CVS Stores in West Virginia Will Not Sell Single-Ingredient Pseudoephedrine Products

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

July 8th, 2014/

CVS Caremark will no longer sell single-ingredient pseudoephedrine products in West Virginia, The Wall Street Journal reports. Pseudoephedrine is a popular source of chemicals used in methamphetamine labs, which have proliferated in the state.

Single-ingredient pseudoephedrine is often sold under the brand name Sudafed, the article notes. In addition to West Virginia stores, CVS will also stop selling the product in 40 stores within 15 miles of the state border in Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

The drugstore chain has reduced the amount of pseudoephedrine products that can be bought by a single person in a year, to half the limit currently allowed under West Virginia law. CVS will continue to sell a formulation of pseudoephedrine that is resistant to the type of tampering often used by meth labs.

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who has urged pharmacy companies to ban single-ingredient pseudoephedrine products, said, “Substance abuse has ravaged West Virginia, and the local production and abuse of methamphetamine has only added to the epidemic. It is past time that we take strong action to stop this cycle of abuse.”

The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania, Inc.                                                   and           Pennsylvania Recovery Organization --      Achieving Community Together (PRO-ACT)  Recovery in Our Communities July 8, 2014      Like us on Facebook                                   www.councilsepa.org                       Follow us on Twitter Information and Recovery Support Line 24/7: 800-221-6333 Change is the law of life.   And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the miss the future.  John F. Kennedy INTERVENTION IS A PROCESS, NOT AN EVENT Dr. Stacey Conway Explains Role of Trained Interventionist   An intervention is anything that stops or slows the progression of the disease of addiction.   Formal interventions led by a properly trained expert are a powerful tool.  Stacey Conway, PhD, is The Council's Director of Evaluation & Outcomes.  Dr. Conway recently blogged about the intervention process.  "Understandably, families feel desperate about their loved one's situation...Many hope that we might swoop in, quickly convince [them to get help] and whisk them off to treatment.  Even if this was possible, it may not lead to the desired outcomes...[R]elying solely on an outsider...to 'fix the problem'...is likely not sustainable.  Intervention is a process, not an event.  During this process, family members and others who care...identify their own role in the addiction and in ways they can support recovery..."  Read Dr. Conway's Intervention blog.    The disease of addiction effects the whole family.  PRO-ACT's Family Education Program is a great place for families to begin the intervention process.  Find out more about PRO-ACT's Family Education Program. INTERVENTION TRAINING AUG. 18-20 IN DOYLESTOWN Registration Is Now Open! On Aug. 18, 19 & 20 from 9am-5pm in Doylestown, The Council is holding an Interventionist Training to prepare individuals so they can assist families in the process of intervention for loved ones with a substance use disorder. Participants will be trained in the model adhered to by NCADD's National Intervention Network.  The featured trainer is Beverly Haberle, MHS, LPC, CAADC.  Ms. Haberle has assisted numerous families and trains extensively on the intervention process locally, regionally and nationally.   Visit our website for details and how to register.       CDC REPORT: 10% OF DEATHS ARE ALCOHOL RELATED Costs the U.S. 224 Billion a Year, or "$1.90 A Drink"  A new study says 10% of deaths for people between 20 and 64 is alcohol related.  Most of these deaths are male and a direct result of binge drinking.  Alcohol related deaths include chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, stroke and cancer, as well as acute causes such as accidents, homicides and suicides.  Scientists believe that the "1-in-10 number" is almost certainly an underestimate because several well known alcohol-related diseases are not included in this study.  Alcohol is the 4th largest cause of preventable deaths behind smoking, poor nutrition and lack of exercise.   For more information and to read the CDC's report, visit NPR's Health Blog. Some Upcoming Events SBRCC in Bristol, Mondays 6:30pm:  YOGA For Recovery, contact Karen at215-788-3738 or kburke@councilsepa.org CBRCC in Doylestown, 4th Tuesday of Every Month: Understanding Recovery, for people in recovery and their support network.  Contact Rick at 215-345-6644 or rpetrolawicz@councilsepa.org PRCC in Philadelphia, Tuesdays at both 12:30 & 2pm:  Stress Reduction & Relaxation, call 215-223-7700 July 16, 2014: Meet The Council Open House, 8 - 9 am at 252 West Swamp Road, Bailiwick Office Campus, Unit 12, Doylestown, PA 18901 September 12, 2014: 7:05 pm. Recovery Night at the Baseball Game, Phillies vs. Marlins, Citizens Bank Park. Click here for tickets.  September 20, 2014: PRO-ACT Recovery Walks! 2014, Great Plaza, Penn's Landing, Philadelphia. Click here to register and get more information. Employment Opportunities: Please click here

