CALENDAR LISTING:

“Expanding Your Recovery Toolkit” Workshop March 19 in Doylestown

Free monthly workshop series for individuals and families with a current or pastdrug/alcohol addiction issue. Next session meets Tuesday, March 19, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania, Inc., 252 W. Swamp Rd., Unit 12, Doylestown, Pa. Topics include prescription drug abuse, “Kyle: Rehabs, Jail and Sobriety” and a group discussion period. Refreshments. To register, call 215-345-6644 or email JSchwartz@councilsepa.org.

THE A TEAM

About
We are an informally structured grassroots organization concerned about drug dependence and related deaths in our Westmoreland County Communities.
DescriptionWe are the voices of families, loved ones and former addicts who have lost our children, siblings and friends to this rampant disease. We have found each other because no one else was listening and our voices together are louder than our individual pleas for help. We are not often the known ‘experts’ in the field of addictions, but we have a deeper intimate understanding of the effects of addiction than anyone should ever have to know. We have cried in the dark and screamed in the daylight and those we thought should listen and help have not seemed to hear. But now, with a stronger voice, a coalition is forming of those who hear and intend to act.


Created February 11, 2013
Awards Each day that an addict celebrates the freedsom from substance abuse!
Products A life in recovery!


Contact Info
Phone 724-570-2111

FDA Approves Two Generic Versions of Suboxone

By Join Together Staff | February 25, 2013 | 1 Comment | Filed in Government,Legal, Prescription Drugs & Treatment


The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) informed the maker of the opioid addiction treatment Suboxone that it has approved two generic versions of the drug, according to Reuters. The company, Reckitt Benckiser, had asked the agency to block the generic products because of concerns over pediatric poisonings.


Reckitt asked the FDA to refuse applications from generic drug makers unless they adopted stricter packaging standards. The FDA decided there was not enough evidence to support the need for stricter packaging, Reuters notes.


The agency said it received comments that Reckitt’s request was an anti-competitive practice, and will refer the company to the Federal Trade Commission.


The company voluntarily withdrew the sale of Suboxone tablets in the United States, and instead is selling individually sealed film strips, which melt under the tongue. Reckitt said tablets posed a risk of poisoning for children who accidentally got hold of them.


In a statement, Reckitt noted it “is disappointed with the decision but will continue to work with the FDA on safety enhancements.” The company said it will carry on with the decision to discontinue the sale of tablets of Suboxone in the United States.

Commentary: New Skills to Prevent Drug Abuse Presented at 2013 CADCA Forum

By Mary Elizabeth Elliott | February 22, 2013 | Leave a comment | Filed in Community Related & Prevention

Community and youth leaders from across the country learned new strategies to prevent substance abuse at CADCA's Forum.

As a longtime Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) team member, it was my 15th year of 6:30 am staff meetings and grueling conference schedules. And yet, the amazing people that attended CADCA’s 23rd National Leadership Forum renewed my spirit and gave me even greater energy to help coalitions transform their communities and improve public health and safety.

From 43 states and as far away as Moscow and the island of Palau, 2,600 community and state leaders converged at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center just outside of Washington, D.C. for four days in February for the Forum. Participants formed new partnerships and learned new strategies in the art and science of effective coalition building.

The CADCA Forum – the premier training conference for community prevention leaders, treatment professionals and researchers – kicked off Monday, February 4 with longtime federal partner the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) 9th Prevention Day.

The Forum featured more than 90 workshops aimed at helping CADCA’s network of 5,000 coalitions develop comprehensive evidence-based strategies to prevent the use of illicit drugs like marijuana, as well as underage and binge drinking, youth tobacco use, and the abuse of prescription and over-the-counter medicines in order to achieve community-level change.

Participants also had the opportunity to participate in “power sessions” with key leaders from federal agencies, such as SAMHSA, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), where they heard the latest research and policy updates.

“By preventing drug use, abuse and addiction, we are saving lives. The fact that we help young people live up to their potential and make communities safer and healthier is powerful,” CADCA’s Chairman and CEO, Gen. Arthur Dean told the packed ballroom at the opening plenary.

