History of Drinking Problems Linked With Memory Deficits in Later Life

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

July 30th, 2014/

A new study of thousands of Americans finds people with a history of drinking problems have more than twice the risk of memory problems later in life, compared with those who have never been heavy drinkers.

The researchers asked participants four questions: Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking? Have people ever annoyed you by criticizing your drinking? Have you ever felt guilty about drinking? And have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning? These questions come from a widely used screening questionnaire for alcoholism, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Participants were born between 1931 and 1941. They answered the questions about alcohol use when they were first interviewed, when they were in their 50s and 60s. They were considered to have a drinking problem if they answered yes to at least two of the four questions. They had follow-up memory tests every other year from 1996 to 2010, the article notes.

The 16 percent of participants who said they had a drinking problem at some point in their lives were much more likely to have memory problems later in life. The study appears in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

“We already know there is an association between dementia risk and levels of current alcohol consumption – that understanding is based on asking older people how much they drink and then observing whether they develop problems,” lead researcher Dr. Iain Lang of the University of Exeter Medical School said in a news release. “But this is only one part of the puzzle and we know little about the consequences of alcohol consumption earlier in life. What we did here is investigate the relatively unknown association between having a drinking problem at any point in life and experiencing problems with memory later in life

FedEx, Indicted on Drug Trafficking Charges, Pleads Not Guilty

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

July 30th, 2014/

FedEx, which was indicted earlier this month on drug trafficking charges, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday. The company is accused of conspiring to deliver prescription drugs for illegal online pharmacies.

Bloomberg reports the company, the world’s largest cargo airline, was indicted on 15 counts of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and misbranded drugs and drug trafficking.

According to the indictment, the shipping company knew for a decade that illegal online pharmacies used their services. “While some Internet pharmacies were managed by well-known pharmacy chains that required valid prescriptions and visits to the patient’s personal physician, others failed to require a prescription before filling orders for controlled substances and prescription drugs,” a U.S. Sentencing Commission news releasestates. “These Internet pharmacies filled orders based solely on the completion of an online questionnaire, without a physical examination, diagnosis, or face-to-face meeting with a physician. Such practices violated federal and state laws governing the distribution of prescription drugs and controlled substances.”

According to prosecutors, government officials warned FedEx at least six times since 2004 that illegal Internet pharmacies used the company to deliver drugs.

At a hearing in federal court in San Francisco on Tuesday, Cris Arguedas, a lawyer for FedEx said, “We are a transportation company, not a pharmacy, not a website, not a doctor.” Prosecutors said that by the end of August the government intends to present an updated indictment to a federal grand jury that is investigating the company.

The company said it repeatedly asked the government to provide a list of online pharmacies engaging in illegal activity. “Whenever DEA provides us a list of pharmacies engaging in illegal activity, we will turn off shipping for those companies immediately. So far the government has declined to provide such a list,” FedEx said in a statement when the indictment was announced.

Bill Aimed at Curbing Prescription Drug Abuse Passes in House With Bipartisan Support

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

July 30th, 2014/

A measure designed to reduce prescription drug abuse passed in the House on Tuesday with bipartisan support, according to The Hill.

The bill would amend the Controlled Substances Act, changing the definition of “imminent danger to the public health or safety” so that it would apply to drugs that pose present or foreseeable health risks, the article notes.

Under the measure, called the Ensuring Patient Access to Effective Drug Enforcement Act, prescription drug manufacturers registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) could submit a “corrective action plan” before a drug is suspended.

“Any legitimate business involved in distributing or dispensing prescriptions welcomes appropriate oversight and regulation,” said bill co-sponsor Tom Marino, a Pennsylvania Republican. The bill was also sponsored by Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee; Peter Welch, a Democrat from Vermont, and Judy Chu, a Democrat from California.

“Prescription drug abuse is claiming lives all across this country,” Welch said in a news release. “Painkillers are falling into the wrong hands while delivery of these same drugs is being stalled to the patients that need them, including seniors and those battling cancer. To fix this problem, drug suppliers and federal officials need to be able to work hand-in-hand to improve our drug delivery system and that’s exactly what this legislation does.”

“Simply acknowledging the epidemic of prescription drug abuse isn’t enough,” Blackburn said in a news release. “Congress has a responsibility to make sure the law is crystal clear for both DEA and legitimate businesses who want to understand what the rules are so they can do the right thing. That is why I am so pleased the House has acted today on our legislation that seeks to ensure the prescription drug supply chain is safe and secure for the patients that truly rely upon it to alleviate pain and treat illnesses.”

NAADAC Institute Call for Webinar Presentations

Development of the 2015 NAADAC Institute Webinar Series is underway, and we invite you to collaborate with us! The Webinar Series is wildly successful, with over 45,000 professionals trained so far.If you are a subject-matter expert on a topic relevant to addiction professionals, we encourage you to complete the online Call for Webinar Presentations for a chance to present on a nationally-broadcasted webinar.

