What You Need To Know About Alcohol Abuse Effects

Like other forms of addiction, alcohol abuse can take over a person’s life.

The effects of their drinking can spread to other areas of their lives, damage their relationships and put lives at risk. Understanding the effects of alcohol abuse can help you bring the facts to someone that you love and prompt them to get the help that they need.

Health Problems

Alcohol abuse can be disastrous to a person’s health. Liver disorders, heart problems, digestive problems, erectile dysfunction, diabetes complications, menstrual interruption, bone loss, paralysis of the eye muscles, increased risk of cancer and neurological complications are just some of the negative alcohol abuse effects according to the Mayo Clinic. These negative effects far outweigh the positive antioxidants in one glass of wine.

Domestic Problems

Alcohol impairs the way that an abuser relates to the people around them. When they rely on alcohol to get through the day, they are not themselves. They alienate the people around them and cut themselves off from the people that they are closest to. Alcohol can also increase the likelihood of physical or emotional abuse. With the reduced judgment and heightened emotions that go along with drinking, an alcohol abuser may be quicker to anger or to become violent than they would normally.

Reduced Judgment

When a person abuses alcohol, they do not think clearly. A person may be a great friend, excellent parent and valuable employee, but all this can come apart with the reduced judgment that goes along with alcohol abuse. A careless word, wrong choice or inappropriate comment made while under the influence can affect an alcohol abuser (or those around him or her) long-term. This poor judgment can have life-altering affects across the board.

Risky Driving

While having reduced judgment during a conversation or at a social event is one thing, this impairment can become deadly when an alcohol abuser chooses to get behind the wheel. According to a Mothers Against Drunk Driving report from 2011, about half of all drivers killed in a car accident had drugs and/or alcohol in their system. When alcohol abuse is paired with driving, there are deadly consequences.

Alcohol Abuse Damages, Destroys…and Kills

Dealing with alcohol abuse effects can be devastating for friends and family. Helping your friend or family member understand the effects of alcohol abuse can prompt them to realize how bad their drinking habits have become. Any of these alcohol abuse effects should be red flags that they need to seek help to change their lives immediately.

Getting Help From The Right Alcohol Abuse Counseling Program

The struggle with alcohol abuse is one of the hardest struggles a person and his or her loved ones will face.

Ensuring that you or a loved one is getting the right kind of support on this tough but rewarding journey is a key to success. When it comes to getting the right support for alcohol abuse and looking for an alcohol abuse counseling program, there are several key things to look for when taking the first step to change your life:

Feeling you are in a safe environment
Many people turn to Alcoholics Anonymous due to the community feel of their program. They need to feel as if they are free to share what is happening to them. If you or someone you know is feeling as if you are being judged, you may be less likely to share and the healing and growth process will be slower.

Working with knowledgeable counselors
When you are overcoming a large hurdle in your life, you need to work with people who know what to try and how to get to the cause. When you work with a professional and/or ones with experience, such as AA or a private alcohol abuse counselor, you know will be in good hands. Get into a tested and reputable program so that you can trust the moves they are asking you to make will work.

Having a goal-oriented program
Having steps to follow or goals to work towards will help you learn to control your condition. When you can gauge your process you can grow. You will be able to congratulate yourself on the small victories and can use that to positively move forward.

First, One Must Admit There Is A Problem

Whether it is you or someone you care about, it may take a while to admit that there is a problem. And then once you come to that realization that help is needed, who to turn to? Later, how do you find the right alcohol abuse counseling program, or how do you know you have found the right one?

Know the signs of suffering and of alcoholism. According to the Mayo Clinic, alcohol abuse is a physical condition. Signs that someone has a problem include drinking too much and knowing that the alcohol is ruining aspects of one’s life. They may have started with one drink at night to ease stress. This perhaps snowballed into a bottle of wine every night.

Look beyond the emotions. Alcoholics may lose control of their emotions, which in turn can negatively affect their relationships. They may spend more money on alcohol than is feasible or manageable for their budget. In short, alcohol begins to take over the life of the person who is an alcohol abuser.

Learn all you can about how to find alcohol abuse counseling programs. When you or a family member is having an issue with alcohol abuse, you or they need to get help sooner rather than later. You will need a proven and reliable support network to conquer this disease.

