Washington Governor Announces Emergency Rules to Keep Marijuana Away From Kids
/By Join Together Staff
June 25th, 2014/


Washington State Governor Jay Inslee this week announced rules designed to keep marijuana out of the hands of children, now that recreational use of the drug is legal for adults 21 and older.

The state will require approval of packaging for edible marijuana products. Cartoons, toy images and other labels that appeal to children will be banned, The New York Times reports.

Last month, lawmakers in Colorado, where retail marijuana stores have already opened, said they were considering stricter regulations for marijuana edibles, in the wake of two deaths connected with the products. Experts warn consuming the edibles can lead to bizarre behavior.

“This is an all-hands-on-deck effort to make sure we keep kids safe,” Governor Inslee said in a news release. “We want every retailer to know that kids are off limits and every parent to know how to talk to kids about why marijuana isn’t safe.” He added, “The initiative legalized marijuana only for adults 21 and over and it is incumbent on everyone — retailers, parents, health professionals and public officials — to do everything possible to keep pot away from kids. If we fail in that, Washington’s regulated, retail market for marijuana may fail, too.”

The first group of marijuana retail stores in Washington is scheduled to open on July 8. The state plans to license 334 stores eventually. The state Department of Health has begun an advertising campaign that advises parents to discourage their children from using marijuana. “The goal is to get parents to talk to their kids now and not wait until retail sales start happening,” said department spokesman Donn Moyer.

JUNE 25 v 21 v 22 TWELVE STEPPING WITH POWER IN THE PROVERB

If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat;

And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

For so you will heap coals of fire on his head,

And the Lord will reward you.

STEP 9 "Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others .


Thats right you heard me ! Its called maturity and growth just another one of those wonderful things we develop when we get sober . When we make Amends and help those who have hurt us back will be one of the most liberating experiences in your recovery. Life is tough enough so why not lighten your load by following the step and living the Proverb .

Ephesians 4 : 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. 

By Joseph Dickerson

Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. - See more at: http://www.bettyfordcenter.org/recovery/recovery/12-steps-of-alcoholics-anonymous.php#sthash.M25MOMpM.dpuf

Pope Francis Says He is Opposed to Legalizing Drugs for Recreational Use
/By Join Together Staff
June 24th, 2014/
0

Pope Francis told participants at an international drug enforcement conference he is opposed to legalizing marijuana and other drugs for recreational use.

“The scourge of drug use continues to spread inexorably, fed by a deplorable commerce which transcends national and continental borders,” he said on Friday. “Attempts, however limited, to legalize so-called ‘recreational drugs,’ are not only highly questionable from a legislative standpoint, but they fail to produce desired effects.”

This is not the first time Pope Francis has spoken out against drug legalization, Newsweek reports. Speaking in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, last year, he said, “A reduction in the spread and influence of drug addiction will not be achieved by a liberalization of drug use. Rather, it is necessary to confront the problems underlying the use of these drugs, by promoting greater justice, educating young people in the values that build up life in society, accompanying those in difficulty and giving them hope for the future.”

He has visited with people struggling with drug addiction both as Pope and when he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires, the article notes.

Hospitals Report Jump in ER Visits Related to Meth: Government Report
/By Join Together Staff
June 24th, 2014/
0



U.S. emergency departments reported a sharp increase in methamphetamine-related visits between 2007 and 2011, according to a new government report.

The report “shows that methamphetamine use may be on the rise again, and we must do everything we can to address this serious public health problem,” Dr. H. Westley Clark, Director of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, said in a news release.

The SAMHSA report found meth-related visits increased from about 68,000 in 2007, to almost 103,000 in 2011—the latest year for which data is available, HealthDay reports. ER visits related to meth had significantly decreased between 2005 and 2007, the article notes.

Meth-related ER visits increased sharply among people ages 25 to 34 and those 55 and older. The report found in 2011, 62 percent of meth-related ER visits also involved other drugs. Marijuana was the drug most likely to be combined with meth, followed by alcohol.

“One important step is to use the hospital emergency department visit as a critical opportunity to talk to, and intervene with, people using this drug so that they can more fully understand its dangers and where they can turn to for help,” Clark noted.

Meth has a high potential for abuse and addiction, according to SAMHSA. The drug can lead to a range of physical and mental health issues, including severe dental problems, anxiety, confusion, insomnia, mood changes, and violent behaviors.

Three-Fourths of Americans See Link Between Narcotic Painkillers and Addiction: Poll
/By Join Together Staff
June 24th, 2014/
0

A new poll finds 78 percent of Americans say they believe there is a link between drug addiction and narcotic painkillers, NPR reports.

The findings come from a nationwide poll conducted by NPR and Truven Health Analytics. The poll found 54 percent of all respondents said they had previously taken narcotic painkillers.

Slightly more than one-third of people who had taken narcotic painkillers had concerns about them, compared with 30 percent of those who had not taken the drugs. Addiction was respondents’ top concern about narcotic painkillers, followed by side effects.

About one-quarter of respondents said they had refused or questioned a prescription for an opioid, about the same rate as in a similar poll conducted in 2011, the article notes.

Fifty-four percent of those polled said potent painkillers such as Zohydro, a pure form of hydrocodone, should be available.

Some states want to ban Zohydro. Earlier this year more than 40 addiction treatment, health care and consumer groups urged the Food and Drug Administration to reverse its decision to approve Zohydro. The drug is designed to be released over time, and can be crushed and snorted by people seeking a strong, quick high. The opioid drug OxyContin has been reformulated to make it harder to crush or dissolve, but Zohydro does not include similar tamper-resistant features.

Growing Number of Drugged Drivers Test Positive for Prescription Drugs
/By Join Together Staff
June 24th, 2014/
1

A growing number of drugged drivers are testing positive for prescription drugs, a new study suggests. More drivers involved in fatal crashes tested positive for prescription medications than for any other drug type.

The study, published in Public Health Reports, also found the share of drugged drivers in fatal motor vehicle crashes who tested positive for marijuana reached 36.9 percent in 2010.

Drivers ages 50 and up account for an increasing share of drugged drivers, and for the highest proportion of prescription drug users, the study found. The findings come from an analysis of data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The researchers from the University of Nebraska Medical Center also found an increasing number of drivers are using more than one drug at once, according to U.S. News & World Report. “In 1993, about one in eight drivers were using multiple drugs concurrently. By 2010, it was closer to one in five. That’s a large increase in drug usage,” study author Fernando Wilson said in a news release.

“These trends are likely to continue into the future given the aging U.S. population, an increasing reliance on prescription medications by medical providers, and increasing initiatives to legalize marijuana,” Wilson said. “However, it is unclear whether current state policies are completely up to the challenge of addressing the growing issue of drugged driving.”

About half of drugged drivers were also under the influence of alcohol, the study found. Approximately 70 percent of drivers who tested positive for cocaine had also been consuming alcohol, and almost 55 percent of drivers who tested positive for marijuana also had alcohol in their systems.

The researchers suggested a range of strategies, including reducing prescription drug use by drivers through counseling by medical professionals, and increasing affordable access to mass transit.