcohol has been a controversial subject for some time now. Employers have been drug testing employees to determine whether or not someone who works for them has a drug problem. What about people who strictly have an alcohol problem? Up until now there was no way to tell if someone had been up all night drinking whiskey. Not only does that affect places of employment determining whether or not someone has a problem, but, also drug treatment facilities that let their clients go about the town without supervision had no way to determine, short of a breathalyzer, whether or not clients had been drinking. Breathalyzers will tell you if someone is drunk, but it will not tell you if someone had been drunk recently. A blood test that could identify heavy drinkers could greatly help start the process of recovery much sooner.
Penn State University recently has been experimenting with alcohol and ways of identifying if someone is a heavy drinker. Researchers claim that by measuring a set of protein changes in the blood linked to alcohol use could help create a more precise test for identifying an alcohol problem."Unlike routine testing for illicit drugs, you can't just look for a trace of alcohol because many people enjoy a drink in a responsible manner and alcohol is very quickly metabolized. Discriminating between excessive and responsible levels of drinking makes this a greater challenge", said Willard M. Freeman, department of pharmacology and lead investigator, reported ANI.
17 proteins were identified by researchers at Penn State, which accurately predicted the amount of alcohol used 90 percent of the time, with non-human primates. The amount of alcohol consumed, directly affected the way protein levels would rise or fall in the subjects.
Researchers separated usage into three categories:
no alcohol use
drinking up to two drinks per day
drinking at least six drinks per day
"We observed that the levels of some proteins increased or decreased with as little as one or two drinks a day. These same changes occurred with heavier levels of drinking. We also found other proteins that responded only to heavy levels of drinking. Combined, these proteins allow us to classify subjects into non-drinking, alcohol-using, and alcohol-abusing groups," Freeman said.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 27.6 percent of 12- to 20-year-olds in the U.S. consumed alcohol in the past month. The report showed that New England and the upper Midwest are areas of the country where underage drinking is extremely high. Underage drinking has had a hand in the deaths of many teenagers every year form drunk driving accidents. Naively, teens do not fear the problems that come with alcohol like they do the problems associated with drugs; this misconception is a large reason why teen continue to drink. The research is out there, we now know the serious health problems that accompany alcohol; yet, today's youth does not seem to heed the warnings for one reason or another.
Another major concern with underage drinking is the development of alcoholism at a young age. Countless people come into this world with a predisposition to drink alcohol that they inherited from someone in their family tree. The younger a person is when problems like these come to the surface, the harder it will be to quit when the time comes. There is no age limit to being an alcoholic; the disease of alcoholism does not discriminate. Alcoholism at a young age can be very difficult to discern, for some parents, the idea that their child could have an alcohol problem is unfathomable. Parents need to be vigilant and keep tabs on their children's activity so that if there is a problem it can be dealt with sooner rather than later. Ask Questions!
Federal Data:
underage drinking rates were highest in North Dakota (40.6 percent) and Vermont (40.4 percent)
underage drinking rates were lowest in Utah (13.7 percent)
8.6 percent of underage drinkers were able to purchase their own alcohol, 18.8 percent in Louisiana and the District of Columbia
Underage drinkers in Alaska (3.1 percent) and New Mexico (3.7 percent) were the least likely to report buying their own booze.
The best thing a parent can do is talk to their kids about the dangers of alcohol, find news stories to provide examples that children can understand. There is no question, parents are the first line of defense against underage drinking; kids will look for guidance and they certainly model what they witness at home. Take a Stand!
Every year countless babies are born with defects or disorders as a result of the mothers actions during pregnancy. The substances a mother consumes, just like the food she eats, eventually finds its way to the fetus greatly increasing the chances of the baby having health problems. Extensive research has been done in the way of studies and experiments that prove that the effects of drugs and alcohol are monumental.
HealthDay News reported that a study done by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, found that babies exposed to methamphetamine and alcohol before birth have smaller caudate nucleus regions in the brain than non-exposed children or children exposed to alcohol only in the womb. What are caudate nucleus regions?
The caudate nucleus helps with:
learning
memory
motor control
motivation
Researchers who worked on the study compared and contrasted brain scans of 13 children exposed to alcohol in the womb, 21 children exposed to both methamphetamine and alcohol, and 27 children whose mothers did not use anything. "We know that alcohol exposure is toxic to the developing fetus and can result in lifelong brain, cognitive and behavioral problems," said researcher Elizabeth Sowell of the University of California at Los Angeles. "In this study, we show that the effects of prenatal meth exposure, or the combination of meth and alcohol exposure, may actually be worse. Our findings stress the importance of drug abuse treatment for pregnant women."
This information is not all that surprising, if alcohol is bad for a baby, then alcohol and meth would be terrible. Drugs and alcohol rob a child of their chances for success, babies need pollutant free environments to develop in; otherwise Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and, or, a sleuth of other health problems will result. There are many drug and alcohol treatment facilities that specialize in the recovery of pregnant addicts; any pregnant women that wants assistance getting clean, have the opportunity to give their baby a chance at life.
The state of Maryland is making big steps to bring automobile ignition interlocks into effect. Three bills are being considered in Maryland that would require that first time DUI offenders as well as those charged with drunken driving who receive probation before judgment use ignition interlocks. Ignition interlocks are devices that attach to the ignition of a vehicle, before the car will start the driver must blow into a tube that reads their blood alcohol level; even if theirs is even a .01 BAC the vehicle will not start. The driver will be alerted when driving around to pull over and breathe into the tube periodically, in an attempt to keep drivers from drinking after they start their vehicle.
