For most people the holidays are a very fun time with lots of hustle and bustle, family traditions, shopping for gifts, celebrating with friends, family, co-workers, and the list goes on and on. Unfortunately, dealing with a drug addiction during the holidays and/or worrying about keeping someone sober over the holidays can take all the happiness and joy out of the season. Whether it be the fact that the bread-winner of the family can’t hold a job so there is no money to buy gifts, decorations, and traditions that make the holidays special. If you have children that are expecting these things and are hearing about them from all their friends and schoolmates, this can be particularly hard to deal with. Check with local clergy, charities, and community programs. There are often people looking to help others in need, they just need to be made aware of your needs. Don’t let your pride or embarrassment keep you from making the best of each day. Also, don’t think that by protecting and hiding the addiction it will somehow miraculously get better. Until the addict understands there is a problem and make the decision that he/she is ready to change, it will not change.

For many drug addiction and the holidays are a problem because of the emotional and social interactions that are negatively influenced by the drug addict’s behavior. Any time that is stressful is backed by a lot of emotions. The holidays, although joyous and fun, are stressful. Along with all the regular demands of life on time and resources, the holidays require extra of both. If these limitations are already being stretched thin, this extra stress will also mean a lot of extra emotion. For someone fighting a drug addiction, stress is a big influence on drug cravings. When one feels too stressed they look for that escape from it all. If you are counting on the individual and he/she feels like he can’t live up to these expectations he is likely to turn away without telling you he can’t help, or he may even become angry and even abusive. If drug addiction is something you have been dealing with for some time, think back to previous holidays and what events or situations seemed to trigger problems. Knowing the things that cause the problems is half the battle. Often just knowing what you are dealing with is half the battle. If you know and understand what these triggers are you can make a concentrated effort to change/avoid them. For the drug addict the memories of previous problems can be enough to trigger relapse (if they have been in a drug treatment program) or cravings. If you have had bad holiday experiences in the past during the holidays, find a time to talk to the person dealing with the drug addiction. Reassure them that you understand and that you want to help minimize his/her stress and that even though something happened last year, this year can be different.

Oftentimes we don’t want to talk about problems. We don’t want to comfort or empathize with the person that has a drug addiction because we are afraid that these gestures will be misinterpreted as approval of the addiction or a loss of hope that he/she can overcome the addiction. This is simply not true. You should not positively reinforce the addiction or problems associated with the addiction but you should be understanding about the very real struggle the person is facing. Focus on the good things about the person, recognize things he/she does that contributes to the fun and joy of the holidays. Ask what you can do to help him/her achieve the good things that they want for themselves, if they want help beyond what you can provide, offer to help find an addiction therapist for them. An addiction doesn’t happen because a person is bad. Yes, it often comes as a result of making bad choices. We all make bad choices from time to time. Luckily most of the time those choices do not have life long effects that hurt a lot of loved ones along the way. Nevertheless, someone constantly blaming you and throwing these mistakes in your face would not help you learn from or learn how to make better choices in the future. Often someone who has made the same or similar bad choices, saying they understand and asking you what they can do to help gives you the courage and determination to continue on and make the future better.

Every situation is different. Find what works best for you. Make a plan and stick to it. If you simply have to get away from the situation, then do it. Keep yourself and your loved ones safe and do what you can to make the holidays enjoyable and memorable. Don’t let the thoughts of what happened in the past or what could happen in the future ruin today. If you have to, take it a day at a time, or even an hour at a time. Look for reasons to be happy and look for the good. We can all find negative things to focus on, worry about, or dread but focusing on these things only ensure our unhappiness. If we choose to look for and focus on the good and then deal with the negative when/if it happens, we can save ourselves a lot of unnecessary stress.

