Drug Addiction Help Line

OXYCONTIN ADDICTION

2011-03-03T17:28:00.001-08:00

For drug-rehab.us – to replace ecstasy page: still editing

Oxycontin is in the category of pharmaceuticals called narcotic pain relievers. It is similar to morphine. Oxycontin, for most people is a habit-forming drug and should never be shared with another individual, particularly somebody who has a background of substance abuse or addiction to drugs. Also you should never drink any alcoholic beverages while you are taking Oxycontin. Dangerous consequences or even death can happen when an alcoholic beverage is blended with a narcotic drug like oxycontin. Always check medicine labels to be sure that they do not comprise of any alcoholic content. Oxycontin can cause consequences that may weaken your considering or reactions.

If you have ever had an allergy to a narcotic surgery then manage not use oxycontin like (examples encompass methadone, morphine, Oxycontin, Dragonet, Precocity, Vicodin and many others), or to a narcotic hack surgery that contains codeine, hydrocodone, or dihydrocodeine. You should not take Oxycontin anymore if you are having asthma or if you have a bowel obstruction called paralytic illus.

Oxycontin related killings expanded fivefold after Oxycontin – the brand name of a well known kind of the prescription painkiller which was offered to the public pharmaceutical conceive, as claimed by a study issued in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. After Oxycontin was supplemented to the public as a part of drug plan in 2000. Oxy killings in Ontario expanded from 1.39 per million inhabitants every year in 1999 to 7.17 per inhabitant’s in 2004 million.

They found out those prescriptions for oxy contains the foremost content of Oxycontin used by 850 per hundred all through the study period. One of the studies gave the idea that this has been caused by one of the factor that is the marketing campaign by the drug manufacturer. Purdue Pharmaceutical may have contributed to the agenda itself through their marketing campaign. Senior post people were found guilty in deceptive marketing and thus were charged of deceptive marketing paying out $635 millions as fine.

Opioids also played its part and were blamed for 61.9 percent of all the deaths that occurred due to drugs or alcohol between the eras of 1991 to 2004. It almost doubled the figure from 13.7 per million in 1991 comparing it to 27.2 millions in 2004. There has been a wrong perception developed among the doctors that oxycontin is a new face or a new type of Tylenol 3. In reality this is not the case. It contains much more potent than the Tylenol 3. Ontario is far behind comparatively to other provinces when it comes to electronic medical records that provide real time access to the information related to patient’s drug information that helps to avoid doctor shopping and other kinds of abuses.

Oxycontin in Canada

2011-02-23T10:40:00.000-08:00

Oxycontin:

Do you know what Oxycontin is? It is also known as Oxycodone, which is a powerful tranquilizer drug used for treatment of restrained to severe pain. But, in Canada it is also sold under various names including Oxycocet, Supeudol, Endocet and OxyContin. And it is also identified as the hillbilly heroin because of its popularity in meager regions of the United State, where overdoses have asserted more than hundred lives. Oxycontin is one kind of pill that activates on a time-frees principle, but Heroin Hillbilly is made by devastating the pills and snorting or injecting then the resulting powder. In a statistics it found that from 1999 to 2003 there had been 4-5 fold increases in fatalities where Oxycontin had been noticed in the blood stream of the deceased.

Overview of Oxycontin Damage:

• In the year 2000, The US based Drug mistreatment Warning Network reported a 4X increase in oxycodone interrelated deaths, based on the coroner and medical examiner reports.

• In the year 2001, Oxycodone mistreatment was highly exposed all through North America.

• In the year 2003, the death toll in Canada raised as hundred and one people in Ontario Canada alone died by Oxycodone in their blood systems which ten times more than the previous statistics.

• In the year 2004, the FDA braced the precautions sections and warnings in the cataloging of OxyContin tablets after lots of reports of mistreatment, some ensuing in death.

• In the year 2005, the CTV reported news as a tragic story about Kyle Blythe who was a young guy in Ontario whose existence coiled out of control. Then his doctor prescribed him Oxycontin after Blythe endured tendonitis in his own wrist. Blythe spent $100,000 getting OxyContin unlawfully and ruined his whole life.
These entire events indicate us just one thing, Oxycontin is not a simple matter of fact and it should be controlled right now.

OxyContin In Toronto, Ontario, Canada:

OxyContin has caused many overindulges and deaths in province of Ontario and. In 1990, Chief Medical inspector of Ontario, Barry Mclellan, asked the forensic department to go reverse and review every death files of drug overdoses died people from the past 5 years in Ontario. It was found that from 1999 to 2003 there had been 4-5fold increases in fatalities where Oxycontin had been noticed in the blood stream of the deceased. Moreover a lot of people in Toronto are addicted to Oxycontin. The government of Canada already takes step to control that spread of Oxycontin. But, the people consciousness is the only way to control this monster to spread.

Statistics on drug addiction in Canada

2011-02-22T16:16:00.000-08:00

The number of drug addicted people in Canada is increasing day by day. Here are the statistics of drug abuse in Canada.

• Among Canadians fifteen years and over, the occurrence of cannabis use went from 10.6% to 14.1% between 2004 and 2010.

• The rate of using at least one time in the past few years from their use of alcohol was approximately three times higher among the youth, ages 15 to 24, than the adults; more than 25 years old.

• The occurrences of cannabis use went from 26.3% to 37.0% between the year 2004 to 2010 among youth ages 15- 24.

• Among youth ages 15-24, the use of 5 illegal drugs such as crack or cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, ecstasy, and speed at least one time in a year went from 5.5% to 11.3% between 2004 and 2010.

• Among Canadians fifteen years and over, the occurrence of crack (1.2%), hallucinogen (0.7%), ecstasy (0.9%) and speed (0.4%) use is analogous to the amounts of use published in 2004.

• The rate of pharmaceutical use continues to increase at a fast rate. Youth aged 15 and older have admitted to taking a pain reliever opioid, a stimulant, or tranquilizer or sedative in the past few years.

• The rate of drug use by youth ages from 15 to 24 age remains much more than reported by ages 25 years and older. It is almost four times more for cannabis use, in actual count 26.3% vs. 7.6%, and five times more for the past few year use of drug excluding cannabis (6.3% vs. 1.3%).

• Among Canadians people of 15 years and older, the prevalence of alcohol use increased from 76.5% to 79.3% between 2004 and 2010.

• Overall, more than 1.6% of the people of Canada reported using Salvia at least one time and 0.2% started to use in the last five years. The occurrence of lifetime use amid the youth from ages 15 -24 was 7.3% whilst only 0.5% adults reported to having ever used such substance.

• The occurrence of heavy drinking frequently among the youth ages between 15 and 24 years, was 3 times more than the rate of adults ages 25 years and older.

• About three quarters (75.5%) youth reported overwhelming alcohol use in the last few years.

http://www.drugaddictionhelpline.com

http://www.drug-rehab.us

http://www.cocaineaddictiontreatment.org

http://www.drugaddictiontreatment.ca/drug-rehab.php

Drug Companies Profit from Pain

2008-06-11T13:30:00.000-07:00

Drug Companies Profit from Pain

Drug companies are profiting billions of dollars from your pain. They make more and more addictive pain pills and turn people into addicts overnight. Then these people have to get more and more drugs and got to rehab due to the very addictive nature of the pills. Then they even switch you to other pills in order to “help” you get off the first pills.

Drug companies can make pain pills that are not addictive but then they would loose
money so they make more and more addictive pills.

Successful Drug Rehabs

2007-09-03T11:06:00.000-07:00

Are you losing a loved one to drug or alcohol addiction?

Addiction can be overcome and many have successfully rid themselves of their drug or alcohol addiction by going to a good drug rehab program.

To find a Successful Drug Rehab go to http://www.drugaddictiontreatment.ca

Drug Rehab Success Story

2007-01-05T16:08:00.000-08:00

My New Life - A Drug Rehab Success Story

I became aware of my addiction when snorting Oxycontin was not enough anymore, and I began to shoot it. Prior to that, I participated in recreational drug use since the age of 14. I went through the progression that one hears about so often; pot and alcohol, to LSD and ecstasy and cocaine, and ketamine, pharmaceuticals and then heroin.

The last years of my heroin addiction were the scariest times I could ever imagine anyone going through. I stole, lied, spent most of my day in the pursuit of opiates, and did all the terrible and pointless things that addicts do. When it came to the point that I was hiding from my probation officer and the law, and living either in the woods or in friends' closets for weeks, I decided that I needed to get help that would actually work. I did not want to do another 12 step program that would make me feel like I would never stop using and my life was just an endless cycle of relapses.

I walked home the afternoon of my decision, and my parents, in a last ditch effort to save the daughter they once knew, told me to find a program. I went online and filled out a questionnaire on a site that a friend had referred me to. Within hours, I received a call from a counselor. Two days later I was in the drug rehab.

This rehab program is unlike any other and I can't give enough thanks and gratitude to my parents and the creator of that technology, because there is really no other program out there that will change a tired and hopeless addict into a productive, happy, and sane individual again.

Anyone who's done this rehab program could tell you of the carefully laid out steps that guide one to an ultimately empowered and aware state where one's life becomes so much clearer. For me, what's really done it has been the ongoing drive to learn more and help others out of similar predicaments. I am now a staff member at Arrowhead and my whole life has changed. I am a respected and mature adult, with a family who believes in me again. I am married to a moral and upstanding man and work doing the most important and rewarding job in the world. I am healthy and clear about my future, and though I do not like the things that I did in my past, I have taken the steps to clear my conscience and make up the damage I have done to my loved ones so that I could learn and grow from these misdeeds. I do not know of any other program that helps someone do that.

For anyone out there that is struggling with addiction and wants to be free, for anyone who has a loved one or a neighbor or friend that needs a permanent solution, there is a program that will help once and for all.

T.P. Drug Rehab Program Graduate

Addiction can be overcome.

