Addiction treatment will be expanded to disease treatment unless this information about this cocaine cutting agent gets out to cocaine abusers

The symptoms from cocaine abuse are bad enough in themselves – now to add disease to the mix makes the drug of the glamorous that much less glamorous.

“Drug users who ingested cocaine cut with a substance called levamisole have contracted a blood disease known as agranulocytosis in Massachusetts and other states, the Boston Globe reported Sept. 1.

Massachusetts doctors recently treated their first patient known to have contracted the disease from cocaine cut with levamisole, a drug that has been used as an antibiotic and to treat roundworm in livestock and fish. Cocaine cut with levamisole also has been blamed for illnesses and deaths in Washington and other states”

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Shooting Dope

The Canadians have found that giving heroin to addicts can reduce crime and improve health.

Let’s try having NO heroin around to reduce crime and improve health.   This seems to have worked for many centuries but it is as though we’ve thrown in the towel in trying to control the heroin traffic.  The only control with legal heroin is going to be on who is selling it.

Another novel idea is to get heroin addicts into effective drug rehab so they don’t have a lifetime of addiction.

Who are we going to get the legal heroin from – the Taliban?

Narconon drug treatment 877-413-3073

‘Buoyed by research showing that giving heroin to addicts in a controlled setting can reduce crime and improve health, Canadian researchers are set to launch a trial heroin-maintenance project in Montreal and Vancouver, the Toronto Globe and Mail reported June 2.

The three-year Study to Assess Longer-term Opioid Medication Effectiveness (SALOME) trial will offer heroin in pill and injectable form to a group of 200 heroin addicts.

The project is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, a part of Health Canada, and has the tacit approval of Canada’s Conservative government. Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government has worked to shut down Vancouver’s Insite supervised-injection site for opiate users, but the SALOME project takes the harm-reduction concept a step further by actually providing heroin to addicts.

Researchers led by Michael Krausz of the University of British Columbia hope to determine whether medically prescribed heroin can be used safely and effectively to treat addiction, and whether users will accept the drug in pill form. Results of heroin maintenance will be compared to a group of subjects who will instead receive the opioid hydromorphone, aka Dilaudid.

The treatment group will consist of heroin addicts who have not responded to other treatment interventions.

SALOME is a followup to the North American Opiate Medication Initiative, also a project of Health Canada.’

Source

Apparently parents should not rely on schools to effectively teach drug education.  In fact, in some school yards, extra-curricular classes on how to raid the family medicine cabinet are taught by other students with home assignments that can lead to overdose.

Where should kids learn that drugs are bad?  They cannot turn to television – MTV says they are OK.  What about the WEB?  Not likely – it is the key place to get information on simple ways to make methamphetamine, how to cook crack cocaine and pharmacy on-line shopping.

How about the place where past generations learned right from wrong as children – the parents?  The fact that parents really do have an effect on their kids when it comes to drugs is rarely mentioned in prevention literature, yet research shows that with pot smoking at least, parents DO have an effect on their kids.  It is not a novel idea and should not take a genius or millions of dollars in studies to determine that to a great degree, this generation of parents has lost control when it comes to moral education.

With drug education, parents need to take control NOW.  Families should make drug abuse the topic of discussion and staying clean a contingency of having privileges.  If they don’t, they will find that college fund going towards addiction treatment.

Following is a quote from an article regarding our schools’ role in providing drug education and prevention from an article in JOIN TOGETHER

Source

“In April 2006, Join Together and Communities Online, with funding from the Gift of the Magi Foundation, conducted a survey of kindergarten through twelfth-grade educators in the U.S.”

The survey’s goals were to learn how drug and alcohol education is actually taught, identify barriers teachers face in teaching prevention, and identify the types of training, support, and materials educators need to improve the effectiveness of their alcohol and drug use prevention efforts.

A national advisory committee of experts in education met several times to discuss the survey results and formulate recommendations on how we can move forward to help delay, reduce, and prevent drug and alcohol use among children and adolescents.

Based on the findings of our survey and other research, we conclude that schools should not be relied on as the primary element in the country’s efforts to prevent the early initiation and consequences of alcohol and drug use.”