Interlocks have been used in California for quite a few years and they have been relatively effective in deterring drunk driving. As July 1, 2009 the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) required that any driver convicted of driving with a suspended license due to a prior alcohol-related suspension to install an ignition interlock device in any vehicle (owned or operated) by the offender for one to three years. It would seem that this law would keep anyone from driving drunk, but, sadly there are still thousands of DUI offenders every year in California.
Maryland's House of Delegates three proposed bills provided by the Washington Post:
HB 515, sponsored by Del. Tanya Thornton Shewell(R-Carroll), would require use for one year without exception.
HB 630, sponsored by Del. Luiz Simmons (D-Montgomery), would require use up to three years, although a judge is permitted to rule otherwise after considering whether the violation involved personal injury or property damage; whether the driver willingly submitted to an alcohol test; whether an interlock would be a hardship on the driver or the driver's family; whether the driver has received treatment for alcohol abuse; whether the driver poses a danger; whether the driver is likely to drive drunk again; and whether there are "any other factors bearing on the interests of the defendant or the public."
HB 743, sponsored by Del. Benjamin F. Kramer (D-Montgomery), requires use for at least six months without exception.
It appears that all three bills will have a strong effect on the drunk drivers in Maryland, but it is hard to say which would be the most effective. What are your thoughts on ignition interlocks?
"But one led to two, two led to four, four led to eight, until at the end it was about 85 a day".
The teen movie icon from the 80's, Corey Haim, may have finally succumbed to his addiction. Haim battled drug and alcohol addiction over the years going in and out of drug treatment facilities, as well as dealing with a number of medical issues. No one is entirely sure the exact cause of his death, but everyone has their suspicions. In 2007, Haim is reported saying to Larry King in an interview on "Larry King Live", that he would be a "chronic relapser for the rest of my life". While the actor was filming "The Lost Boys" he started doing drugs, this was the beginning of the end for the star who would never have another hit movie staying out of the spotlight for the most part over the last 20 years.
"I was working on 'Lost Boy's when I smoked my first joint," he told the British tabloid, The Sun, in a 2004 interview, "I did cocaine for about a year and a half, then it led to crack". Haim stated in the interview that while in rehab for the first time he was exposed to prescription medications like Valium and other strong sedatives. It did not come as a big surprise when four (4) different prescription medication bottles were found in the actor's apartment which he shared with his mother. The contents of the bottles have not been released as of yet, but, it is more than likely that what was in those bottles played a part in the actor's death. "I started on the downers which were a hell of a lot better than the uppers because I was a nervous wreck", The Sun reported. "But one led to two, two led to four, four led to eight, until at the end it was about 85 a day."
In the last few years Haim was trying to make a big comeback in Hollywood, letting people know that he was hungry for work. In 2007, Haim and teen star friend Corey Feldman, costarred in an A&E reality show called "The Two Coreys". It was cancelled after two seasons but it was a good start for the actor who has been out of the business for many years. In 2009, he appeared with Jason Statham in "Crank: High Voltage" and he had movies in line for 2010.
LA County Coroner's Office Assistant Chief said to reporters that Haim stumbled out of bed around 1am this morning and collapsed right in front of his mother. She called 911 and an ambulance rushed Corey to the hospital - Haim was pronounced dead at 2:15am.
Parents may have a reason to be concerned about the results of a recent study sponsored by the MetLife Foundation. After a decade of reports showing decline, the study released Tuesday found alcohol and marijuana use among teens is on the rise. The Partnership for a Drug-Free America conducted a study with teens in grades 9 through 12, where 3,287 teens were surveyed by researchers. Data was collected from teens who filled out questionnaires anonymously from March to June 2009.
Up until last year pot and alcohol use had been steadily declining since 1998, but, now 50 percent of teens reported drinking in the last month and 27 percent used marijuana. Today, for whatever reason, teenagers are not as worried about the long term effects of using drugs and alcohol. Marijuana has certainly become more acceptable in households around the country as a result of medical marijuana - but alcohol is any one's guess. The study showed that teens are more accepting of their friends using drugs and alcohol even if they, themselves, do not.
The annual survey found:
Teens in grades 9 through 12 who reported drinking alcohol in the last month rose 11 percent last year - about 6.5 million teens reporting alcohol use. Up from 35 percent in 2008.
25 percent of teens reported smoking marijuana in the last month, up from 19 percent.
Six percent of teens said they used Ecstasy in the past month, up from 4 percent.
About 1 in 7 teens reported abusing a prescription pain medication in the last year.
About 8 percent of the teens questioned reported over-the-counter cough medicine abuse in the past year.
Teen steroid and heroin use remained low at 5 percent for lifetime use.
If you believe that your child might be abusing drugs or alcohol it is crucial for you to step in. Early detection of addiction can be so important for getting your child the help they need; the longer the problem is left unchecked the harder it will be to intervene. Fortunately, with the rising numbers of reported use there are plenty of options available to seek out for guidance. Sean Clarkin, director of strategy at The Partnership for a Drug-Free America, said, "Monitor them more closely, talk with them about drugs, set rules and consult outside help, like a counselor, doctor, clergy or other resource".
Red Bull is commonly mixed with Vodka or Jagermeister
The dangers of mixing two different types of drugs are paramount! The power of stimulants, like cocaine, alongside debilitating central nervous center depressants (CNSD's), like Alcohol, is extremely dangerous. When someone introduces stimulants into the blood stream when they are already intoxicated from alcohol the effect is opposite what one might think. Stimulants give the drinker the feeling that they are not that intoxicated, not only can they drink more but they could also negotiate driving home; this common misconception is a deadly one to have, in no way does the addition of stimulants into one's body make you less drunk - only more awake.