Resources for finding good drug rehabs:

Drug Rehabs that use successful drug rehab programs
www.drug-rehab.us

Drug Rehabs that use successful drug rehab programs
www.DrugAddictionTreatment.ca

Help with drug addiction and alcoholism
www.DrugAddictionSolutions.com

Drug Rehabs that work
www.addiction-rehab-success.com

Drug Rehab programs for cocaine addiction and other drugs
www.cocaineaddictiontreatment.org

Resources for parents to find good drug rehab centers
www.DrugAddictionHelpline.com

Drug Rehab Success Story

2006-11-22T12:55:00.000-08:00

My name is R.D., I am a graduate of this drug rehab program and I was an alcoholic.

I am 44 years old and I have been living with alcohol every day for the past 10 years. My life has been rough and confusing during these years because of how I chose to handle problems, small or great and how I looked at life in general. What I found to be overwhelming and difficult to manage, I managed with alcohol. This was no solution to my problems; it was the problem to my solutions. So many things in my life needed me, needed me to be in control. But to me, if I didn't need them, I didn't need to have control of who I was or what I was, and certainly didn't need control of my drinking.

I am divorced and have a beautiful 12 years-old daughter as well as a brother and his loving family. Without their love and concern for me, I would have died on March 19, 2005. For whatever reasons I created so self-destruct and not need them…they still needed me. They wanted me and I did not. I just wanted alcohol. I am alive because I needed control and this is what my brother gave me. He stood by me through it all, through everything. He saw death, he smelled death, he touched death, he spoke death, he housed death and in his own loving way…he said "Goodbye" to death and hello to rehab. My brother said hello to life and control and asked one lost time to "Please get help, I love you and you can love yourself again through rehabilitation."

In November of 2005, my brother and his loving wife presented me with an opportunity to get my life back. We sat in their living room and they exposed to me their truest, most honest and important feelings and concerns they had for me. Basically what was discussed was they realized I had a death with and there was nothing more they could do for me and my alcoholism, BUT there is a Recovery Program that is designed in such a way, like no other, that they tackle the addictive behavior by first cleansing the body and the mind so that the person achieves a sense of clarity in thinking, then they instill and teach the courses to make the person become equipped in the way they think and handle their life, by using mental tools taught in each course.
My brother had been searching for two weeks using all the energy and resources he could utilize outside of his own family and life to find a solution to addiction and he found this rehab program on his own. He read what they offered and he and his wife looked me square in the eyes without hesitation or reservation and said, "If YOU do this program, just think, YOU get to live and everyone who loves you gets to have you and we all want to have you so much!"

On December 15, 2005, I got out of bed to a new start. I packed my belongings and spent a 5 hour drive with my brother to accept one of the biggest challenges of my like. I had made the choice to no longer live with alcohol, to no longer destroy my precious life and leave in its wake the path of destruction from something that is so socially acceptable and yet causes so much ruin by those who do not want and then cannot control their consumption of this poison. It is insidious to anyone's life no matter how it is used.

On October 6, 2006, at 8:15pm, some 9 ½ months later, I graduated this rehab a new man, a new father and a new brother. I walked away from alcohol and right into the arms of life. My stay here was longer than most, but I wanted it that way and all the loving, caring people there were more than glad to have me. They truly love what they do and I am living proof and testimony to that. I cannot begin to describe to you the changes I went through and experienced simply because it is such a personal experience. But I can tell you of the 485 other addicts I encounter during my stay (or students, as we like to be called). I realized that even though we may look different and have different addictive behaviors, there is within each of us a common thread that connects us all. We all want to get our like back and be in control of our actions. To be the cause of and not the effect of something that costs so much, not just in money, but in the lives of others as well. Let me remind you – I was willing to kill myself at the age of 43 for alcohol. Ask yourself, what kind of a trade was I thinking of? Really, what kind of trade is that? It is called, by exchange, "Everything For Nothing".

To whom this may concern, the only thing your life really needs is love and happiness. Go out and make a beautiful life. The kind of life you deserve and while you're at it. Do it with your eyes wide open! You will be amazed at what you see and receive. But most of all, you will be amazed at how much life is within you and how much you have to give. Just ask my family.

For help with overcoming drug or alcohol addiction go to:

http://www.Drug-Rehab.us
http://www.DrugAddictionTreatment.ca

Drug Rehab Success Story

2006-09-07T16:38:00.000-07:00

Drug Rehab Success Story

I started using drugs and alcohol at 13 years of age. I can clearly remember the first time that I drank alcohol. I had run away from home with a good friend of mine thinking that my home life was horrible and that running away would be a quick solution to my problems. On the way out the door my friend and I grabbed several bottles of liquor from my parents liquor cabinet and out the door we went. We stayed the night in some woods near the house in my little pop up two man tent and proceeded to think that we were grown man drinking it up and making it on our own. Well quickly within two days we decided that the home life wasn't really as bad as we thought, it sure did beat living in a tent and eating cold canned soup all day, and we quickly returned home to our parents.

That night began a ten-year struggle of finding myself and drug addiction. You see I always wanted to be the popular guy in school, the captain of the football team, king of the prom and dating the head cheerleader. You know the picture perfect teen life that we all see on TV on a daily basis. I started using drugs and alcohol on a regular basis because it gave me a "COOL" group to be a part of and I truly thought that I had the popularity that I was looking for.

Well as the years progressed so did my drug use. I found that I wasn't just using alcohol and marijuana anymore but was using harder drugs such as pain pills and cocaine. As time progressed along I moved out of my house and got a place of my own with several of my very close friends who also used illicit drugs. This is when my drug use and addiction started to skyrocket. I was using heroin and smoking crack and having to sell drugs just to afford my drug habit of $300-$400 a day. I found that I couldn't even get out of bed to brush my teeth or take a shower unless I had a fix right there on my night stand. I couldn't start or complete any cycle of action without a drug in my system to help me through the situation. I had absolutely no control over my actions or myself and began to lose all the things that I had worked so hard for. My true friends and family members wouldn't even speak with me because of all the horrible things that I had done as a result of my drug use. I even used drugs through out the birth of my nephew with no thought of what impression I was making on my family, as a result my sister wouldn't even speak to me for months. All control had been lost and I felt that I had no choice but to remain an addict for the rest of my life. I had been to AA and NA meetings and they told me that I was powerless and once an addict always an addict. My life had hit rock bottom and I had to find a way out.

I finally decided to inform my parents of the extent of my drug addiction and pleaded for help, as I honestly thought that if I did not quit soon I was going to die. My family was very supportive and found this program. With in a week I was off to handle my addiction. I must admit that in the beginning I was skeptical that I would be able to live a life without drugs and alcohol, but as time progressed and I completed the steps of this program I came to the realization that I would never have to use drugs and alcohol again and that I was in full control of my life. You see this program gave me the tools that I needed to stay at cause over my every day life and taught me how to set goals and determine a battle plan that would enable me to accomplish those goals. I have been clean and sober for over two years now and owe my life and thanks to my family and this program.

Thank you,
C.R. Drug Rehab Program Graduate

Drug Rehab: For help with overcoming drug and alcohol addiction go to: www.DrugAddictionTreatment.ca

1-877-801-5475

Drug Rehab - Gateway to the Emergency Room

2006-09-06T14:00:00.000-07:00

More than 94 million Americans (40% of the population) age 12 and older have tried marijuana at least once, according to the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. While there was a temporary drop in marijuana use reported between 2001 and 2004, there is still a large concern about this drug. Per a recent report from the Drug Abuse Warning System, marijuana was a contributing factor in over 119,000 emergency room visits reported less than two years ago. About 15% of those patients in the emergency room were between ages 12 and 17. About 2/3 of them were male.

What we see now is a leveling off of marijuana use, with spikes of use among school children, particularly 12 graders. This of course leads to other societal problems, such as an increase in drug arrests. On average, 57% of male and 32% of female arrestees tested positive for marijuana. And it is known that marijuana use is associated with and leads to taking other drugs. If you take into account that today's marijuana is 10 times more potent than it was 30 years ago, you can see that we are facing a serious problem.We have all heard that marijuana is a gateway drug. There is some truth to that. However, what we must be acutely aware of is that, as a society, we are suffering from an underlying problem, which precedes marijuana use.

Until that more-basic problem is addressed and handled, we are not likely to win the war on drugs. WHY are kids turning to drugs at alarming numbers? The answer is: lack of proper and effective education on this subject! That is the underlying problem. It's not because teachers don't want to help their students! They simply lack reliable educational materials that effectively convey the truth about drugs to their students. And so the drug problem keeps escalating.

For help with overcoming drug and alcohol addiction go to:
www.DrugAddictionTreatment.ca
1-877-801-5475

Drug Rehab Program Description

2006-07-21T10:45:00.000-07:00

This treatment method consists of 8 phases of treatment that when combined achieve full physical detoxification, self-realized root causes of the individual's addiction and a reformed ability to identify and solve problems and change unwanted conditions for the better his/her life. This unique program addresses as well the three main causes of relapse after treatment: physical cravings, lingering depression and/or guilt from past misconduct connected to drug or alcohol addiction.

Book 1 Therapeutic Training Routines - Most drug and alcohol dependent people tend to withdraw from family, friends and loved ones. They lose their ability to communicate and relate to people around them. Addicts tend to think and focus their attention inward on problems, discomforts or self perceived emotional disabilities. Drying a person out alone doesn't correct this situation for the users. In fact, once individuals are taken off the drugs or alcohol they can find it even harder to relate and communicate with people in their environment than when they were using. The first step to successful recovery must include a method to extrovert the addict's attention from their past drug or alcohol related problems and teach them to be comfortable in their present treatment surroundings while at the same time improving their communication skills.

The Therapeutic Training Routines are a series of communication and exercises and drills that are done in a classroom setting. In this book, addicts learn a series of communication exercises that are drilled with another person in recovery and supervised by a trained counselor. These exercises and drills are done until each individual has accomplished a renewed ability to face and comfortably communicate with another person with eye to eye to contact. Additionally, these drills begin to help the addict exercise his ability to control his attention span and focus on the here and now rather then wandering back through drug or alcohol related memories, problems or misdeeds.

