Suspicious Death of a Toddler, Meth Lab Found in the Home

Suspicious Death of a Toddler, Meth Lab Found in the Home


A 17-month-old boy was found unresponsive in Akron on Sunday. When police arrived on the scene, the toddler was dead in his crib. They found a working meth lab in the basement. The toddlers mother, along with 3 others, were arrested. Other children also lived in the home. Neighbors were not surprised they had a meth lab, and one neighbor describes them as “shifty.” The 4 people face multiple charges involving methamphetamine, as well as child endangering charges.


Read the full story here.


Image courtesy of Ohio.com.

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Many States Considering Measures to Require Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients

By Join Together Staff | February 27, 2012 | 4 Comments | Filed in Community Related, Drugs, Government, Legislation & Prevention





Almost two dozen states are considering measures that would require welfare recipients to undergo drug testing, the Associated Press reports.


Although the measures are popular because of a perception that people on public assistance are using state funds to buy drugs, statistics have largely shown that to be untrue, the AP notes.


Critics of the bills point out that courts have struck down similar programs on the grounds they amount to an unconstitutional search.


Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has said he supports drug testing of welfare recipients. Fellow candidate Newt Gingrich has said he considers testing as a way to curb drug use and lower related costs to public programs.


The 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found an estimated 22.6 million Americans aged 12 or older—8.9 percent of the population—were current illicit drug users. A random drug testing program in Michigan showed a similar percentage of its public assistance applicants tested positive.


In September 2011, Florida found its welfare applicants were less likely than Americans in general to use drugs. The state compiled the figures as part of a state law that required drug tests for welfare applicants. In October, a federal judge halted the Florida law, ruling it may violate the Constitution’s ban on unreasonable searches and seizures.





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PLEASE READ AND CONSIDER SIGNING

Linda Clarkson Pressman
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Autism-and-other-medical-disorders-dsm/





Autism and other mental disorders. Don't change the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Diso

www.thepetitionsite.com


our mentally challenged need us to be their voice my children are diagnosed with autism (358 signatures on petition)

REEL Recovery Film Festival~New York City Edition Public Event · By Leonard Lee Buschel

Friday, September 28, 2012 at 1:00pm until Thursday, October 4, 2012 at 11:30pm








The New York City REEL Recovery Film Festival is a 7-day multi-media event showcasing first-time filmmakers and experienced professionals who make films about addiction, treatment, recovery and sobriety. Also presenting live comedy and panel discussions.

Our audience is treatment professionals, people in recovery, members of the entertainment industry, media representatives, educated moviegoers, and the general public. Certain television shows have brought individuals’ incomprehensible demoralizing moments (i.e., “bottoms”) to viewers everywhere. We honor the men and women who have passed through the eye of the needle and exemplify the gifts of a valuable and productive sobriety.

This yearly international festival is unique in its focus on drug addiction, alcoholism and recovery. The realistic portrayal of these issues in cinema can be a catalyst for honest conversation and personal transformation

URGENT MESSAGE!!

I would like to apologize to my fellow Americans and especially those of you on Facebook!  I know I am bombarding you with my message of recovery and addiction but I can't seem to help myself.  Many of my close friends have been buried due to addiction and some are rotting away in prison cells.  Addiction is the number one disease in our nation and around the world.  Everywhere I look someone is burying someone or bailing them out of jail for the tenth time.  No longer can I remain silent.  It is my duty and a passion of mine to educate and liberate those who find themselves in the chains of addiction.  My hope and prayer is that my message finds those who are getting close to falling off the cliff of no return, and for those who are wondering if there is anyone out there who cares about them and there struggle.  Unfortunately addiction has became a way of life, and recovery is the answer, we as a nation must come together to overcome this evil force before it annihilates us.

Missouri Leads Nation in Methamphetamine Lab Busts

By Join Together Staff | February 24, 2012 | Leave a comment | Filed inAddiction, Community Related & Drugs





The number of methamphetamine lab seizures in the United States rose again last year, according to an Associated Press survey of the nation’s top meth-producing states.


Methamphetamine is a powerfully addictive and dangerous drug that maintained a tight grip in states like Missouri, with 2,096 lab seizures in 2011, followed by Tennessee with 1,687, Indiana with 1,437, Kentucky with 1,188 and Oklahoma with 902.


For all but Missouri, the AP survey shows that numbers are higher than the federal data. The Drug Enforcement Administration numbers say that meth lab seizures remained about even during the past two years.