DONATE Donations help us to reduce the impact of addiction for more individuals and families. The Council is a 501(c)(3) organization.

JULY 8 TWELVE STEPPING WITH POWER IN THE PROVERB

For whoever finds me finds life,

All those who hate me love death. But those who miss me injure themselves . All who hate me love death .

STEP 2 - Came to believe that God ( Jesus ) could restore us to sanity !

Addiction is your master and you are the slave not free to live your life the way it is meant to be lived .When your physical life ends it does not mean its over . Living a life full of addiction and sin will separate you from the love God has for you now and when you cross over . Get it right now with God you think life is terrible now . Gods Big Book teaches we will be separated and put into prisons of darkness until the judgement . Yes this a lot and I struggle with understanding it . I figured why take chances and the Proverb was right , through the steps I found God and I do have life , a sober life and that was impossible in my own strength . 

Isaiah 59 -1 -2

Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.

Good Afternoon!

If you haven’t already, here is your reminder to please register for this month’s Expanding Your Recovery Toolkit program coming up on:

Tuesday, July 15th

7:00 – 8:30pm

At The Council Office, Unit 12

Please pass along the attached flyer to anyone you feel would benefit from this program. As always, you must register yourself or your group ahead so that we may be prepared with enough materials and food/beverages. If you have any questions, please let me know!

THANK YOU!

Rick Petrolawicz

CRS/ Volunteer Coordinator

The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania, Inc/ PRO-ACT

Central Bucks Recovery Resource Center

252 W. Swamp Road, Bailiwick Office Campus, Unit 12

Doylestown, PA 18901

Phone: (215) 345-6644 ext 3151

Fax: (215) 348-3377

24 Hour Information Line: (800)221-6333

rpetrolawicz@councilsepa.org

www.councilsepa.org

JULY 5 v 23 TWELVE STEPPING WITH POWER IN THE PROVERB 

He shall die for lack of instruction,
And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

 

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

They say we have come into this world with nothing well that's not true ! There is one thing we have here even if we are unfortunate enough too not have parents. We can choose too hate this life or love it . God our maker has given us an instruction manual ,it has been here since the beginning of everything . We need to pick it up ,it addresses everything in our lives including how too get free from addiction . The Proverb cannot get any clearer ! During your Twelve step march to freedom you will discover the truth about yourself .The instruction manual (Bible) will pull you from the pit , dust you off , and put you on solid ground and help you walk a clean and sober path into your God given purpose for your life . Stop living confused , sad , addicted settling to live your life way below your potential . You deserve so much more the instruction manual says so !

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. - See more at: http://www.bettyfordcenter.org/recovery/recovery/12-steps-of-alcoholics-anonymous.php#sthash.QBE7lKIo.dpuf

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. - See more at: http://www.bettyfordcenter.org/recovery/recovery/12-steps-of-alcoholics-anonymous.php#sthash.QBE7lKIo.dpuf

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. - See more at: http://www.bettyfordcenter.org/recovery/recovery/12-steps-of-alcoholics-anonymous.php#sthash.QBE7lKIo.dpuf

15 Bad Grandpas (and Grandmas)
Retirement doesn’t have to be boring. These senior citizens bypassed the bingo nights and became involved in some of the most high-profile drug smuggling and dealing cases in recent history.