Overcoming alcohol abuse can be overwhelming, but with the right help you can find trustworthy, professional support and true relief.

Who Can Prevent Prescription Drug Addiction?

When patients use their prescription medications differently than prescribed, they increase their chances for dependence. If a patient is taking higher doses, using different routines or combining drugs with alcohol and other drugs, they put themselves at even more risk.

Although prescription drug addiction affects many different types of Americans, there are a few groups of people who have the biggest hand in preventing addiction:

Patients – If you have a prescription for painkillers, you’re the first line of defense against prescription drug addiction. You can take steps to prevent abuse and avoid becoming dependent. If your doctor suggests a prescription painkiller, you need to let him or her know about all of your current prescriptions, over the counter medications and herbal supplements. This will help your doctor pick the safest option for you.

Once you’ve gotten your prescription, you need to follow the directions to a “T.” Avoid other drugs and alcohol, take your medicine as prescribed and stay on a schedule. Read all the documentation that you can on your prescription and ask your doctor questions.

Physicians – Healthcare professionals can help prevent prescription drug addiction by prescribing medicine carefully and watching for abuse. Since more than 80 percent of Americans have contact with doctors each year, the doctors are in a unique position to spot abuse long before it becomes a major project.
Physicians should ask about all the drugs a patient is taking – including other prescription painkillers – before prescribing anything. They can also look for signs of “doctor shopping,” moving from doctor to doctor. If there’s any doubt, the doctor’s office can call a pharmacy to ensure that a patient isn’t filling multiple prescriptions for the same drug.

Pharmacists – Speaking of filling prescriptions, pharmacists can also be a line of defense against prescription drug addiction. Pharmacies have policies in place to screen for false prescriptions, prescription alterations and other forms of fraud. There are also prescription drug monitoring programs that create statewide databases in 48 states to watch for suspicious prescription drug addiction activity.

Did You Know…?

The truth is that an estimated 2.4 million Americans use prescription drugs in a non-medical situation for the first time each year.

With patient education and vigilance from medical professionals, prescription drug addiction can be curbed. In addition to these professionals, friends and family members who suspect prescription drug addiction can help their loved ones get the support they need move on from these painful addictions.

Preventing Relapse During Recovery

After quitting drugs or alcohol, going through withdrawal and completing an addiction recovery program, you or an addict you know will need to fight against relapse. Understanding relapse and knowing how to prevent it is an essential part of addiction recovery.

How to Stop Addiction Recovery Relapse

In order to stop addiction recovery relapse, you need to recognize and prevent the early signs of relapse. Some of the warning signs can be:

•    Isolating yourself instead of asking for help.
•    Avoiding relaxation techniques.
•    Continuing to eat poorly and sleep poorly.
•    Obsessing over the past and reliving old memories.
•    Hanging out with people or going places where you used.

Relapse Happens In Stages

Overcoming drug or alcohol addiction is a long process with many steps, and relapse isn’t a one-time event that occurs in a weak moment.
It is something that starts much, much earlier than that one moment. Many recovering addicts don’t take action until they have a physical relapse, but this stage actually takes place long after relapse starts to take over.

The first stage is emotional relapse. In this stage, you’re not thinking about drinking or using drugs, but you’re definitely in an emotional place where it’s possible. Your feelings and behaviors are creating the conditions for a relapse.During emotional relapse, you’re feeling anxious and angry. You may be experiencing mood swings and feel a bit defensive about your habits. You’re not supporting your body with proper sleeping or eating habits. In short, you’re re-visiting the emotions you had before you started abusing drugs and alcohol.The following stage is mental relapse. At this stage, you’re fighting with yourself over using drugs and alcohol. Part of you wants to stay sober, but part of you doesn’t. You think about using more and more frequently. You’ll glamorize your past use, start hanging out with old friends, think about the places you used to go when you used – you’re setting the mental stage for a relapse.

Finally, there’s a physical relapse, the point where you actually go to get your drug of choice and use it. It’s very difficult to stop yourself from relapsing at this point because you’ve got the emotional and mental foundation for relapse. But this is the phase where most recovering addicts put their attention.

