After a few drinks? WILD VIDEO – July 16, 2018 – Full Video @ USAToday.com
Author: Leonard Buschel
Don’t Bogart That Client My Friend – July 16, 2018 – The treatment was unconventional. People addicted to everything from alcohol to opioids were given the option of using marijuana to help deal with withdrawal symptoms from their former drugs of choice. But nearly a year after the facility, a Los Angeles-based rehab center known as High Sobriety, opened its doors, a consultant to the operation started to notice problems. “It was like walking into a cloud of smoke,” Sherry Yafai, the facility’s new director of research and development, told Business Insider. That’s no longer the case, according to Yafai,…
On the Right Track – July 12, 2018 – A new hotline – open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – is available in most of Western New York for those battling addiction. The number is: 716-831-7007 The program is funded through a $450,000 grant from the NewYork State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, which put out bids to open these “Open Access Centers” throughout the state. In our 5-county region of Erie, Niagara, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany Counties… Full Story @ WGRZ.com
Rising From The Ashes – July 12, 2018 – Robert Riley II has been fighting the opioid crisis for years. Now he’s part of a group taking aim at the epidemic in St. Louis County. The St. Louis County Emergency Opioid Task Force is about to get to work. The group was created by the County Council in June to fight the epidemic that’s claimed thousands of lives. And a member of the newly-formed task force brings life experience that could make a world of difference. Full Story @ KSDK.com
Hungry for Recovery – July 12, 2018 – A rogue drug rehab program in North Carolina is being investigated for food stamp fraud, the latest fallout in an ongoing Reveal investigation into the program. Recovery Connections Community, a two-year residential program near Asheville, required participants struggling with addiction to sign up for food stamps and turn them over to the directors of the program. But rather than purchasing food for clients, Recovery Connections’ leaders, Phillip and Jennifer Warren, used the food stamps to stock their own kitchen and purchase groceries for the program’s restaurant, Reveal found. Former clients said they…
Sailing Into the Sunset of the Spirit – July 13, 2018 – He was calling from his home in Stuart, Florida, the sailfish capital of the world. This Atlantic Coast city once had a house used as a haven for shipwrecked sailors called The House of Refuge. It might not be an accident that Richie Lapinski Jr. lives in Stuart. Lapinski is fighting a summer cold, but still wants to talk. I have to tell my story. Almost everyone has heard someone’s version of it: a tight-knit family, involved in sports. Mom and dad sacrifice, the kids thrive. Then comes…
Compassion? – July 11, 2018 – Now, a study shows that a simple intervention conducted by staff in emergency departments can reduce the risk of future suicide attempts. The intervention involves creating a safety plan for each patient and following up with phone calls after discharge. “It reduced the odds of suicidal behavior by half,” says Barbara Stanley, a psychologist at Columbia University and the lead author of the study. “That’s a phenomenal difference.” The study, which was published Wednesday in JAMA Psychiatry, included 1,200 patients at five Veterans Affairs hospitals around the country. The findings offer a way for…
Nothing Fake Here – July 9, 2018 – Drug manufacturers, distributors and the federal government object to making the information public. In a court filing last month, lawyers for the federal government argued that doing so would jeopardize the companies’ trade secrets, criminal investigations and violate state public records laws. The database compiles information from the drug industry about the sales and distribution of controlled substances. The government refers to it for law enforcement purposes, although in legal papers it redacted descriptions of how it’s used. A West Virginia judge made some of the data public in 2016. The Gazette-Mail…
Serious Business – July 12, 2018 – After landing at Denver International Airport last month, all the familiar punch lines I’ve been hearing about covering the marijuana industry from friends, family and co-workers kept echoing in my head. So you’re going to get a little Rocky Mountain High? We have high expectations for this trip This is such a burning issue this year, you really need to weed out the fake news. You get the drift. As the Detroit Free Press reporter on a newly created marijuana beat, I’ve become accustomed to the giggles, the snickers and the assumptions that…
Unsafe At Any Age – July 12, 2018 – Full Video @ 9News.com.au
Unreal! – July 11, 2018 – New synthetic opioids are killing more people than ever before, with more than half of all opioid overdose deaths caused by the powerful, lab-made drugs, federal officials said Wednesday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a Health Alert Network warning about the increased supply of the illicit drugs, which are many times stronger than fentanyl, the prescription painkiller. “The dramatic rise in the supply of illicitly manufactured fentanyl and fentanyl analogs has been mirrored by an equally dramatic rise in deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone, a category which includes fentanyl…