Overcoming Addicition

Meet Danielle, our graduate of the month.

Danielle arrived to Narconon 4 months ago in shackles, directly from jail where she had been for six months.   At only 18 years of age she was facing 25 years of prison for grand theft larceny and the manufacturing of methamphetamine.

In just these few short months has completely turned her life around with the Narconon program.

Where were you born and raised?
I was born in 1991and raised in Conway South Carolina.  I grew up around a lot of abuse.  My father used drugs the whole time I was growing up.  He used to beat my mom real bad.  They got divorced when I was 12 years old.  My mom was always working and the kids didn’t get to spend a lot of time with her.

I had my 18^th birthday in jail.

When did you first begin abusing drugs?

When I was 13 I started smoking marijuana.   I just decided to try it and I went and bought some.  Since I grew up around drugs I knew all the drug dealers in South Carolina I knew where to get it.

When I was 16 I started using cocaine really bad and I dropped out of school.  I worked at some restaurants and used the money I made there to buy drugs.  My mom sent me to Mexico to try to help me.  I stayed there 6 months and came back clean.  However, almost as soon as I came back I started using drugs again and moved out of the house.

When I was 17 I started using methamphetamine real bad.  Some friends introduced me to methamphetamine.

What areas of your life were affected?

When I started using methamphetamine I was in and out of jail once a month.   The methamphetamine made me crazy.  I did not sleep or eat.    I got caught driving a stolen vehicle and went to jail.  I got a grand larceny charge, but was released on bond.  While those charges were pending, I never went to court – I stayed away.   I got caught with paraphernalia.  I never went to court and had lots of bench warrants out on me.  I was a runner – I was even in the newspaper.  There was a reward out for me if someone could catch me.  Before coming to Narconon I was charged with manufacturing.  I spent 6 months in jail and then was court ordered to Narconon with three years of probation.

I started cooking the methamphetamine and was charged with manufacturing.

Describe your experience with Narconon?

When I first got to Narconon I had secretly decided that I was not going to stop using drugs.  I was making plans to flee so I could go back and use drugs.

The communication exercises in the beginning of the program helped me to tear the wall down that I had around me and I started to listen to the staff members.  This is when I thought I might be able to change.

After sauna I felt better but was still doubtful if I could really quit for good.

When I started moving through the life skills part of the program, especially the ethics part, I realized that I still had a chance with my life, regardless of my legal charges.   I saw that my way of doing things had not gotten me anywhere and I decided to try another way.   What I learned in these books was good.  I realized that I wanted to go back to school and that I had other goals for my life.

Through the whole program the staff really got me to see that I was better than methamphetamine.    I found qualities and ambition that I had lost when I was doing drugs.  When I started completing steps on the program it felt really good.

I know that I am not going to do drugs anymore.

I would like everyone to know that no matter where they are in life, no matter their legal charges they can change with the Narconon program.  I was the last person that would have even ever considered changing but I did change.

I didn’t even want help when I came to Narconon, but I got it and I am glad.  I know what it feels like to do drugs and I just want to help others!

How  is  your life now?

I have my ambition back.  I like to write and paint.  I had stopped doing that when I was doing drugs, but I got my drive to express myself back.  I am not focused about getting that next high.  I am focused on making goals for myself and staying busy.

I am going to go back to school, maybe some criminal justice work or therapy    I want to bring the Narconon program to South Carolina and put the program into the jails and the prisons.

I am repairing my relationship with my mom.  I really hurt her.  She used to call me and leave messages on my cell phone, just trying to see if I was alive.    She is one of the reasons I know that I am going to stay clean and do something with my life.  She never gave up on me.   She is really happy that I want to continue to work with Narconon.

I want to give other people the chance that I had.  If we were able to get this program in the jail they could figure out their priorities in life and have something to look forward to when they get out of jail.

I have to figure out how to give people the chance I got.  I really want to help get people to Narconon.

What would you say to others that are thinking about going to drug rehab?

I would say if you really sit back and look at your life, you will see that you are not really happy.  The happy from the high cannot last very long.