Help & Support Are Always Available

Relapse doesn’t have to be part of addiction recovery if you don’t let it. Recognize the three stages and stop yourself from reaching physical relapse by getting help.

If find yourself slipping down the path of mental or emotional relapse, you don’t have to go all of the way to physical relapse. You can practice self care, tell someone you’re having urges to use, distract yourself with fun activities and get the support you need.

Choosing Drug Rehab in Florida: Why The Sunshine State May Be Your Best Choice

If you’re in a position where you’re researching drug rehab options, you may notice that there are a lot of centers for drug rehab located in Florida.

The Sunshine State is home to some of the best addiction treatment programs in the United States. Choosing drug rehab in Florida might be an ideal option to get the help that you need.

No matter what the situation, choosing to go into drug rehab is no easy matter. Not only does an addict have to deal with the repercussions of years of their addiction, but they have to select the best option for their recovery program at the same time.

Why Choose Drug Rehab in Florida?

If you need to get away from it all, Florida is a great place to do it. There is terrific weather year-round, and a relaxing atmosphere that makes it easier to go through the difficult physical and mental changes you must make in order to get off of drugs and alcohol. When you select drug rehab in Florida, you will be able to get away from your old, abusive life and piece together the components of your new drug-free life.

What Makes A Successful Drug Rehab?

Hanging around the same people, frequenting the same places and taking place in the same activities that led to your drug abuse won’t help you maintain sobriety.

Changing your friends – If you want to get and stay sober, hanging out with the same people that you used drugs or alcohol with is not the right choice. This behavior will most likely directly lead to relapse because you’ll feel like you must do drugs with these people in order to fit in and re-create “old times.” Rather than spending time with people who are stuck in addictive cycles, you’ll want to look for friends who are positive, working on themselves and staying drug-free.

Moving away – In the same way, being in the same locations where you used drugs can easily lead to relapse. Staying in the same home, driving through the same areas and visiting the same stores can trigger addiction and bring back memories of your drug use. Taking the time to change your environment and move away (even temporarily) to a completely new area, like Florida, can help you get on a path toward recovery.

Switching your activities – If you’re like most drug users, you have a certain set of hobbies or activities that you like to participate in while you are high or drunk. It may be difficult to accept, but these activities have to go if you want to remain sober. The great thing about drug rehab is that you may rediscover old hobbies and passions that fell to the wayside when you were getting high all of the time.

Changing your friends, changing your location and changing your hobbies and activities are the best – and perhaps only — way you can begin to build a new drug- and alcohol-free life.

Finding a Drug Rehab Programs for an Addicted Loved One

Coming to a decision about your friend or family member’s care can be hard to make in the moment.

The person that you thought you knew is suddenly replaced with someone who is distant, unstable and destructive. You want to help, but aren’t sure how.
There are so many emotions involved, and several different options. You may not be sure whether you should turn them into the police, cut them off emotionally and financially or check them into a drug rehab program.

When drug abuse takes over a friend or family member’s life, it can be difficult to deal with…to say the least.

What To Do When a Loved One is Addicted to Drugs

Compared to the other options, drug rehab programs give your addicted loved ones an opportunity to break their physical addiction to drugs in a controlled and safe environment. Through detoxification, your loved one will be able to get the drugs out of their system, reduce their cravings and set the foundation for recovery.

However, just detoxing on its own won’t lead to long-term success. Drug rehab programs also include another important piece of the recovery puzzle – therapy.

Through therapy, they can uncover the problems that make it easy for them to turn to drugs. Group and individual therapy can help your friend or family member uncover the problems that lead to their drug use in the first place:

Were they trying to deal with stress?Were they avoiding problems in their life?Were they trying to overcome past pain by burying their feelings in drugs?

Compared to the other options, drug rehab programs are the best chance for your friend, family member or loved one to get over drugs and move on with their life.

Determining Which Drug Rehab Programs is Best

There are several different types of programs that have varying levels of success. The best thing to do is to speak with a qualified drug rehab program professional who can go over your options and help you make the best choice.

Outpatient drug rehab programs let patients live in their own homes and they continue their normal daily routines – like work or school. For rehab, patients will go to the rehab center at regular intervals on a weekly and then monthly basis.Residential rehab programs keep patients in house during treatment and provide around the clock care. Most of these treatment programs last 28 days or more so patients can take time away from their life and work toward their recovery.

