Sunday, July 13, 2014

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5 GREAT Vacation Tips


By Karl Benzio, MD

Vacations, by far, are the most prolific producer of many of my cherished memories. The opportunity to be with the ones I love while taking a break from the stressors and rigors of the merry-go-round of life creates an ideal and fertile formula to bring out the best in me, as I enjoy a small oasis in a dark world. But just because everyone is loaded in the packed-to-the-hilt car doesn’t mean vacation success is inevitable. Let me give you my 5 “GREAT” tips for making once-in-a-lifetime vacation memories:
  1. God/Gratefulness—We should continually look to God and be grateful for our time with family and friends.
  2. Relationships—They are more important than anything else as we rejuvenate and recharge.
  3. Essentials—We must remember to manage the basics well and not allow distractions to edge their way into simplified time away.
  4. Attitude—Keeping our attitudes in check fosters flexibility, thankfulness and positivity.
  5. Time—During these short and precious getaways, we can manage our time with a specific focus.

1 in 10 Premature Deaths in America Attributed to Excessive Alcohol Use


A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 1 in 10 deaths among American adults aged 20-64 are attributed to excessive alcohol use.

The report went on to say that excessive alcohol use led to approximately 88,000 deaths per year from 2006 to 2010, and cut short the lives of those who died by about 30 years. Some deaths, from breast cancer, liver disease and heart disease, were due to drinking too much over time. Other deaths were attributed to consuming too much alcohol in a short period of time, with results such as violence, alcohol poisoning and automobile accidents.

“Addictions as a whole mainly involve ‘The Big Three’: alcohol, tobacco and food, and are the No. 1 killers in the country,” said Dr. Karl Benzio of Lighthouse Network (www.844LifeChange.org), an addiction and mental health counseling helpline. "Alcohol itself is usually listed as second or third on the list. But many of the top two causes of death—heart disease and cancer—are a direct result of or have strong ties to alcohol use."

Click here to read more...


Tune in to hear Lighthouse Network's
Karl Benzio, MD, on the air!


Living Well on Cornerstone TeleVision
“Living Well | ADHD”
ONLINE: http://lighthousenetwork.org/living-well-adhd-1-24-14


Check out other media interviews including TV appearances, radio programs, print features and articles here...

Dr. Karl Benzio in The Christian Post


CHRISTIAN POST ARCHIVES:
Huckabee: Removal of God From
Schools Behind Sandy Hook Shooting
 

The community of Newtown, Conn., is still healing after the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary that killed 20 children and six adults on December 14, 2012. Just this week, Connecticut State Police honored more than 300 first responders, including state and local police, firefighters, emergency dispatchers, paramedics, psychiatrists and forensic examiners. Read the ABC News story here...
 
Just days after the shooting, The Christian Post featured a story about former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who stated that shootings like the one at Sandy Hook were due in part to the "systematic removal of God" from America's schools. The Christian Post also quoted Lighthouse Network's Karl Benzio, MD, who underlined the need for God during tragic situations, especially during healing.

"This incident demonstrates the need that our society has for our Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. It is only through His grace and mercy that this community and our nation will be able to experience lasting healing after such tragedy as this," Benzio said. "It is the Biblical lens that we want each to person see this tragedy through. People should lean on the power of Christ to deal with the pain that is inevitable during this extreme adversity."

Dr. Benzio also raised the issue of media exploitation of victims of violence. "When a catastrophe of this magnitude occurs, parents, schools, and the community need to shield these kids to help them process this event, so that the effects do not haunt them for years," he said. "Doing so can cause additional mental health damage and increase the risks of addiction or other destructive coping behaviors."

Read the full Christian Post article here...


Truth For Women Mentor Training
September 27 | Bethlehem, PA
This event will train ladies who mentor other women who are struggling. They will be trained in counseling and in teaching decision-making skills using the SPEARS decision-making model.