What about stimulants like caffeine, could it have a similar perception altering affect? A study appeared in the journal of Addictive Behaviors this month which had some interesting data worth sharing on alcohol mixed with energy drinks. The study was conducted by the University of Florida and consisted of 800 young drinkers at bars between the hours of 10pm and 3am. The study observed that people who drank alcohol mixed with caffeine appeared to be more intoxicated than those who consumed pure alcohol. Furthermore, they found that people who were mixing were also much more likely to say they intended to drive home. According to the study: "Patrons who had consumed alcohol mixed with energy drinks were at a three-fold increased risk of leaving a bar highly intoxicated...As well as a four-fold increased risk of intending to drive on leaving the bar district, compared to other drinking patrons who did not consume alcoholic beverages mixed with energy drinks".
It seems like since the advent of drinks like Red Bull and Rockstar energy drinks people have been concerned: Besides being terribly unhealthy, for some reason they tend to confuse an intoxicated person into thinking they are sharp as a tack - nothing could be further from the truth. It is possible that at some point the mixing of alcohol and caffeine will be outlawed, there are some bars which have made a preemptive strike and no longer allow the mixing of energy drinks with alcohol. Alcohol mixed with energy drinks can be a fatal cocktail and should be avoided.
A new study has shown that parents providing alcohol for the teenagers at home may be the wrong thing to do. The study which was published in Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs claims that although parents may have good intentions by teaching responsible drinking, it appears to have the opposite effect on teenagers. There are some experts who claim that parents that drink with their teenage children are teaching them how to drink responsibly and that it will also limit the amount of alcohol outside of the home. The recent study conducted flies in the face of that line of reasoning.
Researchers worked with 428 Dutch families in order to conduct the study. The 428 families had two children between the ages of 13 and 15; they answered questionnaires on their drinking habits at the outset of the study and again one and two years later. The results showed that the more teenagers were allowed to consume alcohol at home, the more alcohol they would drink outside the home; in turn the children had a greater propensity for problems. The study also showed that children who drank under their parents' supervision had a heightened risk of encountering alcohol involved problems.
The idea that children will model their parent behavior when it comes to drinking is absolutely unfounded and untrue. The leader of the study Dr. Haske van der Vorst of Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands claims that the old belief was based off common sense and not scientific evidence. "For example, the thinking is that if parents show good behavior -- here, modest drinking -- then the child will copy it. Another assumption is that parents can control their child's drinking by drinking with the child, I would advise parents to prohibit their child from drinking, in any setting or on any occasion", said van der Vorst. The best way to promote responsible drinking is to limit the teenager's exposure, who children drink with or where children drink alcohol does not have the effect that doctors had once hoped.
Rock n Roll and alcohol have a long history! Bands are notorious for excessive drinking and drugging, almost like consumption is part of their job description. Sadly, over the years since the birth of rock n roll alcohol has directly and indirectly taken the life of some of the most talented musicians. Rock legends such as: John Bonham of the band Led Zeppelin died as a result of asphyxiation, Jimi Hendrix died of respiratory arrest caused by alcohol and Barbiturates, and Keith Moon of the Who had an accidental overdose on anti-seizure medication prescribed for alcoholism. The list of drug related overdoses associated with rock n roll is pretty long; many addicts never experience the adverse effects of alcohol because drug overdoses claim their life first.
Unfortunately, when the music stops the addiction will linger around. Rock n Roll Stars in their 60's are still battling alcoholism and drug addiction. It has been reported by the Telegraph that, "Keith Richards, the Rolling Stones guitarist and wild man of rock-and-roll, has given up alcohol, it has been reported". Alcohol is finally catching up to Keith, who received orders from his physician to stop drinking and Richards has not touched alcohol in four months. Richards has witnessed the effect that alcohol has had on friend and former band mate Ronnie Wood's life. Richards claims that he has out lived many of the doctors who have advised him to stop drinking over the years. However, Keith Richards' behavior had an adverse effect on his life four years ago after falling out of a tree in Fiji while drunk, suffering a brain hemorrhage.
There are not any reports that Richards entered treatment or is working any kind of 12 step program. Hopefully, he will find that life is worth so much more while sober and that recovery is one gift after another. Without any doubt, Richards, has lost many close friends to the disease of alcoholism and doesn't want the same for himself. "He has watched Ronnie fall well and truly off the wagon last year and he doesn't like what he sees. Plus he has started to feel for the first time like it might do him some good to give up the booze for a while".
The holidays are well known to be tough times for many people suffering from alcoholism. In Russia where alcoholism rates among men are through the roof causing a low life expectancy, the government is taking steps to curb the mass flow of alcohol. The minimum price on vodka was put into action in Russia on Friday. President Dmitry Medvedev is trying to fight back against alcoholism, the holidays in Russia are known for excessive drinking. The price of the cheapest vodka has nearly doubled and steps are being taken to triple the excise duty on beer as well as limit the places it can be sold. The Washington Post reported that, "in August, Medvedev ordered tough measures to curb alcohol abuse, saying he was shocked by official data showing the average Russian drank 18 liters (38 pints) of pure alcohol each year".
Medvedev is not the first Russian leader to tackle the alcohol question, alcohol has had an adverse effect on the country for generations. Former President Mikhail Gorbachev, the creator of Perestroika (restructuring) referring to the restructuring of the Soviet political and economic system, declared war on alcoholism in 1985. Gorbachev cut alcohol production as well as set up strict controls in order to cut public alcohol consumption. Unfortunately, very little success if any came of the alcohol reforms; people began to brew alcohol illegally, low quality moonshine type alcohol.