Both residential and outpatient drug rehab programs have proven to be effective, but one may be better than the other for your loved one.

Are Urban Outfitters’ “I Vote for Vodka” Shirts Inappropriate?

Earlier this year, the Navajo Nation sued trendy clothing line Urban Outfitters for improperly using and perpetuating stereotypes with the Navajo trademark. Soon after, UO caught similar heat with its line of “Kiss Me, I’m Irish”-inspired tee-shirts. Now, parents and teen awareness organizations are furious with Urban Outfitters for promoting drinking with its new line of tee-shirts that feature slogans such as: ”I Vote for Vodka” “Misery Loves Alcohol” and “I Drink You’re Cute.”

These shirts are targeted to young women ages 18-24 — many of those women aren’t even old enough to drink yet! Merchandise and marketing alcohol has been proven an all-too successful tactic for younger crowds, and many school districts in the country have already banned students from wearing alcohol and drug-related clothes to school.

According to WOWT News, Cassie Greisen, Associate Director with Project Extra Mile, says, “‘It’s no accident it’s vodka on a young female’s shirt. 92% of all alcohol consumed by young people is done so in a binge drinking fashion. The last thing they need is merchandise promoting that kind of behavior.’”

According to the New York Daily News, Jan Withers, president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and whose daughter was killed by a drunk driver, says, ”‘As a mother, these shirts are not acceptable for children under the age of 21. If they’re targeting that audience, then they’re sending the message that it’s cool to drink.”

But bad news for people like Cassie and Jan: The NYND also reports that Jan Evans, spokesperson dontserveteens.gov, says “‘Urban Outfitters is under no legal pressure to remove alcohol-related merchandise, because the the shirts fall under branded merchandise.”

On one hand, really, these are just silly tee-shirts. On the other, it’s marketing that can’t be denied as inappropriate and unnecessary… and it seems like Urban Outfitters enjoy making some consumers really feel angry and insulted.

So… what do you think of Urban Outfitters’ new alcohol-inspiring clothing line? Would you have a problem with your underage daughter wearing these shirts?

Kathie Lee Backlash, Insensitive to Addiction

Kathie Lee Gifford is catching a lot of heat from the addiction industry for her article in the September 2012 issue of Family Circle magazine. “I’m not a perfect mom, but my kids [son Cody, 22, and daughter Cassidy, 19] haven’t been arrested, in rehab or kicked out of school, so I must be doing something right!”

Experts and families of addiction are now calling her out for “implying that the parents of drug addicts are failures as moms and dads and are ultimately at fault for their children’s drug and substance-abuse problems” and that addiction is a disease that stems from the brain. (Examiner) What an irresponsible comment!

Most of Kathie Lee’s fans and outsiders are furious, commenting all over her Facebook page…

I am so disappointed in your vocal lack of understanding for parents of children who struggle with addiction. That doesn’t make them bad parents – it makes them parents of a human being. Unbelievable lack of empathy for parents who are struggling! Drug use, abuse, and addiction are societal problems – shame, shame on you!

To refer or imply that a persons drug addiction is the parents fault is obviously a blatant lack of knowledge on your part… You should try some research before making such ridiculous statements. 

…while some fans don’t think the gaffe is a big deal…

I do not believe that Kathie Lee meant anything other than that she is proud of her children. Every parent has moments when they question if they are doing a good job. I believe Kathie Lee only meant she is happy that her children are as healthy and happy as they are despite her insecurities. I don’t believe she meant to be offensive to anyone. Let’s give each other a break.

She’s not judging ANYONE. You are the one who seems to be judging. We ALL have our own battles. I believe we are all given our own cross to bear. Whatever that may be.

Ben Levenson, CEO of Origins Recovery Centers says, ”It is shocking that someone like Kathie Lee would seemingly kick suffering parents when they are desperately trying to save their children’s lives. Enough misinformation already! Addiction is a disease which affects over 30 million Americans, approximately the same number of Americans suffering from diabetes. If bad parenting were causal of addiction, as Kathie Lee suggests, this number may be even higher.”

What do you think of Kathie Lee’s comments? Is the backlash deserved?

