“Study Drugs” Popular Among Florida College Students, Despite School Bans
 

By Join Together Staff | February 27, 2014 | Leave a comment | Filed in Community Related, Prescription Drugs, Young Adults & Youth

“Study drugs” such as Vyvanse and Adderall are gaining popularity among Florida college students, even though area colleges have a zero-tolerance policy against students using medicines not prescribed for them.

CBS Miami reports these drugs are easy to obtain and abuse. Vyvanse and Adderall are used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The drugs increase focus and concentration, and help students stay up all night to study.

“It’s a stimulant at the end of the day. It increases heart rate, loss of appetite. It’s the exact same symptoms when people use a substance such as cocaine,” said Dr. Michelle Gonzalez of the Coral Gables Counseling Center. She said it’s common for teens and adults to mix these drugs with other substances, like Red Bull, or even addictive drugs such as cocaine. These dangerous combinations can send users to the hospital, she said.

According to a report in 2013 by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the number of emergency department visits related to nonmedical use of central nervous system (CNS) stimulants, including Vyvanse and Adderall, among adults aged 18 to 34 increased from 5,605 in 2005 to 22,949 in 2011. The number of emergency department visits involving CNS stimulants and alcohol also increased. About 30 percent of emergency department visits involving nonmedical CNS stimulant use also involve alcohol.

SAMHSA notes that nonmedical use of these drugs has been linked to heart and blood vessel problems, as well as to drug abuse or dependence. “When combined with alcohol, CNS stimulants can hide the effects of being drunk and increase the risk of alcohol poisoning or alcohol-related injuries,” the report noted.

The University of Miami handbook states, “The possession, use, or sale of the following is prohibited: unprescribed use of prescription medications and inappropriate use of legally obtained over the counter medications.” Florida International University and Nova Southeastern University both have a zero-tolerance policy for study drugs, according to CBS Miami.

February 27 v 12 TWELVE STEPPING WITH POWER IN THE PROVERB


A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions.
The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.



STEP - 11 We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry it out.



I am at times the fool and the wise . You know when you know that what your about to do is not a good idea. That does not make us bad people it makes us human. I certainly had enough of being a fool . Living my life out of Gods will certainly left me empty wandering looking for purpose and fulfillment in my life. I have learned from step eleven and the other steps that I am not perfect nobody is. God did not put us here for no reason ,he has a plan and a purpose .Mistakes are Gods way of teaching us and shaping us into the step eleven kids he wants us to be . Be smart , listen , watch where your going and always listen to that small still voice that whispers this is not a good idea.  

 

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Have You Seen the  Video of PRO-ACT Recovery Walks! 2013?  Click here to see it  A Look Forward to September 20, 2014 PRO-ACT's 13th Annual Recovery Walk            PRO-ACT holds our annual Recovery Walk in September to celebrate the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA's) National Recovery Month. Now in its 25th year, Recovery Month is a national observance that educates Americans on the fact that addiction treatment and mental health services can enable those with such disorders to live a healthy and rewarding life. Anyone with any doubt about that has only to attend the huge and jubilant celebration, "PRO-ACT Recovery Walks! 2014,"that we're planning for 20,000-plus people at Penn's Landing on September 20 in Philadelphia.         SAMHSA's theme for Recovery Month 2014, "Join the Voices of Recovery: Speak Up, Reach Out" is to encourage people to openly discuss--or speak up about--mental and substance use disorders and the reality of recovery. The theme aims to foster public understanding and acceptance of the benefits of prevention, treatment, and recovery from behavioral health conditions. It also promotes ways first responders, faith leaders, youth and young adults, and policymakers can recognize these issues and intervene--or reach out--to help others, as well as themselves. "Even though meth addiction was a long and painful ordeal for me,  I finally beat it, and have been 100% clean and sober for over 4 years now."                                                                                           Stephen, February 2014          To speak up and add your story to Voices for Recovery, please click here. REGISTER HERE for PRO-ACT Recovery Walks! 2014          Please support PRO-ACT's Recovery Walks! 2014, which is a fundraiser to support PRO-ACT's prevention, advocacy and recovery support services. With 20,000 participants in 2013, we're hoping you will help us to break that record on September 20, 2014. To help us make it a success, tell your friends and co-workers about it; post a flyer on your bulletin board (click here for one), register to walk; sign up for the Honor Guard; form a team; do some fundraising; become a sponsor; donate to a walker or the Walk; volunteer for a committee now, or help on that day. You can do all of that on the Recovery Walks website. To make a donation to the Recovery Walk, please click here

At Least 6 More States Considering “Good Samaritan” Laws to Prevent Overdose Deaths

By Join Together Staff | February 25, 2014 | 2 Comments | Filed in Community Related, Drugs, Legislation & Prevention

At least six states are considering joining the 17 states that have passed “Good Samaritan” laws, designed to prevent drug overdose deaths. The laws grant limited immunity to people who seek help for someone who has overdosed, USA Today reports.

