Saturday, May 11, 2013

Where to Draw the Line on Mind-Altering Substances? | The Fix

Where to Draw the Line on Mind-Altering Substances? | The Fix

Vivitrol: A Shot in the Dark | The Fix

Vivitrol: A Shot in the Dark | The Fix
May 11
Psalm 59:9
Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence.
The young man sat quietly in the courtroom. He trembled as he waited for the hearing to begin. He had never been to court before. His parents had rarely even taken him into town. The Amish kept pretty much to themselves. He was being asked to fight in an army that he did not believe in, and that was something he could not do. They would ask him all kinds of hard questions, but all he knew was that war and killing were wrong, and he would have no part of it, even if it meant sitting in a jail for the rest of his life. They would want excuses, but all he could say was no. God was his only defense. Nothing more was needed.
 
Prayer: People do not always understand why I feel the way I do or believe the things I do. Help me to accept that, Father. Help me to be secure in my faith. Let me be an example of faith in a world full of doubt. Amen.
Own Your Own Copy of this Devotional

Pregnant Teens in Substance Abuse Treatment Face Many Challenges

Pregnant teens, who are more likely than pregnant adults to face medical issues, face a host of additional challenges if they are also being treated for substance abuse, a new government report finds.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found pregnant teens being treated for substance abuse were three times more likely than other female teens in treatment to receive public assistance as their main source of income—15 percent versus 5.3 percent). The report also found 74 percent of non-pregnant female teens in treatment who were not working were students, compared with just 44.2 percent of pregnant teens treated for substance abuse.
Half of pregnant teens in treatment used drugs or alcohol in the month before they started treatment, HealthDay reports. Almost one-fifth used drugs or alcohol daily during that month. The report notes that when mothers use drugs during pregnancy, their babies can show signs of addiction at birth. Long-term effects of a mother’s prenatal drug use have been observed in children at 6 years of age.
Marijuana was the most commonly used substance among female teens in treatment programs. The report found 73 percent of pregnant teens and 70 percent of non-pregnant teens used the drug. Pregnant teens were twice as likely to use methamphetamines and amphetamines, compared with other female teens—17 percent versus 8 percent.
Overall, pregnant teens make up about 4 percent of the 57,000 females ages 12 to 19 admitted to substance abuse treatment programs annually, according to SAMHSA.
“Pregnant teens entering treatment face difficult challenges, but the good news is that treatment is a very positive step in helping them regain their lives and generate new hope for themselves and their children,” SAMHSA Administrator Pamela Hyde said in a news release.

Heroin Addiction Takes Toll in Suburban New Jersey

New Jersey officials report a rise in heroin addiction, drug-related crime and deaths among young people in suburbs. Many became addicted to prescription painkillers, and switched to heroin because it is cheaper, potent and widely available, according to The Record of Woodland Park.
The growth of heroin use among young people in the suburbs is being seen nationwide. According to the 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the number of people who were past-year heroin users in 2011 (620,000) was higher than the number in 2007 (373,000).
New Jersey is a center of heroin use in part because of its ports and highways, which are conduits for South American heroin, the article notes. Heroin found on New Jersey streets today is at least five times more pure than it was several decades ago, law enforcement officials say. The increased potency leads to quicker addiction, they add.
“Heroin is much more commonplace than it’s been in years,” Ellen Elias, Director of the Center for Alcohol and Drug Resources in Hackensack, told the newspaper. “We see it all around. It seems like the population in which heroin is most prevalent is that 18- to 25-year-old population.”
Police in Bergen County, in northern New Jersey, report increases in shoplifting, home invasions, burglaries and armed robberies, by people addicted to heroin who are seeking money to buy drugs.
Last week, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed into law a measure that encourages people to report drug overdoses. The law allows people to call 911 to report a drug overdose, without the fear of getting arrested for drug possession themselves.

Commentary: National Prevention Week 2013 Is May 12-18: Participate and Make a Difference in Your Community!