Red Ribbon Week

Red Ribbon Week is officially Oct 23rd – Oct 31st, 2011.  Red Ribbon Week was officially launched in 1986, through the help of Nancy Reagan (First Lady of the U.S. at the time) who had also formed other nationwide anti-drug programs.  The program was started in honor of a DEA agent, Enrique “Kiki” Camarena who was kidnapped, brutally tortured, and murdered in Mexico in 1985.  His murder helped bring to light the huge drug and cartel problems that still exist in Mexico (and around the globe) today.

Red Ribbon Week is sponsored by the National Family Partnership (NFP), which provides information, resources, and merchandise for participating schools and community agencies.  The goal is to bring millions of people together and raise awareness of the dangers of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs through prevention, early  intervention, and drug treatment services.  According to the DEA this goal successfully brings approximately 80 million people together (collectively) to participate in Red Ribbon events.  Every year the NFP sponsors a contest to come up with a theme for the year, this year’s theme is “It’s Up To me To Be Drug Free”.

Lock Your Meds

The National Association of Sheriffs’, National Association of Triads, and NFP have partnered in another program called “Lock Your Meds”, which is a multi-media campaign designed to help make adults aware of the growing prescription medication problem within the U.S.  Many adults are unaware that their kids are recreationally using prescription meds, or taking them from their purses or medicine cabinets and selling them to their friends.  Lock Your Meds educates adults on keeping their medications locked up and taking away any opportunity or temptation for others to take or sell their prescription medications.

Lock Your Meds campaign slogan is “Be Aware. Don’t Share.” And with clever advertisements create billboards, posters, commercials etc…this campaign reaches out to adults to lock up their medicines.  Ads like, “He gets his music online. His t-shirts at the mall. And his drugs from his mom’s purse.”, “She gets her hair from her mom. Her eyes from her dad. And her drugs from her grandma’s medicine cabinet.” are meant to help parents and family members understand that their child may not be the victim of the drug dealer on the corner but of their “unwitting suppliers” (family).

National Take Back Initiative

According to the 2009 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than 7 million Americans are currently abusing prescription drugs.  The Partnership for a Drug Free America indicates 2,500 teens use prescription drugs to get high for the first time every day.

The DEA in conjunction with state and local law enforcement agencies put together the first National Prescription Drug Take Back Days in Sept. 2010.  Nearly 4000 U.S.  agencies participated and collected more than 309 tons of pills.  Congress has since passed legislation to allow the DEA to develop a process that allows people to safely dispose of their prescription medications.  The DEA is currently developing this process, but until the process is complete the DEA will continue to hold Take Back Days every six months.

The DEA has scheduled Saturday, October 29, 2011 as the next National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.  Most areas will offer locations where you can drop off your unused prescription drugs between 10:00am and 2:00pm. Check with your local law enforcement agencies for more details and information on how to safely secure/dispose of your medications on a regular basis.

New Stats on Teen Drug Abuse:
According to these new statistics on teen drug abuse, about one in four American teens that start using drugs before turning 18, become addicted. The biggest cause of the large amount of addiction among teens is that the disease is more likely to take root during adolescence when the teen brain is still developing. The number of teens using marijuana climbed from 32 percent to 39 percent in the past year. The use of Ecstasy is also climbing, up from eight percent to 10 percent among teens. Alcohol use among teens is also a scary statistics reaching about 68 percent of those surveyed having tried alcohol while under the age of 18, with the average age of their first drink being at age 14. Many of these teens that have admitted to trying alcohol and drugs say they do so because they are using it as a coping mechanism to deal with stress.

Based on the results of these new stats on teen drug abuse, many researchers believe the increase in drug use among teens also has to do with drug use being normalized in the media. For example, movies showing teens and adults smoking marijuana is common place in so many comedic movies, and could be influencing teens to pick up the habit. The stress could be increased simply because of the tough times economically,  just about everyone is feeling the crunch including teens.