The Forum traditionally welcomes the ONDCP Director as a keynote and this year was no different. Director Gil Kerlikowske told participants that, “We need you—and prevention professionals across the country—to continue your work to prevent drug use and its related consequences. At the end of the day, prevention is the most powerful alternative to legalization or a ‘war on drugs’ in America.”

As critical as it is that we hear from our federal leaders, the event strives to bring in speakers that can give attendees inspiration and new tools. Keynote speaker Dorie Clark (@DorieClark), a branding expert and regular contributor to Forbes and the Harvard Business Review, gave us all a tutorial on messaging through social media.

The Forum is always in the Washington, D.C. area, providing an opportunity to coalesce as a national movement and connect with key policymakers all at one time. The audience heard directly from a record number of Members of Congress, including Senators Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Rob Portman (R-OH) and Reps. Karen Bass (D-37th/CA); Elijah Cummings (D-7th/MD); Michael Fitzpatrick (R-8th/PA); William Keating (D-10th/MA); Bill Johnson (R-6th/OH); Harold Rogers (R-5th/KY); and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-40th/CA).

Attendees also heard from former Congresswoman and new CADCA Board Member Mary Bono Mack, who received our 2013 National Leadership Award. “I am very honored to receive this award from CADCA. Their good work does a lot to raise the awareness of the epidemic of drug use and ultimately to save lives of countless people around our country. I look forward to our continued work together,” Bono Mack said.

During “Capitol Hill Day,” over a thousand participants took to the Hill to educate their U.S. Representatives and Senators about the effectiveness of community coalitions and the importance of substance abuse prevention. CADCA’s Public Policy Consultant Sue Thau, who has been with the organization since its inception 20 years ago, rallied the crowd noting “Funding for prevention is down 47.3 percent over the past seven years, and if we are to avoid a train wreck of drug use and underage drinking, we cannot afford to cut anymore.”

Asking the attendees to engage in some old-fashioned “pounding the pavement” for prevention, Thau reminded the audience, “You have very powerful stories of how you have kept kids and communities on track with your work.”

Rep. Sandy Levin (D-Mich.), who met with 20 people from three coalitions in Michigan, noted on his Facebook page: “This week marked the 2013 National Leadership Forum of the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA). A number of Michigan-based coalitions came down to DC to share ideas on how to best reduce youth drug and alcohol use in their communities. The most impressive thing about this forum? Meeting the enthusiastic youth leaders who are creating positive change among their peers across Michigan.”

There was not a moment to rest at the event. Besides the traditional workshops, it featured numerous tobacco-free living strategy training sessions, early-morning first-timers’ and members’ breakfasts, a Monday night reception and Ideas Fair, special offerings in the Exhibit Hall throughout the week, and CADCA set aside time for state and territory meetings to help states strategize for Hill visits and state-level challenges. Ninety coalitions formally graduate from their year-long National Coalition Academy, a training initiative of CADCA’s national Coalition Institute. A special session hosted by CADCA offered more insights on the new Smart Approaches to Marijuana organization, being spearheaded by former Rep. Patrick Kennedy.

Bringing additional energy to the conference were over 250 youth who were part of CADCA’s National Youth Leadership Initiative (NYLI).

Lauren Foisy, from the Bucks Promise for Youth and Communities in Bucks County, PA, first attended the CADCA Forum when she was a fifth-grader. This time around the 18-year-old NYLI participant said it equipped her with helpful skills and ideas that she plans on putting into practice when she returns to her community.

“With the training I have received at CADCA, I feel like I have the tools to take back home and build something effective,” Foisy said.

Forum attendees will be able to view video recordings and training session PowerPoints on the Forum website in the coming weeks. Photos are available on CADCA’s Facebook page. CADCA now turns its attention to “Big Ideas for Social Change” in the Lone Star State, as Austin, TX is the site for the 11th annual CADCA Mid-Year Training Institute on July 22-25.

