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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.
Jeff Bridges plays an alcoholic, Maggie Gyllenhaal costars.(Lorey Sebastian / Fox Searchlight)
Over the years there have been many films that have attempted to tackle the subject of alcoholism. Certain films inject an alcoholic into the script without ever elaborating on the disease of alcoholism and what operates behind it; what happens is that the public develops inaccurate opinions of addicts and what kind of people they are. There have been movies, like "28 Days", that have attempted to model life inside a treatment facility; it paints a fairly accurate picture of what it is like being thrown into a group of people you have never met and are asked to share your deepest darkest secrets with them. "Leaving Las Vegas" chronicles the life of an alcoholic who is hell bent on drinking himself to death. The power of film is in its ability to shape the way we interpret things we encounter in our own lives, the more accurate the portrayal the more accurate the opinion that is developed.
Jeff Bridges recently starred in the movie "Crazy Heart" which attempts to model the life of an alcoholic. Bridges' character, Otis "Bad" Blake is a 57-year-old country singer and songwriter whose life has begun to spiral out of control. He is a chain smoking alcoholic who can't go more than a couple hours without whiskey and suffers from blackouts and excessive vomiting. While working in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Bridges' character becomes involved with a newspaper reporter who has a four year old son. The movie works to show how unmanageable the addict's life can be, car accidents and broken bones are common events in the alcoholic's life. While in the hospital doctors tell him that if he doesn't stop drinking and smoking he'll end up with emphysema, heart failure, cancer or a stroke. Naturally, the addict is not easily convinced and he continues drinking until his life becomes even more dysfunctional and he checks himself into a detox rehab program where he is given antabuse (a drug that makes you sick if you consume alcohol wile on it) and he admits that he is an alcoholic.
Last evening Jeff Bridges won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in "Crazy Heart". Knowing this, what are your thoughts, do you feel like this film is accurate in portraying the life of an alcoholic/addict? Let us know what you thought of the movie.
It is well known that the United States puts more people in prison every year than any other country. Sadly, the majority of those locked up have been deemed drug offenders; drugs are illegal, having them is against the law, so then it stands to reason that those caught with drugs would go to jail. The problem with putting millions of people in jail for drug offenses has to do with the fact that drug offenders are generally sick. They suffer from a disease that transcends the boundaries of right and wrong, in many cases free will has been thrown out the window. Drug addicts who are sent to prison time and time again are not criminals and addicts do not deserve to be treated like criminals. Science has taught us a lot about the disease of addiction, giving us a better understanding of what is operating inside the addict's mind. Addicts are not morally corrupt and certainly are not short on willpower.
Lawmakers in Colorado are working hard to pass a bill that was presented at the Capitol Tuesday, in an attempt to keep drug offenders out of jail and into treatment. Both Republicans and Democrats are supporting the bill, even the district attorneys are on board. This bill is a wonderful prospect for the citizens of Colorado who are afflicted with addiction, nearly a quarter of 22,600 people in prison in Colorado are doing time for drug offenses. Those inmates who were charged with possession should be released to the custody of certified drug treatment facilities; prisoners sentenced for drug distribution would not be allowed to escape their sentence by going to rehab. Drug addicts and drug dealers need to be separated inside the minds of society, they are a completely different and do not deserve the same punishment.
When addicts are imprisoned it hardens the common misconception that an addict is a criminal, adding to the long lists of stigmas that already accompany an addict. States drain their coffers every year keeping addicts imprisoned; every inmate costs the tax payers $30,000 a year. That money could be channeled to education programs to help people better understand the disease of addiction, especially teenagers and young adults. Pete Hautzinger, the Mesa County District Attorney said, "Treatment can work and it's a far more just and effective use of resources. I have no interest in locking up someone who is an addict. I would much rather get them un-addicted and make them a productive member of society again".
The more states that realize prison is not effective rehabilitation, the better...
The Michael Jackson story moves forward as Dr. Conrad Murray prepares to surrender himself to authorities. Murray flew to Los Angeles from Houston, Texas last weekend, preparing to be charged with the death of the pop icon because of an anesthetic he administered to Jackson last June. Michael Jackson's death caused by an overdose of propofol, a strong pain medication generally only used in a hospital environment; the drug is a white liquid and has amnesic effects, it has been dubbed by medical professionals "milk of amnesia". Propofol was mixed with two benzodiazepines (sedatives) on the night that Jackson died; the combination was nothing new for Jackson who had been abusing medications for years. The death was ruled a homicide by the coroner's office, Dr. Murray is likely to be charged with involuntary manslaughter which can carry a sentence of four years maximum.
