Attorney General Holder to Testify in Support of Reduced Drug Sentencing

By Join Together Staff | March 13, 2014 | 1 Comment | Filed in Drugs,Government & Legal

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is scheduled to testify today in favor of changing federal guidelines to reduce the average sentence for drug dealers, The New York Times reports.

Holder will tell the United States Sentencing Commission the Obama Administration supports changing guidelines to reduce the average drug sentence by about one year, from 62 months to 51 months.

The proposed changes would reduce the federal prison population by about 6,550 inmates over the next five years, the article notes. Currently, half of the 215,000 inmates in the federal prison system are serving time for drug crimes.

“This overreliance on incarceration is not just financially unsustainable,” Mr. Holder said in remarks prepared for Thursday. “It comes with human and moral costs that are impossible to calculate.”

The Sentencing Commission writes judges’ guidelines. It is soliciting comments on the proposed sentencing reductions. The commission is likely to vote in April on whether to carry them out, according to the newspaper. The changes would go into effect in November, unless Congress voted to reject the guidelines.

In a separate move, Holder is pushing to eliminate mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug crimes. He is joining with libertarian Republicans, including Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, in this effort.

In August, Holder announced a Justice Department plan to change how some non-violent drug offenders are prosecuted. Low-level, nonviolent drug offenders who are not tied to large-scale drug organizations or gangs will not face mandatory minimum sentences.

Under the plan, severe penalties will be used only for serious, high-level or violent drug traffickers. Holder will give federal prosecutors instructions about writing their criminal complaints when they charge low-level drug offenders, in order to avoid triggering mandatory minimum sentences. Certain laws mandate minimum sentences regardless of the facts of the case.

Not Enough Evidence to Give Doctors Advice on Reducing Teens’ Drug Use: Expert Panel

By Join Together Staff | March 13, 2014 | Leave a comment | Filed in Drugs,Healthcare, Prevention & Youth

A government panel said this week there is insufficient evidence about the best way for doctors to persuade children and teens not to use drugs.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which issues guidelines for doctors, said they did not find enough reliable studies to base recommendations on, NPR reports. They reviewed studies on brief counseling sessions during an office visit, which is sometimes combined with computer-based screening. They also looked at studies of computer-based programs that children or teens access at home.

In the Annals of Internal Medicine, the panel concluded, “Studies on these interventions were limited and the findings on whether interventions significantly improved health outcomes were inconsistent.”

According to Carrie Patnode of Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, who led the review of evidence, doctors may still want to screen their young patients for substance abuse. Currently, fewer than half of pediatricians do so, she said.

In a statement, panel member Susan Curry said, “When there is a lack of evidence, doctors must use their clinical experience and judgment, and many clinicians may choose to talk with an adolescent to prevent or discourage risky behaviors, such as drug use.”

In 2011, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement that said doctors should routinely screen their teenage patients for drug and alcohol use at every visit, and look for signs of dependence or addiction.

Effectiveness of Prescription Monitoring Databases Varies Greatly by State

By Join Together Staff | March 13, 2014 | Leave a comment | Filed inGovernment, Prescription Drugs & Prevention

The effectiveness of prescription drug monitoring programs, designed to reduce “doctor shopping” for opioids, has varied greatly by state, according to a new study by Columbia University researchers. They also found opioid prescribing rates, after surging in recent years, have stabilized.

The researchers used data from the Drug Enforcement Administration on prescriptions for the seven most commonly distributed opioid painkillers: fentanyl, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, meperidine, methadone, morphine, and oxycodone.

They found from 1991 to 2010, the number of prescriptions for opioids almost tripled in the United States, from about 76 million to almost 210 million. The researchers calculated the average dose of opioids prescribed per person (morphine milligram equivalents, or MMEs), and found that number increase fivefold from 1999 to 2008. In 2007, that number started stabilizing.

Nine states recorded significantly fewer MMEs dispensed after they implemented their prescription monitoring database; 14 states reported no significant change; and eight states experienced significant increases in MMEs dispensed. Colorado had the greatest drop in MMEs associated with their prescription monitoring database, followed by Texas and Wyoming. The largest increase was in Connecticut, HealthCanal reports.

The study appears in Public Health Reports.

In a news release, lead author Guohua Li said prescription monitoring databases administered by state health departments appeared to be more effective than those administered by other government agencies, such as the Board of Pharmacy or the Bureau of Narcotics. Seven states with monitoring programs run by a state health department dispensed almost 18 percent fewer MMEs, compared with states without the program.