Mary Elizabeth Elliott

VP of Communications, Membership and IT

CADCA

Contact - Intervention 911

Contact - Intervention 911

Southampton Man Faces Involuntary Manslaughter Charge in Teen Drug Overdose Death

Luke Edward Bonhage, 22, is facing an involuntary manslaughter charge in connection with the death of a teen.

   

At Luke Edward Bonhage’s preliminary hearing Thursday in Richboro, Assistant District Attorney Chris Rees withdrew felony charges of drug delivery resulting in death, criminal trespassing and a misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance.
However, the 22-year-old Upper Southampton man waived his right to a full preliminary hearing and is now set to face a new misdemeanor charge of involuntary manslaughter when his case is heard at county court in Doylestown.
Before the drug delivery resulting in death charge was withdrawn, Bonhage was the first person in Bucks County be charged with that offense, according to the prosecution.
Bonhage is charged in connection to the death of a 19-year-old woman who was found unresponsive on the couch in his parent’s home on Dennis Road in December 2011. It is believed by authorities that she suffered an adverse reaction to prescription drugs Bonhage gave her, according to a report from PhillyBurbs.com
The PhillyBurbs report detailed the  following chain of events in regards to the day of the incident:

Text messages between Bonhage and the 19-year-old victim show the duo went to a lot on Jaymor Road, where Bonhage’s car was impounded, due to a DUI arrest earlier in the day, and jumped a fence. Once in the lot, the 22-year-old retrieved prescription drugs from his car.
The victim and Bonhage spent a portion of the night of December 4, 2011 smoking marijuana and snorting crushed prescription pills. The victim began to have a bad reaction and was carried to the couch where she was found dead the next morning.

 An autopsy conducted by the Bucks County coroner ruled the woman’s death was caused by a drug overdose.
The drug delivery resulting in death legislation was introduced by State Representative Bernie O’Neill, whose district covers parts of Buckingham, New Hope, Upper Southampton, Warminster, Warwick, and signed into law by Governor Tom Corbett in July of last year.
Prior to the new law, prosecutors had to prove malice when charging a drug dealer in connection with the death of a victim who expired after taking a substance they were given or sold.
With the new law, all prosecutors have to do is prove that the drug dealer provided the substance that killed the victim.
After the hearing let out, Robert Mancini, Bonhage's hired defense attorney, and ADA Rees would not comment on the amendments to the charges.
It is unclear whether the change in charges was due to a plea deal.
Bonhage is currently out of prison on $20,000 unsecured bail for the charges connected with the woman’s death, and $5,000 related to his DUI charges.

Related Topics: Luke Edward Bonhage, Police, Upper Southampton Police Department, and bernie o'neill

Prescription drug abuse destroys lives with death and crime - News - The Times-Tribune

Prescription drug abuse destroys lives with death and crime - News - The Times-Tribune

Falcon Jess Testimonial

Children More Likely to Accept Drug Use if Parents Admit Past Substance Use

By Join Together Staff | February 22, 2013 | Leave a comment | Filed in Alcohol, Drugs, Parenting & Youth

Middle school students are less likely to think using drugs is bad if their parents told them about their own past substance use, a new study finds. Children whose parents warned them not to use drugs were more likely to avoid them, ABC News reports.

The study by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign included 561 middle school students. They were less likely to accept drug use if their parents set rules against drugs, and told them about people who have gotten into trouble because of drugs.

“Parents should really hit on what are the bad things that can happen, health-wise, from using drugs,” researcher Jennifer Kam told ABC News. ”They should really clearly tell kids that they disapprove of them using drugs. Also, give them strategies to avoid use or decline use in a way that makes them look cool.”

She advised parents against lying. “I wouldn’t volunteer the information, but if a child asks, and a parent lies, it could impact the relationship later on,” she noted.

The study appears in the journal Human Communication Research.