The combined data suggest that nationwide meth lab seizures were up at least 8.3 percent in 2011 compared with 2010.


Some attribute the continued increase on the addictiveness of methamphetamine and the growing popularity of “shake-and-bake,” a meth-making shortcut where the drug is created quickly in a soda bottle. The result is smaller labs, but more of them.

Enabling Interstate Sharing of Prescription Data to Help Prevent Abuse

By Carmen A. Catizone | February 24, 2012 | 3 Comments | Filed in Addiction,Healthcare & Prescription Drugs





Addressing the national prescription drug abuse epidemic, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) PMP InterConnectSM enhances the ability of prescription monitoring programs (PMPs) to prevent the diversion of controlled substance drugs by facilitating the transfer of PMP data across state lines to authorized PMP users in participating states.


With an estimated seven million Americans abusing prescription drugs, and 1.2 million emergency department visits related to misuse or abuse of prescription drugs in 2009 alone, the implementation of state PMPs, by targeting doctor shopping and pill mills, is one of many strategies to help fight this public health threat.


Doctor shopping, moving from doctor to doctor in an effort to obtain multiple prescriptions for a drug, is one means to obtain drugs used by those misusing prescription drugs or suffering from pill addiction. Illegally operating pain clinics, commonly known as “pill mills,” exacerbate this situation by issuing invalid prescriptions that are often filled on site, or by referring customers to a pharmacy operating in cooperation with the clinic. Further, many doctor shoppers will travel hundreds of miles, often across state lines, in attempts to obtain prescription drugs.


Many states have implemented a PMP, a secure database maintained by a state agency that stores information on prescriptions for controlled substance medications or drugs of concern.


Depending upon state laws, certain authorized users, such as doctors and pharmacists, may view PMP data so that they have complete information on a patient’s controlled substance medication history. Thus, PMPs can help prescribers make better informed treatment decisions and help pharmacists make appropriate dispensing decisions. PMPs can also assist both prescribers and pharmacists in identifying patients who may be doctor shopping and in need of treatment for addiction.


In response to a need expressed by state PMP administrators and regulators, the NABP InterConnect was developed and now provides a way for state PMPs to share data. Authorized PMP users can potentially access complete controlled substance patient data from all states where the patient has had these prescriptions filled. For example, if a patient in Ohio travels to Indiana and needs to have a prescription for a controlled substance medication filled, the pharmacist in Indiana can see records from both states by using the NABP InterConnect. The information reported back from both states can help that pharmacist make decisions about dispensing that are in the best interest of the patient’s health and safety. The NABP InterConnect is a highly secure communications exchange platform that conforms to all Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regulations.


NABP InterConnect enhances the ability of state PMPs to prevent the illegal obtainment of controlled substance prescription drugs via doctor shopping, and to alert health care providers to patients in need of addiction treatment.


PMPs in five states have deployed NABP InterConnect and 10 additional states have signed memorandums of understanding to participate. Additional information about NABP InterConnect and state PMP participation is available in the Programs section of the NABP website.




Carmen A. Catizone, MS, RPh, DPh
Executive Director/Secretary, National Association of Boards of Pharmacy
www.nabp.net

IN THE ROOMS AWESOME RESOURCE ITS FREE!

Please add info@members.intherooms.com to your email Contact List or Address Book.
This will ensure that you receive Member Notification Emails directly to your Inbox without delay.

Dear recovery_connections, We'd love for you to join us for today's (Saturday) Video NA meeting at 4:00 PM EST / 1:00 PM PST The meetings work from all computers with flash (PC and Apple), they are not accessible by iPad or iPhone, however they may work on some android devices. Please share that link with anyone you'd like. Guests can log in to the meeting without being a member of InTheRooms.com by going to http://www.intherooms.com/livemeetingsbeta/view?meeting_id=17 or by clicking that link. Click here to join the meeting or just check it out for a minute: http://www.intherooms.com/livemeetingsbeta/view?meeting_id=17 If you are experiencing any problems with the meetings, please email support@intherooms.comand we will get back with you immediately. Thanks, The InTheRooms Team InTheRooms.com and the InTheRooms.com Logo are registered trademarks of InTheRooms. Invite a Friend to Join InTheRooms.com! InTheRooms Support - support@intherooms.com