Maine, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia are considering the measures, the newspaper notes.

In addition, 17 states have expanded access to the overdose antidote naloxone. The treatment, sold under the brand name Narcan, has been used for many years by paramedics and doctors in emergency rooms. It is administered by nasal spray. The medication blocks the ability of heroin or opioid painkillers to attach to brain cells. The U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy says it is encouraging police departments to carry Narcan.

North Carolina and Oklahoma are among the states that have passed Good Samaritan laws with the support of conservative Republican legislators. The measures have the support of groups including the American Medical Association, American Public Health Association, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators.

Republicans spearheaded Good Samaritan and naloxone legislation in North Carolina last year. According to Robert Childs, Executive Director of the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition, since the naloxone legislation went into effect in April, there have been 45 documented cases of overdose reversals due to the use of naloxone. The coalition has dispensed more than 700 reversal kits in the past five months.

Maine Governor Paul LePage opposes the naloxone access bill under consideration in his state. He says making naloxone more available would encourage more drug use. He also vetoed a Good Samaritan bill last year.

More Must be Done to Prevent Prescription Drug Abuse in Military

By Join Together Staff | February 25, 2014 | Leave a comment | Filed inMilitary, Prescription Drugs & Prevention

The Department of Defense needs to do more to prevent prescription drug abuse among members of the military, according to a new government report. Some branches of the military are doing a better job than others in medication management policies, the report concluded.

The report, by the department’s Inspector General’s office, examined policies related to troops wounded in combat who are taking multiple medications, according to USA Today. The Army aggressively guards against “doctor shopping” and using the same prescription to obtain more medication than has been prescribed, the report notes. The Army closely monitors a soldier’s prescriptions when he or she is receiving four drugs, including one controlled substance.

The Navy’s medication management policies vary by location; in some locales, close monitoring occurs only when a sailor or Marine receives five controlled substances. “Medication management policies, especially for the high-risk patient population of wounded warriors, need to be standardized,” the report states.

The Pentagon should be more aggressive in seeking approval of the federal government in letting pharmacies take back unused medication from troops, the report recommends. “Take-back” programs are currently conducted only twice a year at military installations. “Wounded warriors did not have a reliable, safe, accessible and accountable method to dispose of medications that were no longer needed for treatment,” the report said. “As a result, wounded warriors may be at risk for overdose or misuse of unneeded medications that could result in unnecessary hospitalization and death.”

The Department of Defense responded that corrective steps are being taken, the article notes.

In 2010, almost 1,000 troops were hospitalized for drug overdoses, according to the report. In 2011, a survey of troops found one-fourth use pain medications.

Drunk Driving Crashes Reduced Since Drinking Age Was Raised to 21

By Join Together Staff | February 25, 2014 | Leave a comment | Filed inAlcohol, Legal, Legislation, Prevention & Young Adults

Raising the minimum drinking age to 21 has been associated with a reduced rate of drunk driving crashes among young Americans, according to a new review of studies.

The increased legal drinking age has also led to a reduction in other health threats associated with heavy drinking, including unsafe sex, suicide and dating violence, HealthDay reports.

In one study, researchers found 36 percent of U.S. college students said they had engaged in binge drinking (five or more drinks in one sitting) in the past two weeks in 2011, compared with 43 percent in 1988—the first year all states implemented a legal drinking age of 21. Among high school seniors, binge drinking decreased from 35 percent in 1988, to 22 percent in 2011.

The findings are published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

“The evidence is clear that there would be consequences if we lowered the legal drinking age,” lead researcher William DeJong of Boston University School of Public Health, said in a journal news release. He called for increased enforcement of the legal drinking age, instead of lowering the age, to further decrease alcohol-related health threats among young adults. “Some people assume that students are so hell-bent on drinking, nothing can stop them. But it really is the case that enforcement works,” he said.

In 2008, a group of more than 100 U.S. university presidents and chancellors called for re-evaluating the legal drinking age, pointing to a hidden culture of heavy drinking among college students.