Leo Sharp shutterstock


By McCarton Ackerman

07/01/14
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Earlier this month, 90-year-old Indiana native Leo Sharp was sentenced to three years in prison on federal drug trafficking charges. The World War II veteran hauled more than a ton of cocaine across state lines to Michigan, collecting over $1 million in the process, before finally being caught in 2011. His crimes called for a minimum of 14 years, but government officials called for a five-year sentence and his attorney argued for no jail time, citing Sharp’s ongoing health issues as being a burden to the prison system. After being sentenced, Sharp told the court he was “heartbroken I did what I did. But it’s done.”

However, this is hardly the first time senior citizens have been the masterminds of profitable and high-powered drug trades. Check out 14 other classic examples of drug dealing and smuggling grandmas and grandpas.

Richard Heritz, 85, marijuana



Here’s a prison care package that goes well beyond razors and toothbrushes. The elderly grandpa was arrested in 2010 for trying to smuggle marijuana for his grandson, who was incarcerated for burglary. Police received a tip that Heritz was planning to smuggle in drugs and was pulled over by state troopers, who discovered more than 20 grams of marijuana on him. He was charged with attempting to convey drugs on the grounds of a detention facility, a third-degree felony, and possessing criminal tools, a fifth-degree felony There was also plenty of time for family bonding afterwards as Heritz was placed in a cell not too far from his grandson in the same prison. He was eventually released on $10,000 bond, but faced up to seven years in jail on the charges, tantamount to a life sentence for the 85-year-old.

Arsain bin Anwar, 84, crystal meth



This elderly grandfather is now facing a brutal death by a firing squad after being caught smuggling more than $400,000 worth of crystal meth into Bali, Indonesia. He was arrested earlier this month after airport security officials in Bali found 5.5 pounds of the drug in his luggage, but bin Anwar claimed to have no idea he was transporting drugs. The Indonesian citizen, who currently lives in Malaysia, was paid just $62 to transport the package, but said he did so because he desperately needed to cover the medical costs of his ailing wife. Another man was suspected to be involved in the drug ring, but he managed to skip past customs and has still evaded police.

Roza Shusterman, 80, prescription drugs



Some people start their criminal record late in life. Shusterman was arrested on drug selling charges for the first time in 1993, at the age of 70, and received two more convictions in the next 10 years, with her last coming in May 2002. She avoided prison the following January by pleading guilty to felony drug sales of prescription pills and a misdemeanor drug possession charge. She operated entirely in and around her Brooklyn apartment, with neighbors reporting that she would stand on the street and pull pills out of her housecoat to sell. But having suffered from a multitude of ailments, she died from heart failure just one month after her guilty plea. The lawyer for her accomplice, 78-year-old Faina Kodner, tried to keep the fellow Russian grandma out of jail by arguing that she suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and would be a burden to the prison system.

Barbara Stiff, 79, marijuana



You wouldn’t think it based on her warm smile, but this Australian great-grandmother was arrested last June after police found 67 grams of marijuana in her apartment. Stiff admitted to selling the drugs, but said they belonged to her daughter, who was using the drug as pain relief before she passed away that year. After admitting that she allowed her dying daughter to smoke pot in her house, her local housing commission tried to remove her from the apartment she had lived in for the last 30 years. Stiff was sentenced last January to a four-month suspended jail sentence and four-month good behavior bond. She later told reporters that she was embarrassed by the trial, but relieved to put it behind her and have a chance to move forward from a difficult year.

Albert Martin, 73, heroin and cocaine



Some drug dealing businesses are family-owned and operated. The 73-year-old was arrested on drug charges along with his 20-year-old grandson, Troy Martin. The Pittsburgh bust came after police found 24 heroin bricks totaling $12,000, an ounce of cocaine worth $10,000, a 30-round magazine belonging to Troy and over $4,200 in cash. The arrest came after a three-month investigation by local police.