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) second annual National Prevention Week begins on Sunday, May 12. This national health observance, which continues through May 18, aims to increase public awareness of, and action around, substance abuse and mental health issues. This year’s theme – Your voice. Your choice. Make a difference. – emphasizes that the choices we make each day are important and have a real effect on our health and the well-being of our families and communities. Each day of National Prevention Week 2013 has a unique focus to recognize states’ and communities’ prevention efforts and highlight multiple facets of behavioral health:
May 12: Prevention and Cessation of Tobacco Use
May 13: Prevention of Underage Drinking
May 14: Prevention of Prescription Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Use
May 15: Prevention of Alcohol Abuse
May 16: Suicide Prevention
May 17: Promotion of Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Well-being
May 18: (Communities identify an issue of their choice)
Our nation’s states and communities provide many evidence-based programs and strategies promoting mental and emotional well-being and preventing substance abuse. SAMHSA applauds their excellent work in showing that prevention works. As a result of states’ and communities’ concerted prevention efforts, important progress has been made in many areas, such as in the decline of underage binge and heavy drinking rates between 2002 and  20111.  However, much work remains to be done.
• The adverse health effects from cigarette smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke account for an estimated 443,000 deaths, or nearly one of every five deaths each year.2
• One quarter of young people between the age of 12 and 20 currently drink alcohol, and an estimated 6 million participated in binge drinking at least once in the last 30 days.3
• Approximately 23 million Americans aged 12 or older, or roughly 9 percent of the population in this age group, are current illicit drug users.This includes individuals who use illicit drugs, as well as the approximately 6 million people who report that they currently use prescription drugs for nonmedical purposes.5
• Each year, suicide accounts for more than 38,000 deaths in the United States, and in 2011, it was the 10th leading cause of death.6
• An estimated 1 in 5 people aged 18 or older had a mental illness in the past year.7
National Prevention Week 2013 offers a way for everyone to voice their support for prevention and take action to make a difference in their communities. One way to get involved is to take the Prevention Pledge and share it with colleagues, family and friends. Another way is to participate in a National Prevention Week event in your community or a community near you. Individuals also can take part in the National Prevention Week “I Choose” Project. Snap a photo of yourself or a friend with a sign saying why you choose prevention, and then send it to SAMHSA for posting in our photo gallery. Be a part of National Prevention Week 2013, and use your voice and positive choices to champion healthy living year-round.
SAMHSAs Fran Harding Official PhotoFrances M. Harding
Director
SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Prevention


1Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2012). Results from the 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings. NSDUH Series H-44, HHS Publication No. (SMA) 12-4713. Rockville, MD: SAMHSA. Retrieved May 2, 2013, from http://www.samhsa.gov/data/NSDUH/2k11Results/NSDUHresults2011.htm.
2U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2004.
3Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2012). Results from the 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings. NSDUH Series H-44, HHS Publication No. (SMA) 12-4713. Rockville, MD: SAMHSA. Retrieved May 2, 2013, from http://www.samhsa.gov/data/NSDUH/2k11Results/NSDUHresults2011.htm.
4Ibid.
5Ibid.
6Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2012). Deaths: Preliminary Data for 2011. (National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 61, No. 6: October 10, 2012). Retrieved May 2, 2013, from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr61/nvsr61_06.pdf.
7Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2012). Results from the 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Mental Health Findings. NSDUH Series H-45, HHS Publication No. (SMA) 12-4725. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Retrieved May 2, 2013, from http://www.samhsa.gov/data/NSDUH/2k11MH_FindingsandDetTables/2K11MHFR/NSDUHmhfr2011.htm.

Friday, May 10, 2013

Wisdom from the Psalms

Wisdom from the Psalms




May 10

Psalm 58:3
The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.



Larry had developed quite a reputation over the years. Most people in his life said he couldn't be trusted. If there were a way for Larry to rip them off, he would do it. It had been Larry's nature from the time he was very small. As a child, he had told lies with unbelievable ease. He bullied other children without the least bit of guilt or remorse. In school he had cheated his way to the top of his class. He bought answers to tests in college, and entered the business world believing that anything he wanted could be gotten my means both legal and illegal. It was all the same to Larry.





There are people in our world who have lived their entire lives by selfish and evil means. It's as if something good was left out of them, and they are incapable of doing what is good. The way we deal with people like that is to forgive them and vow we will never be like them. Evil people are not to be hated, but pitied. They are our mission in life. Lives devoid of the Good News are lives not worth living. Reach out to people who do wrong through your prayers. They need them most of all.





Prayer: Lord, show me how to love even the most unlovable people. Instead of showing anger, let me show compassion, and grant me a deeper understanding of why people can be so bad. Fill my heart with Your love to share. Amen.