The Addict’s Mom is moving forward, on our mission to “Transform the perceptions of addicts and their families, saving the lives and futures of those who matter most . . . the children.”  But there are so many hurting moms we haven’t reached yet.  So many mothers who don’t know there is a place they can share without shame.  A place of support, where they won’t be alone and they can find hope, comfort and acceptance from other mothers going through the same experiences.  This is still the main purpose of The Addict’s Mom and I will never give up hoping to reach that mom, that addict’s mom who was and is me. The Addict’s Mom is thrilled to announce chapter groups. Join with members from your state to take action and make a difference today. These are closed groups where you can share your story, make new contacts, gain awareness and reach out to others who have a loved one suffering from a substance abuse disorder or co-occurring mental illness. To locate the Addict’s Mom chapter group in Florida visit www.facebook.com/groups/TAMFlorida   To locate another state use www.facebook.com/groups/YOURSTATE For the Addicts Mom main site visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/theaddictsmom/

Visit The Addict's Mom at: http://addictsmom.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

Like us on Facebook                        www.RecoveryWalks.org                       Follow us on Twitter Saturday, September 20, 2014  Penn's Landing, Philadelphia

YOUR LOGO could be on our huge 2014 Recovery Walks  billboard like this on I-95 in Philadelphia for two months:      How Can You Do That? Click HERE to get a Sponsorship Agreement Complete the agreement at the Grand, Presenting, or Gold Level Submit your form to Marita HERE or to the address on the form And do that by the Billboard Deadline of JULY 7 Other Sponsors Deadline All other Recovery Walks! 2014 sponsors should submit their sponsorship agreements by  August 1 at the latest to the address on the form. If you have any questions about sponsorship, please email Marita HERE.   While those dates are the deadlines, please remember  that the earlier you submit your Sponsorship Agreement, the earlier you can begin enjoying the many benefits--such as your logo and name, with a live link to your website, on the Sponsors page HERE. Have You Seen the  Video of PRO-ACT Recovery Walks! 2013? Click here to see it  How We Use Proceeds From the Walk Proceeds from the Recovery Walk will go toward the expenses of the Walk in addition to providing the many recovery support services of The Council and PRO-ACT. Walk expenses include renting the Great Plaza; parking; booths and tables; billboard and hugestage banner; and other banners and signage. Less obvious expenses are the official and volunteer t-shirts; required additional security and law enforcement; ribbons and buttons for the Honor Guard; refreshments for our 400 volunteers; printing of Walk programs; website maintenance; the Recovery Walk video, and numerous promotional materials.  Recovery Support Services Proceeds from the Walk also help us to continue our success in offering hope and healing to those wishing to initiate, stabilize, and sustain long-term recovery from addiction. There are approximately 23 million Americans living in recovery today, holding jobs, paying taxes, and living with respect in their communities. You may not recognize them as being in recovery--but they are among your neighbors, co-workers, family members, and community leaders. We're grateful that, with your support, we are able to continue to provide services to many in our communities.  PRO-ACT offers these services in four recovery community centers and a training center where we provide mutual support, training, and a place to volunteer for committees. Trained recovery coaches, certified peer specialists and mentors provide tools for sustaining recovery; financial planning; employment consulting; health, education and housing information; and encourage participation in community service. Those individuals and families, pregnant mothers, veterans and the unemployed who benefit reclaim lost lives and improve their well-being and the well-being of their communities. They, in turn, can offer invaluable assistance to others seeking long-term recovery. Please show your support of recovery from addiction by becoming a Sponsor. Learn about Sponsorship HERE, follow directions on the Sponsorship Agreement, and submit it by the deadlines above. Register to walk, form a team,  make a donation, join the Honor Guard, or volunteer to help by clicking HERE RECOVERY IS REAL To make a donation to the Recovery Walk, please click here

MARCH 13 v 16 TWELVE STEPPING WITH POWER IN THE PROVERB

Wise people think before they act;

    fools don’t—and even brag about their foolishness.

STEP 6 -  We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4:10)

This one should include speaking  ! For a while there , I thought my  foot was a permanent part of  my face because I was always putting it in my mouth. The latter part of the Proverb was me in addiction . Sober is the former part but it does not come naturally . In order to keep your self still and quiet in difficult situations , you have to have the emotional roller coaster in a hold pattern at the platform .Most of the time I do , but there are times I release the coaster with no safety devices in place and its gonna run wild and out of control like my mouth and life. Dysfunctional comes naturally in addiction . Working the steps teaches us too keep the emotional roller coaster parked .The coaster cannot park it self it must be moved by controls set in place before hand  .  The same goes for your recovery and know these wont come naturally they must be developed by hard work and a whole lot of prayer .