Book 2 The Sauna Program – The first major barrier that one encounters when starting the rehabilitation process is the physical and mental cravings for drugs and alcohol that can overwhelm and completely distract the individual in recovery from the treatment process. Physical and mental cravings for drugs and alcohol are the most common cause for people in recovery leaving treatment before they have completed it.
There is a biophysical condition that triggers cravings that can reoccur repeatedly long after a person withdraws and dries out from drugs or alcohol. Any toxin that is ingested in the body undergoes a digestive and filtration process that will eliminate most of the toxic substance but not all of it. That portion of the toxin that remains in the system is converted into a protein based molecule called a metabolite.

Once the body has converted drugs or alcohol to these protein based molecules some of these molecules will exit the body through sweat and urine however, a portion of these metabolites will remain in the body and attach themselves to fatty cells. Fatty cells are also comprised of protein molecules and so are compatible with the drug or alcohol metabolites. This is similar to placing a large drop of oil into a bottle of water. The two elements separate, they won't mix together. If you shake that bottle of oil and water, the oil will break up into many smaller drops of oil that spread throughout the entire bottle of water. If you slowly pour ½ the contents of the bottle out you have water with small drops of oil leaving the mouth of the bottle while the smaller oil drops that remain in the water in the bottle will begin to connect together.

Eventually all the remaining oil drops left in the bottle will rejoin as one element and separate from the water again. Much the same thing happens in the body during the elimination process of drugs or alcohol that a person has ingested. Some of the metabolites leave the body through sweat and urine and some of the metabolites join to the fatty cells of the body and remain physically there.

Metabolites are like finger prints in that each metabolite contains a minute amount of the original toxin that the body digested and filtered through the liver and kidneys. A cocaine metabolite has a traceable amount of cocaine in it. A heroin metabolite has a traceable amount of heroin in it, and an alcohol metabolite has a traceable amount of alcohol in it. Each is different and identifiable from the other. It is the drug metabolites that are exiting the body through the urine that are identified when a drug screen is performed that can provide a read out on what types of drugs an individual has taken.

The drug metabolites that remain in the body act as a physical level reminder of drugs or alcohol taken in the past that can also stimulate memories or feelings related to past drug or alcohol use. This is the origin and physical mechanics of drug and alcohol cravings.

The Sauna Program addresses this physical aspect of addiction. The program consists of a combination of light aerobic exercise, sweating in a dry heat sauna and a specific vitamin regimen. A full physical and medical OK to do the program by a licensed M.D. is required before a person can begin this portion of the program. the individual will undergo 20 to 30 minutes of light aerobic exercise (usually jogging or fast walk outside or on a tread mill) ,15 to 20 minute intervals of time sweating in a dry heat sauna with rest breaks in between sweating periods. Concurrent with the exercise and sweating a specific regimen of vitamins are taken which include cold-press polyunsaturated natural oil, which help free the drug metabolites from the fatty cells. The New Life Detoxification program is designed to assist the addict's body in breaking down and eliminating the stored drug and alcohol metabolites. The daily program runs for about 5 hours a day and can take from between 2 to 6 weeks to complete the entire process. The program length differs from individual to individual. Body weight, extent of drug taking history and medical history influence the length of this program and will program length will vary from person to person.

Once the physical cravings for drugs or alcohol have been addressed through this process the individual is ready to proceed with the next step of the program. Drug and alcohol usage tend to make one mentally dull and impair a persons ability to read, study and comprehend information. Therefore the next step of treatment is to rehabilitate the addict's ability to comprehend and apply information they are studying.

Book 3 – Learning Improvement Course - This is a course delivered in a class room setting with a trained Supervisor. This Course gives the student the ability to acquire and retain knowledge by recognizing and overcoming the barriers to study and comprehension. These study principals are tools that they can use for the rest of their lives when studying any subject and are used by the person through the remainder of the program.

Book 4 – Communication and Perception Course - Drug and alcohol abuse affects an individual's ability to focus on goals and objectives long enough to accomplish them. Addiction also greatly impairs the ability to communicate effectively and to use communication as a tool to identify and solve problems in their environment. Without focus and the ability to relate to environment addicts lose their self control. This then is followed by a lowering of self esteem and a lethargic state of mind. As a result, they tend to live in the past and to some degree disconnect mentally from the present.

The Communication and Perception Course consists of two segments. The first is another series of communication exercises and drills that further improves a person's ability to confront tough situations and increase their understanding of, and ability to communicate. The individual learns to use communication to help and counsel another in this segment. Once the individual has accomplished this ability, he then co-counsels with another addict and guides him/her a series of exercises. These exercises increase a person's awareness of his/her present-time surroundings while at the same time increases self control and focus. The end result of these exercises is and increased ability to set goals and a renewed which increases the recipient of these exercises ability to set and achieve goals.

Both sections of the Communication and Perception Course are done in a course room setting under the direct supervision of a staff member trained in these procedures. The supervisor oversees the delivery of the exercises and is there to correct as needed each counseling session so the processes are properly completed. In addition to helping the individual regain and build their focus, self control and ability to set and achieve goals, their responsibility level is also improved through the co-counseling that occurs in this phase of the program.
By co-counseling the exercises in this section of the program addicts in recovery are helping each other improve their lives as they are working on improving their own. Addicts are generally self-centered and focused primarily on themselves ignoring others in their life. Helping another addict to begin to regain control of his/her life over addiction begins to break this pattern of behavior and install a higher level of responsibility in the individual.

With a heightened awareness of the person's present time environment and life, a renewed ability to remain focused long enough to start and complete cycles of action and an increased level of personal responsibility, the addict in treatment is now able to clearly and rationally look into their life and begin to identify the positive and negative influences and relationships that exist there. They then move on to the Ups and Downs in Life Course.

Book 5 Ups and Downs in Life Course – Part of the life style that develops during the addiction process is the tendency on the part of the addict to develop some anti-social behavior. These individuals are in most cases basically good to start with. Because of the misconduct associated with drug and alcohol addiction, however, they begin to develop negative attitudes towards people they know and love and to some degree become aggressive towards the authority figures in their lives. As these negative attitudes develop addicts will pull away from the "good honest people in their lives. They begin instead to associate with negative people who are usually those in favor of, or in agreement with, the life style of drug or alcohol addiction. Once addicts sober up and begin to get back in touch with reality, it is important that they be able to identify social and anti-social characteristics in people and be able to differentiate from people who will support their sobriety and people who want to drag them back into the life of addiction.

The Ups and Downs in Life Course is a life skills training course that is delivered in a class room situation by a person trained in the technology that teaches an individual how to identify social and anti-social human characteristics in people. Once they learn these characteristics, they will have a workable system to identify and develop positive relationships with people who will be supportive to their continued recovery and know what type of people and relationships will jeopardize their sobriety and quality of life.

Book 6 Personal Values and Integrity Course – Unethical behavior and repeated misconduct go part and parcel with an addicted life style. Addicts become trapped in committing transgressions against people in their lives and against society at large. They get into the vicious circle of committing transgressions in an attempt to hide or continue their drug or alcohol use. This then puts them in situations where further transgressions are committed in an attempt to solve the problems that the earlier transgressions have created. As this cycle continues, these individuals begin to individuate from the people in their lives who love and care about them and may become antagonistic toward them. They hurt the people they love most and as a consequence they become ridden with guilt. This in turn makes them so uncomfortable they will use more drugs or drink in an attempt to cover up or medicate away these negative feelings.

The Personal Values and Integrity Course is delivered in a classroom setting under the supervision of a person trained in this procedure. This course teaches addicts a system that will help them alleviate the guilt that is associated with their drug or alcohol related misconduct. In this course past misdeeds are inventoried one at time in a very specific manner. This procedure helps the addicts identify transgression when they occurred, where they happened, who was involved with them at the time and the harm which resulted because of the misdeed.

Through this confessional procedure, addicts experience a tremendous relief. They also become aware of the damage they are responsible for in their environment that they need to repair. This opens the door for the individual to be able to start the process of repairing these negative conditions. Once this process is completed, they individual's integrity is restored, along with the understanding that true happiness can only be achieved through living an ethical life style.

Book 7 Changing Conditions in Life Course – As addicts confront their misdeeds and the damage these actions created in the various areas of their lives is realized, they are now ready to begin to repair relationships and situations that exist in their lives because of their addiction. This course is delivered in a course room setting and supervised by a person trained in this technology. In this course the person is taught that there are separate compartments of one's life that together make up the whole of an individual's existence, (one's self, one's relationship with family, one's job, living in the material world, what one's personal belief spiritually etc.) This course also teaches individuals simple formulas that can be applied to any situation in life, if these formulas correctly followed will help the person preserve those things that are going well for him in life or repair those areas that are damaged. It is through this course that individuals develop their individual discharge plan of what actions need to be taken to ensure they can live a sober ethical life style.

At this stage of treatment individuals going through the program have made significant progress towards repairing the mental and physical effects of addiction and have begun the process to repair the damage in their lives that addiction has created. They also have developed a plan of actions that they will need to follow to ensure a sober and responsible life style. They are now at a point where they have to evaluate and develop some stable rules of conduct for responsible living. The last book in this treatment series addresses this issue. It is called the Way to Happiness Course.

Book 8 The Way To Happiness Course – This is the final in this rehabilitation program. The course is delivered in a class room setting and supervised by a person trained in this technology. This course teaches individuals 21 precepts that cover a common sense moral code of conduct that when followed will help them become productive contributing members of society by living an ethical life style.

At this point the entire rehabilitation line up is complete. There is a final review step which consists of counseling that helps each graduate of the program design their individual plan of action that addresses the situations that may still exist in the person's home environment. In addition goals are set in the areas of family, work, relationships and any other situations unique to the individual along with a specific plan of actions that will be taken to achieve these goals.
When individuals complete the entire program they have a written plan of action of which a copy is kept on file at the center. Each graduate of the program is contacted after they are released and the progress on the individual plans are assessed. Additionally if a graduate runs into problems that are distracting them from their plan a staff member will help them to resolve this or to improve the plan so progress in accomplishing these set goals is achieved.