"The average monthly salary of 18,702 roubles ($651) would have bought 368 bottles of the cheapest vodka available before the New Year in an online supermarket, but 210 bottles now," according to the Washington Post. Hopefully, Medvedev has better success than Gorbachev, but, it is highly unlikely that better results will be seen. Alcoholics will find a way around the new restrictions and price increases. An increase in price will never deter an addict from getting what they need, for an alcoholic not drinking isn't an option. Drug and alcohol treatment is a much better deterrent against alcoholism than price increases and restrictions will ever be.
At this point it is probably safe to say that the majority of Americans are familiar with the Taconic Parkway tragedy from back in July. Where Diane Schuler drove the wrong way down the Taconic Pkwy with five children in a minivan, drunk and stoned; crashing head-on with a SUV carrying three people. A total of eight people died in the wreck, the sole survivor was Diane Schuler's five-year-old Brian Schuler; it's is a blessing that more were not injured in that horrific accident. Schuler's husband Daniel has repeatedly claimed that Diane was not an alcoholic and that she hardly ever drank, furthermore, Daniel states that he had never seen her drunk. As for the marijuana, well, apparently that was only for medicinal purposes to help her sleep. Daniel Schuler went so far as to hire a private detective to dispute the toxicology findings, but, basically the investigator Tom Rushkin has been hired to poke holes in the case against Diane. The latest defense put forth is interesting to say the least! Tom Ruskin stated, "That Taconic mom Diane Schuler couldn't have been drunk and high when she crashed her car driving the wrong way down the Taconic because she ordered Chicken Selects from McDonalds four hours earlier", reports The Village Voice. One has to wonder how it is possible, after seven innocent people lost their lives, that Rushkin and Schuler's husband could think that would prove her innocence.
Apparently, Schuler could not have been drunk or stoned, she argued with a McDonalds' employee and demanded to speak to a manager about ordering something not on the breakfast menu - Chicken Selects. A McDonalds' employee who served Schuler filled out an affidavit and failed to mention that Schuler seemed intoxicated, and that is the argument in a nutshell. Maybe Schuler wasn't inebriated at the McDonalds, but, there was another four hours until the fatal crash which would be plenty of time to drink and smoke. Diane "was seen by three witnesses vomiting at the side of the road on the morning of the crash. At the time of that report, Ruskin said that if it was Schuler vomiting, it proved that she was incapacitated by illness and not by pot and alcohol", according to The Village Voice. It is unbelievable how hard evidence against Diane Schuler keeps popping up and Rushkin keeps dreaming up magical alternatives to why Schuler couldn't be intoxicated. Incapacitated by illness, like alcohol has never made people vomit when they mix alcohol with pot?
Diane Schuler was an alcoholic who took the lives of many people with her addiction. The evidence all points in the same direction and the longer people try to cover for Diane the worse it makes her and the entire family look. Is it possible that Diane hid her disease from everyone, sure it's possible; but, there are people out there who know what happened on that tragic day and they are not speaking up. If anything, the truth is owed to the loved ones of the deceased; why belabor this tragedy any longer. Everyday, people get behind the wheel intoxicated even with children, as we saw in Schuler's case; New York just passed a bill that makes driving intoxicated with a child in the car a felony. Unfortunately, laws have very little sway against an addicted mind.
The video below seems slow and pointless until the end when everything suddenly speeds up. Or at least that is how it appears. We wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving.
About 37 percent of people who need and seek out drug and alcohol treatment do not get it because they cannot afford it. Sadly, many people end up in jail or prison before they ever go to treatment. In a lot of cases getting caught up in the legal system is a direct result of states not providing adequate drug treatment availability. In the last year a number of states have even cut spending on drug treatment. What is interesting about cutting spending on drug treatment is that sending someone to treatment is significantly less expensive than prison. New York has become a testing ground for the potential to expand treatment programs.
The Rockefeller drug laws enacted in the 70's were reformed this year, this is a huge step in the right direction and will save more lives. Now, nonviolent offenders who would have faced long, mandatory prison terms will be provided treatment and New York will be injecting $50 million in the treatment programs state wide. "An estimated 80 percent of the 60,000 offenders in New York's prisons have substance abuse problems", according to the Associated Press. Expanding drug treatment is the most logical decision and makes clear that the disease concept of addiction is starting to make sense to politicians.
Unfortunately, California recently cut $250 million designated for rehabilitation services throughout the prisons and jails. This has done nothing but cost California more money in the long run by contributing to recidivism, in a prison full of addicts there is only one solution that has proven to work - treatment. Congress recently passed a bill that will in the near future prohibit insurance companies from denying insurance based on pre-existing health conditions. This will allow more people to get health insurance thus giving more addicts the option of life saving drug treatment - hopefully. Sadly, many insurance companies do not cover the cost of detox or treatment despite it being classified and accepted as a disease; perhaps, when this bill in Washington is completely worked out, that will no longer be the case. It is time to give people the care they deserve, treatment is always a better choice than prison.
What if your secrets had the power to take the lives of innocent people? Every day millions of people struggle with the disease of addiction under the radar of their friends and family. The stigmas that accompany alcoholism drive many high functioning alcoholics into the closet. The thought of being branded an alcoholic by one's peers is too much for a mother or father that suffers from the disease to handle. High functioning addicts work overtime to cover up their problem, with the hope that they can go just one more day undetected.