Moments of Change 2014 Addictions Conference
September 29-October 2 | Palm Beach, FL
Dr. Karl Benzio, MD will present on "Addiction: Sin, Disease, or Psychological Defect?" as well as his SPEARS decision-making model, which is key to real biological-psychological-spiritual treatment by integrating science and faith. He encourages people to practically apply the Bible in daily living to truly renew the mind. 

Focus on the Family Physicians Resource Council
October 1-5 | Colorado Springs, CO
This is a meeting of Christian physicians who help guide and define Focus' position on various medical and psychiatric/psychological issues which affect individuals, families, society and public policy.

All Access ARC Conference
November 4-6 | Saddleback Church, Orange County, CA
Dr. Benzio will equip church leaders with his insights in decision-making and using science to squeeze the powerful life transforming juice out of the Bible for practical growth and maximal fulfillment.

National Association of Christian Social Workers National Conference
November 6-9 | Annapolis, MD
Lighthouse Network's Dr. Karl Benzio will lead a workshop on how to be a shining light through godly decision-making skills as he teaches his unique bio-psycho-spiritual model which actually rewires your brain circuits, thus renewing your mind as Romans 12:1-2 clearly states.

Click here to view all events. 

Lighthouse Network Radio Feature:"Life Change with Dr. Karl


Lighthouse Network is sharing its newest, life-changing radio features with the purpose of bringing scientific expertise and Biblical principles together to examine some common daily struggles to help people successfully navigate life’s obstacles and enjoy fulfilled lives. Lighthouse Network's "Life Change with Dr. Karl" radio feature airs Monday through Friday on more than 425 radio stations nationwide.

Listen to "Life Change with Dr. Karl" from July 7: Decision-Making: Wisdom Like Solomon's
Listen to "Life Change with Dr. Karl" from July 8: Decision-Making: Spiritual Act of Worship
Listen to "Life Change with Dr. Karl" from July 9: Decision-Making: Divinely Powerful Weapon
Listen to "Life Change with Dr. Karl" from July 10: Decision-Making: Exercise for the Brain
Listen to "Life Change with Dr. Karl" from July 11: Decision-Making: Intersection of Spirit, Mind and Body
 
Click here to listen to “Life Change with Dr. Karl” archives or read transcripts.

Resources from Lighthouse Network

Responding
to God's Grace
 
As Christians, we can use a specific decision-making process that helps us deal with the daily challenges of life with grace. 
Field Manual for
Parenting: Teenagers

Being a parent of teenagers can be frustrating, challenging and exciting. This five-hour DVD series walks parents through the biological, mental and emotional changes happening in teens’ lives.

 
Satan's
Strategy

This video explores Satan’s strategy for corrupting our minds and rendering us ineffective in life. By understanding these attacks, we can be prepared with truth to align our perceptions with God’s plan.

Free Stepping Stones Devotional


Click here to receive The Stepping Stones Daily Devotional, which will encourage and challenge you while helping you grow in your daily walk with God.

If you or someone you love needs help, call our FREE 24/7 Lighthouse Network addiction and counseling helpline, 1-844-LIFE-CHANGE (1-844-543-3242).
Lighthouse Network is a Christian-based, non-profit organization that offers an addiction and mental health counseling helpline providing treatment options and resources to equip people and organizations with the skills necessary to shine God's glory to the world, stand strong on a solid foundation in the storms of their own lives, and provide guidance and safety to others experiencing stormy times, thus impacting their lives, their families and the world.

Lighthouse Network offers help through two main service choices:
  • Lighthouse Life Change Helpline (1-844-LIFE-CHANGE, 1-844-543-3242), a 24-hour free, national crisis call center, where specialists (Care Guides) help callers understand and access customized treatment options.
  • Life Growth and self-help training resources for daily life, including online and DVD series and training events to help individuals achieve their potential.
     


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Show Redneck You Care!
    
Many thanks to the donors & buyers in COA's online sale to support treatment scholarships! The watch, bicycle, home theater system & treadmill have now been sold. The newest item is an afternoon with COA Director of Interventions Tom Redneck Clark.