For help with overcoming drug and alcohol addiction go to:
DrugAddictionTreatment.ca

Drug Addiction – Cause of Depression

2006-04-18T16:24:00.000-07:00

According to a recent government survey, 65% of students are on drugs. The information showed that 54% of high school seniors have experimented with illegal drugs. Add to this the fact that 87% of high school seniors have used alcohol, and you can see we have a big problem. Despite the fact that the legal drinking age in most areas is 21, approximately 2/3 of teenagers who drink report that they can buy their own alcoholic beverages.

The Drug Policy Alliance (a non-profit group) has the wrong attitude about the drinking problem; following is a direct quote from their web site:"Critical to reducing harm is reality-based drug education. In theory teenagers aren't allowed to drink alcohol, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be taught to always use designated drivers when attending parties where alcohol is consumed. Harm reduction is a set of practical strategies that reduce negative consequences of drug use, incorporating a spectrum of strategies from safer use, to managed use to abstinence. Harm reduction strategies meet drug users 'where they're at,' addressing conditions of use along with the use itself." - Drug Policy Alliance

This goes along the same lines alcohol companies follow, which is to "Drink Responsibly". In other words, if we agree with the Drug Policy Alliance we admit that there is no solution; and if so, let's at least teach them to drink "safely." This group is sending the wrong message to the youth of today, one of hopelessness, however, addiction can be overcome”, said Margret Shaw, national president of

For help with overcoming drug and alcohol addiction, visit:

www.DrugAddictionHelpline.com

Drug Rehab - I Gave It Up And Got A Life

2006-03-18T12:24:00.000-08:00

"Meth addiction results in tremendous personal torment. Desperate meth users who’ve been deprived of their fix have been observed picking and eating scabs off of their bodies, along with going to the extreme of drinking their own urine in an effort to try to find enough meth chemicals to get high" said Joanna Young of the www.DrugAddictionHelpline.com

Following is a true story of a person who beat this addiction:

"I am a single mother with two children and the life I had made for us came crashing down after I developed a serve addiction to methamphetamine, pain killers, and marijuana. We had suffered the loss of my fiancé in a motorcycle accident, that I witnessed, just before Christmas in 2003 and my inability to confront our loss fueled my drug use and subsequent addiction.

After I started using on a daily basis it didn't take long for me to lose everything, most importantly, my children and our home, my job, my vehicles and all communication with my family. I was using and using and finally began selling the drugs to maintain my habit. After being arrested many times and facing the loss of my freedom I thought that rehabilitation was a waste of time and that I would never be able to live a life without those drugs to help me function. The truth is I was not functioning with the drugs only I didn't know it.

My family came to me very gently and pleaded with me to get some help because they were in constant fear for my safety. When my family said to me that they did not want to visit me in one of three places, living on the streets, in prison, or at the cemetery, I knew that it was time to let them help me help myself. My oldest brother located this rehab for me on the internet and even though I was very resistant to rehabilitation I agreed to try it. I came to the program in September 2004 with no hope of ever being clean. It wasn't long after I entered the program that I realized I really had a problem, I needed help and that these people cared about my ability to be successful.

My family's unconditional love for me, the brilliant processes of this program, and amazing staff saved my life.

I now work for the rehab facility and have dedicated my life to helping others put the pieces of their shattered lives back together. The pride I see in my children's eyes has been worth every ounce of struggle I faced. This program has given back the child my parents so desperately missed and the mother my children so desperately needed."

Holly C.
Drug Rehab Program Graduate and Staff Member

Drug rehabs: for help with overcoming drug and alcohol addiction, go to;

http://www.DrugAddictionHelpline.com/

http://AddictionHelpRehab.blogspot.com/

http://www.DrugAddictionSolutions.com/

http://www.DrugAddictionTreatment.ca

http://centralcalcoalition.org/

http://www.addiction-rehab-success.com/

THERE ARE SOLUTIONS FOR THE DRUG CRISIS

2006-03-17T10:13:00.000-08:00

www.DrugAddictionHelpLine.com

According to the most recently available statistics, in one year there were 46,600 admissions for drug treatment in Los Angeles County. 42,000 of these had had prior emergency room admissions. Based on the user’s principal drug of choice, the following percentage reported that they had failed from one to six times in earlier attempts to get drug-free: Methamphetamine 52%, Cocaine 60%, Heroin 79%.

An unavoidable conclusion is that tens of thousands of addicts yearly are recycling through LA County’s drug treatment system. To improve these statistics, to save huge expense, and, most importantly, to save more lives, our County deserves to have every rehabilitation program model available.

Per national survey the average outcome of drug rehabilitation programs Is 20% “improvement”— not drug free, just improvement (reduced drug use) Hence, the revolving door of relapse reported above. Not one of our communities can truly escape the consequences of this continuing crisis. Whether inner city, affluent suburb, or rural countryside, no community is immune.

In fact, our Southern California rural areas are even more challenged. This is where methamphetamine production and use is most on the increase. Meth hospital admissions rose 150% from 2000 to 2003, higher than any other drug, paralleled by the rise in distribution of “ice,” the extremely addictive smoke able form of meth. In addition, the street purity of meth is increasing. Our County is being targeted for meth sales. The broader LA County region now accounts for 55% of California meth lab busts, 41% being reported as ‘super labs’ (producing a lot of the drug.) LA County deserves the right and opportunity to get better results, and our communities need them in order to be safer, more secure, and more peaceful.

Joanna Young, national president of www.DrugAddictionHelpLine.com states "For millions of individuals personally caught up in the trap of drug addiction or alcoholism, and for the millions of others who are also directly or indirectly affected, effective drug rehab centers provide a real and workable route to communities free from drug and alcohol abuse.”

Drug rehabs: to find an effective rehabilitation facility and to get help with overcoming drug and alcohol addiction, go to;

http://www.DrugAddictionHelpline.com/
http://AddictionHelpRehab.blogspot.com/
http://www.DrugAddictionSolutions.com/
http://www.DrugAddictionTreatment.ca
http://centralcalcoalition.org/
http://www.addiction-rehab-success.com/

Welcome to Drug Addiction Help Line

2006-03-12T11:19:00.000-08:00

Are you losing a loved one to drug or alcohol addiction? Is addiction destroying your life and happiness, or the life and happiness of someone you love?

Addiction does not need to be permanent; complete rehabilitation is possible and has been achieved by many.

Our job is to get the addicted person - whether yourself or someone you love - into an effective drug rehabilitation program.

Methadone clinics do not restore a person's life but just change the drug of choice to methadone. This makes it legal for an addict to get a fix as needed. This method makes billions of dollars for the clinics so is not intended to get someone drug free. Methadone is much harder to quit than any other drug that the person was taking before (including heroin). This method just adds to the problem.

Detox/rehabilitation facilities also give the addicted person anti-depressants. Once again another drug is added to the existing problem. Anti-depressants bring with them various side effects, one of which can be permanent damage to the nervous system. This causes many future health problems as well as adding to the feelings of depression and failure.

Drug free rehabilitation is the only way to help someone overcome their drug addiction and get back their life and happiness.

Rehab Programs Using 12 Step

First there is the 12 step Recovery Model. These methods are better known as Alcoholics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. 12 Step was developed in 1934 by two Alcoholics who found a way to stay sober with these steps usually 21- 28 days. Some private facilities offer longer term Case. It has been around the longest and there was some moderate success in the beginning. When hard drugs showed up into our culture it was a natural progression to use 12 step methods on these addictions, as there was nothing else available. The method grew across the nation, as there was nothing else that was available to be used. For this simple reason 12 step is available almost anywhere. Today the success rate is approximately 5%-10% depending on the facility you choose. Private Facilities will yield a somewhat higher rate of success.

Drug Rehab Programs using Behavioral Modification.

Second there is the Behavioral Modification Method. Behavioral Modification was developed to work on the A Social Personality, or a person who was self centered. This method relies on boot camp style tactics where the individual is berated by groups of peers and then hopefully rebuilt into a more social person. There has been some use for this method with young teenagers who are on a warpath to destroy society. However the success is only very marginally about 10%, in most cases other methods are recommended. Due to that reason very few drug rehab centers use this method.

Drug Rehab Programs using Long Term Religious method.

Third is the long term religious based model of treatment. In this methodology the individual is required to go away for 1 – 2 years, and work on a farm. Example: Farming. This method is also combined with a heavy religious aspect of prayer, and bible study. The success rate is hard to determine as only about 10% of people will make it to the full completion of this method, however of those completing it will be around 20% - 40% who stay clean form hard drugs. Due to the long term it is usually not available to most addicts, and waiting lists are long.

Drug Rehab Programs using Bio- Physical method.

Fourth is the Biophysical rehabilitation. This method gets toxins out of the body in a purification sauna. What was found through research is that the human body will store a residue called a metabolite in the fat tissue for 5 – 7 years after drug abuse. This Residue causes cravings, anxiety, and depression. Also the drugs like heroin, oxycontin, cocaine, and meth are more powerful than the chemicals the brain produces to be happy. It takes 1 year for this chemical balance to be restored.

The Biophysical method uses a purification sauna, and vitamins to release residues stored in fat tissue so that there are no more cravings, anxiety or depression caused by the drug abuse side effects. The chemical balances also will come back much faster with the exercise and vitamins. This enables the person to have a fighting chance.

This type of drug rehabilitation center will use social educational classes to restore or build skills to make the individual a drug free and productive member of society. Drug Rehab Programs with this method are having a success rate of over 76%.

This is why Bio-Physical drug treatment centers are usually recommended for the drug addiction’s of our society today.

www.DrugAddictionTreatment.ca

How I Found a New Life

2006-03-12T11:10:00.000-08:00

My addiction started early on. I was drinking at an early age and by the time I was 16 years old, I was experimenting with drugs. I married a man that was a heroin addict and in turn, that's what I become. My life of crime also started early because I had to maintain my drug habit. I become quite infamous; my first conviction was in 1971 for breaking and entering. A few years later, I was the first person ever arrested under Crime Solvers in the mid-70s. I was in and out of prison five times. Two of those times, I did 6 years before released on parole.

Each time I was released, regardless of the amount of time I did, I returned home and within a short while reverted back to drugs and a life of crime. Prison and drug rehabs were a revolving door for me. Nothing ever clicked for me and I gave up hope for anything but a life doomed for failure because I didn't know how to live any differently despite my desire for a better life.

