APRIL 18 v 6 TWELVE STEPPING WITH POWER IN THE PROVERB

Fools’ words get them into constant quarrels;

they are asking for a beating.

STEP 5 - Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs .

Why must it come to the point of severe beating for us to realize we don't have all the answers . We lose so much over and over yet we continue the same behaviors .Coming out of addiction and committing step five showed me that arguing with everybody was  my way of still trying to control everyone and everything in my life . It also showed me that it was ok to not know everything .When I realized this I really started to get better , and the people in my life were able to start to tolerate being around me . My stress levels dropped dramatically , admitting  you are wrong in any situation and asking  for forgiveness is one of the most liberating experiences in recovery .

Matthew 18 :15 - Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

By Joseph Dickerson

Like us on Facebook                      www.councilsepa.org                 Follow us on Twitter       SPECIAL FREE SHOWING     Come and see this feature documentary film about the 23.5 million Americans living in long-term recovery, and the emerging public recovery movement that will transform how alcohol and other drug problems are dealt with in our communities.  To view the movie trailer, please click here Wednesday, April 23, 2014 FREE ADMISSION--No Tickets Needed    William Way LGBT Community Center 1315 Spruce Street, Philadelphia PA 19107 Approved for 2.5 PCB credit hours (with $10 processing fee) Doors open 5:30 pm. Film and Discussion 6:30 - 9 pm   Panel: Brooke M. Feldman, Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services  Fred D. Martin Jr., MHS, CEAP,  PRO-ACT Roland Lamb, Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services  Christopher Whitney, Board Member, The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania   A free-will offering will be collected. All proceeds support recovery. Copies of the DVD "The Anonymous People" will be available for purchase   Special thanks to

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Another Fun Celebration for Recovery Month   National Recovery Night at the Baseball Game Friday, September 12, 2014, 7:05 pm Phillies vs. Miami Marlins     The game on September 12, 2013, will be PRO-ACT's 9th consecutiveNational Recovery Night at the Baseball Game, developed to gain national visibility for recovery in celebration of SAMHSA's National Recovery Month of September. To those sitting with us in the two nondrinking sections, this evening is about much more than just a baseball game. It will be a night to enjoy the fellowship of more than 500 members of the recovery community, and an evening to show that people in recovery can have fun without the negative stuff of the past. Attendees in these sections are requested not to consume or purchase alcohol.     Every year, the Recovery Night at the game marks a significant event in early recovery for those who associate baseball with alcohol. They learn to break that association because they have loads of fun!  Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia      CLICK HERE to Order Baseball Tickets Securely Online  Limited Number of Tickets Available for Our 2 Sections Tickets are $20 each (which includes a donation to PRO-ACT) Remember Who's Throwing Out the First Pitch? Christina won this privilege by being Captain of the 12-Step Fighters Team that raised the most donations to PRO-ACT Recovery Walks! 2013. You could throw out the first pitch in 2015 if you captain the team that raises the most in donations this year to:  PRO-ACT Recovery Walks! 2014 September  20 We're offering two great prizes for Team Captains this year. The First Prize will be awarded to the Team Captain whose team raises the most in donations. They will earn: The honor of throwing out the first pitch at the 2015 National Recovery Month Baseball Game! A pre-game tour of Citizens Park for four (4) people Four (4) complimentary field-level seats Their picture on Phanavision An electronic disc showing them throwing the first pitch in September 2015 The Second Prize of a $100 Gift Card will go to the Team Captain of the largest registered team on September 20. REGISTER to walk on September 20, form a team,  make a donation,  join the Honor Guard,  or volunteer to help by clicking HERE For sponsorship information contact Marita HERE

Google Isn’t Doing Enough to Stop Illegal Drug Sales Online, Some Attorneys General Say

By Join Together Staff | April 16, 2014 | Leave a comment | Filed in Legal,Marketing And Media & Prescription Drugs

Google is not doing enough to stop online sales of illegal drugs and fake prescription medicines, according to a group of state attorneys general. The company says it disabled 4.6 million pharmaceutical or health supplement ads last year.

Last December, 24 attorneys general sent a letter to Google outlining their concerns, The Washington Post reports. The letter led to private meetings with Google executives. Some attorneys general say they are satisfied with the company’s response, while others are not, the article notes.