Can the Lizard King Come Back Clean? | The Fix

Can the Lizard King Come Back Clean? | The Fix

Essential Health Benefits” Rule Covers Drug Addiction and Alcohol Abuse Treatment

By Join Together Staff | February 21, 2013 | Leave a comment | Filed in Alcohol, Drugs, Government, Healthcare, Insurance, Mental Health & Treatment

The federal government on Wednesday issued a final rule on “essential health benefits” that most health insurance plans must offer next year, including treatment of drug addiction and alcohol abuse.

The New York Times reports the Obama administration says 32 million people will gain access to coverage of mental health care as a result of the new benefits. An additional 30 million people who already have some mental health coverage will see an improvement in their benefits, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius said. She noted the new ruling will make it easier for consumers to compare health plans.

In the past, nearly 20 percent of individuals purchasing insurance didn’t have access to mental health services, and nearly one-third had no coverage for substance use disorder services, according to a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) news release. The new rule provides more Americans with access to quality health care that includes coverage for mental health and substance use disorder services, HHS states.

Each state will set its own benchmark insurance plan that reflects coverage typically offered by employers, the article notes. More than 30 states are using a plan offered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield as their benchmark.

Heroin Addiction on the Rise in New York State

By Join Together Staff | February 21, 2013 | Leave a comment | Filed in Community Related, Drugs & Prescription Drugs

A growing number of people are becoming addicted to heroin in New York state, according to drug treatment counselors and police. They say many people have switched to heroin from prescription painkillers, such as oxycodone and hydrocodone, the Associated Press reports.

Police report the people they arrest for heroin often started on painkillers prescribed by a doctor, then started purchasing them on the street. They turned to heroin because it is less expensive.

Many areas around the country are seeing a surge in heroin addiction that stems from prescription drug abuse. A study published in July 2012 in the New England Journal of Medicine found OxyContin abuse has decreased now that the painkiller has been reformulated to make it more difficult to misuse. Many people who abused the drug have switched to heroin.

The study included more than 2,500 people who were dependent on opioids, who were followed between July 2009 and March 2012. During that time, there was a 17 percent decrease in OxyContin abuse. In 2010, the company that makes OxyContin introduced a new version of the drug that is more difficult to inhale or inject. During the same period, heroin abuse doubled.

Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Drug-Sniffing Dog

By Join Together Staff | February 20, 2013 | 1 Comment | Filed in Drugs & Legal

The Supreme Court ruled police do not have to extensively document a drug-sniffing dog’s expertise to justify relying on the canine to search a vehicle, according to The Washington Post.

The unanimous ruling overturned a Florida Supreme Court decision involving Aldo, a German shepherd. After the dog detected drugs in a pickup truck, a police officer searched the truck and found 200 pseudoephedrine pills and 8,000 matches, which are used to make methamphetamine. The Florida Supreme Court ruled police must compile detailed evidence of the dog’s reliability before probable cause to search the vehicle is established.

In Tuesday’s ruling, Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan suggested proper training and certification of a dog, instead of how it performs in the field, could be enough. “The question — similar to every inquiry into probable cause — is whether all the facts surrounding a dog’s alert, viewed through the lens of common sense, would make a reasonably prudent person think that a search would reveal contraband or evidence of a crime,” she wrote. “A sniff is up to snuff when it meets that test. . . . Aldo’s did.”

The Supreme Court is scheduled to rule on a second dog-sniffing case, involving a chocolate Lab named Franky. Florida’s Supreme Court ruled the dog’s ability to detect marijuana growing inside a home in Miami by sniffing outside the house was unconstitutional. The state’s attorney general is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the ruling.

Franky, who recently retired after seven years with the Miami-Dade Police Department, is responsible for the seizure of more than 2.5 tons of marijuana and $4.9 million in drug-contaminated money.

Mapping Location of Alcohol Outlets, Drug Activity and Crime Could Aid Prevention

By Join Together Staff | February 20, 2013 | 1 Comment | Filed in Alcohol, Community Related, Drugs & Prevention

Mapping the location of alcohol outlets, drug activity and violent crimes could help police prevent violence, a new study suggests.