Elderly Drug Abuse: An Invisible Epidemic

Addiction is often viewed as an issue that exists mainly among young people. And while drug use continues to rise among adolescents and teens, it’s addiction to alcohol, heroin and prescription painkillers that surrounds the elderly community that is most hidden — yet prevalent — in the country; older people are not only more likely to be diagnosed with chronic illnesses that require prescription medication, but as the body ages, older people are more susceptible to drug dependencies.

According to AgingCare, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported that in 2008, “the number of people who were 50 years of age and older who requested help for substance abuse was, 231,200. When compared with the 1992 figure of only 102,700 people, this increase is staggering… it has been estimated that the number of prescription drug abusers over the age of 50 may reach 2.7 million by the year 2020.”

Why would an elderly person who suffers with addiction go so unnoticed, or avoid treating his or her own addiction?

Shame. Older addicts are often too ashamed or embarrassed to talk about addiction.Family denial. Family members are commonly in denial of their loved one’s addiction and struggle with connecting their loved one to the stigma attached to substance abuse. Children of elderly parents don’t often want to admit that their parent is not the same as he or she once was, and is now “an addict.”The elderly don’t typically commit crimes to obtain drugs, so law enforcement doesn’t have a reason, or chance, to crack down… therefore, drug use among elderly often goes unnoticed, and thus prohibition can’t be enforced.

The Boston Globe recently reported on an event held in Boston, called Opiate 101, that focused on how seniors can safely discard prescription medicine to prevent young people from gaining access to the drugs, though the topic of elderly addiction was inevitably discussed.

Maryanne Frangules, executive director of the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery, said opiate addiction among seniors is ‘”not something people really talk about. I get calls from people asking, ‘What do I do about my mother? What do I do about my father?’ It is very difficult when you know someone is in chronic pain and they are prescribed a medication and it alters their personality.‘”

Do you think more addiction education and enforcement should be in place for senior citizens?

Mexican Poet Leads Peace Caravan to Protest Drug War

Javier Sicilia is a Mexican poet whose 24-year-old son was abducted by members of the Mexican drug cartel this past March. In his son’s memory, Javier has since blames his death on the chaotic, violent drug cartels sweeping Mexico, as his son was not involved with any drug or gang-related violence. Javier and his “Caravan for Peace with Justice and Dignity” (which includes others who have lost friends or family members) is now leading a caravan across America to “publicly condemn American drug policies.”

According to the Tuscon Sentinel, “The group aims to raise awareness of how it says U.S. drug policy, particularly the war on drugs, has affected Mexico. The group will continue through New Mexico, Texas, and on through the South, Chicago, Cleveland, and New York, concluding next month in Washington, D.C.” Maribel Zardaine, Sicilia’s cousin, says Javier is not seeking political or financial gain from the movement, and that he is a peaceful pacifist; Javier encouraged voters to leave their ballots unmarked during last month’s Mexican election.

On the movement’s website, Javier says, “In order to protect the 23 million drug consumers in the United States, this nation initiated this war that has destroyed Colombia and which now in turn is destroying Mexico, Central America, and is also menacing to destroy in the medium term the United States itself.”

Gil Kerlikowske, the current leader of the US drug policy, has all-but-denounced the term “War on Drugs,” putting more emphasis on drug education, treatment and prevention. The U.S. and Mexico are coming together to reform drug laws, due in part to Javier’s tragedy that shed light on the violence in Mexico.

How do you feel about Javier’s caravan of peace?

Yep… Your Teen May Know a Drug Dealer

In an annual back-to-school survey just released by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, results find that 90% of American high school students are reporting their classmates — which comes to nearly 3 million students — using illicit drugs, including alcohol, tobacco and prescription drugs, during the school day.

HealthDay News reported on the survey’s findings:

44% of high schoolers say they know a drug dealer who goes to their school.50% of those polled say they know of a place near their school where students can drink and get high during the school day.More than 1/3 say that students definitely have opportunities during the school day to take drugs, drink and smoke without getting caught.