This is a man who has done so much for so many...now is your chance to show him how much you care! Check it out and if it's in your heart, enter a bid. 

To go to Red's auction on eBay, click here.

To donate an item for the auction, contactCityofAngelsNJ@hotmail.com.






This sale is being held to support Walk With the Angels, a major fundraiser for COA. Walk With the Angels will be held on September 14, 2014 in Mercer County Park to will support continued 
scholarships for recovery. 

The goal is to raise $50,000 and 100% of that will be used to send people to treatment for addiction and/or get them into sober living or medical care.
   





* COA is a service organization: all COA services are completely free of charge and everyone who works for COA is a volunteer. That means we can be completely objective and impartial, recommending the best options for our clients, based upon their individual situations. For help with a drug problem, call COA at 609-910-4942 or visit us online atwww.cityofangelsnj.org.
Come On Out to a Ballgame!
 
Looking for something fun - and free! - to do this summer? Come on out to a ballgame! City of Angels has its own baseball team and plays local games. All the men are in recovery. It's a fun, low key afternoon. 

To read a recent article in the Trentonian about the team - and their uniforms, which come directly from the Anaheim Angels (!) - click here.
Tuesday Night Rosary Group
Prayer is Powerful! 

Come join us as we pray for our City of Angels family and all who have been touched by addiction. Tuesday nights at 6:00 pm at the Dwier Center (392 Church Street, Groveville, NJ). All are welcome, and we take prayer intentions!
 

On COARR 
Let's Talk About Recovery!

With 10 original shows, COARR plays Recovery Talk 24/7/365....past shows are available online atwww.coaradio.com/pastshows.html and in each show's online archive. 

Tune in thru the smartphone app (free in the iphone/droid stores) or on www.coaradio.com to hear what's playing now.....

   
  
Listen to past COARR shows any time:

For "Women & Addiction" with Terri Thomas, click here.

For "Hope Fiend" with Minister Rich Mollica, click here.

For "Emotional Sobriety" with Andy Finley MFT, click here.

For "Journey Thru the 12 Steps with the Life Recovery Bible," click here.

For "Share Your Scars" with Vicki, click here.

For "Wings Over Water: Creativity in Recovery" with recovery musician Kathy Moser,  click here.

For "Laughter & Recovery" with stand up comic Wil B. Kleen, click here.

For "Relationships in Recovery" with Alexa, click here.

For "Saving Lives" with COA Director of Interventions Tom Redneck Clark, click here.

For "Nar-Anon Families of Addiction Information Line" click here .
PRO-ACT PHILLY RECOVERY WALK - September 20,2014 

CLICK BANNER TO REGISTER
CLICK BANNER TO REGISTER





Free Community Seminar
Presented by
Livengrin's Family Services Department






Monday, July 14, 2014, from 6-8 pm


Topic: What's Love Got to Do With It?
Understanding Co-Dependency

By Yvonne Kaye, PhD, MSC

Livengrin Counseling Center -- Oxford Valley
195 Bristol-Oxford Valley Road
Langhorne, PA 19047



Seating is limited.

These sessions often fill up, so please register as soon as possible.

To register for the sessions or for more information,
call Dana Cohen, Family Therapist -- 215.638.5200 x162

Ample free parking!

Friday, July 11, 2014

JULY 11 Chp 56 v 11 TWELVE STEPPING WITH STRENGTH FROM THE PSALMS


I trust in God , so why should I be afraid ? What can mere mortals do to me ?


STEP 3 - Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God .


That is the kind of confidence I got in my recovery . Notice I said confidence not cockiness . We still have to be careful ,I know folks who have relapsed after 30 years. There are people in your life will do anything to see you fail and I guess there motivation would be jealousy . There is nothing to worry or fear as long as God has control and your living the steps daily . 


Romans 8 : 28 - And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.

