Coroner Says Amy Winehouse Killed by Alcohol Overdose

by John LeeGoogle+ Twitter Facebook

Coroner Suzanne Greenway’s inquest report on the death of 27 year old Amy Winehouse lists massive consumption of alcohol as the cause of the singer’s ‘sudden and unexpected death.’

Although the family had speculated that alcohol withdrawal symptoms may have killed the singer, who had long battled drug and alcohol addictions, they responded to the news that she died with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.416 by saying that it was at least "some relief to finally find out what happened to Amy.”

A BAC Of 0.350 or greater is possibly fatal. No other drugs were found in her system at her time of death.

The coroner listed Winehouse as in good health at the time of death and explained that the massive quantity of alcohol likely stopped her breathing, causing her death.

In the months leading up to her overdose death Winehouse had struggled to control her drinking and had lapsed into a pattern of abstaining from alcohol for a period of weeks and then binging on alcohol for a period of weeks. She was on medications to control her anxiety and to manage alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

According to the coroner’s report, Winehouse had abstained from alcohol for 3 weeks prior to July 22nd but on July 23rd, after she was discovered to have died, 3 empty bottles of vodka were found in her London flat.

The Winehouse family released a statement to thank those that had supported them and added, “We understand there was alcohol in her system when she passed away - it is likely a build-up of alcohol in her system over a number of days. The court heard that Amy was battling hard to conquer her problems with alcohol and it is a source of great pain to us that she could not win in time.

Read more: Coroner Says Amy Winehouse Killed by Alcohol Overdose 

Internet Piracy Bill Could Help Shut Down Illegal Online Pharmacies

By Join Together Staff | January 27, 2012 | 2 Comments | Filed in Drugs,Legislation, Marketing And Media, Prescription Drugs & Prevention

An Internet piracy bill that has stalled in Congress could help authorities shut down illegal online pharmacies, according to ABC News.

Work on the bill, known as the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House and the Protect I.P. Act (PIPA) in the Senate, has halted because of charges of censorship.

The bill could help prevent purchases of unprescribed painkillers ordered from foreign websites, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cannot regulate, the article notes. SOPA could help companies take independent action against websites that endanger public health, ABC News states.

U.S.-based payment companies such as MasterCard or American Express would be given a legal incentive to stop payments to illegal online pharmacies. Currently, private companies that stop service to these online pharmacies could be vulnerable to a breach of contract lawsuit, even if the pharmacies are illegal. SOPA would grant immunity to service providers that stop service if they believe that the customer is engaging in illegal activity. The bill would allow private businesses serving illegal websites to take action quickly, without the help of law enforcement.

It is difficult to close down a website that hosts illegal activity, unless it can be proven the website’s owner knows about the activity. The owners can often avoid prosecution if they are based outside of the United States.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Honesty.....Is of the utmost importance especially when it comes to working the 12 steps and it also is one of the toughest things a recovering addict will have to tackle.  In my personal experience I was the master manipulator and the ultimate conman.  Now when I look back the only one I really hurt was myself.  When all is said and done lying and deception will and can be one of the most destructive forces in your life.  It effects everyone and once those relationships are destroyed and trust is removed it makes our recovery ten times more difficult.  Start today with, think before you decide to deceive.  Try to look at the consequences of your perceived deception and what harm it will cause or could cause.  Today's mission....HONESTY and you will see life will get easier especially when being honest with ones self.  REMEMBER JESUS LOVES YOU!

Gunmen Execute 13 at Mexican Drug Rehab Center

by John LeeGoogle+ Twitter Facebook

According to witness reports, gunmen made the recovering addicts lay on the floor and then fired on them with automatic weapons. The gunfire was said to persist for as long as 2 minutes.

Normally about 45 residents call El Camino home, spending time at the facility to recover from drug addiction and passing the day in therapy sessions and work projects, such as making dog houses for sale. Most of these residents escaped death by hiding on the second floor of the facility.

Mexican cartel experts say that drug treatment facilities are sometimes used by cartel members as hiding locales, or as places for drug distribution, and as such are occasionally targets of the cartels’ extreme violence.  In June of this year a similar attack left 19 people dead at a drug rehab center in the city of Chihuahua.

Tijuana had been touted as a center of progress in the battle against the cartels, and authorities believe that the slaying may have been in retaliation for a record seizure last week of 134 tons of marijuana in the city by the Mexican Army. Shortly after the attack, someone broke onto the police radio frequency to play a narco-ballad (a song about the drug trade) and to say that one person will die for every ton of marijuana seized. The voice also warned that the attack was just “a taste” of Juarez style violence.

In Juarez, three years of drug turf battles have left more than 6500 dead. Since Mexico declared war on drug traffickers more than 3 years ago, 28,228 people have died in related violence. This mass execution was the country’s second of the month. Earlier in October, gunmen in Juarez stormed a teen birthday party and killed 14 people, most of them high school students.

Read more: Gunmen Execute 13 at Mexican Drug Rehab Center 

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Google Drug Sales Settlement Involved Evidence Obtained in Sting Operation

By Join Together Staff | January 26, 2012 | 3 Comments | Filed in Drugs,Government, Marketing And Media & Prescription Drugs

Google’s $500 million settlement with the U.S. government over allegations the company aided illegal online drug sales involved evidence the government obtained during a sting operation, The Wall Street Journal reports.

A convicted con artist, David Whitaker, posed as an agent for online drug dealers in email exchanges and phone calls with Google sales executives, according to the newspaper. He spent $200,000 in government funds for ads selling narcotics, steroids and other controlled substances, all while wearing leg irons and guarded by federal agents.

Last summer, Google agreed to pay $500 million to avoid being prosecuted for aiding illegal online pharmaceutical sales. In the settlement, the company acknowledged it had improperly and knowingly assisted online pharmacy advertisers, allegedly based in Canada, to run ads for illegal pharmacy sales that targeted American customers.

Whitaker started an online pharmacy in Mexico in 2006, selling human growth hormone and steroids to American customers through Google ads. These drugs, sold by prescription only in the United States, are popular with body builders who want to bulk up muscles and people who want to slow the signs of aging. The drugs are not approved in the U.S. for these uses, and Google’s policy prohibited advertising them online.

“It was very obvious to Google that my website was not a licensed pharmacy,” Whitaker told the newspaper. “Understanding this, Google provided me with a very generous credit line and allowed me to set my target advertising directly to American consumers.” He was arrested in 2008 for entering that country illegally, and returned to the U.S. to face charges in another case. He told the authorities about how Google allegedly helped his online pharmacy.

Federal prosecutors set up a task force to investigate the allegations, and had Whitaker pose as an agent for advertisers looking to spend a large amount of money with Google. Federal agents set up fake websites for human growth hormone and steroids.

They added websites for weight-loss medications, the abortion pill RU-486, and prescription-only narcotics such as oxycodone and hydrocodone. To end the sting, the agents told Google that Whitaker’s fictional character had died
.