Dr Murray, a cardiologist, has always insisted that he gave the singer nothing that should have killed him. However, Propofol is a drug given before surgery, only to be administered in hospital settings by a professional anesthetist. There is no question whether or not Murray is culpable, rather, to what degree. Michael had been battling his addictions for years as well as severe anorexia, refusing treatment time and time again. Murray is just one doctor in a long list who have prescribed and administered unnecessary drugs to Jackson; the history here is extensive and it seems that more than just Murray are culpable. Addiction is ultimately what caused Jackson's death; he hired the physicians that provided his fix. Hopefully, if Murray is charged with manslaughter it will have an effect on other doctors and curb needless prescriptions merely to make a dollar. Thousands of people overdose from prescription medications, medicines that were not warranted by the patient.
"Prosecutors will have to show the doctor deviated from accepted medical norms when he administered propofol in a non-medical setting while Jackson already had other sedatives in his system. Ed Chernoff, Murray's lead lawyer, said: "I haven't received any phone call from anybody asking for the doctor to surrender. If we get the call, we'll be happy to"," reports the Telegraph.
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".
When being sentenced in court most people are trying to get less time. Nobody ever wants to serve longer than they have to, why would they? A man from Utah who was charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute is doing just that. Damon Conrow was sentenced Tuesday on a charge of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance after asking to "plead up" to a first-degree felony. The charge had been a second-degree felony, but Conrow wanted a longer sentence. Conrow believes that the more time he spends off the street, the better his chance at recovery is. The 25-year-old pleaded guilty in December to the charges, but, on Tuesday, 2nd District Judge Pamela Heffernan made a last ditch effort to allow Conrow one last chance to change his mind and withdrawing his plea - Conrow declined.
Conrow said to the AP that, "he'll soon be happier than he is now because he'll get off heroin. He said within about eight weeks of going to jail, he expects withdrawal symptoms to ease so he can start having normal sleeping patterns". Who knows maybe Conrow's decision will save his life, allowing him an opportunity to focus on recovery. The gift of twelve-step programs is that they can be found even behind iron bars and prison guards. The best place for Conrow is in a safe environment where he can focus on himself. Hopefully, Conrow will be able to find what so many other addicts and alcoholics find - peace of mind.
Conrow believes he needs more time in jail in order to lower the chance of relapse, why would the Judge stop him? However, it is a little surprising that the Judge didn't sentence him to a drug treatment facility? Treatment is the wiser choice for someone in the grips of their addiction. It will be interesting to see if Conrow's plan is a success.
Shocking news at NASA's hangers in Cape Canaveral, Florida at the Kennedy Space Center! If you can imagine just about anything, you can probably guess that it has been thought of before at NASA. Millions of instruments, thousands of people, and billions of ideas all floating around one place. One thing you may not think could be found at NASA would be illegal drugs; unfortunately, drugs were recently found in the hanger that houses the Space Shuttle Discovery. With a mission planned for March of this year, you have to wonder what is going on around NASA. Is it possible that there are people high on Cocaine working on the space shuttles?
The cocaine was found by a worker in a secure part of the hangar that is accessible by about 200 NASA employees and contractors, said NASA spokesman Allard Beutel. The bag contained a tiny amount of the illegal substance cocaine. “We do not tolerate the use of illegal substances for people who work on the orbiter,” said Robert Cabana, director of the Kennedy Space Center. That is comforting, but, you still have to wonder how cocaine could find its way into probably one of the most secure facilities in the world. NASA has and is drug testing and interviewing workers, as well as using drug-sniffing dogs to make sure that there are no other drugs that were "misplaced" by an employee. "Mr. Beutel said there was no problem with any of the Discovery’s hardware, nor was there any indication that any employees were under the influence while working in the facility", reported the Telegraph.
It is a fact of life that illegal drugs end up traveling with addicts to many jobs around the planet. Unfortunately, work is no deterrent when you are in the grips of your addiction; addicts have to get high on the job if they're going to make it through the work day without getting sick. When NASA identifies the source of the cocaine, I am confident that they NASA will suggest that the person(s) seek help and enter into treatment.
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.