By Joseph Dickerson
2014 Masthead
      Like us on Facebook                        www.RecoveryWalks.org                       Follow us on Twitter
Why Do We Walk?
Every meeting of our Recovery Walk Planning Committee begins with the question, "Why Do We Walk?" Here's a sampling of the answers, in no particular order:
  • To provide hope to those who have lost hope
  • To show that recovery is real and is happening now
  • Because life in recovery is fun
  • For loved ones, family and friends still suffering
  • To break the stereotype and end discrimination
  • To enjoy the spirit of community and unity
  • To instigate acceptance, advocacy, awareness, unity
  • To be the new face and voice of recovery
  • To end the stigma associated with our community
  • To give voice to those who have lost their battle
Want to share with us the reason you walk? Send an email to Marita here. Please join us onSeptember 20 in Penn's Landing. The gates open at 7 am and the Walk begins at 9 amthrough historic Philadelphia. Registration is free by clicking here. And if you can't attend the Walk but wish to join us in spirit, please make a donation here
Family Ed booth
You, too, could be a Recovery Walk Sponsor
 Your organization could benefit in many ways by being a Sponsor of PRO-ACT Recovery Walks! 2014. Would you like a booth at the walk where you can hand out literature, interact with 20,000 attendees, and hang your own banner? You can do that--click here to learn the opportunities and benefits of several levels of sponsorship. But you must submit your Sponsorship Agreement by AUGUST 1.Go here for sponsorship information.
Many thanks to our Top Walk Sponsors!
Top Sponsors 
National Recovery Night at the Baseball Game
Phillies vs. Miami Marlins
Friday, September 12, 7:05 pm
Tickets are going fast! Click here to order your tickets for our two alcohol-free sections. Tickets are only $20 each (which includes a donation to support PRO-ACT services).
 Helpful Tips
 In the interest of everyone's health, no smoking is permitted during the Recovery Walk or inside Penn's Landing. 
To learn about ordering customized team t-shirts, click here.
There are two additional Team Captains Kick-Off Meetings scheduled. Click here.
If someone needs a hard-copy Registration Form, print one for them from here.
The deadline for sponsorship is August 1--get information here
To donate to the Walk, click here.
To volunteer to help us with the Walk, click here.
To print a flyer for the Walk that you can post, click here
To find out what to do with donations you collected, click here.
Walk in the Honor Guard 
RibbonsWill you have 10 or more years of Recovery by September 20? You are among a very special group of people who make up the Honor Guard.

When you register, please go to the question, "Will you walk with the Honor Guard?" Select "Yes" in the box and then give your number of years in recovery. Help us raise the years represented into the thousands. Honor Guard members are honored with a purple sash and a button on which they write their number of consecutive years in recovery. It is a symbol of hope and proof that recovery is possible and it's happening NOW. The growing Honor Guard leads the walk and then separates to cheer the rest of the walkers on their way. It serves as the embodiment of the message we send---long-term recovery is real!
Register to walk, lead a team, or join a team 
PRO-ACT RECOVERY WALKS!
Saturday, September 20, 2014 
Penn's Landing, Philadelphia
Registration begins 7:00 am; Walk begins 9:00 am
Click here to see the video from last year
Join Our Mailing List
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White House Drug Control Strategy Emphasizes Opioid Addiction
July 10th, 2014/



The White House 2014 National Drug Control Strategy, released Wednesday, emphasizes the nation’s growing problem of opioid addiction, according to The Christian Science Monitor.

The plan calls for increased access to the opioid overdose medication naloxone. “The widespread use of naloxone in the hands of law enforcement, firefighters and emergency medical personnel will save lives. It can also serve as a critical intervention point to get people into treatment and on the path to recovery,” Michael Botticelli, Acting Director of National Drug Control Policy, said in a White House blog post.

The strategy does not change the Obama Administration’s stance on marijuana. Among the challenges the nation faces, according to the policy statement, are “the declining perceptions of harm – and associated increases in use – of marijuana among young people. These challenges have gained prominence with the passage of state ballot initiatives in 2012 legalizing marijuana in the states of Colorado and Washington.”

