August 14
Psalms 103:12
As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
A woman asked God for forgiveness for a sin she had committed. He
granted her pardon, but she had a tough time forgetting what she had
done. She just couldn't let go of her guilt. In desperation she returned
to God to ask His forgiveness once more. When she asked Him to remember
what she had done, He said, "I can't
remember what you're talking about. It never happened. Once sin is
forgiven, it is dropped into the sea of forgetfulness, and it is no
more. Go your way. No one condemns you; not even I."
It is not
that God has a bad memory, but that His love is so complete and
boundless that He will not retain the memory of something we ask to be
forgiven for. He erases the sins from our slate, and we start fresh. As
far as the east is from the west, that is how far God removes our sin
from us.
Prayer: Though I don't deserve Your loving care and
forgiveness, Lord, I conti nually thank You that You give it to me so
freely. Help me to accept it graciously, and to know that You hold
nothing against me once I ask Your pardon. Amen.
Own Your Own Copy of this Devotional <Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com>
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Drug Company Has List of MDs Who May Recklessly Prescribe Painkillers: Newspaper
Purdue Pharma, which makes the opioid painkiller OxyContin, has compiled a database of about 1,800 doctors it suspects may have recklessly prescribed the drug to people addicted to it, as well as to drug dealers, the Los Angeles Times reports. The company has kept most of the list private.The company has maintained the list over the last decade, according to the newspaper. It has only alerted law enforcement officials or medical authorities about a small percentage of doctors on the list. Many of the doctors in the database have continued to write prescriptions for the drug, the article notes.
The list was discussed for the first time in public at a drug dependency conference in San Diego in June.
Robin Abrams, a Purdue attorney, said the database was created so the company’s sales representatives would steer clear of the doctors on the list. She argued policing doctors is not the company’s responsibility. “We don’t have the ability to take the prescription pad out of their hand,” she told the newspaper.
The company has told law enforcement officials or medical regulators about 154, or 8 percent, of the doctors in the database, Abrams said. She noted the company would alert authorities in some situations, such as cases in which their sales representatives witness apparent drug deals in doctors’ parking lots, or observe doctors who appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Mitchell Katz, Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, says the company is obligated to report all the doctors in the database. “There is an ethical obligation,” he said. “Any drug company that has information about physicians potentially engaged in illegal prescribing or prescribing that is endangering people’s lives has a responsibility to report it.”
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Prosecutors Charging Drug Dealers in Heroin Overdose Deaths
Many people who were addicted to prescription painkillers switched to heroin after drug companies made their products more difficult to crush and snort. Heroin is also much less expensive than pills such as oxycodone.
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).
“We’re going to be ruthless,” Prosecutor Joseph Coronato of Ocean County, New Jersey, told the AP. “We’re looking for long-term prison sentences.” He and other prosecutors in New Jersey are using the state’s “strict liability for drug death” statute. The law holds dealers and producers responsible for a user’s death, and comes with a 20-year maximum sentence.
Until recently, overdoses were treated by law enforcement officials as accidents, the article notes. Now, when law enforcement hears about an overdose, detectives are immediately dispatched to the scene. Paramedics are instructed to treat overdoses as crimes, and coroners are requested to order autopsies and preserve evidence. It can be difficult to prove a death was caused only by heroin if a person also used other opioids, drugs or alcohol.
Kerry Harvey, the U.S. Attorney for Eastern Kentucky, has started prosecuting people who sold prescription opioids and heroin, under a federal law banning the distribution of illegal substances. The law allows for additional penalties if a death occurs.
Officials are also using cellphones to track text messages and calls related to drug purchases.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Gaudenzia Gala, Hershey, PA
The 8th Annual Gaudenzia Gala will honor Pete Wambach, former Pennsylvania State Representative and advocate drug and alcohol legislatio.
Live and Silent Auctions, Presentation of the Community Champion Award
Online Auction starting June 20
For more information, please contact Julie Girsch at 717-579-3636 or jgirsch@gaudenzia.org
| Date(s): | November 2, 2013 |
|---|---|
| Time(s): | 6:00 p.m. |
| Location: | Hershey Lodge & Convention Center 325 University Drive Hershey, PA 17033 |
Philadelphia International Dragon Boat Race Festival
Support the Gaudenzia Gladiator Dragon Boat Team and Gaudenzia's Eastern Region programs at the Philadelphia International Dragon Boat Festival.
Our team consisting of 25 friends, alumni, and staff members will race against other teams throughout the day. A total of 140 teams are participating in the event.
We are spreading awareness of Gaudenzia and of drug and alcohol awareness, treatment, and prevention.
You can support the Gladiators by making a donation in support of Gaudenzia's drug & alcohol treatment services and/or visit our tent on race day to cheer us on!
| Date(s): | October 5, 2013 |
|---|---|
| Time(s): | 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. |
| Location: | Boathouse Row Philadelphia, PA Our tent is located along Kelly Drive, Philadelphia, PA past the Race Finish Line at Shuttle Bus Stop #5, Tent # 137 and 138 |
16th Annual Race for Recovery, Erie, PA
Food | Door Prizes | T-Shirts for Registered Participants
3rd and final race of the 2013 Triple Crown Series by Erie Runner's Club
Team Registration and Participation is Encouraged and Welcomed:
erieraceforrecovery.com or contact
Levii Collins - (814) 459-4775 ext. 27 | Suzie Ross - (814) 459-4775 ext. 16
| Date(s): | September 29, 2013 |
|---|---|
| Time(s): | 9:00 am |
| Location: | Presque Isle State Park, Rotary Pavilion PA |
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