Own Your Own Copy of this Devotional
Joint Header
The buzz has begun all over the U.S.
but few people have the opportunity to see this film right now
 
YOU DO!
May 23 in Philadelphia--But tickets are going fast!
Anonymous People Logo
  CLICK HERE to view the Trailer  
 
This is a screening of a feature documentary film about the 23.5 million Americans living in long-term recovery, and the emerging public recovery movement that will transform how alcohol and other drug problems are dealt with in our communities.



By our
SILENCE
we let others
define us. . .



 About The Council
  
The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania, Inc., an affiliate of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD), is a private nonprofit organization serving Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County, Montgomery County and Philadelphia County. The Council provides a wide range ofservices to families, schools, businesses, individuals and the community at large regardless of ability to pay, ethnicity, race, gender, age and/or sexual orientation. 


Join Our Mailing List!


 About PRO-ACT

PRO-ACT is the regional nonprofit organization working to mobilize and rally individuals in recovery from addiction, as well as their families, friends and allies in a campaign to end discrimination, broaden social understanding and achieve a just response to addiction as a public health crisis. 

 
Help 24/7
  
Contact our
Information and Recovery Support Line
  
There won't be admittance at the door if we sell out in advance,
as happened in other cities
    
Order tickets HERE
or call Kristin at 215-345-6644 ext 3114

VIP Reception and film: $75
Film: $15 (at door if available $20)
Thursday, May 23, 2013
at
Holy Family University
Corner of Frankford and Grant Avenues, Philadelphia, PA
(plenty of free parking)

A catered VIP Reception will be held prior to the screening and will offer attendees the opportunity to talk with business leaders, legislators, experts in the field, the filmmaker and others

VIP Reception: 6:00 pm
Film: 7:00 pm (doors open 6:45 pm)
Panel Discussion: 8:30 pm


The moving story of The Anonymous People is told through the faces and voices of citizens, leaders, volunteers, corporate executives, public figures, and celebrities who are laying it all on the line to save the lives of others just like them. This passionate new public recovery movement aims to transform public opinion, engage communities and elected officials, and finally shift public policy toward lasting solutions.

Help us to change the conversation from problems to solutions for America's top health problem!

Any funds raised through this event will be used to support Advocacy and Recovery

SOME SPONSORSHIP AND EXPO OPPORTUNITIES STILL AVAILABLE 

Send an email to Marita by clicking here
or call her at 215-345-6644, ext. 3160

Council Footer

Thursday, May 9, 2013

The Partnership at Drugfree.org
Having trouble viewing this email? View as a Web Page
Dear Joseph,

I’m Pernilla, mother of two young children and in long-term recovery. I’m also a member of the National Parent Network at The Partnership at Drugfree.org.

As a member, one of my roles is to listen. It’s to be there for parents who have children struggling with a drug or alcohol addiction. Parents who need the support and encouragement from others who share similar experiences. 
That one-on-one conversation can make a huge difference to every mother and father in need, and I hope right now we can count on you to do two things to express your love and support.
First, click below to Donate and help me and others in the National Parent Network be there for even more parents. 

Second, please send this free Mother’s Day eCard to a loved one and let them know that they are in your thoughts and heart.

I wish you and the moms in your life a very Happy Mother’s Day.
Sincerely,Pernilla Burke



 
This Mother's Day please take a moment to help us help another. Share a special gift (the link below our addict's mom Face Book group) with another addict's mom or with a family member of an addict. I know he/she will find comfort, friendship, hope and above all love.
    
https://www.facebook.com/groups/theaddictsmom/
Sometimes the most precious are free....
Much love to all addict’s moms and their friends and   families.
(Please help add a friend to our group any member can do that)
You can also send her the link to our online community.
Visit The Addict's Mom Online Community at: http://addictsmom.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network
This year we are adding wonderful resources to our groups and online community. You are so important to us. You matter ...thanks for your help.

