FDA Approves Non-Opioid Painkiller Injection

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

January 6th, 2015/

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new non-opioid painkiller that is delivered by injection, Reuters reports. The painkiller, Dyloject, is designed to provide fast relief to patients suffering moderate to severe pain.

Hospira, the company that makes Dyloject, says the painkiller can be used alone or in combination with other non-opioid painkillers. Dyloject is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. It is not meant to be a replacement for opioids, the company said in astatement. The drug can be administered within 15 seconds. Other injectable non-opioid painkillers must be diluted before they are administered, and usually require an infusion of 15 to 30 minutes for a full dose, according to Hospira.

In November, the FDA approved Hysingla ER, a long-acting narcotic painkiller designed to deter abuse. The drug is taken once a day. It is meant to treat pain severe enough to require daily, around-the-clock, long-term opioid treatment, and for which alternative treatment options are inadequate.

The FDA said Hysingla should reduce, but not necessarily prevent, abuse through snorting or injecting. Hysingla is difficult to crush, the article notes. If it is cut into small pieces and dissolves, it turns gooey.

Earlier last year, the FDA approved Targiniq ER, a painkiller that combines oxycodone and naloxone. The naloxone blocks the euphoric effects of oxycodone, making it less appealing to abuse.

FDA Warns Public About Dangers of Powdered Caffeine Following Deaths

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

January 6th, 2015/

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning about powdered pure caffeine, following the deaths of at least two young men who used the product.

A single teaspoon of pure caffeine is roughly equivalent to the amount in 25 cups of coffee, according to the FDA. “Pure caffeine is a powerful stimulant and very small amounts may cause accidental overdose. Parents should be aware that these products may be attractive to young people,” the FDA warned in a statement.

NPR reports the agency has started asking companies that sell powdered caffeine to voluntarily take the product off the market. “It’s fundamentally irresponsible to be selling this powerful drug in this form to consumers,” said Michael Taylor, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine. He called pure powdered, bulk caffeine “a dangerous, potent drug that, if taken in as little as a teaspoon, runs the risk of being a lethal overdose to people.”

The FDA is starting to build a case to require companies to stop selling powdered caffeine if they do not do so voluntarily, Taylor noted.

Caffeine overdose symptoms can include rapid or dangerously erratic heartbeat, seizures and death. Other symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, stupor and disorientation. The symptoms are likely to be much more severe in people who use caffeine powder than in those who drink too much coffee, tea or other caffeinated beverages, according to the FDA.

U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut are calling for a ban on the product. The senators and advocates from the Center for Science in the Public Interest recently met with the families of two young men who died after ingesting caffeine powder. They delivered a citizen petition that urges the FDA to ban the sale of powdered caffeine.

Meth Seizures at California-Mexico Border Surged in 2014

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

January 6th, 2015/

Methamphetamine seizures by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents surged in 2014,The San Diego Union-Tribune reports. A crackdown on meth ingredients in the United States has pushed the drug’s manufacture to Mexico.

The San Diego field office of the customs agency seized 14,732 pounds of meth in the fiscal year ending September 30, accounting for 63 percent of meth seizures nationwide, the article notes. The agency said there has been a 300 percent increase in meth seizures at California entry points from 2009 to 2014. In the past year, meth seizures rose 8 percent. In contrast, seizures of marijuana, cocaine and heroin fell during the same period.

Much of the smuggled meth is brought into the country in relatively small quantities. It is often strapped to the bodies of pedestrian border crossers, carried inside sealed food cans, or hidden inside spare tires or engine compartments.

The California border is the main smuggling route for meth. “The Mexican cartels are flooding the U.S. marketplace with their cheap methamphetamine,” said Gary Hill, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) assistant special agent in charge in San Diego. Meth can be purchased for $3,500 a pound, compared with about $11,800 per pound for cocaine.

According to the DEA, about 90 percent of the meth consumed in the United States is made in Mexican labs. The overhead for producing meth is minimal compared with cocaine, Hill said.

Once meth is smuggled into the United States, much of it is distributed to the rest of the country, according to Joe Garcia of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego. “Los Angeles has become a huge transshipment point,” he said. “Our investigations take us through all corners of the country, Atlanta, Chicago, New York, North Carolina, Seattle, San Francisco, Montana. It’s going into Canada as well.”

January 6 Chap 11 v 2 TWELVE STEPPING WITH STRENGTH FROM THE PSALMS

The wicked are stringing their bows and fitting their arrows on the bowstrings .They shoot from the shadows at those whose hearts are right .  (GODS BIG BOOK )

STEP 8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

I have been on both sides of the shadow. I have been the shooter and the victim . It amazes me now that I have come out of my coma from all the self medicating and through the steps just how messed up was my thinking and coping. My journey of recovery has revealed some messed traits I have developed ,and if I am not careful ,I could pass them on to my son. When some one is successful I tend to get jealous who doesn't , but back in the day  I would do whatever I could to mess you up or knock you down. I justified my behavior by convincing myself  that you thought you were better then everybody else .You had to get knocked down a couple pegs as I would put it.This makes me an emotional sniper waiting for my target , my rifle is loaded with bullets of pride , anger , and jealously .What I did not realize was I had the rifle  aimed at me instead of my target. Let me explain when we try to damage others because of their successes we only wind up hurting ourselves. The damage caused will be a burden we wind up carrying and after time that burden added with all the other burdens become too heavy and we collapse . Step 8 will help you get rid of the burdens avoiding the collapse and bringing emotional , physical , and spiritual freedom.

James 3 14:15 - But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. (GODS BIG BOOK )

By Joseph Dickerson

January 5, 2015

Enroll Now in the New Online Master's Degree Program from Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

Have you been waiting for a flexible and personalized way to further your education? Now is the perfect time! 