The policy “rejects the notion that we can arrest and incarcerate our way out of the nation’s drug problem,” Botticelli said. “Instead, it builds on decades of research demonstrating that while law enforcement should always remain a vital piece to protecting public safety, addiction is a brain disorder—one that can be prevented and treated, and from which people recover.”

The White House called for reforms to the criminal justice system that provide alternatives to incarceration, and effective interventions to get people the treatment they need. “The plan we released today calls on healthcare providers to prevent and treat addictive disorders just like they would treat any other chronic disorder, like diabetes or heart disease,” Botticelli noted. “It calls on law enforcement, courts, and doctors to collaborate with each other to treat addiction as a public health issue, not a crime.”

Studies Used to Approve ADHD Drugs Did Not Address Long-Term Safety

July 10th, 2014/

Studies used to approve drugs to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) did not address long-term safety, according to new research.

Drug manufacturer clinical trials conducted for drugs such as Ritalin and Adderall showed they alleviated ADHD symptoms, but few were designed to look at the drugs’ long-term safety, The Boston Globe reports. The Boston Children’s Hospital researchers say this doesn’t mean the drugs are unsafe.

The investigators looked at 32 clinical trials on the 20 ADHD drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Only five of the studies focused on drug safety. Each drug was given to an average of 75 patients before receiving FDA approval. The studies lasted an average of just four weeks. The FDA asked for six follow-up safety studies to look at long-term safety risks, but only two were conducted.

An expert group on drug development, the International Conference on Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use, recommends that drugs intended for chronic use in non-life-threatening conditions (such as ADHD) should be tested in a minimum of 300 to 600 patients for at least six months, in 100 patients for at least one year, and in 1,500 patients total before receiving approval.

The findings appear in the journal PLOS One.

“This is a wake-up call for what’s lacking in the drug approval process and what we want to see in the future,” said study co-author Dr. Kenneth Mandl. “Our findings are particularly troubling since these drugs are so widely used and used for years, not weeks.”

Approximately 11 percent of children ages 4 to 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 6 percent of children in this age group take ADHD medication.

Harvard-Affiliated Hospital Will Screen All Patients for Alcohol and Drug Use
July 10th, 2014/


Massachusetts General Hospital, affiliated with Harvard Medical School in Boston, has announced it will screen all patients for alcohol and illegal drug use starting this fall.

All patients will be asked a series of four questions related to drinking and drugs, The Boston Globe reports. If the answers reveal a possible addiction, a special addiction team can be called to do a “bedside intervention” and arrange for treatment. While many hospitals screen patients for substance use when they come into the ER, Mass. General will screen all patients, whether they are coming in for a routine procedure or being treated in the emergency room.

The screening is part of its plan to improve addiction treatment, the article notes. Almost one-fourth of patients nationwide who visit hospitals for routine medical problems have active substance use disorders, according to the newspaper. Dealing with substance abuse in traditional medical settings can help hospitals better coordinate care and lower costs. The Affordable Care Act is pushing hospitals and doctors to reach both these goals.

Dr. Sarah Wakeman, Medical Director for Substance Use Disorders at Mass. General’s Center for Community Health Improvement, said the hospital wants to shift the culture to make it easier for people to access care for addiction. Being in the hospital is “a reachable moment,’’ when social workers and psychiatrists can bring treatment to the patient at the bedside, she said.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

July 10 Chp 84 v 11 TWELVE STEPPING WITH STRENGTH FROM THE PSALMS


For the Lord God is our sun and our shield.
He gives us grace and glory.
The Lord will withhold no good thing
from those who do what is right.


Step 11- Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood God, praying only for knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry that out .


Keep moving forward ! What a promise from the Psalm , God will not withhold anything good . I discovered from steps 11 and 12 the more we do for others the more fulfilling our lives become . Now that I have found myself it is not about me anymore . It is all about you ! Yes you the one reading this and if their is anything I can do to help you with your recovery all you gotta do is reach out .