Much love to all addict's moms and their families.....hugs Barbara

Plant a Seed Inspire A Dream
Silent & Live Auction
Spring Mill Manor, 171 Jacksonville Road, Ivyland, PA 18974
May 11, 2013
LIVE AUCTION ITEMS:
Penn State Weekend
Private dinner for 4 with Head Basketball Coach Pat Chambers and his wife, 2 hotel rooms for 2 nights & tickets to the Peen State vs Virginia – September 6th – 8th.
Philadelphia Weekend
Dinner at the Capitol Grill, tickets to Walnut Street Theatre, overnight accommodations at Loews Hotel with Sunday brunch at the Russete.
Ocean City Vacation
A weeklong stay in Ocean City NJ, in a 3 bedroom home, beach block (week to be chosen from availability schedule).
 
SILENT AUCTION ITEMS:
Ø  Private tour of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Vault, not available to the public - $2500 value.
Ø  4 seats in the Yankee Box – value $1500
Ø  Dinner for 8, prepared at your home by Chef Lisa Bryman
Ø  A “behind the scenes” day with the Villanova Basketball Team
4 people can attend a basketball practice, meet the coaches & players. Receive a private tour, signed ball & lower level seats to the game of your choice at the Wells Fargo Center – Go Wild Cats!
Ø  Coach Bag Legacy Leather Candace Carryall – value $328
Ø  Limited edition signed Chase Utley bat with 3 lower level Phillies tickets
Ø  New Hope weekend with dinner at Marsha Brown’s, tickets to The Bucks County Playhouse and hotel accommodations at the Logan Inn
Ø  Signed Allen Iverson framed poster
Ø  Weeklong stay at the beautiful Tuscan Resort in Orlando, minutes from Disney World
Ø  Top Red Wines from around the world
 
…and many more items!

Tickets are still available for the event; click the link below,
call 267-503-2998 or just come to the event that evening!

http://plantaseedfoundation.org/FundraisingEvent.php
 

Over the past 4 years, the Plant a Seed Foundation has helped more then 300 children pursue their passions while interacting with positive role models.

www.plantaseedfoundation.org

Our Mission

To provide low income children with the opportunity to pursue their passions while interacting with positive role models

News and Events

Click here for the latest stories and events. Stay informed and read our latest articles and press releases.
 
Find out about the numerous ways you can help make a child's dream come true.
You are receiving this email because you signed up to receive updates regarding Plant A Seed Foundation. Thank you!
Plant a Seed Foundation
301 Oxford Valley Road
Suite 1506
Yardley, Pennsylvania 19067
Copyright (C) 2013 Plant a Seed Foundation All rights reserved.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Law Enforcement Has Few Tools to Crack Down on Nitrous Oxide Abuse

Law enforcement officials who are trying to crack down on the growing problem of nitrous oxide abuse have limited options to punish people who sell the gas to those who use it to get high, the Los Angeles Daily News reports.
Nitrous oxide, or “nozz,” is a prescription drug inhaled by recreational users to get high, usually from balloons filled from large cylinders. It is also sold as a product to improve car performance. According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, the drug can cause many significant and debilitating side effects, including, in extreme cases, death.
In a news release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office notes, “during the past year, several teens in the Los Angeles region have been killed in car accidents linked to the use of nitrous oxide, and acts of violence have been associated with the inhalation or sale of the drug, according to court documents.” The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department says sales of nitrous oxide as a drug have dramatically increased in Southern California over the past five years.
A person selling nitrous oxide used by someone to get high can be charged with a misdemeanor violation of the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, which carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and up to a $100,000 fine.
While possessing nitrous oxide with the intent to ingest it for non-medical or dental reasons is a misdemeanor in California, intent is difficult to prove, the article notes. In 2009, the state passed a law that makes it a misdemeanor to sell nitrous oxide to a minor.
Southern California officials say the problem is increasing. “I had hoped it would dissipate,” said Los Angeles Deputy City Attorney Veronica De Alba. “But it just seems to be getting bigger.”

Latest Prescription Drug Take-Back Day Yields 50% More Pills Than Previous Event

Fifty percent more pills were collected during the latest National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, compared with the previous event in 2012, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced.
The agency said 742,497 pounds of prescription medications were collected from almost 6,000 sites around the country on April 27, UPI reports. More than 2.8 million pounds of prescription medications have been removed from circulation during the six national take-back days the DEA has sponsored.
The events are designed to provide a safe, convenient and responsible way for people to dispose of their unwanted or expired medications, while educating the public about the potential for abuse of prescription drugs.
According to the 2011 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health, twice as many Americans regularly abused prescription drugs than the number of those who regularly used cocaine, hallucinogens, heroin, and inhalants combined, the DEA noted in a news release. More than 70 percent of people abusing prescription pain relievers say they obtained them through friends or relatives, including the family medicine cabinet.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Teen Girls May Have a Harder Time Quitting Methamphetamine, Study Suggests