Addiction doesn't just hit families that are less fortunate. Addiction doesn't discriminate. My family was upper middle class until I totally depleted their finances through my years of legal fees, bonds, and restitutions.

My mother received a flyer in the mail from a place using the biophysical method. She read the flyer and became interested. What interested her was that they had a sauna program that eliminates the toxins that stay in your fatty tissues for years, which damage your health and your ability to think clearly. These toxins also contribute to drug cravings. She read on and realized that this different technique made sense and that it was worth a try.

I came to the rehab, thinking this was just another rehab with still no hope of ever being anything other than a drug addict. I had given up. When I first got here, I just knew that this place was going to help me because the technique they use here is real and made total sense.

This is one program that I completed successfully and I stayed on and became a staff member here whose sole purpose is to help others break the bonds of addiction. I have been drug free for 2 ½ years and with no desire or thoughts of ever using drugs again.

Thanks to this program, I have found my purpose in life which is to help others break the bondage that I was in for over
35 years.

T.G. - Graduate

HUFFING -- THE DRUG ABUSE UNDER OUR NOSES

2006-03-12T10:57:00.000-08:00

Inhalant abuse, commonly called huffing, is the intentional inhalation of chemical vapors to achieve an altered mental or physical state.

In a study issued by the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC), the number of inhalant abusers, also known as “huffers”, rose approximately 158 percent from 1990 to 1999. In numbers, that means from 392,000 abusers to 1,010,000 or more. The most saddening aspect of this is that the primary user group is children from the age of 12 to 17. Over 636,000 children had tried inhalants for the first time in 1999.

This number is almost double that of the 18-25 year-old user group, and statistics showing higher use among eighth-graders may be due to the fact that frequent inhalant abusers typically drop out of school and consequently do not participate in the tenth and twelfth grade surveys. It doesn’t necessarily mean that use of inhalants drops after kids turn 18.

What are inhalants?

Technically, they are any sort of vapor which can be inhaled: huffers use a vast range of substances and in fact chemical vapors used as inhalants can be found in over 1,000 common household products. The general categories are:

Aerosols – such as spray paint, deodorant, hair products, cooking products (spray oils) and fabric protectors.

Any product which contains propellants and solvents such as toluene - one of the most common solvents found in aerosols - can be used.

Volatile solvents – liquids that vaporize at room temperature if left in unsealed containers, such as paint thinners, gasoline, correction fluid, felt-tip markers, nail polish and remover, and glues, such as rubber cement.

Gases – substances that lack definite shape or volume, such as refrigerants and medical anesthetics. Abusers frequently inhale gases found in butane lighters, air conditioning units and propane tanks.

Nitrites – often available in adult bookstores and shops, as well as over the Internet, and a form of which is found in room deodorizers.

These are also sometimes called poppers, or snappers. In 2000, 18 percent of eighth graders, 17 percent of tenth graders and 14 percent of twelfth graders reported having abused inhalants at some time in their life.

How can parents recognize inhalant abuse?

Drunk or disoriented appearance
Paint or other stains on face, hands or clothing
Hidden empty spray paint or solvent containers and chemical-soaked rags or clothing
Slurred speech
Strong chemical odors on breath or clothing
Nausea or loss of appetite - Red or runny nose
Sores or rash around the nose or mouth.

Joanna Young, national president of www.DrugAddictionHelpLine.com states "Parents are often the last to know, often thinking that their children are too young to be experimenting with drug use. They are unaware of the many sources children can find right within their homes, leaving them, the parents, with a false sense of awareness and responsibility with regard to their children’s actions."

“While inhalants are of particular concern amongst children, adults, too abuse them,” she goes on to say. According to the same NDIC study, an analysis of 144 death certificates from Texas involving abuse or misuse of inhalants from 1988 to 1998 shows that the average age of those who died from inhalant use was 25.6. Ages, however, ranged from as young as 8 to as old as 62. In the Texas study, the most frequent cause of death was from Freon. Freon is most commonly found in air-cooling equipment (refrigerators, air conditioners), but is also used as a common propellant in aerosol cans.

“Parents who are aware of the way that inhalants are used will be more likely to spot children who are ‘huffing’”, Ms. Young adds. As the name infers, the person uses inhalants by breathing them through the nose and/or mouth in a variety of ways. They may inhale the chemical vapor directly from open containers or by huffing fumes from rags that are soaked in a chemical substance and then held to the face or stuffed into the mouth. Other methods include spraying aerosols directly into the nose or mouth or pouring inhalants onto the user’s collar, sleeves or cuffs and sniffing them over a period of time (such as during a class in school). “Bagging” is a common practice, wherein fumes are inhaled from a paper or plastic bag in which substances have been sprayed or deposited. Fumes can also be discharged into small containers such as soda cans and then inhaled from the can.

Effects of inhalant abuse are many.

Abusers initially feel a rapid euphoric effect, then drowsiness, lightheadedness and agitation. Users also often experience a lessening of inhibitions. The chemicals found in volatile solvents, aerosols and gases produce a variety of additional effects that can include strong hallucinations, delusions, belligerence and apathy. Long-term inhalant abusers usually suffer from weight loss, muscle weakness, disorientation, lack of coordination, irritability and depression. Withdrawal symptoms include sweating, rapid pulse, hand tremors, insomnia, nausea or vomiting, hallucinations and in severe cases grand mal seizures.

Chronic abusers can suffer from serious and sometimes irreversible damage to the heart, liver, kidneys, lungs and brain. Brain damage may result in personality changes, diminished cognitive functioning, memory impairment and slurred speech.

“What parents don’t realize is that death can occur after a single use, or after prolonged use,” says Ms. Young. Sudden sniffing death (SSD) may result within minutes of abuse from irregular hearth rhythm leading to heart failure. Other causes of death include asphyxiation, aspiration or suffocation. Deaths may also occur as a result of automobile accidents caused by user impairment, as well as falls, etc. caused by the chemicals. She adds, “Being alert to the signs of usage and being willing to take quick and effective action are key to helping our children avoid the horrific damage that can occur with this particular type of chemical abuse.”

Drug Rehabs: for help with overcoming drug and alcohol addiction, go to:

http://www.DrugAddictionHelpline.com/

http://AddictionHelpRehab.blogspot.com/

http://www.DrugAddictionSolutions.com/

http://www.DrugAddictionTreatment.ca

http://www.addiction-rehab-success.com/

Ecstasy, The Real Story

2006-02-25T14:13:00.000-08:00

Scientists in the United States have identified a key protein involved in one of the most lethal side effects of the popular but illegal drug ecstasy. Most ecstasy-related deaths are caused by an increase in body temperature, or hyperthermia, which leads to organ failure.

Coroners report:

18-year-old female who attended a RAVE PARTY between the hours of 2230 and 0230 hours at a vacant lot. Mother of decedent picked her up at which time the decedent appeared to be under the influence. Mother drove straight to Good Samaritan Hospital where decedent told staff that she had taken 3 Ecstasy pills at the party. Decedent kept in ER and monitored until about 0800 when she was released with doctor telling the mother that she would probably sleep for 18 hours and wake up with a headache. Decedent unable to get to car on her own and seemed to sleep the entire trip home to Sylmar. Decedent put to bed and check on every 30 minutes or so by family. When checked on at about 1600 hours she was found not breathing so family called 911. Decedent taken to Olive View Hospital where she was declared dead in the ER at 1701 hours.

In this story the young girl died after being sent home from the hospital. The doctors failed to realize the actual lasting effects of ecstasy and thus were unable to help this girl. If our own doctors don't even know how to handle a drug like ecstasy, just imagine the state of affairs our youth are in. They need the correct information in order to make the right decisions.

About 8% of high school seniors surveyed had tried Ecstasy at least once in their lives. About 5.5% of 19-22 year-olds surveyed had used Ecstasy in the previous year.

Ecstasy-related emergency room incidents increased nationwide from 250 in 1994, to 637 in 1997, to 1,142 in 1998, to 2,850 in 1999.

As if the drug ecstasy wasn't bad enough, a lot of times the drug has other things added into it. Things like rat poison, sedatives and other chemical combinations. While it is the drug ecstasy itself that does the most damage, nowadays kids don't know what they are taking. They need all the facts and complete understanding about drugs themselves in order to keep from using them.

Some of you may be I wishing you'd had this type of information when you were growing up doing drugs. You know this would have made a big difference. Why? Because you were lied to by friends, who were drug users, and by the drug dealers. This situation is still happening today. What makes things even more horrifying today is that drugs are much more powerful then they were 30 years ago.

Combine this with a pure lack of knowledge on the subject of drugs and you can begin to see the uphill battle our youth have in today's world."We have an opportunity to reach kids about this drug before they go down the dark side of using Ecstasy. I hope the above story illustrates the importance of this for all of you", said Young.

For help with overcoming drug and alcohol addiction or to request drug education personnel to your school or group, go to

http://www.DrugAddictionHelpline.com/
http://AddictionHelpRehab.blogspot.com/
http://www.DrugAddictionSolutions.com/
http://www.drugaddictiontreatment.ca/
http://centralcalcoalition.org/
http://www.addiction-rehab-success.com/

WARNING: Antidepressants Cause Suicide

2005-12-28T11:27:00.000-08:00

www.DrugAddictionHelpLine.com

On Sept 14, 2004, an FDA panel voted 18 to 5 to require manufacturers of all antidepressants to add black box warnings to their product labeling. A month later, the FDA adopted the panel's recommendations. The warning reads in part:

Antidepressants increased the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior (suicidality).

A "black box" warning is the most serious warning placed on the labeling of a prescription medication.

For help with drug addiction treatment - including, meth, crack, heroin, cocaine, pain pills or alcohol, go to:

http://www.DrugAddictionHelpline.com/
http://AddictionHelpRehab.blogspot.com/
http://www.DrugAddictionSolutions.com/
http://www.drugaddictiontreatment.ca/
http://centralcalcoalition.org/
http://www.addiction-rehab-success.com/

Drug Addiction Deaths

2005-11-29T07:02:00.000-08:00

Americans consider driving while impaired by alcohol or other drugs thenation's greatest highway safety problem, according to a 2005 Galluppoll. According to the poll, 37% of the people surveyed consider driving while alcohol impaired to be the worst problem, yet 60% of those same people admitted they had driven a vehicle while drunk or near-drunk, a number up from 57% in 2000.