Prevention and Teen Drug Abuse:
Because of the increases shown from these new stats on teen drug abuse, there has got to be a better way to teach teens about the dangers and risks they are taking by doing drugs and participating in underage drinking. Programs like the Partnership at Drugfree.org are working toward finding a solution but encourage parents to not drop the ball when it comes to talking to their teens about drug use and dealing with peer pressure. Because stress appears to be a contributing factor as to why teens are choosing drugs and alcohol as an outlet, it might be a good idea for parents to step in and teach their teens better ways to cope with stress. Encouraging other, more productive activities like sports, hobbies, extra curricular activities and more might provide these teens with an outlet they can use to relieve their extra stresses rather than turning to drugs and alcohol use.

Because alcohol and drug use at an early age is not only a risk for addiction, but can lead to other problems in their adult lives, it is vital that parents get their teens help as soon as they realize drug use might be a problem. While preventative measures and education is the most important step, some teens will do drugs and drink anyway. If parents start looking for the risk factors and signs that their teens might be doing drugs, they need to take action immediately. This is an effort encouraged by many of the officials and directors of strategy against teen drug use at The Partnership at Drugfree.org. If there is an apparent substance abuse problem or if the teen is leading in that direction, parents need to act and immediately remove their teen from the situation. One in three teens that have tried addictive substances like drugs and alcohol are addicted and in need of treatment. Finding treatment for these teens is vital to protect them from taking this addiction and entire string of other issues into the rest of their lives.

Sources: prnewswire.com, msnbc.msn.com

• North Dakota has the highest rate of binge drinking.
• 29.8% of those 12 and older reported binge drinking in the last month.
• Utah ranks the lowest in binge drinking at 14.1%.
• Teen binge drinking for ages 12-17 in the past month is at 8.8%.
• 6.4 Americans have used marijuana this month, and 10.8% in the last year.
• Vermont had the highest underage drinking at 36.6% among 12-20 year old’s.
• Utah had the lowest underage drinking at 14.2%.
• Nationwide underage binge drinking decreased from 19.2% to 17.7% between 2002/3 and 2008/9.
• Teen drug use also decreased from 11.4% to 9.7%.
• Alaska had the highest illegal drug use at 13.5%
• Iowa had the lowest illegal drug use at 5.3%.
• About 5% have used pain killers for non-medical use.
• 28% of Americans used tobacco, and 23.6% reported smoking.
• Teen smoking decreased from 9.5% to 9% from 2007/8 to 2008/9.
• Dependence on alcohol or illicit drugs among all Americans was 8.9%.

Because of the severity of problems that often results from drinking and driving, it is important for both teens and adults to realize the risk they are taking when they get behind the wheel of a vehicle while intoxicated. Unfortunately there are individuals out there who have a problem with drinking too much, which can be classified as being an alcohol abuser or an alcoholic. Another startling drinking and driving fact is that 50 to 75 percent of convicted drunk drivers continue to drive on a suspended license. This might mean that those drunk drivers could be at risk for committing the same crime over again especially if they are a person that has issues with chronic drinking or alcoholism. If this is the case, it is important to get treatment for drinking and driving. This is the best way to help cut down on the number of avoidable deaths and injuries that result from drinking and driving.

Drinking and driving prevention:

The best ways for teens and adults to take an active role in trying to prevent drinking and driving include always using your best judgment when alcohol is involved. If you are going to a party or bar and know alcohol will be there, be sure to make sure there is a designated driver to ensure you have a safe ride home. Be a responsible host if you are hosting an event or party. Either simply do not serve alcoholic drinks, or if you do, make sure each of your guests hava e a safe way to get home. Do not serve alcohol to guests under age 21. That is not only a crime, but can increase the likelihood of drinking and driving. Another way to help prevent drinking and driving is to never ride in a car with someone who has been drinking. Be sure to call a cab, or get a ride home from someone that hasn’t been drinking.

Report drunk drivers immediately to the police if you know someone is driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Give them the license plate number to help them stop the person from drinking and driving as well the direction in which the person was driving. Make sure and keep a safe distance from anyone that looks like they are driving erratically on the road and do not intervene yourself to stop them. Leave that up the authorities. If you are walking late at night be sure to stay away from the road as far as possible in case someone is driving drunk, they could easily lose control and run you over.

