Drug-Related Deaths Continue to Increase in the United States

By Join Together Staff | April 2, 2013 | Leave a comment | Filed in Prescription Drugs

Drug-related deaths increased 3 percent in 2010, and preliminary figures indicate the upward trend continued in 2011, the Los Angeles Times reports. The increase was largely driven by prescription painkillers such as oxycodone and hydrocodone.

“While most things are getting better in the health world, this isn’t,” said Tom Frieden, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which released the new figures. “It’s a big problem, and it’s getting worse,” he told the newspaper. “The data supporting long-term use of opiates for pain, other than cancer pain, is scant to nonexistent. These are dangerous drugs. They’re not proven to have long-term benefit for non-cancer pain, and they’re being used to the detriment to hundreds of thousands of people in this country.”

In 2010, overdose deaths involving prescription painkillers increased to 16,651. That represented 43 percent of all deadly overdoses.

Frieden advocates the use of computerized drug monitoring systems that track prescriptions for painkillers and other commonly abused narcotics.

Almost One in Five High School Age Boys in U.S. Have Received ADHD Diagnosis

By Join Together Staff | April 2, 2013 | Leave a comment | Filed in Mental Health, Prescription Drugs, Treatment & Youth

Almost one in five boys of high school age, and 11 percent of school-age children overall, have received a medical diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the United States, according to new government data.

Many doctors are concerned that ADHD diagnoses and medication are overused in children, The New York Times reports.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found an estimated 6.4 million children ages 4 to 17 had received an ADHD diagnosis at some point. This represents a 16 percent increase since 2007, and a 53 percent increase in the past 10 years.

The findings come from a CDC study of children’s health issues, which included interviews with more than 76,000 parents nationwide.

About two-thirds of those diagnosed with ADHD receive prescriptions for stimulant drugs such as Adderall or Ritalin. These drugs, while they can be very effective in treating the disorder, also have the potential for addiction, anxiety and even psychosis, the article notes.

The American Psychiatric Association is soon expected to change the definition of ADHD, in order to allow more people to receive the diagnosis and treatment, according to the newspaper.

A growing number of high school students are using ADHD drugs to help them get better grades. Teens get them from friends, buy them from student dealers, or pretend to have ADHD in order to get prescriptions. Abusing these drugs can lead to mood swings and depression, heart irregularities and extreme exhaustion or even psychosis during withdrawal, according to medical experts. There is little evidence about the long-term effects of young people abusing these stimulants.

CDC Director Dr. Thomas R. Frieden told the newspaper, “We need to ensure balance. The right medications for ADHD, given to the right people, can make a huge difference. Unfortunately, misuse appears to be growing at an alarming rate.”

“Celebrating Families” program for women in recovery and their children (ages 3-18).

Good Morning!

Time is running out!!   Please encourage your clients, friends or family to register for the “Celebrating Families” program for women in recovery and their children (ages 3-18).  It is very important that anyone interested contact Diane Catherwood to complete registration for participation!  I have included the attached flyer here again for you to pass along.  Space is limited!

“Celebrating Families” consists of 13 weekly sessions and includes a FREE family meal.  There will also be lots of giveaways and incentives throughout the program cycle, as well as FREE social activities outside the program sessions.

“Celebrating Families” is a program to help strengthen families and break the cycle of addiction to the next generation.  Some of the topics include: Healthy Living, Communication, Feelings & Defenses, Chemical Dependency Affects the Whole Family, Goal Setting, Healthy Boundaries, and more!

If you have any questions, please contact me any time.

Thank you,

Jessica Schwartz

Community Development Coordinator

The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania, Inc.

252 West Swamp Road, Unit 12

Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18901

Phone: (215) 345-6644 ext. 3122

Fax: (215) 348-3377

(800) 221-6333 - 24 Hour Information Line

jschwartz@councilsepa.org

 

Parents: Talk to Your Teens About Drinking Before They Start College

By Join Together Staff | April 1, 2013 | 1 Comment | Filed in Alcohol, Parenting, Prevention & Youth

Parents who discuss drinking with their teens before they start college can influence their children’s drinking behavior once they are at school, a new study suggests.

A parental talk can reduce the chances that light drinkers will become heavier drinkers, and increase the odds that teens who already drink heavily will reduce their drinking or stop, Time.com reports.

Effective strategies can include discussing why some teens drink and others don’t, and the potential dangers of drinking too much, the article notes.

The study included 1,900 students and their parents, who were surveyed in the summer before the teens started college, and again in the fall of the teens’ freshman and sophomore years. The parents were divided into four groups. One group was given a handbook to guide discussions. The book provided tips on starting casual and nonjudgmental conversations, as well as information on the risks of underage drinking.

A second group used the handbook, as well as “booster” discussions. A third group did not talk about drinking with their children until they had already begun school, and a fourth group was not given any instructions on talking with their children about drinking.