12 STEPPING TO RECOVERY DAILY THOUGHT!!

STEP 1
 Again that's right we will be going over this step until we truly get it! Thirty two years it took me to finally realize I was powerless and my life was past the point of unmanageable.  A couple of outstanding bench warrants, numerous court summons, my credit score a zero, knots in my stomach every time their was a knock at the door, family and friends wouldn't listen to a word I had to say, everywhere I went fear, anxiety, depression and impending doom went with me! I hated me, my life and no matter how hard I tried to fix things I just made it worse.  One day in the basement of a home I was about to be evicted from I fell to my knees and began to communicate with GOD crying uncontrollably I asked HIM that if you truly are there put an end to my life, I cant do this anymore.  I was in that basement surrounded by garbage and trash for I don't know how long. I had reached my breaking point and GOD heard me!  The LORD was patiently waiting for me to submit and admit I was powerless.  That's when you truly realize there is no way you can do life in your own strength!  When enough is enough and life is too much, SURRENDER, hand it over to him and he will carry you through.

19 Year Old Briton with Alcohol Destroyed Liver Doesn’t Meet Transplant Guidelines

y John LeeGoogle+ Twitter Facebook

Only a couple of weeks ago Britons debated organ transplant guidelines after reading the story of 22 year old Gary Reinbach who was denied a liver transplant, and so died of alcoholic cirrhosis.


Now, a 19 year old out of Ulster Northern Ireland, Gareth Anderson, lies in King's College Hospital London, suffering from total liver failure; the result of a mammoth binge drinking session over the first weekend of August. Doctors say that without an organ transplant the teen will die within 2 weeks, but according to transplant guidelines which prohibit the consumption of alcohol for 6 months prior to a transplant, he is ineligible for the transplant waiting list.


Anderson become ill after downing 30 cans of beer over a weekend binge drinking party.


Because available livers for transplant never meet demand, the National Health Service (NHS) has adopted certain guidelines that help doctors with the impossible task of determining which patients get lifesaving operations and which patients don’t.


Gareth’s father, Brian Anderson, says that the guidelines were written for older alcoholics and shouldn’t apply to his son, who is not an alcoholic. He has taken the matter to the courts and to politicians, hoping to circumvent guidelines that he does not consider fair in this case. He describes the urgency he feels, saying, “I'm dealing with a timebomb now. I've basically two weeks to save Gareth…In my opinion Gareth doesn't fit in with the six-month policy.”


Gareth has never before required medical treatment for alcohol use


Family members had pressured Northern Ireland Health Minster, Michael McGimpsey to act on behalf of Gareth, but McGimpsey indicated he could not intervene in a health matter that required the professional judgment of doctors.


The requirement for 6 months of abstinence is only a guideline, and one that doctors can overlook, but an NHS Blood and Transplant Department spokesperson defended the use of the guideline saying, “it (the 6 month guideline) is one that has been adopted following publication in medical journals from various doctors who have recommended it as suitable practice. It is recognized and in use around the world." The spokesperson said that although doctors can disregard the guideline, that they must also, “take into consideration other potential liver transplant patients who are waiting as well."


Dr. Roger Williams, a UK liver specialist, has weighed in on the public debate over the boy’s case, saying that 6 month guidelines should not apply in cases like this.


Brian Anderson says the he feels optimistic about getting Gareth onto the transplant waiting list and says that his son is “doing well” in hospital.



Read more: 19 Year Old Briton with Alcohol Destroyed Liver Doesn’t Meet Transplant Guidelines

UK Police Use Special Up-Nose Flashlights to Identify Cocaine Users

by John LeeGoogle+ Twitter Facebook

Scottish police are using special flashlights to identify people who have been using cocaine.


Police officers and club bouncers in Paisley Scotland are working together to shine a light on those that have recently been abusing class A drugs, such as cocaine, by issuing those working the door at nightclubs with specially designed flashlights that illuminate cocaine in the nasal passage.


Police and club officials shine the flashlight beams up the noses of patrons seeking entry into a club. If a patron has recently been using cocaine, the hairs in the nose and the area around the nose glow a bright green.


People testing positive for drugs are denied entry into clubs and are searched for drugs by police officers.


Sergeant Greg Dinnie of the Strathclyde Police said that the torches are a non intrusive way to identify people who’ve been using drugs, saying, "That gives us the power to see if they've got any further substances or it lets stewards refuse entry and protect others enjoying a safe night out."


Cocaine use is one the rise in Scotland, a result of greatly falling prices over the last decade. A gram of cocaine in Scotland now costs as little as 30 pounds.