Unfortunately, those same high functioning alcoholics are the people, the Diane Schuler's, we have seen in the news lately. Addiction can be invisible and go unchecked by friends and family for many years, then, tragically one day an accident takes place that strips innocent people of their lives. Oprah recently did a special covering the topic of mothers who have managed to hide their addiction from everyone and then were in horrific accidents. She talked with the family members of the people who died in the Schuler accident, as well toxicology experts who were involved with case. What is clearly evident is that many people, even after the accident, are in denial about the severity of Diane Schuler's problem; Schuler's husband even hired a private investigator to prove that the toxicology reports were false and that there is no way she was an alcoholic or was even drinking that day - let alone high on marijuana. Only three months after the accident, Oprah's special on Diane Schuler's accident points out and makes even more clear that it is very difficult to argue with science; there is no sense trying to prove that Schuler was not an alcoholic, what matters is spreading the message that we need to confront our loved ones if we suspect there is a problem.
Denial is a major component to addiction thriving inside people unchecked. Diane Schuler's family's protestations that there was no problem is very hard to believe given the evidence. Even after the tragedy, a tragedy that took seven innocent people's lives, Schuler's husband will not face the facts. This story has brought a surge of women who are stepping up and declaring that they have a problem which they have managed to hide; before anything tragic happens in their lives it is time to start speaking out to raise awareness. There is no reason children's lives should be placed in jeopardy, if you recognize that there is a problem with a friend or family member the responsible thing to do is speak out about it. You never know how many lives could be saved by a single act of concern; there are many support networks that can be tapped in order to save someone from the disease of addiction.
How much is your life worth or the life of someone dear to you? The United States spends nearly $500 billion annually to help in the fight against addiction and sadly the money is poorly managed which leaves very little room for success. Alcohol and drug addiction is perhaps the hardest disease to treat and is certainly the disease that is the least understood. 105,000 Americans each year die as a result of complications directly related to drugs and alcohol, that number is higher than traffic accident related deaths in over 15 states. The cost of even attempting to start a new life, one free of addiction, is staggering; because of that it is very difficult for most addicts to get the treatment that they need. Sadly, treatments controlled by the state are not managed properly and their success rate is minimal; for those who can afford to go to private pay drug treatment facilities success rates are much higher. Substance Abuse Emergency Detox Cost over $1,300, and clearly most bottom of the barrel drunks do not have that kind of money lying around. With an annual bill of 500 billion dollars, one would think that the state organized treatment options would have better numbers - where is the money going?
The Times Union of Albany New York reported that, "of each dollar spent, 96 cents goes to the criminal justice system and health care costs, 'shoveling up the wreckage' in the phrase of a recent study by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. Less than 4 cents of every dollar goes to prevention, treatment and research, 'a reckless misapplication of public funds,' the study concluded". Unfortunately, the majority of state funds go towards a group of repeat offenders who have been to: detox, treatment, jail, and hospitals several times over. "In Albany County, about $12 million, mostly state funds, is spent each year where about 100 individuals chronically addicted to alcohol and drugs consume the bulk of services and funding. They typically also are homeless, mentally ill and suffer from a myriad of physical ailments", according to the Times Union. About have of that number, 43, people can be seen in emergency room detox units with blood alcohol content levels around .30% as much as two dozen times a month. If you do the math, at $1,300 a day per person, the bill could reach $26,000 a month.
I cannot help but think that 4 cents on the dollar is not enough funding to make any head way in the prevention, treatment, and research of addiction. Perhaps if the state funding was allocating properly, the chances for individual success and less repeat offenders could be possible. The disease of addiction has been around since the dawn of civilization and is not going anywhere; if we use more money for research and less for imprisonment perhaps more lives could be saved every year from this terrible affliction. The tools are available for people to make a successful recovery, but, unfortunately people are not using those tools to their fullest potential or are not being properly taught how to harness the power of them. Until the United States figures out how to allocate spending appropriately, the longer unnecessary deaths will continue.
On Monday the U.S. Supreme Court denied a hearing of appeal from Brandy Holmes, who suffers from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and is on death row for murder in Louisiana. Holmes' attorneys argued that FAS was not considered in her sentencing. Not only did the Supreme Court decline to hear the appeal, but, according to CNN, "the justices gave no reason for rejecting the appeal, which challenged the constitutionality of Louisiana's capital sentencing procedures and argued that Brandy Holmes' alleged developmental disabilities should disqualify her from execution". There is no reason why someone with mental disabilities who functions like a 10-12 year old should be executed in the United States of America. In the 21st century one would think that we would have an understanding of mental disorders and the constitutionality of punishing people with them the same way as others. There is no legitimate reason why the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome appeal should have been denied when previously the Supreme Court had banned the execution of the mentally retarded.
There is not a doubt that Holmes belongs in prison with a life sentence, but if some mentally retarded people are exempt from execution then every mental disability should be as well. "Experts on fetal alcohol syndrome call it the nation's leading preventable cause of mental retardation. As many as 40,000 newborns in the United States are affected each year by their mother's alcohol use, according to an advocacy group. The syndrome can lead to brain damage, behavioral problems and intellectual disabilities", as reported on CNN. We are just now starting to understand the complexities and inconsistencies that exist with this disorder. There are varying degrees of FAS and sometimes the disorder cannot be seen physically. Tom Donaldson, the president of the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, believes that "Brandy has a hallmark case of FAS", that is why Brandy received NOFAS support with her appeal. "In a petition to the justices, Holmes' attorney, Charles Ogletree, argued the Louisiana Supreme Court did not "review the extensive mitigating circumstances that limited Ms. Holmes's moral culpability and compare them to the mitigating circumstances presented in similar cases. The [state] court also failed to consider that petitioner's co-defendant received a death sentence and that the prosecutor stated at the co-defendant's trial that he (and not the petitioner) was the more culpable party", reports CNN.