Teenage girls may have a more difficult time than boys in quitting methamphetamine, a new study suggests.
The study by researchers at UCLA found girls are more likely to continue using methamphetamine during treatment. They say the findings indicate the need for new treatment approaches for girls addicted to meth, HealthCanal reports.
The study included nine boys and 10 girls, whose average age was 17 ½. All were addicted to meth and were receiving counseling. They were treated with either bupropion (an antidepressant and smoking cessation drug) or a placebo. Teens given bupropion provided significantly fewer meth-free urine samples compared with teens given a placebo, suggesting the drug is not an effective treatment for meth addiction. Boys in both groups provided more than twice as many meth-free urine samples as girls.
“The greater severity of methamphetamine problems in adolescent girls compared to boys, combined with results of studies in adults that also found women to be more susceptible to methamphetamine than men, suggests that the gender differences in methamphetamine addiction observed in adults may actually begin in adolescence,” study author Dr. Keith Heinzerling said in a news release.
The findings appear in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

FDA Asks For Additional Data on Implant to Treat Opioid Addiction

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week asked for more information on an implant designed to treat opioid addiction, before making a decision on whether to approve the drug, according to Bloomberg News.
Probuphine is a long-acting version of the opioid dependence medication buprenorphine. It is implanted under the skin of the upper arm, in a procedure that takes about 10 to 15 minutes in a doctor’s office. It remains in place for about six months. The FDA asked for more information on the effect of higher doses of Probuphine, and on how doctors would be trained to insert and remove the implant.
In March, an advisory panel to the FDA recommended the agency approve Probuphine, made by Titan Pharmaceuticals, but voiced concerns about the safety of the manufacturer’s marketing plan.
Members of the panel said they were concerned about the safety of the company’s marketing plan, because of the potential for abuse of the drug. They also said they were not convinced the intended dose of Probuphine would be effective enough.
Doctors must be trained to implant the drug, and some of the FDA advisors said they were concerned Titan had not adequately planned for the training.

Sleep Medications Linked to Jump in Emergency Room Visits

The key ingredient in sleep medications such as Ambien has been linked to a 220 percent jump in emergency room visits between 2005 and 2010, according to a new government report. The ingredient, zolpidem, is also found in sleep aids including Eldular and Zolpimist, CBS News reports.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reports there were 6,111 visits due to the medication in 2005. That number rose to 19,487 visits in 2010, according to the report. Three-quarters of patients were 45 or older.
Half of emergency room visits due to zolpidem involved another substance. In 37 percent of visits, zolpidem was combined with another drug that depresses the central nervous system.
“Although short-term sleeping medications can help patients, it is exceedingly important that they be carefully used and monitored,” SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde said in a news release. “Physicians and patients need to be aware of the potential adverse reactions associated with any medication, and work closely together to prevent or quickly address any problems that may arise.”
Zolpidem is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat short-term insomnia, the article notes. In January, the FDA announced it is requiring drug makers to lower current recommended doses of sleep medications containing zolpidem. “New data show that zolpidem blood levels in some patients may be high enough the morning after use to impair activities that require alertness, including driving,” the FDA noted in a statement.

Georgia Institutes New Pain Clinic Rules to Reduce Prescription Drug Abuse

Georgia Governor Nathan Deal has signed a law that requires pain clinics to be licensed by the state medical board, and new clinics to be owned by physicians. The measure is designed to reduce prescription drug abuse, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The law, which goes into effect July 1, states pain clinics must register every two years or face possible felony indictments. Georgia’s medical board can deny licensing to a pain clinic for reasons including the owner’s prior criminal conviction related to controlled substances, the article notes.
The number of pain clinics jumped in Georgia from 10 in 2010, to 140 the following year, after Florida cracked down on its own “pill mills.” Georgia is the ninth state to require that pain clinics be doctor-owned. Alabama and Indiana are considering similar measures.
Georgia’s prescription-drug monitoring program, aimed at catching people who obtain pain prescriptions from multiple physicians (known as “doctor shopping”), will launch in mid-June. Funding for the program is not guaranteed past this fall, the newspaper states.
In March, a report issued by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement found the number of deaths due to oxycodone decreased by 29 percent in the state in the first six months of 2012, compared with the second half of the previous year. The report provides evidence Florida is successfully fighting the prescription drug abuse epidemic, officials said.