"This poll clearly shows impairment and driving to be a major concern, especially during the holidays which is a time of increased drinking and increased driving", said Joanna Young, national president of Drug Addiction Help Line.

In another alarming report, more people age 40 and older are dying of drug overdoses. This is double the rate recorded in 1990 in a little-noticed trend that dispels the notion of hard-core drug use being primarily a young person's problem. Overdoses among baby boomers are driving an overall increase so dramatic that soon drug deaths may surpass automobile accidents as a leading cause of non-natural deaths.

Based on state health data, according to calculations on males, the age by which someone was most likely to die from a drug overdose in 1970 was 22; by 1985, it was 32 and today it is 43.

For help with overcoming drug or alcohol addiction go to;

http://www.DrugAddictionHelpline.com/
http://AddictionHelpRehab.blogspot.com/
http://www.DrugAddictionSolutions.com/
http://www.DrugAddictionTreatment.ca
http://centralcalcoalition.org/
http://www.addiction-rehab-success.com/

Do You Know What Candy Flipping Is?

2005-11-09T14:04:00.000-08:00

www.DrugAddictionHelpLine.com

Getting dressed up for Halloween and going trick or treating down the street has always been a great way for us to satisfy our sweet tooth and have a little fun in the process. But candy has taken on a whole new meaning. More importantly, there is a new trend called "Candy Flipping". No, it's not flipping the candy in the air. It is actually a new trend where drug users mix Ecstasy (MDMA) with LSD. That's right, as if Ecstasy was not bad enough! (The drug Ecstasy, of "E" is a hallucinogenic stimulant.)

So if you thought Ecstasy might be a passing phase, think again. Remember hearing about LSD in the 1960's? That was 4 decades ago and LSD is still popular and in fact part of the mainstream drug culture. What is interesting to note is that a majority of Ecstasy is imported. Atlanta Georgia, for instance, serves as a distribution point for Ecstasy and, according to NDIC (National Drug Intelligence Center); most of the Ecstasy is produced in Northern Europe and flown in to the USA.

Just to add a little more sweetness into the mix, Ecstasy has gone Hollywood. That's right, now you can get pills with names like Batman and Spiderman, among others. Can you imagine a kid being offered a "Spiderman" pill?

You see, it's not only the drugs; it is all about their marketing and promotion. That is one thing that kids need more information about. Ecstasy and other drugs are advertised and marketed is a subject not taught in today's schools. Therefore we need to be educated on this immediately and as adults need to ensure that our kids are safe. The last thing we need, are kids asking their friends to take a "Spiderman" pill!

To overcome drug or alcohol addiction go to;

http://www.DrugAddictionHelpline.com/
http://AddictionHelpRehab.blogspot.com/
http://www.DrugAddictionSolutions.com/
http://www.DrugAddictionTreatment.ca
http://centralcalcoalition.org/
http://www.addiction-rehab-success.com/

DRUG ADDICTION HELP LINE REACHES ACROSS BORDERS

2005-10-05T17:00:00.000-07:00

There is a website which should be on the “Favorites” sidebar of every Internet user out there. All parents, and their children, as well as anyone living on Planet Earth with its current drug epidemic should know about it. It is the Drug Addiction Help Line (http://www.drugaddictionhelpline.com/).

It contains information on all current illicit drugs, including LSD, crack cocaine, ecstasy and heroin, as well as marijuana and meth. It is written in easy to understand language while still managing to communicate specific information – what the drug looks like, its effects and its long term physiological effects, and more.

One of the things which makes this website different from most others on this topic is its condemnation of the use of drugs to help drug users kick their habit. This is an often-used technique that is seldom explained or even discussed, but it common in many drug rehabilitation programs. Methadone is an example of a drug that will be familiar to many people, having been used for years in the “treatment” of heroin addiction. That it only replaces one harmful drug with another, while enriching the methadone manufacturers, is seldom understood fully. Those who have attempted to stop their methadone use will tell you it is more difficult to quit than the heroin was.

A similar situation exists with the use of various psychiatric drugs in the treatment of drug withdrawal. The body does not differentiate between illegal and legal drugs; they are all toxins to the body. The goal of a good drug rehab program needs to include helping the individual quit the use of the drug along with addressing the underlying conditions that created the need for the drug. This has been found to be the key to success for non-drug-based rehab programs. Simply replacing one form of poison for another only helps the pharmaceutical companies, who already make billions of dollars from this form of re-directed drug addiction. In addition, many of the psychiatric drugs used in drug-based rehab programs have recently been relabeled by the FDA to include strong warnings about emergent suicidal behavior as a side effect. This is NOT something a person undergoing drug withdrawals wants to risk!

Currently, thousands of people around the world, in Ireland, England, Turkey, India, Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the U.S. and many other countries have been aided through the Help Line, which will also direct you to drug-free drug rehabilitation programs, if you or someone you know is already involved in drug use and needs to quit.

Additionally, the website has a large number of news releases available for use. They cover different drug-related topics, including the proposal to provide ecstasy to our troops in Iraq, part of an experiment to treat soldiers suffering in different ways from their experiences in the war. This is information which needs widespread reporting in order to turn the tide of drug-dependency which is encroaching our entire culture.

Interested parties can also arrange for drug education through the site, so if you are part of a group, or know of any sort of group that could use more understanding of this problem, arrangements can be made to set up drug ed classes.

For help with overcoming drug and alcohol addiction, go to;

http://www.DrugAddictionHelpline.com/
http://AddictionHelpRehab.blogspot.com/
http://www.DrugAddictionSolutions.com/
http://www.DrugAddictionTreatment.ca
http://centralcalcoalition.org/
http://www.addiction-rehab-success.com/

Drug Addiction - Red Ribbon Week Approaches

2005-10-04T12:23:00.000-07:00

October 22nd to 30th is Red Ribbon Week

www.DrugAddictionHelpLine.com

What is Red Ribbon Week?It began as a grassroots tribute to DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) hero, Special Agent Enrique Camarena, who was murdered by drug traffickers. Within weeks of his death in March of 1985, Camarena's Congressman and a high school friend launched a Camarena Club in his hometown of Imperial Valley, California. Other clubs continued to spring up. Club members pledged to lead drug-free lives to honor the sacrifices made by Camarena and others on behalf of all Americans. From these clubs emerged the Red Ribbon Week Campaign.

Red Ribbon Week is now nationally recognized and celebrated to further the cause for which Camarena gave his life. It is also a symbol of support for the DEA's efforts to reduce demand for drugs through prevention and education programs. By wearing a red ribbon during the last week in October, Americans demonstrate their ardent opposition to drugs.

The U.S. centers celebrate Red Ribbon Week by redoubling their efforts. Through school presentations, distribution of drug education materials, and participation in many community based activities and events, they broadly distribute the message of "a drug-free life."

The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that drug use in the workplace costs employers approximately $81 billion annually in lost time, accidents, health care and workers' compensation costs.

· Substance abusers are six times more likely than their coworkers to file a worker's compensation claim.
· 60% of employed drug users work for smaller companies.
· 30% of drug abuse in the workplace involves prescription drugs.

More and more companies are addressing this problem by implementing a drug-free workplace program, consisting of drug education and training for workers and supervisors as well as employee assistance for those already involved with substance abuse.

For help with overcoming drug and alcohol addiction or to request drug education personnel to your school or group, contact:

http://www.DrugAddictionHelpline.com/
http://AddictionHelpRehab.blogspot.com/
http://www.DrugAddictionSolutions.com/
http://www.DrugAddictionTreatment.ca
http://centralcalcoalition.org/
http://www.addiction-rehab-success.com/

What Is the Real Natural Disaster?

2005-09-21T14:32:00.000-07:00

www.DrugAddictionHelpLine.com

The body count for Hurricane Katrina just surpassed the 1000 mark. It has been said that the Katrina disaster will cost billions of dollars to sort out. In the end it is the American public that will have to foot this bill for a disaster brought upon us by Mother Nature. Events like this seem to overshadow the largest natural disaster in our society. What do you think that is?

Each year an estimated $107 billion in overall productivity losses is attributable to alcohol abuse and $69.4 billion is attributable to drug abuse. More than 132,000 deaths annually are attributable to alcohol and drug abuse. The estimated loss of productivity resulting from these deaths is about $45.9 billion, including $31.3 billion for the 107,000 premature deaths attributable to alcohol abuse and $14.6 billion for the 25,000 deaths attributable to drug abuse. (Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse)

These are annual statistics. As you can see this is a much larger social disaster than what Mother Nature is dolling out to us right now. Yet the media is reporting that the costs to handle the Katrina disaster could be well above the 50 Billion dollar mark. It is costing Americans over 170 billion dollars a year because of the drug and alcohol problem, yet this year's Federal Budget for handling of the drug problem is only 12 Billion, (Per Office of National Drug Control Policy). And when you break this budget down only 3.5 billion dollars is going to prevention and education services and only 233 million is allocated to the Department of Education. Yet the drug problem is clearly the largest disaster going on in our society today. Ok, so what can we do about it?

Believe it or not, there was one right thing I heard from the media. The fastest and most effective help in the Katrina disaster came from the private sector. That's right; in times of real need it is the American people, the individuals themselves, that rally to the cause to help their fellow man. To me that is the most inspiring glimmer of hope we have for our society. Knowing that people really do care and want to help.

The DrugAddictionHelpLine.com site is addressing this social disaster directly at the root -- our public schools. By getting the truth about drugs to our youth across the nation, we are able to significantly cut down the future demand of drugs. And if you ask me, that is a very powerful way of avoiding an even larger disaster in the future. Think about it: Who is going to be running this country in the future? It is what we do today, right now, that will keep millions of kids from turning to drugs. Now is the time to help, not when it is too late!