2009 was a tragic year for many celebrities suffering from prescription drug addiction, echoing a much larger problem that exists in the world today. More people are addicted to prescription drugs than anything else and more people will certainly lose their lives as a result of these drugs. In the last two years prescription drugs have taken the lives of Heath Ledger, Michael Jackson, and just last week we learned prescription drugs may have played a role in the death of Brittany Murphy. The cocktails of legal prescribed medications found near each late star at the time of their death was unbelievable; at what point are the prescribing doctors going to realize that sooner or later an overdose or drug related death will take place. In the last 45 years there have been a number of celebrity prescription drug related deaths:
Marilyn Monroe
Date: August 5, 1962
Drugs: Pentobarbital (AKA Nembutal) and chloral hydrate (sleeping pills)
Elvis Presley
Date: August 16, 1977
Drugs: As many as 14 different drugs, including codeine (painkiller) and methaqualone, AKA Quaaludes (sedative)
Keith Moon
Date: September 7, 1978
Drug: Clomethiazole, AKA Heminevrin (sedative)
Margaux Hemingway
Date: July 1, 1996
Drug: Phenobarbital (anti-seizure sedative)
Dana Plato
Date: May 8, 1999
Drugs: Carisoprodol, AKA Soma (muscle relaxant), and Vicodin (painkiller)
Chris Penn
Date: January 24, 2006
Drugs: Promethazine (antihistamine) and codeine (painkiller)
Gerald Levert
Date: November 10, 2006
Drugs: Six drugs: painkillers Vicodin, Percocet and Dextropropoxyphene (AKA Darvocet), sedative/anxiety medication alprazolam (AKA Xanax) and two non-prescription antihistamines
Anna Nicole Smith
Date: February 8, 2007
Drugs: Eleven drugs, including chloral hydrate (sleep aid) and several sedatives/muscle relaxants: clonazepam (AKA Klonopin), lorazepam (AKA Ativan), oxazepam (AKA Serax) and diazepam (AKA Valium)
Pimp C
Date: December 4, 2007
Drugs: Promethazine (antihistamine) and codeine (painkiller)
Fortunately, there are many stars that do seek help and go into treatment with the hope of freeing themselves from their addiction. Just last week Aerosmith's Steven Tyler checked into drug treatment for his prescription drug problem. With many musicians, like Steven Tyler and Michael Jackson, repeated injuries over the years have contributed to dependence on pain medication. Treatment is always available for those who find themselves dependent and there are many alternative pain management programs.
Significant progress has been made in the battle against diseases spread intravenously. It has been an ongoing struggle to provide I.V. drug users the ability to acquire clean needles. In many cases people in metropolitan areas are typically hit hard by A.I.D.S and Hepatitis C because of the lack of needle exchanges and the need of a prescription to get needles from a pharmacy; despite the fact that there are detailed studies proving that cities that implement needle exchange programs have less people contracting diseases. In a 2007 report conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, about 424,000 Americans a year over age 12 inject illegal drugs. "The omnibus appropriations bill that President Obama signed last week drops a long-standing ban on federal funding of needle exchange programs. And the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy three months ago lifted the requirement for a prescription to buy syringes at a pharmacy, leaving New Jersey and Delaware as the only states still requiring a script", according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Now, needle exchange programs can apply for funding from AIDS prevention programs which will certainly increase the amount of exchanges available.
This is a great step and it shows that people are beginning to understand the complex nature of addiction and how is affects all aspects of society. A person in the grips of their addiction will find a way to use no matter what; a dirty needle will do the same job as a clean needle. Providing addicts the ability to use without the risk of disease is a big step, it reflects the idea that the addict is not by default a criminal, but rather, a sick individual. Between 2002 and 2004 when comparing Newark NJ where exchanges were not present and you needed a prescription to acquire syringes, with New York City where both were present, "Rates of HIV were 26 percent in Newark vs. 5 percent in New York; hepatitis B, 70 percent vs. 27 percent; and hepatitis C, 82 percent vs. 53 percent", the Journal of Urban Health reported.
Changes like this one are a huge leap forward for those who have been trying to provide a safe way for those who will get high no matter what. It will also afford counselors the opportunity to help steer people going to the exchanges towards treatment; addicts who normally would be impossible to contact will now be close enough to potentially reach and get them the help that they desperately need.