And get this — 75% of teens say that social media only encourages the party mentality. Sites like Facebook and Twitter are like visual peer pressures! “Seeing photos of other teens partying… made them want to do the same. Nearly half of teens who have seen such pictures perceived that the teens in the photos ‘are having a good time.’ Kids who had seen such photos were three to four times more likely to have used marijuana, alcohol or tobacco compared to kids who had not viewed this type of picture.”

Both parents and school staff members must be aware of student and teen online activity, and parents especially should work to learn with whom their children are associating. Online history should be checked and monitored regularly, and Internet rules should be in place.

Whether it’s inappropriate photos shared on social networking sites, or suspicious Google searches regarding drugs, alcohol or anything that makes the parent uncomfortable, the Internet is a valuable blueprint for teens today — and while the young mind is certainly allowed to be curious and wander online and off, parents should be aware that for teens, drugs are more readily available than ever, and there are definitely fellow students more than willing to provide them.

Drugs in the Olympics: Misguided Views?

Stephany Lee is an American wrestler who was suspended for a year and was forced to miss this year’s Olympics because she tested positive for marijuana. Depending on her practice schedule, she says she uses 2-3 times per week, to help stave off insomnia, stress and irritability.

Judoka Nicholas Delpopolo was recently thrown out of the Olympics because he also tested positive for marijuana. He said he accidentally ate baked foods made with pot.

Patrick Sandusky, U.S. Olympic Committee spokesman: “The USOC fully supports the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) code… Any positive test, for any banned substance, comes with the appropriate consequences, and we absolutely support the disqualification. We look forward to witnessing the continued success of our athletes and commend their dedication to clean sport.”

The Michael Phelps model

According to USA Today, “Delpopolo is 23, the same age Michael Phelps was when the swimmer was photographed inhaling from a marijuana pipe in 2009. Phelps, who never failed a drug test, apologized, received a three-month suspension from USA Swimming and is celebrated as the most decorated Olympian in history.”

In an interview with USA Today, Stephany Lee discussed her disappointment in not being able to compete in the Olympics, and that the current views on marijuana use among athletes is misguided. She also said at least “a good 50 Olympic athletes” are regular marijuana users before they stop in time for testing.

Other quotes from Lee:

“…you’re still going to be able to achieve your dreams regardless. Look at him [Phelps]. He’s awesome. He’s the best athlete ever in the Olympics. It’s a double standard. If you already make a name for yourself, then what happens afterward really doesn’t matter…”“We party just as hard as we train, especially when it’s over. People are going to do what they are going to do regardless. Just because there is a test on it doesn’t mean people are going to stop it. It just means they will change how they are using it and their consumption of it…”

Marijuana is becoming more popular among college athletes.

In 2009, the NCAA’s anonymous survey of more than 20,000 athletes found that 22.6% admitted to using marijuana in the previous year.In 2005, the previous time the survey was conducted, 21.2% of college athletes admitted to use in the prior year.In women’s sports, field hockey saw 35.7% of those surveyed admitting to smoking marijuana. And across all levels, the high-profile sports of men’s basketball and football did not see the highest admitted use.Among men’s sports, lacrosse led the way with 48.5% of surveyed players admitting to using.

So, if athletes aren’t typically tested for alcohol consumption, and drinking is essentially allowed in sports — and marijuana is typically not a performance-enhancing drug, though athletes are more and more turning to the drug — do you agree with Lee? Should athletes who use marijuana be suspended, regardless of their athletic abilities? Weigh in!

When It Comes to Alcoholism, White Matter Matters

New research shows: when women stop drinking, their brains recover more quickly than men. “White matter” has often been linked to alcoholism, because it “forms the connections between neurons, allowing communication between different areas of the brain.”

This basically means that women may have an easier time during the recovery process than men, neurologically and/or physically-speaking. It also means that side effects of alcoholism, like memory problems and other brain deficits, are a result of a decrease in that white matter stuff.

According to Psych Central, the researchers “examined brain images from 42 abstinent alcoholic men and women who drank heavily for more than five years and 42 nonalcoholic men and women.”

Here’s what they found:

The number of daily drinks had a strong impact on alcoholic women, with the volume loss 1.5 to 2 percent for each additional drink.In men, white matter brain volume in the corpus callosum recovered at a rate of 1 percent per year for each year of abstinence.For people who abstained less than a year, the researchers found evidence of increased white matter volume and decreased ventricular volume in women, but not in men.For people in recovery for more than a year, those signs of recovery disappeared in women and became apparent in men. Interesting!