Read more: UK Police Use Special Up-Nose Flashlights to Identify Cocaine Users

Chinese Government Holds Half Million Drug Users in Slave Labor Camps

by John LeeGoogle+ Twitter Facebook

In a scathing report, the human rights organization Human Rights Watch has accused the Chinese government of widespread and institutionalized abuses against drug addicts. According to the report, at any given time a half million or more Chinese drug addicts are held in detention ‘rehabilitation camps’ and many are forced to work without pay, denied medical services, abused and offered no addiction treatment. Treatment durations begin at 2 years, but can be longer, at the discretion of the local officials.


Drug users are sent to the camps at the discretion of local police. Drug users receive no charge, trial or opportunity to defend themselves against accusations. The majority of the half million Chinese in the camps are heroin addicts.


Although treatment is supposed to occur at ‘community based rehabilitation centers’ treatment experts on the ground in China say they’ve yet to see any such facility in use. Wang Xiaoguang, the director of Daytop (an American treatment organization) in Yunnan Province described the addiction clinics as business ventures run by local police – where drug addicts are sent out to work at local farms or factories for the benefit of their captors, and where treatment services are “nonexistent”. Wang told reporters, “I don’t think this is an ideal situation for people trying to recover from drug addiction.”


Prior to 2008, drug addicts were sent to forced labor camps with other criminals. The passing of the 2008 Anti-Drug Law was supposed to improve treatment conditions by ending the practice of labor camp detention and calling for officials to pay for any work done by camp inmates. In reality, the law has simply induced officials to rename the practice of drug user detention and to ignore any calls for substantive change – and under the provisions of the new law, officials can now remand drug users for up to 7 years.


Additional charges from the Human Rights Watch report include:
Denying detained drug users medical care – even those with serious illnesses like tuberculosis or AIDS
Physical abuse, including beatings and fatal beatings


Joe Amon, Human Rights Watch’s director of health and human rights called for the Chinese govt. to respect the human rights of the Chinese drug users, and declared, “Warehousing large numbers of drug users and subjecting them to forced labor and physical abuse is not rehabilitation.”



Read more: Chinese Government Holds Half Million Drug Users in Slave Labor Camps

12 STEPPING TO RECOVERY DAILY THOUGHT!!

STEP 1
      You know your ready when you have come to realize my way of life and what I have done with my life is to some degree meaningless and self centered.  ME ME ME was my way of thinking and it did not matter what I had to do to satisfy my wants.  In my addiction I was such a helpless fool, I got this and when something went wrong I used every excuse in the book to say it was everyone elses fault.  No matter how hard I tried to pretend everything was ok and this was life, boy was I wrong! The sad part was I was missing what life was all about and I was living way below my potential. That is why step one is so important to me, it helped me realize I wasn't alone and that there was a GOD out there who created me for so much more!  Coming to the realization what you have done until now was selfishness and foolishness will be the beginning of step one for you! LET GO AND LET GOD

Recovery is a new beginning.

Recovery can be a time of great personal fulfillment and growth. But it is a constantly evolving period that requires work to maintain.

By abstaining from alcohol and drugs, people in recovery can regain their physical health and emotional well-being.

Over time, your loved one will return to being a happier person, a dedicated student or employee, and a more loving family member.

Inviting the recovering person to talk about his or her experiences can be quite supportive – here are some examples:

• I'd be interested in hearing how your meetings are going.
• Are the coordinators helpful?

• Are you finding that recovery is a struggle for you?
• Do you like the other participants?

Moms Who Use Nicotine Patches More Likely to Have Colicky Babies, Study Finds

By Join Together Staff | February 22, 2012 | 1 Comment | Filed in Parenting &Tobacco

Babies born to mothers who smoke or use nicotine patches during pregnancy are more likely to have colic, a new study published in the March issue of Pediatrics finds.

The study found that exposure to nicotine, either from the mothers smoking cigarettes or from nicotine replacement therapy, was linked to a significantly increased risk of colic in their babies, ranging from 30 to 60 percent, HealthDay reports.

Researchers looked at data based on more than 63,000 interviews with mothers, who participated in the Netherlands-based study, with interviews conducted during pregnancy and six months after the moms gave birth to their babies.

The findings concluded that 8 percent of the babies had colic. About 74 percent of the moms didn’t smoke; 24 percent reported that they did smoke; 2 percent of the moms said they smoked and used nicotine replacement therapy, while 0.3 percent of the women used nicotine replacement therapy alone.

“The theory is that there are nicotine receptors in the GI [gastrointestinal] system and nicotine receptors that alter serotonin and these alterations affect the babies after birth, causing colic,” said Dr. Jennifer Wu, an Obstetrician-Gynecologist at Lenox Hill Hospital.