Parents in New York City and in other areas around the country have begun to drug test their kids. Home drug tests can be found at any pharmacy in the United States for a reasonable price. Discovering that there is a drug problem early can make a huge difference regarding how severe a drug problem gets. The quicker the problem is recognized the sooner it can be addressed; many drug addicts go undetected, by the time a problem is realized the addiction has gone completely out of control. It is for this reason that there are many adolescent drug treatment facilities available for parents to consider sending their children to for treatment.
Teenage years are the most critical years, the more drugs that are consumed in those years means the more developmental damage done. Parents suspecting their children of using drugs should test their kids; it could be that test that saves their life. In some places you can even get home drug tests for free from the police. ABC News reports, "Heroin is an epidemic here in Suffolk County [Long Island]," Sheriff Vincent DeMarco said. "I see the pain in parents' eyes. They're looking for something to combat their children's drug use". On Nov. 19, Suffolk County announced that it had purchased 16,000 drug testing kits, available for free for parents who want to test their children. The kits use litmus paper to test urine for six different drugs including methamphetamine, marijuana, heroin, Vicodin and Xanax. Since the program started parents have picked up nearly 450 of them".
It's never too early to intervene, but, sometimes it's too late. Your kids may think you're over parenting, that's simply not true; you are protecting your child's life. I encourage you to watch the Dr. Nancy Video dealing with this subject:
"Dec. 1: As drug testing for children gains in popularity nationwide, some parents in New York City are getting free at-home kits from the police. Are the testing kits really the best way to prevent drug use in kids?"
In the late 60's and early 70's many soldiers returning from the Vietnam War came back home with mental health problems. Making the matter worse, many of those same soldiers had serious addiction problems as a result of trying to deal with what they experienced in war. Vietnam veterans did not receive the care that they needed forcing them into ineffective mental health clinics and jails; there were not many options for drug treatment in those days. Countless veterans suffered from our lack of understanding of mental disorders, including and especially addiction. Forty years later and America finds itself in a similar predicament, staggering numbers of soldiers are coming back from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq with serious prescription drug problems, either to deal with pain or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This wave of addictions has veterans winding up in jails all over the country. Veterans with mental health and addiction problems belong in treatment, jails only exasperate the issue; if the United States does not provide its war veterans with adequate treatment, then we will see a repeat of history.
The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) released a report showing that current practices and policies in the United States has needlessly sent large numbers of handicapped and addicted veterans to jail. The report points out the advantages of drug courts and that treatment is always the better option. Drug and alcohol treatment has a much greater track record of keeping recidivism to a minimum. Guy Gambill, a long-time veterans' advocate, suggests, "In the aftermath of Vietnam, self-medication and its collateral behaviors landed tens of thousands of veterans in prison. This time, let’s be smarter than the problem". Unfortunately, many young veterans coming back from the war who get into trouble do not take advantage of drug court if it is offered; most states do not even have veteran drug court available.
Clearly, action needs to be taken to help or at least offer help to veterans coming back from the war addicted to prescription drugs and other substances. There is no reason why any non-violent addict should spend time in jail; the science is there to back up treatment as being more effective. The military will not provide any form of maintenance programs for their soldiers addicted to opiates despite the evidence world wide to support drugs like Suboxone and Methadone. What is certain is that the military still has a long way to go before soldiers and other veterans are adequately cared for and treated properly, hopefully this report will open peoples' eyes.
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.
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.
New studies into treating heroin have been taking place in Europe, especially in England where addiction specialists are realizing that it may be more beneficial for hard-to-treat addicts to be treated with the drug they are addicted to. Controversial to say the least, the study's findings have been quite shocking; it is a real possibility that heroin clinics will be set up throughout England to manage heroin addicts? Treating drug addicts with heroin, the addict's drug of choice, without a doubt should be a last resort choice. It seems relevant to point out that the study being performed in England benefits society much more than it benefits the addicts. The addicts who are being injected by government clinicians are still caught in the grips of addiction and it seems unlikely that they will become contributing members of society.
The study found that the use of street heroin was cut by three quarters and the crimes committed to get drugs were slashed by two-thirds. Great Britain decided that the cost of $22,000 per patient per year to provide, addicts who had failed at other forms of treatment, heroin was a wiser alternative to having addicts running the streets committing crimes to get their fix. The cost to imprison heroin addicts is almost 3 times more a year than supplying heroin in government run clinics. The streets are safer and the drug is administered in a more sanitary environment which cuts down on disease. John Strang, led the research team involved in this study at Britain's National Addiction Centre, associated with King's College in London. "Strang said the stubborn nature of heroin addiction is proof that getting addicts into treatment is really a shallow achievement, because many will eventually turn to drugs again. He believes this promising approach could change the way hard-to-treat addicts are treated and convince the government that the initial high cost offers good value", reported CNN.