Sources: MADD.org, pbs.org

Methamphetamine is one of the most addictive and most popular stimulant drugs among drug abusers.  On the street methamphetamines are often referred to as speed, meth, and chalk. Methamphetamine Hydrochloride is meth in its crystal form which is typically inhaled by smoking, in this form it may be called ice, crystal, glass, and tina. 

Meth Statistics 2010

According to meth statistics reported by The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the methamphetamine use among teens appears to have significantly dropped.  These meth statistics comes from a 2009 Monitoring the Future survey.  The survey was given to 8th, 10th, and 12th graders and asked about their meth use in the last month, last year, and/or at least once in their lifetime. This report indicates the following meth stats:

• 1.2 Percent of high-school seniors reported using meth in the last year, which is the lowest since 1999.
• In 1999 4.7 percent of high-school seniors surveyed indicated they had used meth in the last year.
• 1.6 percent of 8th graders in 2009 reported using meth at least once in their lifetime, compared to 2.3 percent just the year before.
• 10th graders indicated that crystal methamphetamine was not as easy to obtain, noting a decrease to about 14 percent versus 19.5 percent just 5 years ago.
• The number of students who used meth in the last month is much lower than the once in a lifetime user.
• Only0.5% 8th graders, 0.6% 10th graders, and 0.5% 12th graders had used meth in the past month.
• 1.0% 8th graders, 1.6% 10th graders, and 1.2% of 12th graders used meth in the past year.
• At least once in their lifetime figures came in at 1.6% of 8th graders, 2.8% of 10th graders, and 2.4% of 12th graders.

Lifestyle Effects of Meth

Even though these numbers may seem low, and thankfully decreasing over time, we need to keep in mind that any one meth addict is too many.  The effects of meth go far deeper than just meth withdrawal symptoms. Once one becomes addicted to meth they are more likely to:

• Steal from friends and family
• Come in contact with sexually transmitted diseases
• Lose any stable employment
• Get a divorce
• Be arrested
• Lose the ability to make good decisions
• Become financially irresponsible
• Do things previously thought of as morally wrong in order to obtain more meth
• and the list goes on and on….

The Meth High

Meth users often use the term “Chasing the Dragon”, this saying refers to always trying to obtain the same high they felt the very first time they ever tried meth. According to some meth addicts, the first time you use meth it is such an intense high and absolute euphoric feeling that you want to stay there. However, because of the way meth works within your system you will never be able to duplicate that feeling.  As the body builds up a tolerance to meth the user finds themselves using more and more and more as time goes by trying to reach the same high as before, without succeeding may I add.

Other Meth Statistics:

• Over 22 million Americans have a substance abuse or dependency problem.
• About 10.4 Million people age 12 or older have used methamphetamine at least once in their lifetime. (ONDCP)
• Stimulants cause over 15,000 deaths annually within the US. (APA)
• In 2004, the number of emergency room admissions increased  to over 150,000, which is about 8% of all drug-related admissions. (NIDA)
• In 1992, only 5 states reported high rates of treatment admissions for meth problems, but by 2002 this number increased to 21, more than one third of the States. (NIDA)

Resources: nida.nih.gov, myaddiction.com

Any parent who has had a child get involved with drugs, alcohol sexual activity and/or other teen issues can attest that having the right resources and help to find solutions to aid their troubled teen toward recovery is vital. We also found in our FamilyFirstAid.org review that teens encounter many emotional problems and other teenage issues throughout this biggest change in their lives. This is why FamilyFirstAid.org is dedicated to providing parents with helpful resources to help with such issues including:

• Depression
• Stress and anxiety
• School bullying
• Self Esteem
• Weight issues
• Teen anger
• Sexual activity
• Teen violence
• Underage drinking
• Drug abuse

Unfortunately, as many parents experience, their troubled teens become out of control. They are easily influenced by negative peer pressure, drugs, underage drinking and other rebellious acts that sometimes gets them into legal trouble. Violent teens or teens with anger management issues might find themselves expelled from school. When it gets to this point, parents may need some outside assistance to help their troubled teens. In our FamilyFirstAid.org review we found that the website also offers articles that explain alternative methods of education and behavior modification options including information about residential treatment centers, private schools, Christian boarding schools, summer camps, teen boot camps, troubled teen specialty schools as well as military school alternatives.