Do you think the addiction recovery industry will tweak its processes to cater more to the differences between men and women? 

Cali’s Prescription Drug Monitoring System May Go Broke!

It’s now common for states to use these extremely helpful and beneficial federal prescription drug monitoring program, or “PDMP.” California’s prescription drug monitoring program called CURES (Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System), is a system that keeps track of doctors dispensing too much prescription painkillers, and also when patients are “doctor shopping” — going to multiple healthcare providers for the same drug, a sign of addiction and improper use of prescriptions.

Unfortunately, CURES recently took a huge hit from state budget cuts and may completely run out of money by 2013.

According to California Watch, “Given the rising rates of addiction attributed to the pain medications, there has been no worse time to cut the program, said Dr. Lee Snook, a Sacramento physician who treats pain patients. Snook said, “‘We would not like to see it go away. In fact, we’d like to see it strengthened. When dealing with addictive behavior, many of us get fooled. I get fooled. I’ve been doing this for 20 years.”

Take this staggering statistic:

“According to the CDC, the amount of morphine-based drugs has soared seven-fold over 15 years in the U.S. Since 1997, the amount distributed through the pharmaceutical supply chain went from 96 milligrams of morphine per person to 700 milligrams in 2007, enough for each person in the U.S. to take a 5 milligram Vicodin every four hours for three weeks.”

The California Attorney General’s Office says that if doctors and pharmacies have access to these monitoring systems and the controlled substance history information they provide during the diagnosis and prescription dispensing process, doctors will not be so fooled by addicted patients, thus cutting down prescription drug abuse in California.

Shum Preston, spokesman for CA state Attorney General, said CURES no longer has enough resources to provide daily technical support and answer general calls from pharmacies.

What kind of state programs do you think should be cut, so that PDMPs stay safer?

US Declares Cocaine Use & Colombian Production DOWN

This week, the White House and Office of National Drug Control Policy proudly declared — and congratulated itself — on the decline of cocaine production in Colombia, (now behind Peru and Bolivia) the place so notorious for producing pure versions of the dangerous drug. This decline has thus resulted in US workplace cocaine use and US cocaine overdoses.

According to LA Weekly, “There has been a 72 percent decrease in Colombian coke production since 2001 — from 700 metric tonds to 195 last year.

There are various reasons that have gradually come together over the past decade, though it’s not clear whether or not it’s solely America’s doing.

LA Weekly notes the purity of powder in the states has dropped by 28 percent since 2006, and overdoses have been down 41 percent ever since. Crack cocaine use and quality have also majorly declined since the late 90s, also contributing to the decline in cocaine.

And according to Fox News, ”Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos said the decline is part of his country’s overall strategy of cutting off funding sources for drug traffickers.”

Do you think this will have an impact on the drug wars in Mexico?

New Study Reveals: Married Women Drink More Than Married Men

CBS News has just reported on a new study that links marriage and alcohol use/abuse, a connection that leads to different consequences for men and women… and the findings are very interesting!

Past studies reveal that married people drink less than single people, and that married men drink less than women. This new study adds a whole new element: a married women, on average, drinks more than a woman who was never married, divorced or widowed, because she’s either influenced by her husband’s alcohol consumption, or she enjoys drinking with her husband as a couple.

In this still-unpublished study, being presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association, researchers found that married men drink less than married women because 1) they spend less time with their drinking buddies, 2) their wives drink less than they do and 3) their wives limit how much they drink.

When it comes to divorce, however, it’s men who are at a higher risk of alcoholism, due to their coping mechanisms with stress and pain. And while men tend to drink more as a result of divorce, research shows women cope more by internalizing their stress, which results in higher cases of depression, weight loss and diet changes in women who experience divorce, rather than higher alcohol consumption. Women typically also drink less than men after divorce because they’re no longer influenced by their drinking husbands.

So what’s the lesson here? Men, if you’re going through divorce, watch your drinking. Men, listen to your wives when they tell you to lay off the alcohol. Women… don’t do anything, you’re perfect! Just kidding.

Do these new findings ring true for your marriage?