This experiment is by no means the best way to help addicts become productive members of society. Providing heroin to addicts may cut down on crime and the amount spent annually to imprison such addicts; however, the likelihood that addicts high on heroin will be able to manage their lives while high is very small. Sure, the streets are safer but people are still shackled by their addiction and will never be relieved of the bondage if the government agrees to get people high year-round for free. Many of the most hardened drug addicts have managed to find sobriety and continue to maintain it without drug maintenance programs like methadone or Suboxone. Those individuals that are unwilling to surrender and ask for guidance will never find freedom form the disease of addiction.
The medical examiner came back with the report on Adam Goldstein's, DJ AM, death yesterday. The findings were in a way hard to believe, the lethal cocktail of drugs that were found in Goldstein's system were staggering. Despite initially appearing to be a suicide, DJ AM's death was ruled an accidental drug overdose. According to the Associated Press, "the toxicology report showed the 36-year-old had in his system cocaine, OxyContin, Hydrocodone or Vicodin, anti-anxiety drugs Xanax and Ativan, Klonopin which also controls anger, Benadryl, and Levamisole, a drug apparently used to cut cocaine". The actual dosage of each drug was not released, we can assume it was a lot of everything; his death was caused by what the medical examiner called, acute intoxication, due to the combined effects of the drugs. DJ AM had been struggling with his addiction for quite some time; he had, for a time, managed to stay sober until he recently relapsed just before his death. He had made the commitment to his recovery sponsor and his manager to go back into treatment when his life was cut short.
On Aug. 28 he was found in his apartment in New York City after a friend called 911. "Paramedics had to break down the door before they found him, shirtless and wearing sweat pants, in his bed around 5:20 p.m. Six pills were found in his stomach and a pill in his throat when he was found dead in his apartment. The pill in his throat appeared to be OxyContin. A crack pipe and prescription pill bottles were discovered there", stated the AP. DJ Am had been burned severely in an airplane crash last September in South Carolina that killed four people. Goldstein had to get skin graft surgery, which is very painful, but, he went back to performing about a month later. Perhaps, DJ AM suffered from chronic pain and that is why he had so many prescriptions for narcotics? It has been clear for a very long time that benzodiazepines and opiates can be a very lethal combination. On top of that, mixing those drugs can put someone in a dream like state where your memory is not accurate; in turn, one can take more pills without even knowing and that is when an overdose ensues.
I find myself saddened by the fact that Goldstein had made the choice to seek help, but, unfortunately it was not soon enough. He was very talented individual with a lot of promise in life. Who knows the things he could have accomplished? DJ AM is just one case of thousands of people whose lives are cut short every year by the disease of addiction. Drug abuse is not a joke and it will strip you of your life if you do not seek help.
Last Friday the disease of addiction took another influential life from us. The renowned DJ AM's life was cut short as a result of a presumed drug overdose when he was found dead in his New York apartment. It has been reported that AM recently told his Sponsor that he had in fact relapsed and that was why he had been acting so erratically as of late, he agreed that he would go into treatment after he took care of a few things, including an event that was to take place in Las Vegas last Friday. Sadly, only a day after Adam Goldstein (his real name) promised his manager and sponsor that after his gig in Las Vegas last Friday, he would check himself into a rehab in California, Goldstein would never make it to that show and he was found with prescription pills and drug paraphernalia around his body in New York.
AM was taking strong painkillers after surviving a plane crash with Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker in 2008. However, it is reported that he had struggled with addiction since his early twenties, but was sober for at least 10 years before the plane crash. It seems that the plane crash may have sped up the progression towards the 36 year old's untimely death. Goldstein had just finished filming the MTV show Gone Too Far last Tuesday, where he and concerned families staged interventions for drug abusers. According to Wikipedia,"Radio personality and addiction specialist Dr. Drew Pinsky, who was a friend of Goldstein, said on his August 30, 2009 Loveline show that he was extremely shocked and saddened to learn of his relapse and death. Dr. Drew described Goldstein's sobriety as "solid", and was a "great inspiration" for those seeking addiction treatment. He then went on to endorse the argument that Goldstein did not receive proper treatment for his recent PTSD diagnosis".