Dr. Wu added that the causes of colic aren’t well understood, nor are the reasons why nicotine might raise the risk of colic. Prior research has also shown smoking to be associated with colic. However, these studies do not prove cause and effect.

NA & AA Meeting GURU John !!

Recovery connections will feature a new addition to our resource network.  Going to a meeting for the first time can sure be unsettling and frightening.  Once there the last thing we need is a room full of obnoxious abusive morons making our recovery more difficult.  John our meeting GURU has created a rating system one to ten stars, ten being the best.  John has been in the rooms for 30 years plus so he knows the importance of meetings and where you can go and find success in your 12 stepping journey.  John is also AA only so we will need a NA GURU.  If interested contact Recovery Connections at recoveryfriends@gmail.com.
Please Remember,  these are GURU JOHNS opinions based on his experiences and our intention is not to offend any of these groups but to help newcomers find a place where they will find acceptence and success.

The Keys
700 Rodgers Rd. Bristol Pa. Mondays at 12
GURU JOHN rates a 5 There can be alot of bad attitudes!

Reality
1946 Welsh Rd. and Busleton Ave. Phila.
In the hall adjacent to the church(St. Luke Espispocal)! Mon. Threw Fri 1 to 2
GURU JOHN rates this a 9 ,very welcoming group open good place to start!

TWELVE STEPPING TO RECOVERY DAILY THOUGHT!

STEP ONE
         You are ready for this step when you get to the point of being tired of being sick and tired.  My life reached that point nine years ago this June. I was in my basement and I cried out to GOD for the first time in 20 years and no it was not all better just like that.  Unmanageable was a understatement, once surrendered my whole world was blown apart. well at least the life I was living.  Once you are broken and beaten you will discover step one is a necessity.

Freedom House New Jersey

Effective residential treatment programs in halfway houses in New Jersey

Have you or has someone close to you been devastated by alcohol or drugs? Call
908-537-6043 for more information about Freedom House’s long-term residential drug and alcohol treatment programs or click hereto fill out our contact form.

From our humble beginnings as a 6-bed facility in 1986 to our present day 73-bed program throughout five locations in New Jersey, Freedom House’s long term residential treatment services have helped over 1,500 people rediscover the Faith, Hope, and Trust they needed to regain control over their lives. It is not an easy program, nor is it a 28-day rehab. In fact, Freedom House provides long term residential treatment for those that did not succeed at maintaining sobriety. We demand strict adherence to our policies while offering life skills training such as job searching, budgeting money, and nutritious cooking instruction. Our program is overwhelmingly successful in bringing about lasting drug rehab and/oralcoholism recovery.

Freedom House accepts residents from our home state of New Jersey as well as all other states across the country. Compensation for a resident’s stay with us may be funded privately or by means contacts for services through Freedom House Foundation, or other means if applicable. Freedom House’s three innovative model programs include:

• Long Term Residential Treatment for Men — Based in a halfway house in New Jersey rather than a hospital, we provide a comprehensive drug-alcohol rehab program using reality therapy, behavior modification and positive peer pressure, as well as individual and group counseling and life skills training.

• Transitional Living Programs for Men —In this peer-driven model, residents are located in home-like settings and live with a small group of other men as they prepare to integrate back into society. All room, board, and transportation to and from work, court appearances, and other necessary functions are provided.

• Transitional Living Programs for Women — Designed for women that have already been through a long-term residential drug and alcohol treatment facility, we teach them life skills and provide them with a case manager that will oversee their stay and work with the courts to reunite them with their children.

Have you or has someone close to you been devastated by alcohol or drugs? Call
908-537-6043 for more information or click hereto fill out our contact form.

Freedom House’s New Jersey drug rehab and alcoholism treatment center, as well as our transitional living programs, are run by a dedicated and caring staff that is on call 24/7. Additionally, unlike typical transitional living programs or halfway houses, we provide long term residential treatment in a halfway house setting. Our hard work and noble effort has earned us our 3rd consecutive 3-year accreditation from CARF(Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities). This unique distinction is noted by ASAM (American Society of Addiction Medicine).

 

Although we provided $291,012 in free long term residential treatment to the community in 2009, as a nonprofit we need to depend on residents being able to pay a portion of their net income as an investment in their long term drug rehab or alcoholism recovery. Even though our Freedom House Foundation actively seeks donations from benefactors, solicits grants from private foundations and large corporations, and runs a series of high-end special fundraising events throughout the year, it is not enough to allow us to serve everyone that seeks our help.