For help with overcoming drug and alcohol addiction or to request drug education personnel to your school or group, contact:

http://www.DrugAddictionHelpline.com/
http://AddictionHelpRehab.blogspot.com/
http://www.DrugAddictionSolutions.com/
http://www.DrugAddictionTreatment.ca
http://centralcalcoalition.org/
http://www.addiction-rehab-success.com/

Changing The Way Kids Think

2005-09-13T14:24:00.000-07:00

Where do kids get most of their education these days? Who is the one teaching them? Most importantly, who are the one's teaching the teachers? Can you recall when you were young what kinds of things you were taught? How about the 4 food groups? Everyone knows that to be healthy you must eat using the 4 food groups right?

The fact of the matter is that General Mills launched a very detailed PR campaign to the school principals and educators around the nation about how grains are a critical part of your diet. They even had medical experts endorse this. So what was the result of this effort? A complete educational program implemented at a national level, in all public schools, about the importance of the 4 food groups in our diet.

Did you know this PR campaign was done in the 60's? Now think about that for a minute. Then think about your thoughts on grains. What do you believe about them? Now where do you think that INITIAL information came from? For most of us it was from our education in school, starting with elementary school.

The same thing has happened on the subject of drugs. Our educational system has been infiltrated by schools of thought such as "There's good drugs and bad drugs" or "Addiction is a disease." When a young child learns things like this from their teachers in school, who are taught this by someone else, it becomes part of their thinking pattern. They grow up thinking in this way. So the first time they see their friend Joe smoking marijuana, and Joe is laughing and having a good time, they think it must be a good drug right? Or they think their parent is diseased because of their drinking problem and there is no hope for any cure.

Ok, so what is the solution to this type of "Thought Control" going on in our schools? Plain and simple, get them the Truth About Drugs. If we are going to change the way our society thinks about drugs 10 years from now, we better start now!

For help with overcoming drug and alcohol addiction or to request drug education personnel to your school or group, contact:

http://www.DrugAddictionHelpline.com/
http://AddictionHelpRehab.blogspot.com/
http://www.DrugAddictionSolutions.com/
http://www.DrugAddictionTreatment.ca
http://centralcalcoalition.org/
http://www.addiction-rehab-success.com/

Drugging Our Soldiers with Ecstasy

2005-08-27T14:59:00.000-07:00

American soldiers traumatized by fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan are to be offered the drug ecstasy to help free them of flashbacks and recurring nightmares? The US Food and Drug Administration has given the go-ahead for the soldiers to be included in an experiment to see if MDMA, the active ingredient in ecstasy, can treat post-traumatic stress disorder. The last thing our troops need is ecstasy. http://www.drug-rehab.us

Our soldiers, our sons, dughters, mothers and fathers, put their lives on the line and come back to drug pushers. While their phobias are no doubt real and of concern to them, there are better ways to handle this sort of thing. Drugging is not one of them. http://www.drugaddictiontreatment.ca/

Scientists behind the study in South Carolina think the feelings of emotional closeness reported by those taking the drug could help the soldiers talk about their experiences to therapists. Several victims of rape and sexual abuse with post-traumatic stress disorder, for whom existing treatments are ineffective, have been given MDMA since the research began last year. http://www.DrugAddictionHelpline.com/

Michael Mithoefer, the psychiatrist leading the trial, neglects to mention how ecstasy turns them into vegetables or how people have died from just one dose. http://www.DrugAddictionHelpline.com/

The psychiatric industry is working real hard to get ecstasy approved for medical use. It seems that the psychiatrist and his pseudo science have found yet another area of society where he can create drug addiction.

In the early 1970's ecstasy (MDMA) was actually used by therapists to assist in marriage counseling. That was until the government classified it as an illegal substance in the 80's.The South Carolina study marks a resurgence of interest in the use of controlled psychedelic and hallucinogenic drugs.

Several studies in the US are planned or are under way to investigate whether MDMA, LSD and psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, can treat conditions ranging from obsessive compulsive disorder to anxiety in terminal cancer patients.

While we are all going about our daily lives, with our own individual worries and battles, an entire war is being waged against our society, right before our noses, and it’s being played out in the psychiatric arena.

We need to reach the children of today before they fall prey to vested interests who do nothing but profit from their legal drug pushing. If we act now, those future soldiers will be better equipped to handle the real battlefield--their home territory. http://www.drugaddictiontreatment.ca/

Help educate the minds of our future leaders and goal makers. We need to work together to create a drug-free society. http://www.drugaddictiontreatment.ca/

For help with overcoming drug or alcohol addiction or to request drug education personnel to your school or group, go to;

http://www.DrugAddictionHelpline.com/

http://AddictionHelpRehab.blogspot.com/

http://www.DrugAddictionSolutions.com/

http://www.drugaddictiontreatment.ca/

http://www.drug-rehab.us

http://www.addiction-rehab-success.com/

September is The National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month -- Re-Educating Society About Drugs

2005-08-25T16:06:00.000-07:00

In order to prevent other "Vested Interests" from re-educating our youth to use drugs safely, we need to speed up our progress. To do that we have set a new target to get materials sent to 20,000 more schools this next year. For help with overcoming drug and alcohol addiction or to request drug education personnel to your school or group, go to; www.DrugAddictionHelpLine.com.

There is a new form of education sweeping our public school system in America. In earlier days we saw the implementation of the "Good Drugs, Bad Drugs" theory. This approach, by the way, is still prevalent in today's teachings about drugs within the public school systems. But there is a new kid in town! (Or the old kids with a new face maybe?)

They are called the "Drug Policy Alliance." Here is a quote from theirwebsite: "Drug education efforts should promote safety first." So, ask yourself, what is wrong with that statement? You should know that this organization is spreading its brochures and materials to schools all across the USA. Recently, while doing some live presentations, we found some of their brochures in the school. When we approached the supervisor in the school and asked why they had this stuff displayed there. The supervisor was dumb founded and did not realize they were even in the school. This organization's philosophy has come to be known as "HARM MINIMIZATION.

"This organization, which no doubt has many vested interest supporters, is actually promoting that we must teach kids to use drugs safely. Their attitude is "Kids are going to use anyway," so let’s make sure they do it safely. Read those sentences again. Make no mistake, their brochures and website look very official and it all sounds good at a glance. However, in the end they are treading dangerous waters. How can a society possibly condone teaching kids how to safely use drugs? Well, most people will not agree that this is good. In fact, in the example above, the teacher did not believe in that theory.However, just like anything, with enough money behind your movement a lot of progress can be made.

Just look at the broad abuse of Ritalin in our public school system! Teaching kids the truth about drugs is the only way to ensure they make the right decision. As you can see time is not on our side. If we are going to succeed at reaching every kid in our schools, we need to step up the volume and fast.In the last year alone our video products have reached over 1.3 million students in public schools across all 50 States in America. Yet there are more than 50 million school-aged kids in the USA alone.

The way we reached these students was through gracious sponsorship of schools from our donors. You can sponsor schools in your state and Friends of Narconon will get an entire Educator's Kit right to those schools. Currently we are in just over 5,000 public schools and about 100 private schools. That is, teachers from these schools registered with Friends of Narconon and were sent materials that had been donated.

In order to prevent other "Vested Interests" from re-educating our youth to use drugs safely, we need to speed up our progress. To do that we have set a new target to get materials sent to 20,000 more schools this next year.For help with overcoming drug and alcohol addiction or to request drug education personnel to your school or group, go to; www.DrugAddictionHelpLine.com.

Drug Addiction -- Adolescent Alcohol Abuse, 10.4 Million Drinkers

2005-08-23T10:39:00.000-07:00

Year after year, more money is spent promoting the use of alcohol than that of any other product. Perhaps through its elaborate and creative marketing, the most basic, yet important fact about alcohol is often overlooked — alcohol is a drug — the most commonly used and widely abused drug in the world.

According to the most recent national Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), there were 10.4 million drinkers ages 12 to 20 in 1998. Of these, 5.1 million were binge drinkers, meaning that they drank five or more drinks on at least one occasion in the month before the survey. Two million were heavy drinkers, binge drinking at least five times that month.

The average age when youth first try alcohol is 11 years for boys and 13 years for girls. According to research by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, adolescents who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who begin drinking at age 21.

“Generally, an adolescent’s risk for alcohol dependence at some point in life decreases by 14 percent with each additional year that drinking is delayed”, states Joanna Young of DrugAddictionHelpLine.com.Data from National Household Survey on Drug Abuse indicates that while 915,000 youth ages 12 to 20 reported alcohol dependence in the past year, only 16 percent of them (148,000) received treatment.

Several large-scale school surveys suggest that 4 to 20 percent of teenagers have either a current or past history of alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence. For help with overcoming addiction or to request drug education personnel to your school or group go to; www.DrugAddictionHelpLine.com

September is Drug Addiction Recovery Month - Why Kids Take Drugs

2005-08-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

www.DrugAddictionHelpLine.com

As our kids grow up and spend less time with us because of academic or sports activities, concerts and parties, they are introduced to newsituations that not only seem promising but are in fact dangerous.”A recent survey of parents revealed that their biggest concern with regards to kids taking drugs was their ‘health’ (not dying or addiction)”, said Joanna Young of DrugAddictionHelpLine.com.

"Why are kids turning to drugs at an alarming rate?"When asked what parents felt they could do to help keep their kids from taking drugs; they said "better parenting," "close relationships," "spending more time with their kids." Some of us may think it is the "parents' fault." Others can blame the schools for not doing their job.

Where did all this drug use come from? How did this attitude towards taking drugs change over the last 200 years? Think about it. Did we have Prozac 200 years ago? How did we, as a society, deal with "depression" back then? More importantly, how has an entire population mind-set changed from hardly any knowledge of or need of drugs, to one that tends to rely on drugs for a quick fix?

As we all know drugs are an international epidemic. While there are many reasons for this the one thing that we can all do is get more educated and ensure that our kids are informed. For help with overcoming drug or alcohol addiction or to request drug education personnel to your school or group, go to www.DrugAddictionHelpLine.com

September is The National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month

2005-08-22T14:32:00.000-07:00

Addiction destroys countless lives, shatters families, and threatens the safety of our neighborhoods. “Drug and alcohol abuse destroys the hopes of men, women, and young people and takes a terrible toll on society”, said Joanna Young of www.DrugAddictionHelpLine.com.