The company says since it toughened its advertising policy in 2010, the number of ads placed by unlicensed pharmacies has decreased by 99.9 percent. In 2011, Google agreed to pay $500 million to avoid being prosecuted for aiding illegal online pharmaceutical sales. In the settlement, the company acknowledged it had improperly and knowingly assisted online pharmacy advertisers, allegedly based in Canada, to run ads for illegal pharmacy sales that targeted American customers.

Company emails, disclosed as part of a shareholder lawsuit, indicate the company knew of the risks of illegal pharmacy ads long before they stopped allowing them, the newspaper reports.

Google says it will hire 120 people this year to look for rogue ads and videos, and will eliminate 1,200 predicted search phrases, including “how to become a drug dealer,” which have led people to illegal web sites. Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood says he will pursue legal action if the company does not also remove sites that sell illicit drugs and other illegal products from its search results.

Private Equity Firm Hopes for Profits From Substance Treatment Facilities

By Join Together Staff | April 16, 2014 | Leave a comment | Filed in Addiction,Community Related, Insurance & Treatment

The private equity firm Bain Capital recently took over the largest chain of substance treatment facilities in Massachusetts, The Boston Globe reports. Bain, which usually makes investments in brand-name companies such as Dunkin’ Donuts, sees treating addiction as big business.

Bain paid $58 million for Habit OPCO Inc., which has 13 locations in Massachusetts. It made the purchase through another company it owns, CRC Health, the largest provider of substance abuse treatment and behavioral health services in the nation.

Substance abuse treatment is a $7.7 billion industry, and is growing at a rate of about 2 percent annually, the article notes. A growing number of people addicted to opioids are middle- and upper-middle class, according to Deni Carise, Deputy Chief Clinical Officer for CRC Health.

At Habit OPCO facilities, patients are charged $135 a week for methadone treatment, including daily doses of liquid methadone, access to healthcare professionals, and other services. While some patients have private insurance, others are covered through Medicaid or pay cash.

Dr. Kevin P. Hill, director of the Substance Abuse Consultation Service at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, says he is concerned about the care that some for-profit methadone clinics provide. “The problem I find with some of the for-profit clinics is the absolute minimum required by law becomes the absolute maximum they’re willing to do for their patients,” Hill said.

Habit OPCO and CRC staff say profits are not their main goal. “Frankly, the way to make a lot of money in this particular business is to do it badly,” CRC’s Carise said. “We’re just not going to do that.” She noted the Affordable Care Act, and a law that requires equal insurance coverage for mental health conditions, will give clinics more access to private health insurance. The new laws will help make treatment more affordable for people who previously had no insurance, she said.

Massachusetts Cannot Ban Zohydro, Federal Judge Says

By Join Together Staff | April 16, 2014 | Leave a comment | Filed in Community Related, Legal & Prescription Drugs

Massachusetts cannot ban the new pure hydrocodone drug Zohydro ER (extended release), a federal judge said Monday. The company that makes the drug, Zogenix, argued in a lawsuit that the ban is unconstitutional, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Last Month, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick announcedZohydro would be banned in the state. He cited a public health emergency stemming from opioid abuse.

The drug is a pure form of the painkiller hydrocodone. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Zohydro ER in October for patients with pain that requires daily, around-the-clock, long-term treatment that cannot be treated with other drugs. Drugs such as Vicodin contain a combination of hydrocodone and other painkillers such as acetaminophen. Zohydro is designed to be released over time, and can be crushed and snorted by people seeking a strong, quick high.

This week, U.S. District Judge Rya Zobel issued a preliminary injunction on the ban. The judge said the state appears to have overstepped its authority in banning Zohydro. She noted Zogenix was likely to be successful in pursuing a court order to permanently lift the ban. In her ruling, Judge Zobel said the ban would “undermine the FDA’s ability to make drugs available to promote and protect the public health.”

“Today’s legal ruling was a positive step forward for Massachusetts patients,” Roger Hawley, Chief Executive Officer of Zogenix, said in a news release. “We invite concerned officials to engage with us to discuss fair and appropriate safeguards for pain medications like Zohydro ER rather than seeking to ban or restrict one specific treatment.”

Governor Patrick said he was disappointed in the ruling, the newspaper notes. “Addiction is a serious enough problem already in Massachusetts without having to deal with another addictive narcotic painkiller sold in a form that isn’t tamper proof,” he said in a statement. “We will turn our attention now to other means to address this public-health crisis.”