You can’t run from your problems forever.  You can come here to Narconon for a few months.  4 months out of the life of someone who spends a lot of time doing drugs is not very much.  This program really saved my life and it can work for anyone.

Narconon Original

Today marks the 44^th anniversary of the Narconon drug rehab program and Narconon of Georgia is celebrating with a special event hosted by one of the original members of the program.

The first Narconon was started and founded by William Benitez, an inmate at Arizona State Prison. Mr. Benitez was a heroin addict who could not seem to get off of drugs using traditional forms of treatment. After being sentenced to prison he had a realization that drug addiction had caused most of the problems in his life, including the current one. He set out to change himself through self-improvement.

Mr. Gordon Weinand, one of the original members of the original Narconon Program in 1967, currently works in Public Relations for Narconon Drug Rehab in Georgia.

“Success equals 40 years of being dedicated to the greatest self-help program in the world – Narconon,” says Gordy, “My own personal successes in the past 40 years have given me the strength and courage to be a part of helping others fight their fight.”

The event at Narconon of Georgia highlighted Gordy’s achievements, the event entitles “Lunch with Gordy” is not new, Gordy often plays host to the students lunch hour, but today was special and Gordy recalled the old days and told the students that  if this was 44 years ago he would be sitting right where they were.

Today, Narconon has spread from that one program in Arizona State Prison to include community programs in many states and countries such as Denmark, Italy, Holland, Germany, France, Sweden, Spain, Canada, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Columbia, Switzerland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Australia, Taiwan, Argentina, and Brazil.

“That’s a long way from an Arizona State Prison, but what we learned then is still valid today”, stated Gordy.  Gordy has spent a lifetime encouraging and helping drug addicts.  The lesson we can all learn from Gordy is that there is no greater gift than to give back.

Narconon exists for the purpose of helping individuals overcome alcohol and drug addiction and return them to society as drug free, productive and happy individuals.  We do this well and our 76% success rate shows that.

Say No To Drugs

It is not news that another person has died from a prescription drug overdose. What is news is the fact that the family is crying fowl and seeking a wrongful death lawsuit against the prescribing doctor.

The attorney for the doctor claims that the doctor did everything “by the book”. Perhaps this is the case, but is time to rewrite “the book”. Freely prescribing Oxycodone and Xanax, may be lawful, but is not always ethical. It is good to see that this family is getting the law involved, even if it is civil.

Perhaps it will prompt some of these feel good doctors to at least prescribe effective addiction treatment when they have created an addicted monster.

“A Fort Lauderdale doctor who advertises as both a pain and addiction specialist is facing a wrongful death lawsuit from the family of a former patient who allegedly became addicted to drugs while under the doctor’s care before committing suicide.
The lawsuit, filed Dec. 22 in Broward County Circuit Court, says Dr. Michael Lazzopina turned Benjamin Eiseman into a drug addict through a regular regimen of addictive painkillers and anti-anxiety drugs between 2005 and July 2008, when the 30-year-old Coral Springs electrician killed himself with an overdose of pills prescribed from the pain clinic where Lazzopina works.
Lazzopina first treated Eiseman for back pain, and prescribed the painkiller oxycodone months before receiving MRI results confirming an injury, the suit says. The suit also says Lazzopina failed to reduce the oxycodone dosage after Eiseman’s back ailment improved, and “never referred Benjamin Eiseman to a drug addiction specialist.””
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DJ AM

The recent death of noted Disk Jockey Adam Goldstein from a drug overdose has left many of his friends and fans shocked. Goldstein was known as DJ AM to his fans and had battled drug addiction in the past. Recently MTV networks filmed a reality show featuring DJ AM performing drug interventions and helping families deal with drug addiction.

Born Adam Michael Goldstein, DJ AM began his career at the age of 20 but his love of music began at the age of 10 when DJ AM saw a performance of “Rockit” at the 1983 Grammy awards. Over the next 20 years he would meet with great success and tragedy, at one point attempting to take his own life. Perhaps best known for his membership of the rock band Crazy Town, DJ AM would go on to collaborate with the likes of Madonna and Jay-Z.