National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month provides an important opportunity to promote the values that have given people the strength to beat drug and alcohol abuse and remain drug-free. This year's theme is, Join the Voices of Recovery: A Call to Action; emphasizes the critical role of communities in encouraging individuals with substance abuse problems to seek help. While those who suffer from addiction must help themselves, it is also crucial for family, and friends, to support those fighting to overcome substance abuse as well as becoming more educated on preventive measures.

Those in recovery have always played a key role in helping others achieve healthy lives. They can convey important information about the toll of alcohol and drug addiction and the benefits of recovery, inspire others to succeed, and allow young people to learn valuable lessons about their experiences.

We encourage individuals to take an active role in advocating for making community treatment centers and recovery services an integral part of the public health.

Staying clean and sober is a lifelong responsibility, and those who succeed improve their health, can better enjoy their family and friends, and are more likely to find success in the workplace. We celebrate the success of those in recovery, but we must help those still suffering from dependence and battling addiction.

We must continue the fight against alcohol abuse and the toll it takes on our society. Together, we can achieve these goals, help save lives, and restore hope to individuals and families. For help with overcoming drug and alcohol addiction or to request drug education personnel to your school or group go to; www.DrugAddictionHelpLine.com

September is Drug Addiction Recovery Month

2005-08-18T10:32:00.000-07:00

www.DrugAddictionHelpLine.com

Across the nation, plans are well under way for the 16th annual National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month (September), started and sponsored by the federal government's Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) organization. According to SAMHSA, this year's theme is "Join the Voices for Recovery: Healing Lives, Families, and Communities," which celebrates the positive impact of treating alcohol and drug use in communities.

In the year 2000, drug abuse cost American society an estimated $160 billion. More important were the concrete losses that are imperfectly symbolized by those billions of dollars—the destruction of lives, the damage of addiction, fatalities from car accidents, illness, and lost opportunities and dreams. Drug abuse drives some of America’s most costly social problems—including domestic violence, child abuse, chronic mental illness, the spread of AIDS, and homelessness.

Drug treatment costs, hospitalization for long-term drug-related disease, and treatment of the consequences of family violence burden our already strapped health care system. In 2000, there were more than 600,000 hospital emergency department drug episodes in the United States. Health care costs for drug abuse alone were about $15 billion. SAMHSA reports that there are over 22 million Americans in need of treatment for a drug or alcohol problem.

Recovery Month builds awareness among individuals, organizations, schools, and communities that alcohol and drug addiction can be overcome. For help with overcoming addiction or to request drug education personnel to your school or group, go to www.DrugAddictionHelpLine.com

Drug Addiction - Parents Are The Last to Know

2005-07-23T10:46:00.000-07:00

As we all know drugs are an international epidemic. "While there are many reasons for this, one thing we discovered while researching the information -- why parents are the last to know -- was that parents are a big part of the problem", said Joanna Young, of www.DrugAddictionHelpLine.com.

Here is a comment from an 18 year old senior about this issue: "The big problem with parents," says an 18-year-old senior at a High School, "is I think a lot of them have tried it, but they're too scared to talk about it with their kids."

A recently released report from the Partnership for Drug-Free America reveals that this situation is becoming increasingly common. Based on data from its 17th annual tracking study of parents' attitudes towards drugs and teen drug use, the organization announced earlier this year that the current generation of parents is the most drug-experienced group on record (58 percent have tried marijuana at least once) and that the percentage of parents who report never talking with their child about drugs has doubled in the past six years, from 6 percent in 1998 to 12 percent in 2004.

As you can see the problem with parents cannot be taken lightly. While the above research is interesting, we uncovered even something more deep-rooted that has apparently been overlooked by current research, or not stated the way we have found it to be. Our new feature reveals the underlying reasons why parents are the last ones to find out their kids have a drug problem. This new found information opens the door for us to start addressing the bigger issue of kids and drugs which begins early on in a child's life.

You can help us continue this quest to help families deal with these problems before they start. The more correct information families have the calmer they feel about the subject. The more families that have this information, the better they will be. For help with overcoming drug or alcohol addiction or to request drug education personnel go to: www.DrugAddictionHelpLine.com.

2005-07-08T11:09:00.000-07:00

World on Drugs

Increasing areas of the Unites States are affected by the innocent looking white powder called, cocaine. "I recently moved my family into a nice house, in a nice neighborhood, the proverbial suburbia, so we were all very surprised to find that we had just moved into what used to be a 'crack house', said Joanna Young, Drug Rehabilitation Referral Specialist for; www.DrugAddictionHelpLine.com.

Cocaine/crack is a strong central nervous system stimulant that interferes with the re absorption process of dopamine, a chemical messenger associated with pleasure and movement. The buildup of dopamine causes continuous stimulation of “receiving” neurons, which is associated with the euphoria commonly reported by cocaine abusers. Physical effects of cocaine use include constricted blood vessels, dilated pupils, and increased temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. The duration of cocaine's immediate euphoric effects, which include hyper stimulation, reduced fatigue, and mental clarity, depends on the route of administration. The faster the absorption, the more intense the high. On the other hand, the faster the absorption, the shorter the duration of action. The high from snorting may last 15 to 30 minutes, while that from smoking may last 5 to 10 minutes. Increased use can reduce the period of time a user feels high and increases the risk of addiction.

Cocaine/crack was endemic in almost all 21 areas in 2002. Rates of emergency department (ED) mentions were higher for cocaine than for any other drug. ED rates increased significantly between 2001 and 2002 in Baltimore, and were highest in Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Baltimore, Miami, Newark, Detroit, and New York. In 2004, 3.7 percent of 10th-graders reported annual cocaine use, significantly below the peak in 1999, though year-to-year changes were not significant. Among 8th-graders, 1.1 percent reported annual cocaine use in 1991, a figure that increased to 3.0 percent in 1996, hovered around that point for several years, then dropped to 2.0 percent in 2004—significantly below the 1996 high point. Eighth-graders reported a significant decrease in perceived availability of both crack and powder cocaine in 2004. Twelfth-graders, however, reported a significant increase in perceived availability of both crack and cocaine in 2004.Some users of cocaine report feelings of restlessness, irritability, and anxiety. A tolerance to the "high" may develop—many addicts report that they seek but fail to achieve as much pleasure as they did from their first exposure. Some users will increase their doses to intensify and prolong the euphoric effects. While tolerance to the high can occur, users can also become more sensitive to cocaine's anesthetic and convulsing effects without increasing the dose taken. This increased sensitivity may explain some deaths occurring after apparently low doses of cocaine.

To request drug education personnel to your school or group go to www.DrugAddictionHelpLine.com

DRUG ADDICTION - DEATH BY ECSTASY

2005-07-01T14:32:00.000-07:00

www.DrugAddictionHelpLine.com

This is a wake up call to anyone with a child. Following are two reports of deaths of children, very sad stories that could have been prevented had the parents and their children been armed with the tools of knowledge. "Some of you may be thinking that situations like these only happen to other people and they will never happen to you," says Joanna Young of the Drug Addiction Help Line (drugaddictionhelpline.com).

Coroner's report

Eighteen-year-old female who attended a rave party between the hours of 2230 and 0230 hours at a vacant lot. Mother of decedent picked her up at which time the decedent appeared to be under the influence. Mother drove straight to Good Samaritan Hospital where decedent told staff that she had taken 3 Ecstasy pills at the party. Decedent kept in ER and monitored until about 0800 when she was released with doctor telling the mother that she would probably sleep for 18 hours and wake up with a headache. Decedent unable to get to car on her own and seemed to sleep the entire trip home to Sylmar. Decedent put to bed and checked on every 30 minutes or so by family. When checked on at about 1600 hours she was found not breathing so family called 911. Decedent taken to Olive View Hospital where she was declared dead in the ER at 1701 hours.

Coroner's report

On 7/11/01 shortly after 2000 Hrs the decedent, a 12 year old, was given ½ an “Ecstasy” tablet by her 16 year old boyfriend during a kiss. Shortly after they had sex, then ate and watched TV. At approximately 2130 Hrs she began convulsing, vomited then passed out. 911 was called and paramedics responded to the scene. They found her in full arrest, began CPR and transported her to LAC/USC. When she didn’t respond to resuscitative measures, death was pronounced at 2312 Hrs. The boy friend is in custody APD."Note that this is a common method used by young kids to share their experience," adds Ms. Young."

As you can see these are sad stories, but we are all responsible for making sure that they happen less and less. Children need to be fully equipped with all the information they need to make an informed decision.""During the course of this research, children that were being interviewed actually broke out in tears, they were so sure that friends they knew were doing drugs, were going to die.""We have an opportunity to reach kids with information about this drug before they go down the dark side of using Ecstasy. I hope this story illustrates the importance of this for all of you."

For help with overcoming drug and alcohol addiction or to request drug education personnel to your school or group, go to www.DrugAddictionHelpLine.com.

-- Ms.Joanna Young has devoted 16 years to helping people, from all walks of life; free themselves of drugs and alcohol.

Drug Addiction Help Line

2005-06-19T10:14:00.000-07:00

Addiction does not need to be permanent.

Complete rehabilitation is possible and has been achieved by many. Our job is to get the addicted person - whether yourself or someone you love - into an effective drug rehabilitation program.

Get help now!

http://DrugAddictionHelpLine.com

http://www.cocaineaddictiontreatment.org

Methadone clinics do not restore a person's life but just change the drug of choice to methadone. This makes it legal for an addict to get a fix as needed. This method makes billions of dollars for the clinics so is not intended to get someone drug free. Methadone is much harder to quit than any other drug that the person was taking before (including heroin). This method just adds to the problem.

Rapid detox rehabilitation facilities also give the addicted person anti-depressants. Once again another drug is added to the existing problem. Anti-depressants bring with them various side effects, one of which can be permanent damage to the nervous system. This causes many future health problems as well as adding to the feelings of depression and failure.

Drug free rehabilitation is the only way to help someone overcome their drug addiction and get back their life and happiness.