The Hazelden Graduate School of Addiction Studies is proud to announce our new online degree, the Master of Arts in Addiction Studies: Integrated Recovery for Co-Occurring Disorders. 

You will have the opportunity to study the science of addiction, mental health, and other co-occurring conditions and master evidence-based approaches to promote integrated recovery to transform the lives of those struggling with addiction.

Why Online?

Pursuing an online education is a flexible way to obtain a new degree with your busy lifestyle. In as little as two years, you could earn a Master of Arts degree that will expand your future career opportunities. Checkhazelden.edu for detailed information about State Authorization status for your state

When Can I Start?

Complete your application for any of the 2015 Summer Semester programs and receive a $100 early decision discount off tuition. Applications must be completed by 11:59 pm on March 6, 2015. Discount will be awarded the first week of Summer Semester.

Remember, you may be eligible to apply for the NAADAC Minority Fellowship Program for Addiction Counselors (NMFP-AC). Click here to learn about eligibility requirements and the application process. All applications and supporting documents must be submitted to NAADAC by February 28, 2015.

Classes will begin as soon as May for our summer semester. Applications are available now on our website.

For more information email Jennifer Urciaga or call, 651-213-4175.

The Hazelden Graduate School of Addiction Studies educates future leaders in addiction counseling to improve treatment and recovery from alcohol and drug dependence.

NAADAC, 

The Association for Addiction Professionals

1001 N. Fairfax Street, Suite 201, 

Alexandria, VA 22314

Phone: 703.741.7686 / 800.548.0497

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Women for Sobriety, Inc. Enjoy a Life of Well-Being and Love ҉ “As this New Year begins, I focus on my life--where I have been and where I see myself going.  I review my accomplishments and mistakes with honesty.  What am I most proud of?  What do I want to change and how?  I begin by accepting my current circumstances honestly.  Each New Year brings unlimited possibilities to write a new story.  I am true to myself and focus on what is really important.  From this awareness, I create an authentic life that reflects who I really am.  I am unique and my life is unique.  I am creator, director, and writer of my story, and I direct it in a way that brings the greatest joy for myself and others.  As I live authentically, I enjoy a life of well-being and love.” -Unity Daily Word (January/February 2015) ****************************************************** Statement #9, “The past is gone forever.” No longer will I be victimized by the past.  I am a new person. *******************************************************      With the holidays over and the new year in motion, it is time for me to shift focus and examine where I am in this moment.  Is there something that I am clinging to?  Is there anything that I need to release?  Am I repeating any self-defeating behaviors?  Answering these questions and more, with honesty, I am able to begin the process of letting go and putting Statement #9 into action.      Letting go of the past allows me to experience and enjoy the present.  While under the influence, I was unable to do this; I clung to most anything from past hurts to past drama…especially the past drama.  Sobriety, and the subsequent growth, enables me to unhinge from unhealthy choices and write a new beginning.      Here are some ways to release the past, plan for tomorrow and live for today, as our WFS Mission Statement reads. 1. Focus and affirm that you want to move forward.  Have you ever kept writing the past year in your checkbook?  It can take some time to realize that it is a new day or new year.  Acknowledge where you are right now and decide you are moving on. 2. Dare to dream and go for the goals.  Someone once said that “A goal is a dream with a deadline.”  Every day give yourself the gift of dreams, deadlines and goals.  What would you like to accomplish or experience this week, month, or year?  By focusing on where I would like to go, I direct my mind forward instead of becoming or staying stuck in the past. 3. Apply forgiveness.  Letting myself or someone else off the hook does not mean that the experience that I am upset about is erased; instead, it means that I will no longer allow it to control me.  Understanding and peace of mind can blossom with forgiveness. 4. Be an observer.  Approaching a person, experience or feeling with the eyes and mind of an observer gives me a fresh and different perspective.  I may be clinging to what I think is true but I can inspect each aspect with different views.  It may be that I need to step back, or I may need to move closer.  Either way, a new angle is a way to be present. 5. Affirm that this is the moment.  This moment is all there ever is.  Yesterday will always be yesterday, tomorrow will always be tomorrow and the moment is now.  Live, grow and experience life in the present. Is there something that you are clinging to? How do you embrace the present? Hugzzz, Karen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hi 4C Women,      This message is powerful and a great guide for how we approach the New Year.  Dr. Phil has made this year one that is dedicated to tearing down the barriers of fear, unraveling the lie we tell ourselves about who we are, why we do what we do and don’t do what we don’t do, or settle for what we settle for; to start to deal with the absolute, unmitigated truth in each and every aspect of our lives.      When he said we do what we do because it feeds a need and there is a truth we don’t want to face, I cringed as I thought about this past year and health concerns I put on the back burner because of my fear of not being available to my daughter if she needed me.  Fortunately, the WFS program taught me how to live an authentic life; yet, I needed this reminder that life is not stagnant.  It changes constantly.  What was perhaps my truth or “why lie” this past year required a second look.      Have you ever had an exchange with someone who just tore you to pieces to the point that you shut down and heard nothing?  I’ve had quite a few of those conversations in my life.  It took a long time to hear the truth within the “garbage.”  I learned to throw out the garbage and work on the truth.  For the truth produces change if we let go of the fear of change.      Karen’s question about clinging to something, repeating self-defeating behaviors is a huge part of my “why lie.”  The past is gone forever, a new year is open to us if we are willing to face our fears, to change and dig deeper into our “why lie.”  -Dee ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thank you, Karen and Dee, for your words of encouragement and inspiration to start off our New Year! ~Becky Fenner, WFS Director

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