Urine Good Hands – July 13, 2018 – At an unassuming storefront on a busy Brooklyn street, people sign up to use a bathroom outfitted to try to curb an overdose crisis. Waiting his turn, a man named Robert is frank about why he’s there, instead of one of the stairwells, parks, rooftops or porches where he has used heroin in the past. “It keeps us safe. It keeps us from getting arrested. You feel secure here,” says Robert, who discussed his drug use on condition that his last name not be used because he fears arrest and damage to…
What You Should Know – July 13, 2018 – In 2016, I was asked by Governor John Kasich to become an academic research member of Ohio’s Medical Marijuana Advisory Committee. Ohio’s statute allows physicians to recommend the use of medical marijuana to people suffering with twenty-one different medical conditions, including: AIDS, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy or another seizure disorders, fibromyalgia, glaucoma, hepatitis C, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, chronic or severe pain, Parkinson’s disease, HIV, PTSD, sickle cell anemia, spinal cord disease or injury, Tourette’s syndrome, traumatic brain injury or ulcerative colitis.…
Speed Kills Too! – July 14, 2018 – Huddled at a computer screen at the Denver Recovery Group, counselor Melissa McConnell looks at the latest urinalysis results for her client, Sara Florence. Last fall, it lit up like a Christmas tree. Now it’s all clean. Florence says she stopped using heroin five months ago; she stopped using methamphetamine not long after that. “Shooting it, smoking it, snorting it,” Florence says. “It’s horrible, just made me feel like crap, you know. But I’d still did it. Just makes no sense, you know. It’s just really addicting.” Meth is particularly insidious, she…
Eye Opening Report – July 13, 2018 -Is pornography addiction real? Do people get as addicted to Pornhub as they do, say, drugs or alcohol? Yes and no. Too much porn can certainly became issue but whether or not it’s truly addictive depends on who you ask. Dr. Suzanne Rapley, a psychologist and Certified Sex Therapist Diplomate who has been treating self-described porn and sex addicts 35 years, has taken a middle-of-the-road approach throughout her career. She knows that there isn’t much evidence to suggest that porn is a physically addictive substance in the scientific sense. But she’s also aware…
Shaping Up – July 13, 2018 – he gym is the perfect place to build muscle, strength, and for some, a new life. “It’s the perfect natural way for anybody trying to get better,” said Katie Kiss, who oversees a Badger Fitness location in Madison. Transforming your physique takes repetition and lots of support. Kiss will tell you changing your life isn’t so different. “I was arrested Sept. 11, 2013, on burglary charges,” she said. Addicted to heroin, Kiss felt stuck. “I wanted to have a baby. I wanted to have a family,” she said. “I wanted a normal life.”…
MEDIA: Great Film – July 4, 2018 – Just when you thought there was nothing more to learn about the late Whitney Houston, a new documentary is here to prove otherwise. “Whitney” (in theaters nationwide Friday) rehashes the already well-chronicled life of the pop superstar, who drowned in a hotel bathtub in 2012 after years of cocaine abuse. The documentary mixes old news clips; fresh interviews with dozens of family members, friends and co-workers; and never-before-seen home videos and photos, courtesy of the Houston estate. “Whitney” manages to thoughtfully examine Houston’s life in a way that satisfies casual fans and…
Through the Living Room – July 12, 2018 – A local furniture designer is giving those in the recovery community a path to success. Morris Turner is one of those benefiting from the opportunity. “Quite frankly my career before gave me the ability to change people’s lifestyle, this gives me the opportunity to change their lives,” he said. He launched Forged Modern, a high-end furniture line, giving those in the recovery community, work, without judgment. Full Story @ Denver.CBSLocal.com
Big Snow Bird – July 13, 2018 – TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is taking on a new role in his efforts to help fight opioid addiction. Christie is joining the board of the Beach House Center for Recovery in Juno Beach, Florida. He’ll serve as executive chairman, helping to develop policy and related matters. A spokeswoman says Christie will be “reasonably compensated for his time,” but declined to provide specific details. She said Christie will be in Florida for some meetings and other work. Full Story @ NewJersey.com
Wonder Women – July 13, 2017 – Celebrating a decade of giving central Kentucky women hope and support throughout their addictions, the Liberty Place Recover Center for Women is marking a big milestone. “This is my home. This is where I’ve grown up or started to grow up,” Rebecca Creech said. If it wasn’t for the Liberty Place Recovery Center for Women, Creech says she may have never overcome drug addiction. At 41-years-old, Rebecca has struggled with drugs for 25 years… Full Story @ WKYT.com
Kansas City, Kansas City Here I Come – July 13, 2018 – Missouri was one of the last states to approve Naloxone, commonly known as NARCAN for over the counter sales, in 2017. It’s a medication that can save your life in case of an overdose. But the $150 price has kept it out of the homes of some people who should probably have it. The Missouri State Targeted Response Grant is now offering NARCAN free of charge at four Missouri locations, including Kansas City’s Healing House. Full Story @ Fox4KC.com
