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Plant a Seed Foundation
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Pennsylvania 19067
Copyright (C) 2013 Plant a Seed Foundation All rights reserved.
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Thursday, May 9, 2013
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Law Enforcement Has Few Tools to Crack Down on Nitrous Oxide Abuse
Law enforcement officials who are trying to crack down on
the growing problem of nitrous oxide abuse have limited options to
punish people who sell the gas to those who use it to get high, the Los Angeles Daily News reports.
Nitrous oxide, or “nozz,” is a prescription drug inhaled by
recreational users to get high, usually from balloons filled from large
cylinders. It is also sold as a product to improve car performance.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central
District of California, the drug can cause many significant and
debilitating side effects, including, in extreme cases, death.
In a news release,
the U.S. Attorney’s Office notes, “during the past year, several teens
in the Los Angeles region have been killed in car accidents linked to
the use of nitrous oxide, and acts of violence have been associated with
the inhalation or sale of the drug, according to court documents.” The
Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department says sales of nitrous oxide as a drug
have dramatically increased in Southern California over the past five
years.
A person selling nitrous oxide used by someone to get high can be
charged with a misdemeanor violation of the federal Food, Drug and
Cosmetic Act, which carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and
up to a $100,000 fine.
While possessing nitrous oxide with the intent to ingest it for
non-medical or dental reasons is a misdemeanor in California, intent is
difficult to prove, the article notes. In 2009, the state passed a law
that makes it a misdemeanor to sell nitrous oxide to a minor.
Southern California officials say the problem is increasing. “I had
hoped it would dissipate,” said Los Angeles Deputy City Attorney
Veronica De Alba. “But it just seems to be getting bigger.”
Latest Prescription Drug Take-Back Day Yields 50% More Pills Than Previous Event
Fifty percent more pills were collected during the latest
National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, compared with the previous
event in 2012, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced.
The agency said 742,497 pounds of prescription medications were
collected from almost 6,000 sites around the country on April 27, UPI
reports. More than 2.8 million pounds of prescription medications have
been removed from circulation during the six national take-back days the
DEA has sponsored.
The events are designed to provide a safe, convenient and responsible
way for people to dispose of their unwanted or expired medications,
while educating the public about the potential for abuse of prescription
drugs.
According to the 2011 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health, twice as many
Americans regularly abused prescription drugs than the number of those
who regularly used cocaine, hallucinogens, heroin, and inhalants
combined, the DEA noted in a news release.
More than 70 percent of people abusing prescription pain relievers say
they obtained them through friends or relatives, including the family
medicine cabinet.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Teen Girls May Have a Harder Time Quitting Methamphetamine, Study Suggests
Teenage girls may have a more difficult time than boys in quitting methamphetamine, a new study suggests.
The study by researchers at UCLA found girls are more likely to
continue using methamphetamine during treatment. They say the findings
indicate the need for new treatment approaches for girls addicted to
meth, HealthCanal reports.
The study included nine boys and 10 girls, whose average age was 17
½. All were addicted to meth and were receiving counseling. They were
treated with either bupropion (an antidepressant and smoking cessation
drug) or a placebo. Teens given bupropion provided significantly fewer
meth-free urine samples compared with teens given a placebo, suggesting
the drug is not an effective treatment for meth addiction. Boys in both
groups provided more than twice as many meth-free urine samples as
girls.
“The greater severity of methamphetamine problems in adolescent girls
compared to boys, combined with results of studies in adults that also
found women to be more susceptible to methamphetamine than men, suggests
that the gender differences in methamphetamine addiction observed in
adults may actually begin in adolescence,” study author Dr. Keith
Heinzerling said in a news release.
The findings appear in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
FDA Asks For Additional Data on Implant to Treat Opioid Addiction
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week asked for
more information on an implant designed to treat opioid addiction,
before making a decision on whether to approve the drug, according to Bloomberg News.
Probuphine is a long-acting version of the opioid dependence
medication buprenorphine. It is implanted under the skin of the upper
arm, in a procedure that takes about 10 to 15 minutes in a doctor’s
office. It remains in place for about six months. The FDA asked for more
information on the effect of higher doses of Probuphine, and on how
doctors would be trained to insert and remove the implant.
In March, an advisory panel to the FDA recommended the agency approve Probuphine, made by Titan Pharmaceuticals, but voiced concerns about the safety of the manufacturer’s marketing plan.
Members of the panel said they were concerned about the safety of the
company’s marketing plan, because of the potential for abuse of the
drug. They also said they were not convinced the intended dose of
Probuphine would be effective enough.
Doctors must be trained to implant the drug, and some of the FDA
advisors said they were concerned Titan had not adequately planned for
the training.
Sleep Medications Linked to Jump in Emergency Room Visits
The key ingredient in sleep medications such as Ambien has
been linked to a 220 percent jump in emergency room visits between 2005
and 2010, according to a new government report. The ingredient,
zolpidem, is also found in sleep aids including Eldular and Zolpimist, CBS News reports.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA) reports there were 6,111 visits due to the medication in 2005.
That number rose to 19,487 visits in 2010, according to the report.
Three-quarters of patients were 45 or older.
Half of emergency room visits due to zolpidem involved another
substance. In 37 percent of visits, zolpidem was combined with another
drug that depresses the central nervous system.
“Although short-term sleeping medications can help patients, it is
exceedingly important that they be carefully used and monitored,” SAMHSA
Administrator Pamela S. Hyde said in a news release.
“Physicians and patients need to be aware of the potential adverse
reactions associated with any medication, and work closely together to
prevent or quickly address any problems that may arise.”