Researchers at the University of Michigan studied the relationship between violent crimes in Boston drug markets, and the types and densities of alcohol outlets in those areas, MedicalXpress reports. They analyzed data on homicides and aggravated assault incidents, drug arrests and 911 calls, along with 2009 alcohol outlet data from the Massachusetts Alcohol Beverage Control Commission. They also examined census data.

They found areas with the highest levels of violent crime were poorer and had greater numbers of alcohol outlets and higher drug arrest rates.

“Identification of such ‘hot spots’ may help in identifying micro-environments: blocks or intersections whose characteristics facilitate violent behavior. Our study helps identify such micro-environments, an emerging area of criminology research, in Boston,” the authors wrote in the American Journal of Public Health.

Number of Deadly Drug Overdoses Rises for 11th Year

By Join Together Staff | February 20, 2013 | 1 Comment | Filed in Prescription Drugs & Research

The number of deadly drug overdoses in the United States increased for the 11th consecutive year, according to new government data. More than 22,000 people died of overdoses involving prescription drugs in 2010, the Los Angeles Times reports.

In total, 38,329 people died of drug overdoses that year. Of the 57 percent whose deaths involved prescription drugs, three-quarters were due to painkillers such as OxyContin and Percocet, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. They reported their findings this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

More than 74 percent of deaths due to prescription drugs were accidental, while 17 percent were suicides, the article notes.

Opioids were found in 77 percent of overdoses involving benzodiazepines such as Valium, Xanax or Ativan. They were also involved in 65 percent of overdoses with antiepileptic or anti-Parkinsonian drugs, 47 percent of overdoses involving antidepressants, and 56 percent of overdoses with fever-reducing and anti-inflammatory medications.

Prevention Programs in Middle School May Reduce Later Prescription Drug Use

By Join Together Staff | February 19, 2013 | 1 Comment | Filed in Drugs, Prescription Drugs, Prevention & Youth

Substance abuse prevention programs that begin in middle school may help deter prescription drug abuse in later years, new research suggests.

Scientists analyzed findings from three studies of family- and school-based prevention programs designed for rural and small-town middle school students. They found students who went through substance abuse prevention programs were 20 percent to 65 percent less likely to abuse prescription drugs and opioids when they were between 17 and 25 years old, compared with students who did not participate in the programs.

The programs focused on general risk and protective factors of substance abuse. “Brief universal interventions have potential for public health impact by reducing prescription drug misuse among adolescents and young adults,” the researchers wrote in the American Journal of Public Health.

“The intervention effects were comparable or even stronger for participants who had started misusing substances prior to the middle school interventions, suggesting that these programs also can be successful in higher-risk groups,” lead author Richard Spoth, PhD, from the Partnerships in Prevention Science Institute at Iowa State University in Ames, said in a news release.

Nora Volkow, MD, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, noted that prescription medications can be helpful when they are prescribed to treat pain, anxiety, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. “However, their abuse can have serious consequences. We are especially concerned about prescription drug abuse among teens, who are developmentally at an increased risk for addiction,” she said.

Federal Bill Takes Aim at Meth Addiction

By Join Together Staff | February 19, 2013 | Leave a comment | Filed in Addiction, Drugs, Legislation, Prevention & Treatment

A bipartisan group of legislators from around the country has introduced a bill designed to reduce methamphetamine addiction.

The Methamphetamine Education, Treatment, and Hope Act calls for the Department of Health and Human Services to take over the screening and treatment of methamphetamine addiction, and award grants to treatment centers in underserved or rural areas. The bill also calls for the development of treatment programs for pregnant women and mothers, and for prevention programs for youth.

The bill was originally proposed in 2009, but failed to make it through the Senate, The Hill reports.

“Meth abuse is one of the most serious issues in northern California and across the country. It affects families and our community, and needs immediate action,” bill sponsor Jerry McNerney of California said in a news release. “It is imperative that we address crime in our region and increase public safety. This bill will help keep our families healthy, safe and drug-free. When we see crime rates drop, especially usage of drugs like methamphetamine, our entire community benefits.”

The Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005 banned over-the-counter sale of cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine, which can be used to make meth.

Commentary: Rx Summit Brings National Leaders Together to Combat Abuse

By Karen Kelly | February 19, 2013 | Leave a comment | Filed in Community Related, Prescription Drugs & Prevention

Underscoring the importance of collaboration in the national fight against prescription drug abuse, the 2013 National Rx Drug Abuse Summit will focus on ways participants can “Make an Impact” not only in their communities, but on the country as a whole.

With accidental prescription overdose deaths occurring at 1 every 15 minutes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), emergency room visits nearly doubling in the past five years, and hospital admissions increasing 400 percent over the past decade, it is imperative we act immediately.

The second National Rx Drug Abuse Summit – to be held April 2-4, 2013, at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate in Florida – will help in this effort.

By bringing together professionals from many disciplines, the Summit provides all stakeholders timely, relevant and evidence-based information. This type of collaboration enables bringing impactful solutions to communities across the United States.

An example of how a holistic approach can succeed can be found in New York City, where their High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) law enforcement team partnered with public health agencies to analyze data and create a game plan to tackle the issues. Collaborations of this type need to be shared and replicated in other communities. By learning from the success of others we can have the greatest impact.

Keynote presentations will include: Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA); Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); Dr. Margaret Hamburg, commissioner of food and drugs with the U.S. Department of Agriculture; Frances Harding, director of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention; Joe Rannazzisi, deputy assistant administrator of the DEA’s Office of Diversion Control; Gil Kerlikowske, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP); and Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers, chair of the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations, among others.

The Summit includes 30 break-out sessions grouped in tracks – Law Enforcement, Education/Advocacy, Clinical, Treatment, Pharmacy and Third-Party Payer – workshops, vision sessions, and a panel discussion featuring members of the Congressional Caucus on Prescription Drug Abuse.

All breakout sessions, workshops and most general sessions will have multiple Continuing Education credits available. These credits will include medical professionals (physicians, nurses and pharmacists), social workers, attorneys, addiction and prevention specialists, human resources, criminal justice and insurance professionals. The Appalachian Regional Commission is once again our Educational Partner.

Identifying opportunities to strategize and partner in seeking solutions to our prescription drug abuse epidemic is what the National Rx Drug Abuse Summit is all about.

Karen Kelly, President/CEO, Operation Unite

Take advantage of discounted rates by registering by February 28. For information about the Summit visit www.NationalRxDrugAbuseSummit.org, or follow news about the event at Twitter.com/RxSummit, Facebook.com/RxSummit, or LinkedIn.com/RxSummit.

Breakfast with friends Sunday, April 7 sharing memories of Clyde

Clyde Bertram was colorful, outspoken and most of all, effective. Any counselor of some duration had a Clyde story, usually involving how he surprised young patients with what an old fella could teach them about life and recovery. Clyde passed in early January. He'd joined Livengrin in 1993, and retired from full-time counseling in 2008 - at the age of 88. But Livengrin remained a part of his life, and he was here every weekend to greet patients and families. The Clyde Bertram Alumni Breakfast Join us in celebrating this significant life - and the many lives Clyde touched with his wisdom, honesty and unwavering smile. At this event we'll unveil Clyde's Club - come find out all about it! Seating for this reasonably-priced, full-course breakfast is limited. Place your order today on our secure Paypal site. (You do not need to have, or obtain, a Paypal account to use it.)  There's also a mail-in option.     Visit the Clyde Bertram Alumni Breakfast  We look forwarding to seeing you there!

During its 46 years of service, more than 120,000 people have come to Livengrin to learn how to be healthy, sober and a part of their families, work and communities again.  You can play a role in a person's success story - make a contribution, volunteer, and tell someone about the help and hope to be found at Livengrin.  There's information, guidance and much more to learn throughout our website. 

CyberpowerPC Gamer Ultra GUA250 Gaming Computer (Google Affiliate Ad)