Acts 20:35


 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
By Joseph Dickerson

Recovery High Schools Show Promise, But Face Challenges
July 9th, 2014/



High schools designed to support students in recovery from substance use disorders show promise in helping students sustain their abstinence, but face a number of challenges, according to experts.

Recovery schools offer an alternative to students who have left their high school to deal with substance abuse issues. If they return to their regular high school after treatment, they often find that getting thrown back in with old friends quickly leads to relapse. Around the country, a small number of recovery high schools offer a safe and sober alternative for students struggling to avoid falling back into old harmful routines.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is funding a five-year study, now in its fourth year, to compare the outcomes of students attending recovery high schools with those who return to a regular high school environment after substance abuse treatment. Dr. Ken Winters, Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota Medical School, who is one of the investigators in the trial, spoke about it at the recent annual meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence.

“The school setting is natural for promoting continuing care for these students,” Winters said. “Promising indications are that recovery schools have been shown to be quite effective in promoting abstinence, or at least very improved outcomes, for teens following formal substance abuse treatment.”

Preliminary data from the current NIDA study, which have enrolled so far about 185 students, showed those who were enrolled in recovery high schools reported significant improvement in terms of frequency and use of substances, Winters noted.

A descriptive study of recovery high schools conducted in 2007 also showed promising results for student substance use and academic outcomes. The study found 80 percent of students reported doing better with alcohol/drug issues, 71 percent academically, 59 percent emotionally, and 57 percent with family issues.

Recovery schools vary widely in how they are run. Some are part of the public school system, while others are independent charter schools. While some schools allow students to stay for their entire high school career, others have a time limit. The first recovery high school was established in the late 1980s in Minnesota. Currently, the Association of Recovery Schools has 16 member high schools in 13 states. It is estimated that there are about 35 recovery high schools in the US.

Some schools, including several in Minnesota, have closed because of funding issues. “Some schools find it’s tough to survive if they depend solely on public dollars, or if they don’t have enough students,” Winters noted. “The schools need a rigorous team of professional counselors along with the teaching staff.” Public schools generally set funding levels based on how many students are in a given school in the fall, but recovery school students flow in and out throughout the year. “A lot of students come into these schools in the late fall or early winter,” he said.

Counseling, which can substantially add to costs, is especially important in recovery high schools because so many students have mental health issues in addition to substance use disorders, Winters observed. “Often with teens, drug use is secondary to other problems, so a well-trained staff is essential,” he said. “It’s not just about maintenance of abstinence.”

A recently published review of studies on recovery high schools revealed a number of challenges the schools face in addition to funding. The schools are small, and must accommodate students of different grade levels and preparation. Some students have missed a significant amount of school because of their substance use and treatment. With limited resources, some schools struggle to maintain adequate academic standards while providing treatment.

“We need favorable local or state laws and more flexible funding formulas,” Winters said. “It may be more feasible to put recovery high schools into existing public schools in a modified form so recovery services are provided a few hours a week. This could reduce overhead and accommodate school budgets more easily, while still providing some important continuing care services for young people.”

Winters also presented new data on college recovery programs from a study by Dr. Alexandre Laudet of the National Development and Research Institutes in New York. She studied almost 500 students in about 30 college recovery programs around the country. The programs varied widely. Some are very structured, providing many services, including living quarters with counselors assigned to students, while others have less extensive recovery services.

Laudet found almost half of students said having a recovery program available was somewhat or very important in their decision to attend or return to college. Most said having a college recovery program was very or moderately helpful to them. As with high school students in recovery, many of the college students in the survey were dealing with co-occurring mental health problems.

“There’s a growing interest in college recovery programs; colleges can more easily fit them into their budget than high schools,” Winters said. “Colleges can provide specialized housing, and have a lot of health services on campus. There is clearly a need for these programs, because college can be a tough environment to stay sober in.”

Underage Drinkers’ Favorite Alcohol Brands are Heavily Advertised in Magazines
July 9th, 2014/



The top alcohol brands consumed by underage drinkers are the same ones most heavily advertised in magazines read by those under age 21, a new study finds. The researchers say their findings suggest alcohol ads can encourage young people to drink, HealthDay reports.