All NAADAC webinars are free to participants, with optional CE credit provided to NAADAC members for free (join now!) and to non-members for a nominal fee, and are recorded as a live event to be posted on the NAADAC website for future, free, on-demand viewing. Click here for more information about what NAADAC will provide to presenters and how webinar presentations will be selected. A Selection Committee will contact chosen presenters by December 1, 2014.

Submissions Due Date: August 22, 2014

[ More Information ] and [ Apply Now ]

Look for NAADAC's Magazine in Your Mailbox

The Summer edition of Advances in Addiction & Recovery, the official publication of NAADAC, has been published and is arriving in mailboxes of NAADAC members across the nation! NAADAC's magazine is a membership-benefitand focuses on providing useful, innovative and timely information on trends and best practices in the profession that are beneficial for practitioners. Join now to get your copy!

CE Feature Article Available to Both NAADAC Members and Non-Members: Read "Promising Integrated Treatment Model to Help Veterans with Co-Occurring PTSD & Substance Use Disorders" by Robb Hicks, MD, pass the online CE quiz, and get 2 CE credits for $25!

[ Read CE Article ] and [ Take CE Quiz ]

Have an innovative strategy or research to share? Have your years of experience given you unique insights into addiction prevention, intervention, treatment, or recovery? Share your expertise as a contributor to Advances in Addiction & Recovery. For more information, please contact Jessica Gleason.

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Advertising space is still available. Contact Elsie Smith for information about opportunities in NAADAC's magazine and bi-weeklyAddiction & Recovery eNews.

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Lighthouse Network Welcomes Barak Rush to Team We at Lighthouse Network are extremely excited to welcome Barak Rush, MS, LPC, to our growing team. Barak brings a great balance of clinical and administrative experience and expertise to our team. Barak has a love for people, compassion for those who are struggling, and a zest for bringing the Bible and Jesus into each person’s healing and transformation process. Barak has provided clinical services for many behavioral health issues over the years while specializing in addictions. More recently, he successfully started and ran Intensive Outpatient Addiction programs for Trinity Behavioral Health and then Rehab After Work, learning the administrative and marketing side of behavioral health as well as providing clinical counseling services. To reach more people, Barak combined his keen problem-solving skills with his compassionate heart to deliver an array of case management services for Ceridian, a national EAP company. 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The human condition was in a desperate state, and people were overwhelmed and short on answers. Jesus started healing people in amazing numbers. He even sent his disciples out and empowered them to heal as well. Read the full Christian Post article here... Truth For Women Mentor Training September 27 | Bethlehem, PA This event will train ladies who mentor other women who are struggling. They will be trained in counseling and in teaching decision-making skills using the SPEARS decision-making model. Moments of Change 2014 Addictions Conference September 29-October 2 | Palm Beach, FL Dr. Karl Benzio, MD will present on "Addiction: Sin, Disease, or Psychological Defect?" as well as his SPEARS decision-making model, which is key to real biological-psychological-spiritual treatment by integrating science and faith. 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Listen to "Life Change with Dr. Karl" from July 21: Key to Being Light in this World Listen to "Life Change with Dr. Karl" from July 22: Be Strategic, Not Random Listen to "Life Change with Dr. Karl" from July 23: Bible is the Best Instruction Manual Listen to "Life Change with Dr. Karl" from July 24: Six Components to Every Decision Listen to "Life Change with Dr. Karl" from July 25: Role of the Holy Spirit    Click here to listen to “Life Change with Dr. Karl” archives or read transcripts. Resources from Lighthouse Network

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Free Stepping Stones Devotional Click here to receive The Stepping Stones Daily Devotional, which will encourage and challenge you while helping you grow in your daily walk with God. If you or someone you love needs help, call our FREE 24/7 Lighthouse Network addiction and counseling helpline, 1-844-LIFE-CHANGE (1-844-543-3242). Lighthouse Network is a Christian-based, non-profit organization that offers an addiction and mental health counseling helpline providing treatment options and resources to equip people and organizations with the skills necessary to shine God's glory to the world, stand strong on a solid foundation in the storms of their own lives, and provide guidance and safety to others experiencing stormy times, thus impacting their lives, their families and the world. Lighthouse Network offers help through two main service choices: Lighthouse Life Change Helpline (1-844-LIFE-CHANGE, 1-844-543-3242), a 24-hour free, national crisis call center, where specialists (Care Guides) help callers understand and access customized treatment options. Life Growth and self-help training resources for daily life, including online and DVD series and training events to help individuals achieve their potential.   unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences Follow Us On Facebook Follow Us On Twitter Visit Our Website