For more specific, statistical information click here to contact us or call 908-537-6043..

Do it today to ensure a better tomorrow!

New Jersey Division Of Addiction Services

Hotlines, Helplines and Complaints

Hotlines and Helplines

COUNCIL ON COMPULSIVE GAMBLING OF NEW JERSEY
Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit www.800gambler.org

This service provides 24 hour information to help compulsive gamblers and referrals to self-help groups and counseling services.

 

 

How to File a Complaint About a New Jersey Substance Abuse Treatment Facility

Call 1-877-712-1868 (Toll Free) or
During normal business hours call 609-292-5760
To register a complaint regarding any substance abuse treatment facility in New Jersey, you may CALL TOLL FREE at any time to leave a message or you may call during normal business hours, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, and ask to speak to a Complaints Investigator. 
If you wish to remain anonymous, you may.  However, it is preferable that you leave a first name and phone number so that a Complaints Investigator may contact you with any questions.  Your anonymity will be protected.  Your name will not be revealed to the facility unless you give permission to do so, and we will not leave a message on your phone unless you indicate that it is OK for someone to leave a message. 

 

TWELVE STEPPING TO RECOVERY DAILY THOUGHT!

STEP ONE
Admitting you are powerless over your life does not mean you are weak it means your strong and courageous.One of the toughest critics in life is myself ,and my way of dealing with myself was to run and hide and self medicate.Admitting you cant handle certain times in life and admitting there has to be a better way and you are powerless is the beginning of humility when you finally get there then step one begins.

Anthrax Tainted Heroin Kills 3 in Scotland

by John LeeGoogle+ Twitter Facebook

Six Scottish heroin users have now contracted Anthrax from contaminated heroin – three have so far died and the remaining three are responding well to treatment in hospital.

Anthrax is a deadly bacterial infection that most commonly afflicts hoofed animals, such as cattle, in Asia and Africa. Humans can contract the infection by inhaling the spores, or most commonly, through contact with the skin. Anthrax is not generally spread person to person.

Health officials suspect that a batch of heroin now in circulation may have been cut with infected bone meal, which is sometimes added to pure heroin to dilute the powder. Heroin is often processed in areas of the world which have more frequent outbreaks of anthrax infected cattle.

Dr. Syed Ahmed, a public health medicine expert, warned heroin users to be vigilant, saying, “The possible presence of a batch of heroin contaminated with anthrax makes drug injecting even riskier and even more dangerous. I urge all drug injecting heroin users to be extremely alert and to seek urgent medical advice if they experienced an infection."

Glasgow police and health officials at the NHS say they’re working to root out the source of the contaminated heroin.

Read more: Anthrax Tainted Heroin Kills 3 in Scotland 

Afghani Town Banishes Drug Users – Burns Homes of Dealers

Village elders in Ghazni Province Afghanistan have enacted edicts that demand the banishment from town of drug users, and called for villagers to burn down the homes of drug dealers who don’t heed warnings to stop plying their wares.

by John LeeGoogle+ Twitter Facebook

Desperate to end the cycle of heroin addiction and despair that had plagued the men in Ghazni Province in remote Eastern Afghanistan, tribal elders called for draconian new measures intended to deter use and trafficking.

Under the new measures:

• Villagers using drugs are given a deadline to quit and those that cannot or will not quit by that date are evicted from the village and not allowed back into the town until they can prove their abstinence.

• Sellers of drugs are first given a warning, and then a hefty fine (about $2000 USD). Should a drug dealer continue to peddle after getting fined, the villagers gather together and as a third strike penalty, burn down the offender’s home.

Tribal elder Mohammad Razaq claims the strict measures are necessary, saying, "Heroin addiction among our young people was destroying us. This destruction was getting worse and worse every day and we felt that we had no choice but to deal with it in this way.

So far, more than 200 addicts have been evicted from the village.

Although the local police chief applauds the villagers for taking things into their own hands, the head of Ghazni’s Provincial hospital, Dr. Ismail Ibrahimzai, disagrees with the idea, saying, "It is not possible to cure addiction by force, we have to encourage addicts to come to the treatment centres when they are ready. If there is no support network for them, and no health care, suddenly being forced to stop the drugs can be life-threatening."

He says that treatment centers are available for the estimated 20 000 mostly men but also women and children addicted to heroin in the province.

Read more: Afghani Town Banishes Drug Users – Burns Homes of Dealers