The study also indicates the alcohol industry’s voluntary advertising standards are insufficient, the researchers add. “All of the ads in our study were in complete compliance with the industry’s self-regulatory guidelines,” lead researcher Craig Ross, of Virtual Media Resources in Natick, Massachusetts, said in a journal news release.

The guidelines suggest that alcohol ads should be restricted to magazines with less than 30 percent of readers who are younger than 21. Ross called for stricter standards, including limiting ads to magazines where fewer than 15 percent of readers are under 21.

The study analyzed alcohol ads that ran in U.S. magazines in 2011. The researchers found the top 25 alcohol brands consumed by underage drinkers were advertised more heavily in publications read by young people than 308 other brands less popular with young drinkers. The most popular brands were five to nine times more likely to heavily expose 18- to 20-year-olds to their magazine ads, compared with other brands.

The findings are published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

“We can’t speak to what advertisers’ intentions are,” said study co-author David Jernigan, Director of the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “But we can say there is clear evidence that 18- to 20-year-olds are the most heavily exposed to these ads. That’s concerning, because that age group is at high risk of alcohol abuse and negative consequences from drinking.”


Heroin Addiction Treatment Should Include Inpatient and Outpatient Therapy
July 9th, 2014/


Treatment for heroin addiction is most effective if it includes both inpatient and outpatient therapy, according to a new study.

Researchers at Boston Medical Center compared two groups of patients addicted to heroin: those who started buprenorphine treatment while in the hospital and then were referred directly to an outpatient buprenorphine treatment program, and patients who took a tapered dose of buprenorphine in the hospital to help with withdrawal, but only received referral information about local community treatment programs. Buprenorphine is an opioid substitute used to treat opioid addiction. It helps curb opioid withdrawal symptoms.

The study found 37 percent of patients in the group directed to the buprenorphine treatment program reported no illicit drug use in the month after leaving the hospital, compared with just 9 percent of those who only received general referral information, according to HealthDay. Patients in the outpatient treatment group reported fewer days of illicit drug use, and less drug use overall during the six months after they left the hospital.

The study of 139 patients appears in JAMA Internal Medicine.

“Unfortunately, referral to substance abuse treatment after discharge is often a secondary concern of physicians caring for hospitalized patients,” lead researcher Dr. Jane Liebschutz said in a news release. “However, our results show that we can have a marked impact on patient’s addiction by addressing it during their hospitalization.


Soldiers Almost Four Times More Likely Than Civilians to Use Prescription Painkillers
July 9th, 2014/
0

Soldiers are almost four times more likely than civilians to use prescription opioids to treat their pain, researchers at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research have found. Almost half of U.S. soldiers returning home report chronic pain.

Three months after returning home from Afghanistan or Iraq, about 44 percent of members of an Army infantry brigade said they suffered chronic pain. In contrast, the rate of chronic pain among civilians is about 26 percent, according to HealthDay.

The researchers report in JAMA Internal Medicine that about 15 percent of the soldiers reported using narcotic painkillers in the past month, compared with 4 percent of civilians.

The main source of chronic pain among returning soldiers appears to be combat injuries, the article notes. The researchers defined chronic pain as lasting 90 days or more. Soldiers with a combat injury are almost three times more likely to say they have chronic pain, and twice as likely to take a narcotic painkiller, as those without a combat injury.

The study found 48 percent of soldiers reporting chronic pain said it had lasted a year or longer, while 55 percent said they had daily or constant pain.

“War is really hard on the body,” said study author Lt. Cmdr. Robin Toblin. “People come home with a lot of injuries, and as you can imagine they experience a lot of pain. There seems to be a large unmet need of management, treatment and assessment of chronic pain.”

Soldiers who suffer from depression or post-traumatic stress disorder were twice as likely to report chronic pain, the study found. The findings come from confidential surveys completed by almost 2,600 soldiers.