Sadly, this is the disease of addiction and relapse is always terrible for the fact that when one starts actively abusing substances again it generally is much heavier than when they put them down. There is no way of knowing whether your next drink or drug is going to be your last. There are usually only three options for an addict: jails, institutions, and death; friends and families can only hope and pray that their loved one finds the two former and that it does not have to come to the point of no return.
Our heart goes out to Adam's friends and families and we can only hope that they can find strength in a time of such sadness and loss.
We encourage you all to watch this short video and please feel free to send us your thoughts...
A shift can be seen in mindsets around the world regarding illegal drugs! As the world nears the end of the first decade of our new millennium, poverty stricken and facing a drug pandemic, a lot of changes in policy and in the way people look at things are happening. California and Mexico are testing grounds for revolutionary ideas regarding drugs, both republics want change despite the fact that it may fail and come back to hurt them in the end. California is on the brink of legalizing Marijuana and Mexico just legalized small amounts of essentially any drug for personal use. It seems as if these two Republics are willing to try anything to counter their ongoing struggles, i.e. California's budget crisis and Mexico's drug war. I neither condemn nor condone their attempts at trying revolutionary tactics in order to enact change. Something had to give, old ideas and mentalities are not cutting it, and so drastic measures appear to be in order.
All of this change may appear to be surrender on Mexico's part and a form of cynicism on California's, which may be the case; however, there may be room for success with regards to legalization issues and these changes could possibly do more good than harm. It has been clear for a very long time that prison does very little, if any, to help the addict and if anything it only slows the addict's progression but does nothing to curb the disease. Without proper education by way of drug treatment people who have had drug convictions stand very little chance of not returning to the drugs upon release. In Mexico, under previous laws, possession could lead to long jail terms. Mexico now views drug abuse as a "social and public-health problem rather than a law-enforcement issue", which will open up space in prisons and leave available resources to pursue the drug cartels - according to Mexican officials. According to government statistics, the number of addicts in Mexico has risen by more than 50 percent in six years; Mexico who has supplied the United States with drugs for a long time is just now seeing their own domestic drug problem and treatment seems to be more effective than prison.
In the California arena the problem crisis at hand has more to do with the budget and Assemblyman Tom Ammiano proposes full legalization of marijuana with regulation and taxation. A proposed tax of $50 per ounce is estimated to raise $1.3 billion annually. "According to one poll, 56 percent of California voters support such a plan. There also are three initiative efforts in California to put marijuana-legalization measures before voters in November 2010.", reports the Arizona Republic. People will smoke marijuana regardless of the fact that it is illegal, that being said, perhaps the argument for legalization is sound.
It is impossible to predict the direction all this new legislation will take us. Certainly, both Mexico and California are sailing into uncharted waters with failure lurking on the horizon. Drastic times call for drastic measures, time will tell if this shift in policy will be the lesser of two evils. Mexico needs to lower the murder rate and California needs to boost the economy, it will be interesting to see the results of their efforts. A lot of questions and very few answers at this point!
Federal judges ordered California to reduce its prison population, but this week the Schwarzenegger administration is set to vote on increasing funding to police anti-drug units, which would allow California officials to jail more drug offenders. The California Emergency Management Agency was to decide yesterday whether to route $33 million in federal money to narcotics task forces around the state that have had trouble getting the upper hand on drug criminals. It seems strange that funding for drug treatment programs was cut in half from $120 million two years ago. The increase in money for anti-drug units will most likely help to convict low level drug offenders that would be better served by going to treatment and it would cost the state less than imprisoning them. There seems to be a lot of contradiction in California legislation, on the one hand funding for prisons and treatments has been cut, on the other hand judges are ordering the state to lower the prison population by more than 40,000 in the next two years; but Schwarzenegger wants to channel more money into putting drug offenders into prison, the same type of offenders that are responsible for the over crowding to begin with.
"The Drug Policy Alliance estimates that the increase could yield 13,000 arrests during the coming year, resulting in prison time for nearly a quarter of those apprehended, at a cost of $160 million" according to the LA Times. Lopsided is the only word that comes to mind when considering that drug treatment funding has been cut and just last month legislators approved a $1.2-billion reduction in prison spending; yet, the Governor would have more money be put forth to make more arrests and ultimately work against lowering the prison populations state wide. "While one side of the government is addressing prison overcrowding, another side seems to be acting directly counter to that goal," said Margaret Dooley-Sammuli, deputy state director of the nonprofit Drug Policy Alliance.