Brandy Holmes may be high functioning for someone with FAS as she was able to contribute to such a serious crime, but, mitigating circumstances should and must be considered. The Supreme Courts banning of executions for the mentally retarded is a good thing, but, the justices established no clear benchmark on IQ test results to guide criminal courts which has created loopholes for certain defendants like Holmes to fall into. Holmes has been living with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome; a life sentence given to her by her mother, maybe the State of Louisiana should do the same!
Tomorrow, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) will be front and center in the Supreme Court. The case of Holmes v. Louisiana has raised a lot of controversy regarding FAS, and whether or not someone with the disorder should be eligible for the death penalty. "Brandy Holmes, is a 29-year-old woman with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome currently on death row in Louisiana. She and a codefendant were convicted of a 2003 murder in Louisiana. Brandy's lead attorney is noted Harvard Professor Charles Ogletree", according to the PR Newswire. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is the number one preventable form of retardation in the world; there are 40,000 newborns each year just in the United States. There are more cases annually than: autism, Downs syndrome, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, spina bifida, and sudden infant death syndrome - combined.
There are many states that do not execute people who suffer from mental disabilities; society believes that to be inhumane. "Thirty-three states and the Federal Government don't execute persons with mental retardation - 16 more than only ten years ago. Evolving standards of decency place Brandy's case squarely within the precedent established by the court and society with regard to intellectual disabilities and the ultimate punishment". It is clear that Brandy, a person named after her mother's favorite drink, is a convicted murderer that deserves the consideration of mitigating circumstances. "Brandy has a hallmark case of FAS. Her mother testified that she drank throughout her pregnancy, and in fact named her daughter after her favorite drink", states NOFAS President Tom Donaldson. NOFAS is the The National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome; they fight for the rights of those who suffer from the disorder. NOFAS is there for children, as well as adults, who seek help for the wide range of problems associated with the disorder.
The statistics are available and the evidence is clear, we cannot continue to ignore this problem. The effects that alcohol have upon a pregnancy are devastating and we can no longer ignore the truth. Brandy may have committed the act of murder, but, because of her disability she should be granted a stay of execution. There needs to be more awareness via education regarding what alcohol does to babies. Donaldson believes that there needs to be more campaigns for the cause, "It's time to stop playing Russian roulette when it comes to alcohol and pregnancy". It is the 21st century, in an era of technology and information there is no excuse for why so many children are still born with such a disadvantage.
We have discussed Fetal Alcohol Syndrome earlier this month and we will continue to follow this story. We will watch to see if the Supreme Court makes a decision to hear Brandy Holmes' case.
The younger you start drinking the more problems you will have! Studies have now shown that if you start drinking below the age of 15, when your brain is not fully developed, it could inadvertently start a snowball effect by bringing to light one's predisposition towards alcoholism. Taking that first drink at a young age, "may induce changes in the highly sensitive adolescent brain, which may also modify an individual's subsequent genetic vulnerability to [alcohol dependence]", states Arpana Agrawal, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine and an author of the study, said in a university news release". Alcohol has the ability to change the biology of one's brain by altering particular cells. This study of 6,257 adult twins was published on September 18 and will be in print in the December issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
"Those who had their first drink later in life showed far fewer signs of alcohol dependency, despite the genetic predisposition", Agrawal noted according to the Health Daily News. This idea makes sense, considering all the new understandings we have of the brain and its development; the more time the brain is given to develop, the less chance of dependency developing. The brain is a fragile organ that is "impressionable"; protecting the brain at the adolescent age is of the utmost importance. It is so crucial that we educate the youth to the dangers of alcohol, if kids think that the effects of alcohol are minor, then they will be more inclined to drink. The average kid may not have anything to worry about; however, there are a percentage of people who carry the gene of alcoholism which can be brought to life at a time when the brain is immature; inevitably, the disease will be brought into action and quitting will be impossible without help.
Carol A. Prescott, a professor of psychology at the University of Southern California, said the findings had two possible conclusions. "Early drinking changes the course an individual is on, and is thus a direct cause of increased [alcohol dependency] risk, and early drinking is correlated with [alcohol dependency] risk and is thus an indirect indicator of ... risk," she said in the news release. Agrawal believes that we can use the findings of the study to help educate parents so that they can educate their children. "The researchers plan to do a similar study that looks at older and younger groups in Australia and the United States to try to duplicate their findings", reports the Health Daily News. Education is one of the only defenses against the disease of addiction, a preemptive strike is necessary in this battle to protect our youth.
10,000 people walked across the Brooklyn Bridge to raise awareness about drug and alcohol recovery on Saturday. The idea was to send the message that that there is help if you want it and that the disease of addiction is treatable. Only ten percent of the 22 million people suffering from the disease ever get the treatment they need despite there being several options available. New York State has repealed the harsh Rockefeller drug laws and is trying to replace incarceration with treatment; Governor Paterson was at 'The A & E Recovery Project ' to show his support for such a wonderful cause. "We are giving individual judges the opportunity to choose what will be a treatment protocol for defendants when they are sentenced," said Paterson. "We are giving people a second chance."
Smokey Robinson performed at the free concert for all the recovering addicts because he himself is one. According to WPIX TV, "My message to them is to get help immediately," said Robinson. "I don't care what source you use or where you go. Get help immediately."
Remember, September is National Recovery Month. And this September is the 20th Anniversary of the National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. Recovery events like this are happening across the United States. We invite you to watch this video from WPIX and celebrate your or your loved one's recovery.