Despite the fame and his many achievements an all too familiar story began to emerge. In his younger years DJ AM battled addictions to crack cocaine, Ecstasy and other drugs. These addictions eventually lead to a suicide attempt. After the attempt DJ AM appeared to be on the mend, however after 11 years of sobriety DJ AM met with disaster when he and friend Travis Barker of Blink 182 were involved in a plane crash which killed four of its passengers.
This by many accounts is what awakened the drug addict in DJ AM. After the crash he was prescribed pain killers and according to Dr. Drew of “Celebrity Rehab” this is what most likely cased DJ AM’s relapse and eventual death. Dr. Drew was a long time friend of DJ AM after his involvement with the band Crazy Town for his Television show.

DJ AM’s funeral, held the same day as Michael Jackson was laid to rest, brought many famous guests to wish him farewell. Mourners included former fiancée Nicole Richie and friends Lindsay Lohan, Samantha Ronson, Eric Dane, Rebecca Gayheart and Robert Downey Jr..
It is never easy to deal with a death, especially one related to drug addiction. Unfortunately DJ AM’s story is not unique. Every day thousands of people die from drug abuse. The downward spiral of drug addiction holds true for all those who become addicted.

Mary Rieser of Narconon of Georgia said, “It is sad to see anyone with such a bright future succumb to drug addiction, I see hundreds of people a year who suffer from the same problem as DJ AM. Each addict has their own story and their own battle.”

Narconon of Georgia is an addiction treatment and drug rehab center in Atlanta Georgia. Narconon of Georgia supports drug education and is sponsoring “Operation Medicine Cabinet” to help stop the deaths of any who may be addicted to prescription drugs.

Marijuana Damage

This study presents an interesting situation. Many states are promoting legalizing marijuana and yet if used on a daily basis it can create brain damage! Also, it can be a gateway drug for heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and other drugs.

More marijuana can mean brain damage and other drug abuse later down the road.

Let’s get some people without brain damage to think this thing through.

And for those who are already brain damaged – let’s get them into drug treatment.

“Animal studies show that daily marijuana use could permanently alter serotonin and norepinephrine levels in the brain, raising the risk of depression and anxiety, according to researcher Gabriella Gobbi of McGill University.
The Canadian Press reported Dec. 17 that Gobbi studied the brain chemistry of 18 adolescent lab rats exposed daily to marijuana and found that they had decreased levels of mood-controlling serotonin and higher levels of the stress hormone norepinephrine.
Gobbi said that the effects were magnified because the adolescent brain is still developing. “These permanent changes in the brain are also linked to certain mental illnesses, like schizophrenia,” she said. “And we showed that even if we stopped the cannabis use at the end of adolescence, the changes were still detectable in adulthood.”

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Powder Heroin

Now there are pamphlets on how to use heroin “safely”. Are these pamphlets best read before or after one gets a fix? Is a different technique used to shoot Oxycontin?
Heroin is not a safe drug under any circumstances and the name of these pamphlets might as well be “How to be a little bit happier while in hell.”
The pamphlets make no sense – making drug rehab available does.

“The New York City Department of Health has come under fire for what some are calling a “how to” pamphlet on using heroin and other intravenous drugs correctly. The Department of Health created the pamphlet, titled “Take Charge, Take Care,” in 2007 in an effort to help those who use injection drugs reduce the various risks associated with drug use.
“I think tips provided in the pamphlet are not good in terms of preventing anyone from going down the road. It’s enabling a user, or potential user. It implies you can use heroin in a safe manner, which is false. There is no safe way to use heroin,” said John Gilbride, special agent in the field division of the Drug Enforcement Administration. “
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Baby Boomers

Cocaine, pot, prescription medication seem to have replaced the knitting needles and rolling pins that many of us remember our grandparents having, according to recent statistics.

We have a new generation of grandparent – many are addicted to prescription drugs, representing a stunning change from earlier generations of grandparents who were alert enough to tell a lot of good stories.

What are we to do with this addicted generation? Who will care for them? Many of their children are taking prescription drugs themselves and the grandkids are buying Xanax in the school yard.

It is time for some vocal advocates to point the way to effective drug rehab for the boomers who need it. It has to be treatment that is acceptable to these guys and gals and geared for their age bracket.

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