At some point the state needs to realize that this is a vicious cycle that will be impossible to break as long the various branches of government are working against each other. As long as California continues to flood its prisons with low level offenders without providing them treatment options they will without a doubt be more likely to be repeat offenders. Education is the best solution to prison population reduction, which exists in drug treatment facilities - not prisons.
I hope by now most of my readers have had a chance to watch Bret's story. There has been a lot written about Bret and his intervention involving his children. Should young children be involved in a parent's intervention? Obviously, every case is different and that needs to be taken into account by all interventionists attempting to help families of alcoholics.
Bret's teenage daughter Kelsey and younger son Kyle were present at Bret's televised intervention on A&E. The family and the interventionist agreed that having the children present could be very persuasive in helping Bret make the decision to go to treatment. Unfortunately, the children's pleas were relatively ineffective leaving them both angry and in tears. Many people watching this episode may feel like the children's involvement in the intervention was unnecessary and damaging to the children. However, children of alcoholics who are at a cognizant age are not strangers to the pain and suffering at the hands of their addicted parent. Kelsey and Kyle have dealt and are still dealing with the years of pain; unfortunately the children of addicts need to confront their parent in order to explain how their drinking deeply affects them. This is a sad but true reality, one that is rarely pretty but indeed necessary.
Without a doubt no one wants to see a child suffering and seeing a show that deals with the sickness of drug and alcohol addiction is never pleasant to watch. We need to keep in mind that the interventionists, like Ken Seeley, know what they are doing and if there was ever a point where the children's safety was in jeopardy they would have been pulled away from danger. Interventions can be a trial and error event; many different avenues of techniques need to be attempted when trying to convince someone they need treatment. Ultimately, it was not Bret's children that got him into treatment; but, I believe the children's role was ever so crucial, not only for Bret but also the children. Kelsey and Kyle are two very strong children who wanted and were allowed to participate in their father's intervention that relieved Bret of his dependency long enough for him to die a sober individual. Those last days that they were able to spend with their Dad were ever so precious and probably worth a hundred interventions.
I encourage you to comment on whether children should be present at an intervention. If you are struggling with questions of how to do an intervention for your loved one, call Hope by the Sea...
P.S. A Jury recommended a sentence of life in prison for Jesse James Hollywood.
A&E TV's Intervention covered Bret and how Alcoholism destroyed his family. Before Bret's alcoholism progressed out of control he was a successful real estate mortgage broker, but that all changed when alcohol started to take its toll. Two years ago Bret's family attempted to offer him the opportunity of treatment via an Intervention which he accepted only to end up relapsing. Everything in Bret's life spiraled out of control after his relapse; he lost his wife, kids, and his career in the grips of his severe alcoholism. His family decided that they would give an Intervention one more shot before they turned their backs on him out of love.
Bret's story is not too dissimilar to every alcoholic's or drug addict's story, the circumstances are different for sure, but where every addict ends up is generally the same - jails, institutions, and death! Bret's disease told him that nothing would work and until he was mentally ready to rid alcohol from his life he would continue to drink. His relapse in a way reaffirmed the belief that an alcoholic can get better on their own, saying the same thing that many who try working a program of recovery say, "I tried that, but it didn't work and I won't put myself through that again". When a program of recovery does not work for someone it is usually because they did not let it work and they let their disease continue to influence the choices they make. When this happens, a relapse is only a matter of time and where they pick up is usually a lot worse than where they left off.
Intervention did a great job painting a picture of the pain that Bret was inflicting on his family and friends. Tears and anger are common themes in most families plagued by alcohol; the feeling of helplessness is present in everything. Intervention, with the help of Ken Seeley, a professional interventionist, gave Bret's family the tools to help Bret make the decision to change his life. I'm glad to report that they were successful in their endeavor to get Bret into treatment at Hope by the Sea in Laguna Niguel, California. Unfortunately, the years of drinking had done its damage to Bret's body and after 80 days of treatment he had become very sick and was diagnosed with advanced esophageal cancer. With 104 days sober, cancer spread throughout his body, Bret passed away this summer on June 19th, 2009.