The articles found at FamilyFirstAid.org are meant to assist and educate parents on the different types of treatment and behavior school options available to help parents determine which school or teen program is the best fit for their teen. Generally, if parents do some research to find the best program to fit the needs of their child, the program will be much more successful for the teen. If the problems surrounding your troubled teen include severe alcohol or drug abuse, they might be first required to enter some sort of detox facility before they are able to attend a residential treatment center. A counselor or administrator with the program can help point parents in the right direction of where to take their teen for detox.

Overall, in our FamilyFirstAid.org review we found this website to be a great resource for both parents in need of general parenting tips and to those parents of out-of-control teens who need even more serious information and assistance for their teen issues. The FamilyFristAid.org website can provide you with parenting tips to help in dealing with teen issues and resources for treatment programs and behavior modification options.

According to the heroin statistics report, about 3.8 million Americans from age 12 and up have reported trying heroin at least once in their lifetimes. This represents 1.5 percent of the U.S. population aged 12 and older.

Heroin is processed from morphine, which is a naturally occurring substance used typically as a medication that is extracted from the seed of certain types of poppy plants. The drug is typically injected, smoked or snorted. Injection is the most efficient and common way to take heroin. However, the fear of sharing needles and possibly transferring serious diseases like HIV/AIDS have made smoking or snorting heroin more common. Heroin statistics and research by the National Institute on Drug Abuse has revealed that all ways of administrating the drug are addictive. Teens and young adults are some of the most likely to experience heroin addiction, according to recent heroin statistics:

• 1.4 percent of 8th grade students have reported using heroin
• 1.2 percent of 10th grade students have reported using heroin
• 1.3 percent of 12th grade students have reported using heroin
• About .5 percent of college students have reported lifetime heroin use.
• 1.6 percent of young adults (ages 19-28) reported lifetime use of heroin, according to 2007 heroin statistics.

The majority of Americans responsible for heroin drug use are federal and state prisoners, according to heroin statistics released by the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

• About 23.4 percent of state prisoners indicated using heroin at some point in their lives.
• About 17.9 percent of federal prisoners also indicated having used heroin at some point in their lives.
• About 4.4 percent of those state prisoners were using heroin at the time of offense.
• About 3.2 of those federal prisoners were using heroin at the time of offense.

Certain cities across the United States also showed instances of higher heroin use, according to recent heroin statistics from 2008.

• Chicago – 26.7 percent over the past year
• Portland – 10.2 percent over the past year
• Washington, D.C. – 4.3 percent over the past year
• Minneapolis – 4.0 percent over the past year

Heroin Addiction Drug Treatment:

• There are several effective treatments available for heroin addiction like methadone, buprenorphine and many behavioral therapies can be uses to treat heroin addiction.
• According to recent heroin statistics, about 14.6 percent of the total drug/alcohol admissions to treatment centers were for heroin addiction in 2007.

Source: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov

What is Spice?

• Spice is just one of the names for a designer drug that is chemically created to produce a synthetic form of marijuana.
• Spice is smoked to achieve the level of high sought by the drug users.
• Spice is often sold as herbal incense and room  deodorizers.
• The drug is created by using a chemical combination including synthetic cannabis, which is then sprayed on a mixture of smokeable herbs. The high gotten through smoking Spice is due to the chemical mixture.
• Impaired judgement and decision-making is an effect of using Spice, similar to that of other drugs. Spice has been known to cause car accidents and have adverse effects on users.
• Spice has been around since the early 2000s, but is continuing to grow in popularity.