New Jersey Governor Signs Good Samaritan Overdose Law

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on Thursday signed into law a measure that encourages people to report drug overdoses. The law allows people to call 911 to report a drug overdose, without the fear of getting arrested for drug possession themselves.
Governor Christie was joined by singer Jon Bon Jovi for the signing of the law. Bon Jovi’s daughter overdosed at her college dorm in upstate New York last year, but survived. Prosecutors dropped drug charges against her and another student under that state’s Good Samaritan overdose-reporting law, according to the Associated Press.
“What we now have is a comprehensive law we can all be proud of for what it can achieve, the saving of a life to provide the opportunity for individuals, their families, friends and those Good Samaritans involved to reflect on their experience in a way that they probably would have never reflected upon it before,” Christie said in a statement. “A life saved from drug abuse can be a life restored. Families can be spared the anguish of loss, a loss that could have been prevented.”
After signing the law, Governor Christie and Bon Jovi visited with patients at a drug rehabilitation center.
The governor rejected the Good Samaritan Emergency Response Act last fall, saying it was too focused on reporting drug overdoses, instead of deterrence. On Monday, he partially vetoed a bill that makes the overdose antidote naloxone available to spouses, parents and guardians of people addicted to opioid. They would be taught to administer the drug in an emergency. He recommended that measure be combined with the key components of the Good Samaritan bill that protects witnesses and victims from arrest, charge, prosecution, conviction, or revocation of parole or probation, where evidence is obtained as a result of seeking medical assistance.
The state Senate and House both overwhelmingly approved the compromise bill.

Commentary: All Rise America! It’s National Drug Court Month

All Rise America! It’s National Drug Court Month. The National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) is thrilled to announce that we are once again hitting the road this May to celebrate National Drug Court Month with an epic cross-country RV tour of Drug Courts, Veterans Treatment Courts and DWI Courts. All Rise America! will travel over 3,500 miles coast-to-coast to shine a spotlight on communities that prove addicted people belong in treatment, not prison, and that Drug Courts, DWI Courts and Veterans Treatment Courts are the solution for saving lives, reuniting families and making communities safer.
Every stop along the route of All Rise America! will feature events at local treatment courts and highlight inspiring stories of justice reform and personal recovery. Our goal is for every person in America to know about the incredible transformations that take place day in and day out in America’s Drug Courts, DWI Courts and Veterans Treatment Courts. Along the way we will pass the ceremonial All Rise Gavel, a symbol that when one person rises out of addiction and finds recovery, we All Rise. Celebrities and national policymakers are scheduled to appear at events along the route.
Drug Court Graduation- Santa Maria, CA
Drug Court Graduation in Santa Maria, California
We kicked things off a few days early with an incredible Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court graduation in Santa Maria, CA yesterday. You can see video and pictures of this and every event on the All Rise America! blog, www.AllRiseAmerica.org.
All Rise America! is not just about the 50 Drug Courts, DWI Courts and Veteran Treatment Courts we will connect with while on the road. This is a celebration of the collective impact that over 2,700 treatment courts have on millions of people who suffer with addiction, mental illness and trauma. It is a celebration for each and every person who believes that treatment, not prison, is where addicted people belong. But it is also a call to action. Every American should be aware of the miracle of Drug Courts. And when they are asked if there is a Drug Court in their town, they should demand that answer be “YES!”
There are several ways to be a part of All Rise America!
Follow every mile on the All Rise America! blog – At each event we will post videos, pictures and updates about the incredible communities we visit. Check in often.
Get social – All month long we will have tons of content on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Make sure you share them and let people know that you support Drug Court.
All Rise America! is made possible by the generous contributions of its sponsors: Alcohol Monitoring Systems, Inc; Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics; and Alkermes. By supporting All Rise America!, these companies demonstrate incredible support for Drug Courts and other treatment courts. They are helping to ensure that individuals suffering from substance abuse disorders receive evidence-based treatment.

10 Comic-Book Superheroes With Addictions | The Fix

10 Comic-Book Superheroes With Addictions | The Fix