Luther and Audrey Beaver, 74, and 63, marijuana and LSD



In another case of keeping it in the family, this Ohio couple was arrested in 1981 for dealing drugs throughout the city of Columbus, with their clients even affectionately naming them “Grandpa” and “Grandma.” They each pleaded guilty to one count of drug trafficking, admitting to selling marijuana and LSD out of their home as a means of supplementing income from their monthly $381 Social Security checks. A police raid of their home found $10,000 worth of LSD and seven pounds of pot. They faced up to 10 years in prison on the charges, but their attorney argued for a sentence that didn’t include jail time because they refused to sell drugs to minors and were suffering from health problems.

 

Darlene Mayes, 73, marijuana



Known around Tulsa, OK as the “Ganja Grandma,” Mayes was responsible for a drug ring that distributed 40 percent of the marijuana around the city, as well as into parts of Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri. Police raided her home in April 2012 and found four pounds of pot, $276,000 in cash and two weapons. The money was contained in bundles of bills labeled “$15,000,” as well as a vacuum-sealed bag holding $200,000. Mayes initially told officers that the money was for her retirement fund before owning up to the massive operation. Police also reported that she had a bevy of dealers working for her, including her son Jerry, who was also arrested on drug charges.

James Evans, 70, synthetic marijuana



Instead of receiving mail from Publishers Clearing House, this Texas grandfather was arrested last September for having a delivery with 20 packages of synthetic marijuana sent to his home. Local police in the town of Raymondville reported that not only was Allen selling the synthetic pot to young people in the neighborhood, but that “he was also later found with cocaine in his possession and marijuana individually wrapped ready for distribution.” He admitted to selling the drugs, but said he did it to send money to his out-of-town grandchildren. Allen also admitted that a relative was selling him the drug packages and Raymondville police issued a warrant for the relative's arrest shortly after.

Owulabi and Omowunmi Ganiyu Amoo, 60 and 57, heroin



This Nigerian couple didn’t have a particularly joyous New Year’s Eve in 2010, spending it with airport security officials in the city of Lagos as they excreted 160 wraps of heroin. Owulabi admitted that the couple were given an initial payment of $2,000 and could have received an additional $8,000 if they successfully brought the drugs into New York City, their final destination. The couple later begged for forgiveness and attributed the smuggling to financial hardships they were facing. “I need money for school fees, rent and feeding. I started the drug business in 2009. I feel sad and regret my involvement in drug trafficking,” he said. “The excitement of $10,000 per trip was irresistible.”

Theresa Anderson, 58, crack



Her neighbors in Buffalo saw Anderson as a lovable grandma, so they were shocked to find the dozen houses she bought along two nearby streets were all used for a massive drug operation. Using several of her relatives to push the drugs, police claim that she controlled the local drug trade through fear and violence, but also kept the area clean and safe for other community members. She was finally arrested in February 2012 for the “24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week” crack trade and faced more than 17 years in prison, but her attorney, Robert Ross Fogg, blamed her drug dealing on a drug problem. “Drugs, they take hold of you,” he said. They take your soul and they take your mind.”

Lindsay Sandiford, 57, cocaine



This British grandma is currently on death row in Bali after police found more than $2.4 million in cocaine on her as she entered Bali International Airport in 2012. She was condemned to death by firing squad in January 2013, despite the fact that prosecutors asked for a relatively minor 15-year sentence. Her three accomplices in the smuggling were also sentenced to prison terms ranging from one to six years on lesser charges including possession. She filed an appeal against her death sentence last August, but it was unanimously rejected. Two months later, she was moved to another jail cell after being viciously attacked by her cellmate. A source reported that “she was shocked and depressed when she was sentenced to death, then she just shut herself off and cried in her cell. When Lindsay asked [her] South African [cellmate] to stop being so noisy, [the cellmate] punched her.”

McCarton Ackerman has been a regular contributor to The Fix since 2011. He recently wrote about 12 shocking drug news items from Florida and Esther Nicholson.