MARCH 14 v 14 TWELVE STEPPING WITH POWER IN THE PROVERB

Backsliders get what they deserve;

good people receive their reward.

STEP 3. I will make a decision to turn my will and my life over to the care of God.

The Proverb is right too the point , no sugar coating here . When we hand it over and give it to God we cant keep taking it back . I struggle with this but as I get older , I am getting better at getting out of Gods way. There were plenty of times I let pride convince me , I don't need God ! I can handle this , wrong right back on my face is where I landed again and again as long as I had control . The excuses , too be honest I wrote the book on excuses and I was the king of the blame game. It was what you did or said that made me go out and use . Bullspit , it was me and my foolish pride trying too make you pay for my mistakes. Sitting here writing this is really bringing it home , I was such a fool to think if we commit step three and let go that I can keep taking it back over and over again. I gave it too God because I had no idea on how to live my life as a human , I was too busy running around loose like a wild animal .

Matthew chapter 10 v 38 - Those who do not take up their cross and follow in my STEPS are not fit to be my disciples .

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

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