Other commercial names for Spice include:

• Black Mamba
• K2
• Spice Gold
• Spice Silver
• Yucatan Fire

Legal repercussions for using Spice or synthetic marijuana:

• Lawmakers are concerned about Spice, not only for its harmful effects of use, but also because it is chemically created to be difficult to detect in many forms of traditional drug testing kits.
• In an emergency effort to help shut down the making and using of Spice, lawmakers have made it so it is illegal to possess or sell products containing any of the five popular chemical recipes of spice for the next 12 months during a trial ban of the substance.
• Many state legislatures have made it a misdemeanor charge to possess and a felony charge to sell Spice.
• The federal Drug Enforcement Agency is currently in the process of securing a permanent ban on the drug.

Teens or adults who use Spice think they may be achieving a safe, natural high, are wrong. The chemicals in Spice are not only able to impair one’s judgment and reaction abilities, but they can react in an adverse effect on the body and cause severe damage and health problems. With increased efforts in cracking down on Spice, lawmakers and enforcement officials hope to see a decline in the popularity of Spice.

Drug Rehabs are seeing more and more people seeking help with addictions to synthetic drugs.  If you feel you or a loved one may be addicted to spice, or any other drug, seek help immediately.

Drug Treatment Facilities in Houston:

• Houston Substance Abuse Clinic is a substance abuse clinic located at 7428 Park Place Boulevard in Houston, TX. This clinic provides substance abuse treatment, detoxification, Methadone maintenance, and Methadone detoxification. Their services are available through outpatient care. Call (713) 643-5858 for more information.
• Recovery Houston Institute is located at 10525 Eastex Freeway in Houston, TX. The Recovery Houston Institute provides substance abuse treatment services through halfway houses, residential short-term treatment (typically 30 days or less) and residential long-term treatment (more than 30 days). Call (713) 692-4000 for more information about the Recovery Houston Institute.

Drug Rehab Centers in the Dallas area:

• North Dallas Drug Rehabilitation Center located at 1606 South I-35 East Suite 101 in Carrollton, TX. The North Dallas Drug Rehab Center focuses primarily on substance abuse treatment services. Some services they provide include: substance abuse treatment, detoxification, Methadone maintenance, and Methadone detoxification. These services are done on a outpatient basis. Call (972) 446-0972 for more detailed information about the programs they offer.
• TRS Dallas located at 5646 Milton Street Suite 340 in Dallas, TX. TRS Dallas offers substance abuse treatment services. Their drug treatment program is offered through outpatient services. They accept both self payment and private health insurance. Call (214) 361-9708 for more information about their programs and services.
• Green Oaks at Medical City Dallas located at 7808 Clodus Fields Drive in Dallas, TX. Green Oaks places their primary focus on a mix of mental health and substance abuse services. Some of the services you will find at Green Oaks include: substance abuse treatment and detoxification through hospital inpatient, outpatient, or partial hospitalization/day treatment. Call (972)991-9504 to get more detailed information about which program may work for you.

Austin Drug Rehabilitation centers:

• Austin Recovery Inc located at 8402 Cross Park Drive in Austin, TX. Austin Recovery Inc. provides detox programs that are available for 7-day detox, short-term residential treatment and long-term residential treatment. Call (512) 697-8600 or 1-800-373-2081 to get more detailed information about their detox programs.
• Phoenix Academy of Austin located at 400 West Live Oak Street in Austin, TX. The Phoenix Academy of Austin provides services and help for people who are struggling with substance abuse and/or a diagnosed mental illness. Call 512-440-0613 for more detailed information about the programs and services that are available at the Phoenix Academy.

Don’t delay in finding the drug treatment center that offers the right program and services for your personality and situation. Don’t let anyone pressure you into choosing a facility that doesn’t feel right. If you are uncomfortable or unsure about whether or not the program will work for you, take some time to check out some other facilities before you make your decision.