Study Finds Alcohol Deaths Most Likely to Impact Working-Age Adults

By Join Together Staff | March 18, 2014 | Leave a comment | Filed in Alcohol

The majority of alcohol-related deaths in the United States occur among working-age adults, a new government study concludes. Adults ages 20 to 64 account for more than two-thirds of these deaths.

The study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found in the 11 states studied, alcohol caused a median of 1,650 deaths annually between 2006 and 2010, HealthDay reports.

“It’s really important to drive home that excessive alcohol use is a leading cause of preventable death,” lead author Katherine Gonzales said. “It really is right up there with tobacco and physical inactivity, especially among working-age adults.”

The study included accidental alcohol-related deaths such as car crashes, firearm injuries, drownings and occupational injuries, as well as illnesses such as liver disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer, and fetal alcohol syndrome.

The CDC researchers found men were much more likely than women to die of alcohol-related causes. While the most alcohol-related deaths occurred among whites, deaths linked to excessive drinking were more likely among blacks, American Indians and Alaska natives.

Teens’ Definition of “Designated Driver” Can Be Loose, Survey Finds

By Join Together Staff | March 19, 2014 | Leave a comment | Filed in Alcohol & Youth


Teens’ definition of a “designated driver” can be loose, according to a new survey. About one in five teens say their designated person is allowed to have “a little” alcohol or other drugs, as long as they aren’t too impaired to drive.

The survey found 4 percent of teens describe their designated driver as the most sober person in the group, Bloomberg News reports. One in 10 teens who said they have never driven under the influence of alcohol admitted to driving after having a drink.

The survey, conducted by Liberty Mutual and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), calls attention to risky behaviors by young people, the article notes. Teens “seem to think that unless they’re really falling-down drunk, that it’s OK for them to drive,” David Melton, Managing Director for Global Safety at Liberty Mutual, told Bloomberg News.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the driver was intoxicated in about 18 percent of fatal crashes involving drivers ages 16 to 20 in 2011.

The survey included 2,537 students in 11th and 12th grades. U.S. drivers with a blood alcohol concentration above .08 grams per deciliter are considered alcohol-impaired. “Long before you’re at .08, you’re definitely impaired in terms of your judgment,” Melton said. “You may not be over the legal limit, but you are driving with a buzz on and that’s not a good thing.”

In a statement, Stephen Gray Wallace, Senior Advisor for Policy, Research and Education at SADD, said, “With teens reporting these lax definitions of what it means to be ‘under the influence,’ a zero tolerance approach is the only answer to prevent potential tragedy. The parents and community have a responsibility to initiate and maintain an open dialogue with teens about exactly what driving under the influence means.”

Monthly Number of Federal Drug Defendants Drops to Lowest Level in 14 Years

By Join Together Staff | March 19, 2014 | Leave a comment | Filed in Drugs, Government, Legal & Legislation

Soon after Attorney General Eric Holder began making changes to drug laws, the number of drug defendants charged by the federal government dropped in January to its lowest monthly level in almost 14 years, according to a new report.

The report, by Syracuse University, found there were 1,487 new drug prosecutions in January 2014, down 7.8 percent from December, and down 11.5 percent from January 2013. “The number observed during the most recent six month period appears to be the lowest seen since the end of the Reagan Administration,” the researchers noted.

The drop in prosecutions follows the launch of Holder’s “Smart on Crime” initiative, The Huffington Post reports. The initiative’s goals include prioritizing prosecution to focus on the most serious cases, reforming sentencing to eliminate unfair disparities and reduce overburdened prisons, and pursuing alternatives to incarceration for low-level, non-violent crimes.

A spokeswoman for the Justice Department, Ellen Canale, told The Huffington Post, “It makes sense to reserve the harshest sentences for the most serious drug offenders. The department’s charging policies are aimed at empowering federal prosecutors to consider the individual circumstances of each defendant in order to determine what outcome best improves public safety.”

Last week, Holder testified before the United States Sentencing Commission in favor of changing federal guidelines to reduce the average sentence for drug dealers.

FDA Commissioner: Zohydro Offers Unique Option to Treat Pain

By Join Together Staff | March 19, 2014 | 1 Comment | Filed in Government & Prescription Drugs

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Margaret Hamburg defended the agency’s decision to approve the pure hydrocodone drug Zohydro ER (extended release). At a Senate hearing, Hamburg said, “If appropriately used, it serves an important and unique niche with respect to pain medication and it meets the standards for safety and efficacy.”

Speaking before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Hamburg acknowledged Zohydro is a powerful drug. She noted that unlike other hydrocodone drugs, Zohydro does not contain acetaminophen, which can be toxic to the liver.

Zohydro is designed to be released over time, and can be crushed and snorted by people seeking a strong, quick high. “I would love if we had abuse-deterrent formulations that were actually meaningful and effective at deterring abuse in all instances. We are moving in that direction,” Hamburg said. “Right now, unfortunately, the technology is poor.”

The FDA’s decision to approve Zohydro has been criticized by some legislators and public health groups, Reuters reports. Hamburg has received letters protesting the decision from 28 state attorneys general and four senators, among others.

Law enforcement agencies and addiction experts predict approval of the drug will lead to an increase in overdose deaths.

Zohydro was approved for patients with pain that requires daily, around-the-clock, long-term treatment that cannot be treated with other drugs. In December 2012, a panel of experts assembled by the FDA voted against recommending approval of Zohydro ER. The panel cited concerns over the potential for addiction. In the 11-2 vote against approval, the panel said that while the drug’s maker, Zogenix, had met narrow targets for safety and efficacy, the painkiller could be used by people addicted to other opioids, including oxycodone.

MARCH 19 v 11 TWELVE STEPPING WITH POWER IN THE PROVERB

Sensible people control their temper;
they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.

STEP 4 - Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

Someone told me along time ago that anger undealt with becomes resentment and in return we become bitter . When working step four get ready to stir up some pretty heavy stuff. The tough part is we take stuff sweep it under a rug but that does not mean its not there . You are gonna have to dig deep on this one and be brutally honest with yourself and your sponsor. If we don't learn how to deal with and properly dispose of anger then we and everybody around us will suffer . Have you ever been around someone who is bitter they hate everything and everybody .They are the Kings and Queens of cynicism and self pity .They can and will suck the joy and life out of you . They are the people you cant stand being with .Are you one of those bitter joy killers ,if you are follow the Proverb and the step. Not everyone in your life has to be punished because of your undealt with resentments and anger. Show mercy and start controlling your anger and turn the other cheek.

^{JAMES CHP 1 v 19 v20} Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.

Getting to Rehab

 

Leah Kirstein

RIDGWAY, ELK COUNTY PA - Drugs are something police everywhere have to deal with almost everyday.

"When I first moved here, there wasn't any. We didn't have that. I raised my kids here and it's gotten worse since then" said Ridgway resident Ketta Melzer.

"There is a real problem in this county of drug and alcohol use and abuse" added Salvation Army Lt. Esther Wilson.

She says the Ridway Salvation Army is now offering transportation to those seeking rehabilitation at one of their facilities throughout the country. The Salvation Army has over 150 and serves tens thousands of people each year.

" It is a 6 month program. It is in house. You get your rooming, your board and everything provided for you and it's no cost" she said.

The Salvation Army says since the transportation program began about a month ago they've already had someone, who was near overdosing, go to rehab.

"I believe in it. Threes a lot of good success cases that come out of it" said Wilson.

To get information on the program you can call (814)772-0485. They will give you the numbers you need to call to see if their is space for you at a center and then, they will help you get there and get clean.

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