The warning signs are out there, yet mothers continue to drink while pregnant. Why? Parents who drink alcohol exponentially increase the chance of their baby being born with birth defects. If we added up all the cases of children being born each year with Spina Bifida, Down Syndrome, and Muscular Dystrophy it would still be less than FASD cases, according to the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder occurs when pregnant women consume alcohol and there are 40,000 cases of this every year in the United States. Despite awareness groups and doctors plastering the TV with their concerns, the problem lingers on. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is an invisible disability.
According to the Center for Disease Control, there is not a safe amount of alcohol of any kind to consume while one is pregnant. The Chicago Tribune interviewed Edward Riley, of San Diego State University, one of the nation's leading researchers on FASD: "There's a lot of stigma associated with alcohol abuse and this spills over into FASD, for biological parents, it is difficult ... it means they have to be willing to admit that they were a contributor. And for adoptive parents, it means that the perfect family they were looking for might not become a reality". The common belief with a certain number of people is that if the child does not have facial abnormalities then it does not have FASD; sadly, this is a common misconception because the range of problems can be behavioral only. Kathy Mitchell, of the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS) states that there are very few medical schools teaching their students how to spot the whole spectrum of issues that can be associated with FASD. "Unless a child has profound features or adopted from Russia, the possibility of FASD is never even thought of," claims Mitchell.
Today, 09/09/09, is the International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Awareness Day, where all across the world at 9:09 am bells will be rung to help raise awareness of the disorder. When FASD occurs more than: autism, Down Syndrome, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, and HIV, it is hard to believe that there is not more awareness out there. Where are the celebrities? Where are the ribbon bumper stickers that we see for just about every other cause? The time has come to stop sweeping this disorder under the rug; it's not fair to the future born that parents can jeopardize their futures by drinking alcohol. Perhaps there should be severe penalties for women who drink during their pregnancies. Driving while intoxicated is illegal, why shouldn't gestating while intoxicated be too?
"If you're pregnant don't drink. If you drink don't get pregnant."
Addiction is 'cunning, baffling, and powerful'; strong words with a lot of weight and even more truth! Diane Schuler killed four members of her family, herself, and three men in another vehicle in a devastating accident that has gripped the nation. An accident that has the world wondering what exactly goes on right in front of their eyes. The idea that everyone knows someone that is hiding their addiction can be hard to swallow; after close examination, when you scratch beneath the surface it can sometimes reveal things that we wish we were not aware of. What can make a person snap, drink alcohol and smoke pot while caring for several children is no mystery. The mystery is how no one saw this coming or spoke up about it before something occurred like what happened on the Taconic. Alcohol addiction and the lies that come along with it destroys families.
The truth is that most people know very little about alcoholism and addiction; even more so they don't understand how to intervene before it is too late and something bad happens. Ultimately when something bad happens, like in Schuler's case and even Jackson's case, everyone is in denial about what was actually going on. Denial is the first response in families and friends when something terrible occurs, it's the natural order. No one wants to believe the unbelievable! I think in most people's minds they feel somewhat responsible for the fallout of their loved one's explosions, again a natural occurrence. The fact of the matter is that everyday people's lives are forever altered by addiction, whether first hand or second; education is the only barrier, the only defense against the disease of addiction.
If you think you are seeing signs, then you probably are. If you know someone who is afflicted with this disease (and we all do), take the first step. Learn what you can and must do. I invite you to watch an ABC News Nightline Report "Hidden Addictions."
Someone once said, "Some people fail to notice; others fail to care."
The country is still wondering how the car crash that left eight people dead on the Taconic Parkway could have happened. The husband of the intoxicated driver, Diane Schuler, insists that his wife was not an alcoholic and that there must have been something else operating on that tragic day; claiming that a possible 'stroke-like' attack could have been the cause of everything that happened on the Taconic. With a blood alcohol level of .19% and high on marijuana it is hard to believe that there was not a problem; even if she was not an alcoholic, we could even remove alcohol form the entire picture, there is no reason why she should been "high" with five children in the car with her. Nevertheless, Diane Schuler was high and drunk when she drove the wrong way towards oncoming traffic. It seems that the writing is pretty clear and that Schuler's husband may have been in the dark about her substance abuse problem. It's highly unlikely, but, possible he did not see that his wife had a problem.
On the other hand, Mr. Schuler was arrested for a DUI over ten years ago and so it stands to reason that he could be an alcoholic as well. Furthermore, Diane Schuler's husband has to argue that this was out of the ordinary behavior because he let her drive away with the kids that morning; if he admits to knowing about his wife's addiction he could be held partially responsible for the events of that day. Some journalists are reporting and I find it interesting that Mr. Schuler's son, the only survivor that day, may not have been released back to his father until the authorities decide whether it is a safe and healthy environment. Mr. Schuler has hired a top-notch attorney to represent him, almost as if he knows that he did something wrong that day. They argue that a possible 'stroke-like attack is to blame for such irrational behavior on the Taconic by Diane Schuler; experts say that it is highly unlikely that was the cause. "This is a killing. Don't call it an accident", said Irving Anolik the Bastardi family's attorney. Anolik argues that medical condition theories are "at war with the autopsy report, with the blood analysis, with the whole panorama of things that surround this killing."
It's probably best not to speculate too much into what went on that day until all the facts are in. I will say that it will be interesting to see what the authorities figure out and if the victims' families will see any justice. Is it possible that Mr. Schuler had no idea that his wife had a problem? It's not like someone wakes up one morning and makes the decision to start binge drinking vodka! I encourage you to watch a short video with Dr. Nancy Snyderman, on the Today Show, about whether or not you can hide a drinking problem from your family.