Before the study began, 51 percent of students described themselves as nondrinkers, 30 percent said they drank heavily on some weekends, and 15 percent drank moderately on weekends. An additional 5 percent said they were frequent, heavy drinkers. After 15 months of college, only 25 percent were nondrinkers and 29 percent were heavy drinkers.

Students whose parents talked to them about drinking before they left for school were 20 times more likely to have healthier drinking patterns, including not drinking at all, than they were to stay heavy drinkers 15 months later.

The researchers found parental talks were effective only if they took place before students left for college.

The study appears in the Journal of Studies of Alcohol and Drugs.

UPS Agrees to Settle Case Related to Illegal Internet Pharmacy Shipments

By Join Together Staff | April 1, 2013 | 1 Comment | Filed in Legal, Prescription Drugs & Prevention

United Parcel Service (UPS) has agreed to settle an investigation into online pharmacy shipments, The Wall Street Journal reports. The company will forfeit $40 million in payments it received from illicit online pharmacies, and will not be prosecuted.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California’s investigation of UPS was part of the government’s efforts to stop illegal sales of prescription painkillers, the newspaper notes.

UPS also will implement a compliance program designed to ensure that illegal online pharmacies will not be able to use the company’s services to distribute drugs. According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, “UPS has cooperated fully with the investigation and has already taken steps to ensure that illegal Internet pharmacies can no longer use its services to ship drugs.”

“We are pleased with the steps UPS has taken to stop the use of its shipping services by illegal online pharmacies,” said U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag. “Good corporate citizens like UPS play an important role in halting the flow of illegal drugs that degrade our nation’s communities. We are hopeful that the leadership displayed by UPS through this compliance program will set the standard for the parcel delivery industry and will materially assist the federal government in its battle against illegal Internet pharmacies.”

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, UPS knew that Internet pharmacies were using its services to distribute controlled substances and prescription drugs without valid prescriptions, but did not implement procedures to close the shipping accounts of those pharmacies.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is also investigating FedEx over similar issues. FedEx was not part of the settlement announced last week.

Saturday, May 18: Breakfast With the Angels Applebees.wmv From 8:00 to 10:00 am, please join COA for a delicious flapjack breakfast at the Applebee's Restaurant on Rt. 33 in  Hamilton, NJ!  The modest price of $8 per person will entitle you to all the flapjacks, sausage, coffee and orange juice you can consume, all delivered by friendly volunteer Angels! This is an important fundraiser for COA, since COA receives $5.50 of each ticket. To watch a video of the last Breakfast with the Angels, click the video link on the left. To help us plan, please purchase your ticket/s in advance. To purchase your tickets online now, click here. Your name will be on a VIP list and your table will be waiting for you when you arrive. For online ticket purchasers only, one party will be chosen at random to receive their breakfast for free, and will be refunded their entire purchase up to 10 tickets.  Thursday, April 4: Volunteer Meeting Have some extra time? Want to make a difference? City of Angels needs you! We are now planning several major events for later in 2013 and need people to help with event planning, promotion, staffing and other critical tasks. Come to the volunteer meeting at 6:30 pm on Thursday, April 4 at the Dwier Center (392 Church Street, Groveville, NJ) and find out how you can get involved. Pizza from Family Nest Italian Restaurant will be served, and maybe a few other goodies.... If you would like to volunteer but can't get to the meeting, contact COA's Director of Volunteers, Lynn Cranstoun, at lcwolflady@optonline.net.  Dwier Center Detour   For the next nine months, the bridge over Route 130, immediately in front of the Dwier Center, will be closed for construction. Here are the directions to go around the mess: At the five-way intersection by Picerno's Gas Station and the old fashioned clock, proceed straight onto South Broad Street instead of taking the right onto Church Street. Go straight on South Broad for about 1/2 mile, then turn right onto Main Street. Continue another 1/2 mile, then take a right onto Church Street. You will see Family Nest Italian Specialty Restaurant on the righthand corner. Dwier Center will be on the right, just down the road. For questions about alternative routes, contact cityofangelsnj@hotmail.com.

Tidbits   COA hosts support group meetings for both addiction sufferers and their families every day of the week at the Dwier Center (392 Church Street, Groveville, NJ). This includes 12-step meetings, a new Thursday night veteran's support group, Saturday night self-injury support group, Sunday night Spirituality Meeting, and the popular Sunday morning family support group, The Breakfast Club. To check out our online calendar, click here.     For directions to the Dwier Center, click here.      The COA website now offers an Addiction News Feed with the latest studies, reports, new and other info on addiction. It's updated in real time with the top 30 articles. To read the feed, click here.  New videos are up on the COA YouTube channel. To watch, click here.      Join COA's Pinterest community! To visit the boards, click here.          Keep current on COA activites - join the COA group on Facebook!  COA news is posted first on Facebook, and this page often has photos not available elsewhere. Click here to visit.   City of Angels NJ, Inc. is a non-profit organization that provides many services to addicts and their families including interventions, recovery support, Family Program, counseling services and more. All of our services are provided at no charge.