Bret's 104 days of sobriety was a major achievement for him and he was able to give his family back the husband and father they had known. As sick as he was he made a point of being emotionally available to those who love him right up until the end of his days. Bret was able to make amends to those he had hurt before he died, giving his friends and family the ability to remember Bret for who he really was. I invite everyone to watch the show and the memoriam on A&E and send me your thoughts so that next week we can discuss this more...
The Emmy nominated Intervention has been changing peoples' lives, chronicling individuals in the grips of addiction. Every episode ends with the friends and family of the suffering addict taking part in an intervention to help convince them that they need treatment. The intervention part of recovery is perhaps the most important aspect, one that can be delicate and should be done a certain way with a professional mediator - the interventionist.
Intervention lets people know what options they have regarding treatment when they feel like they have nowhere to turn. Not only has this A & E program helped the people seen on the show but also the viewers who may be less informed about the recovery process. Success with recovery is never guaranteed; however, once the seed of recovery has been planted then the addict's chances exponentially increase. The friends and families of addicts are given tools necessary to confront the suffering individual and help them walk through the doors of treatment.
I encourage everyone to watch Intervention Monday evening, July 13 to see Bret's story. “Now 43, Bret once had a promising career in real estate. But the stress to make more money to provide for his family took its toll, and Bret became an alcoholic. Two years ago, Bret's family held an intervention and sent him to rehab programs, but he relapsed. His wife finally divorced him, he lost his job, and he continues to be totally focused on drinking. Having already tried an intervention, Bret's family must understand what they did wrong the last time in order to save his life this time around.”
If you are struggling with addiction, I hope that you will be able to watch this show with the expectation that you might take something from it that may guide you towards recovery. Recovery starts with the individual, but if success is to be achieved, both friends and family need to work and be a part of the recovery process, whether it is in the intervention itself or the family program at a drug treatment facility. To assist our patients and their families, Hope by the Sea has a family group program every Saturday from 9:30am to 11:30am and can also schedule for an individual session with our clinical director.
I will look forward to watching this episode. Let me know if you will be tuning in.
Celebrity addiction always seems to get more attention than family substance abuse. I often read news articles about celebrities getting in trouble with drugs and alcohol. The whole world is shocked to find out that one of their favorite stars, to everyone's surprise, has a drug problem. Everyone asks how can this be? Why would somebody who has everything need to get caught up in the drug world? The answer is that there is more to drug addiction than how much money somebody has or how famous they are. Addiction rears its ugly head in every family and in every society because addiction is a disease that can be passed down to a person through their blood line. No amount of stature, wealth, or prestige has the power to make an individual immune to the disease of addiction.
Anywhere you look, whether it's downstairs sitting in front of the T.V. or in the bedroom your older brother sleeps in, the possibility for addiction exists. I believe that it is fair to say that there is not one person on this planet who does not know of an addict in their own life. A friend, relative, or even your doctor could, as we speak, be abusing drugs and alcohol. Even if you are not currently aware of it, I am sure this is taking place right under your nose. You see the drug addict and alcoholic have developed over a number of years of practice skills necessary to fool even their closest loved ones into believing that nothing is going on; or if it is going on that the problem is under their control.
However, over time signs start to appear that make you feel like something is not right with your friend or family member. At first, many people brush off signs like disorganization, lack of responsibility, and frequent mood swings. Maybe they are having a bad day, week, month, or year and there is no reason to be alarmed. When it comes to family and friends we sometimes will ignore these traits because on a subconscious level we don't want to believe the truth in order to protect ourselves and that it is easier to continue on living our "happy little lives". This is completely understandable behavior because of the idea that the less we think we know hurts less than the pain of finding out the truth.
But, at a certain point in every one's addiction, one starts to approach their "bottom"; a bottom so filled with pain and despair that few are ever able to pull themselves out of without the proper kind of help. This is when the friends and family, of the suspected addict, come together to discuss what should be done. Treatment is usually the first idea and the most effective idea when trying to get help for those that you care about. Passing off the signs as opposed to addressing them immediately is the worst thing you can do for the one you care about. When you notice a pattern of behavior that appears to be unhealthy, probably means that it is unhealthy. The quicker you move towards addressing these problems, the quicker the sick individual can get help, ignoring the writing on the wall will only allow an addict more time to makes things worse.
Intervention is one way to address the problem, Hope by the Sea is proud to be a featured treatment center on A & E's highly rated, Emmy Nominated series, INTERVENTION. Check back next week when I will post the airtime for the next INTERVENTION episode that features Hope by the Sea.