A terrible event took place on July 26 along a Westchester Highway in New York State. Tests show that the driver was drunk in parkway crash that killed eight; not only drunk but also high on marijuana. There are still a lot of unanswered questions regarding why Diane Schuler would drive intoxicated with her: son Bryan 5, daughter Erin 2, and her three nieces, Emma Hance, 8; Alyson Hance, 7; and Kate Hance, 5. Diane Schuler had a blood alcohol level of .19 and had un-metabolized vodka still in her stomach when she drove the wrong way head on into a Chevy Trailblazer driven by Guy Bastardi along with his father Michael, and family friend Daniel Longo who were all killed in the tragic crash. Only one person, Diane Shuler's son Bryan, made it out of the wreck with his life and is still hospitalized.
Diane Schuler did not survive to account for her actions on that terrible day, who pays for this crime and who will explain how Schuler was allowed to drive off into the sunset wasted with so many children? A New York Times Article stated, "On July 26, Ms. Schuler loaded her two children, Erin, 2, and Bryan, 5, and her three nieces into the minivan to drive them home from a camping trip in the Catskills. Her husband, Daniel, also left the campground at the same time, with a dog, in his pickup truck, said Ann Scott, the owner of the Hunter Lake Campground, where the Schulers had spent most of their summer weekends for the past three years". Scott said on Tuesday that she never saw either of them with a drink that morning and that everything seemed normal.
“When I stopped to say hello to her, the kids were yelling in the car, saying, ‘We had a good time, we’re coming back,’ ” Ms. Scott said. “The husband just waved like he usually did with a smile on his face. She was fine. I said, ‘Have a safe trip home.’ She said, ‘See you soon.’ And that was it. And off she went. It was as normal as apple pie.” I guess things were not normal when a mother is driving down a highway high on marijuana and a bottle of Absolut Vodka between her legs with a van full of children. It does not make sense to me that no one noticed that something wasn't right when Schuler drove off that morning. Neither her husband nor Ann Scott can account for what took place to make Diane Schuler such a big risk, a risk that many would have to pay for with their lives.
As I said above, there are many unanswered questions, many questions that may never be resolved; however, this event can serve as a "teaching moment" for families. If you see behavior that is out of the ordinary, then don't be afraid to start a dialogue with your family member. It could save their life and others.
Alcohol is the most widely used depressant in the world, and has been for thousands of years. More alcohol is consumed than any other drug on the planet, which accounts for so many fatalities every year. Alcohol's side-effects are extremely dangerous and excessive drinking will speed up the process. We saw what happened to Bret with his esophageal cancer and we witnessed alcohol strip young Gary of life with cirrhosis. I believe that alcohol consumption has become so commonplace throughout society that people either ignore or fail to take the time to understand the devastating consequences that comes along with excessive drinking.
Direct and indirect causes of death include: drunken driving, cirrhosis of the liver, falls, cancer, and stroke. Millions of Americans meet diagnostic criteria for alcohol use disorders and alcohol is one of the only substances that can cause death if one stops without medical supervision. Delirium tremens or the "DTs", is caused after a long period of drinking, stopping abruptly and experiencing withdrawal. According to Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia: Delirium Tremens "It is most common in people who have a history of alcohol withdrawal, especially in those who drink the equivalent of 7 - 8 pints of beer (or 1 pint of "hard" alcohol) every day for several months. Delirium tremens also commonly affects those with a history of habitual alcohol use or alcoholism that has existed for more than 10 years."
Withdrawal from other drugs such as: opiates, marijuana, cocaine, etc. do not have major medical complications and withdrawal is therefore not life threatening. It seems strange that alcohol, a legal drug, does more damage to one's heath than illicit drugs. Many people who start drinking at a young age, like Gary, rarely have a clue as to how bad alcohol is for them; ultimately, this leads to severe medical problems which there may not be any help for. Sadly, by the time the problem is discovered it can be too late to receive help or one may be denied help based on a history of alcoholism. Every year billions of dollars are made from a substance that causes so much injury and it appears that little, if any, change ever comes of it. Bret and Gary are perfect examples of why more needs to be done, Bret and Gary exemplify both sides of the spectrum; alcohol related deaths affect all age groups.
I encourage you to watch this short video of the cause of cirrhosis. Please send me your thoughts about this subject and what we might be able to do differently to avoid premature death.
Literally, "Red Bull Gives You Wings"! Officials at the Center for Food Safety said a laboratory analysis found tiny amounts of the illegal drug Cocaine in samples of "Red Bull Cola", "Red Bull Sugar-free" and "Red Bull Energy Drink", a spokesman said. The traces were between 0.1 and 0.3 micrograms of the illegal drug per liter.
Energy drinks have always raised a lot of controversy in the Drug and Alcohol recovery field. People attempting to better their lives and recover from years of addiction have been cautioned by doctors about drinking energy drinks for some time now. Red Bull, whose advertising slogan is "Red Bull gives you wings", was founded by an Austrian toothpaste salesman Dietrich Mateschitz in the 1980s. Energy drinks affect many of the same receptors in the brain as cocaine and methamphetamine. It makes sense for people in recovery to stay as far away from things like energy drinks that have the ability to trick your brain into thinking it is getting high.
Hong Kong Officials found traces of cocaine in cans of Red Bull, a few days after Taiwanese authorities confiscated close to 18,000 cases of the popular energy drink. The drink has now been taken off the shelves of major supermarkets, the spokesman said in a statement issued late Monday. He added the amount of cocaine found in the drinks posed little health danger. This may not matter to people who have never struggled with addiction, but to those who have, this should raise a lot of concerns and should be all you need to know; just because Red Bull does not contain enough cocaine to get you high, doesn't mean that it will not stimulate your brain in negative ways. The question then, is drinking Red Bull or energy drinks of any kind worth it?