Keep Coming Back – July 13, 2018 – Ron Ward, founder of Celebrating Restoration, a grassroots campaign to free those from the chains of addictions, relapsed in June, and last week checked into a Florida rehabilitation facility. Ward tested positive for marijuana and benzodiazepine after he thought he was taking methamphetamine to mask his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He also said he was struggling with a death in his family. So Ward stepped away from Celebrating Restoration, a decision he posted on Facebook. Full Story @ Journal-News.com
Togetherness – July 15, 2018 – The United Urban Warrior Society-California Chapter (UUWS) held its 4th Annual Native American Walk for Sobriety on Saturday, July 14. The UUWS is a national organization advocating for the advancement of human and civil rights for Native Americans. The walk began at the Grocery Outlet parking lot at San Pablo and Macdonald avenues, continued down Macdonald to 33rd Street for a stop at Nicholl Park, then concluded at the Native American Wellness Center at 2566 Macdonald Ave. “The Native Sobriety Walk is designed to make the community aware of the issues surrounding alcoholism and…
Living The High Life – July 13, 2018 – Developers of a controversial $136 million high-end drug rehabilitation facility said they’re going to break ground Friday in Edwards in the Vail Valley. All Points North Lodge is “an elite, integrated behavioral health, wellness and addiction recovery program located at the site of the former Lodge & Spa at Cordillera” that reportedly is going to charge $60,000 a month for treatment. Groundbreaking for the first $20 million phase is set for tomorrow, with completion set for September. The entire project, the developer said in a statement, “will redevelop the additional acreage…
Totally or Totalitarian? – July 16, 2018 – The top Massachusetts court unanimously ruled on Monday that a judge can require defendants with substance use disorders to remain drug-free as a condition of probation and send them to jail if they relapse. The case, which challenged a requirement routinely imposed by judges across the country, had been closely watched by prosecutors, drug courts and addiction medicine specialists. For many, it represented a debate over the nature of addiction itself. The defense argued that addiction is a chronic, relapsing brain disease that compromises an individual’s ability to abstain. The prosecution maintained…
Generous Benefit of the Doubt – July 16, 2018 – The Minnesota Court of Appeals Monday ruled that people with drug convictions cannot be permanently required to undergo drug testing as a condition of receiving general assistance benefits. It ruled in the case of a Washington County woman who was convicted of drug possession in 1999 and was sentenced to 17 months in prison. After being notified by Washington County of a requirement to submit to drug testing, Kim Verhein refused to provide a sample in 2016 and lost her benefits. Full Story @ MPRNews.org
Attention All Pot Heads – July 16, 2018 – Legendary chef, writer and television host Anthony Bourdain was revered as a cannabis advocate throughout a large chunk of his career, credited for using his spot on the CNN series Parts Unknown to, on occasion, show the world that it was fun to intertwine cannabis with the food culture. There were times when Bourdain touched on the stoner class in places that had brought cannabis prohibition to a screeching halt. He even smoked pot on a couple of episodes of the show – once in Uruguay and another in Seattle. But…
“One Word for You, Plastics” – July 16, 2018 – MORE access to artificially intelligent sex robots could fuel a rise in sex addiction, warn psychology experts. The controversial pleasure droids are being manufactured by a range of companies in the US and Japan, including Californian sex tech startup Realbotix, makers of the Harmony 3.0 superdoll … These male and female bots are expected to sell for around £8,000 in the UK. While their creators claim they can prove a boon for struggling marriages and lonely or disabled men, experts aren’t convinced about their benefits to society at large. Psychological…
No Harm in Trying? – July 10, 2018 – As a college professor, I’ve sometimes had students who’ve left the room more than once during each class. Not only was it disruptive to others, but the timing was typically disadvantageous, for example, just as the most important concepts are being presented. Why are you leaving now? Can’t you wait three minutes to let me make my point? It was quite an eye opener when one of them came to me after class one day and told me that she was just prescribed a stimulant for ADHD and that, for the…
Where There’s a Will There’s a Way – July 9, 2018 – Jada Pinkett Smith and her mom Adrienne Banfield-Jones got real about addiction in the latest episode of their Facebook Watch series, Red Table Talk. The mother-daughter duo have an honest conversation about the struggles of overcoming addiction and how Banfield-Jones has been sober for 27 years. The 64-year-old admits on the show that she struggled with drug use for over 20 years … “It’s difficult to talk about something that is gonna go out to the world,” Banfield-Jones says through tears at the beginning of the emotional episode.…