Zolpidem is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to
treat short-term insomnia, the article notes. In January, the FDA
announced it is requiring drug makers to lower current recommended doses
of sleep medications containing zolpidem. “New data show that zolpidem
blood levels in some patients may be high enough the morning after use
to impair activities that require alertness, including driving,” the FDA
noted in a statement.
Georgia Institutes New Pain Clinic Rules to Reduce Prescription Drug Abuse
Georgia Governor Nathan Deal has signed a law that requires
pain clinics to be licensed by the state medical board, and new clinics
to be owned by physicians. The measure is designed to reduce
prescription drug abuse, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The law,
which goes into effect July 1, states pain clinics must register every
two years or face possible felony indictments. Georgia’s medical board
can deny licensing to a pain clinic for reasons including the owner’s
prior criminal conviction related to controlled substances, the article
notes.
The number of pain clinics jumped in Georgia from 10 in 2010, to 140
the following year, after Florida cracked down on its own “pill mills.”
Georgia is the ninth state to require that pain clinics be doctor-owned.
Alabama and Indiana are considering similar measures.
Georgia’s prescription-drug monitoring program, aimed at catching
people who obtain pain prescriptions from multiple physicians (known as
“doctor shopping”), will launch in mid-June. Funding for the program is
not guaranteed past this fall, the newspaper states.
In March, a report issued by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement
found the number of deaths due to oxycodone decreased by 29 percent in
the state in the first six months of 2012, compared with the second half
of the previous year. The report provides evidence Florida is
successfully fighting the prescription drug abuse epidemic, officials
said.
New Jersey Governor Signs Good Samaritan Overdose Law
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on Thursday signed into
law a measure that encourages people to report drug overdoses. The law
allows people to call 911 to report a drug overdose, without the fear of
getting arrested for drug possession themselves.
Governor Christie was joined by singer Jon Bon Jovi for the signing
of the law. Bon Jovi’s daughter overdosed at her college dorm in upstate
New York last year, but survived. Prosecutors dropped drug charges
against her and another student under that state’s Good Samaritan
overdose-reporting law, according to the Associated Press.
“What we now have is a comprehensive law we can all be proud of for
what it can achieve, the saving of a life to provide the opportunity for
individuals, their families, friends and those Good Samaritans involved
to reflect on their experience in a way that they probably would have
never reflected upon it before,” Christie said in a statement.
“A life saved from drug abuse can be a life restored. Families can be
spared the anguish of loss, a loss that could have been prevented.”
After signing the law, Governor Christie and Bon Jovi visited with patients at a drug rehabilitation center.
The governor rejected the Good Samaritan Emergency Response Act
last fall, saying it was too focused on reporting drug overdoses,
instead of deterrence. On Monday, he partially vetoed a bill that makes
the overdose antidote naloxone available to spouses, parents and
guardians of people addicted to opioid. They would be taught to
administer the drug in an emergency. He recommended that measure be
combined with the key components of the Good Samaritan bill that
protects witnesses and victims from arrest, charge, prosecution,
conviction, or revocation of parole or probation, where evidence is
obtained as a result of seeking medical assistance.
The state Senate and House both overwhelmingly approved the compromise bill.
Commentary: All Rise America! It’s National Drug Court Month
All Rise America! It’s National Drug Court
Month. The National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) is
thrilled to announce that we are once again hitting the road this May to
celebrate National Drug Court Month with an epic cross-country RV tour
of Drug Courts, Veterans Treatment Courts and DWI Courts. All Rise America!
will travel over 3,500 miles coast-to-coast to shine a spotlight on
communities that prove addicted people belong in treatment, not prison,
and that Drug Courts, DWI Courts and Veterans Treatment Courts are the
solution for saving lives, reuniting families and making communities
safer.
Every stop along the route of All Rise America! will feature
events at local treatment courts and highlight inspiring stories of
justice reform and personal recovery. Our goal is for every person in
America to know about the incredible transformations that take place day
in and day out in America’s Drug Courts, DWI Courts and Veterans
Treatment Courts. Along the way we will pass the ceremonial All Rise
Gavel, a symbol that when one person rises out of addiction and finds
recovery, we All Rise. Celebrities and national policymakers are
scheduled to appear at events along the route.
Drug Court Graduation in Santa Maria, California
We kicked things off a few days early with an incredible Drug Court
and Veterans Treatment Court graduation in Santa Maria, CA yesterday.
You can see video and pictures of this and every event on the All Rise America! blog, www.AllRiseAmerica.org.
All Rise America! is not just about the 50 Drug Courts, DWI
Courts and Veteran Treatment Courts we will connect with while on the
road. This is a celebration of the collective impact that over 2,700
treatment courts have on millions of people who suffer with addiction,
mental illness and trauma. It is a celebration for each and every person
who believes that treatment, not prison, is where addicted people
belong. But it is also a call to action. Every American should be aware
of the miracle of Drug Courts. And when they are asked if there is a
Drug Court in their town, they should demand that answer be “YES!”
There are several ways to be a part of All Rise America!
Follow every mile on the All Rise America! blog – At each event we will post videos, pictures and updates about the incredible communities we visit. Check in often.
Get social – All month long we will have tons of content on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Make sure you share them and let people know that you support Drug Court.
All Rise America! is made possible by the generous
contributions of its sponsors: Alcohol Monitoring Systems, Inc; Siemens
Healthcare Diagnostics; and Alkermes. By supporting All Rise America!,
these companies demonstrate incredible support for Drug Courts and
other treatment courts. They are helping to ensure that individuals
suffering from substance abuse disorders receive evidence-based
treatment.
West Huddleston, CEO, National Association of Drug Court Professionals
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Friday, May 3, 2013
Stop Urban Outfitters From Selling Products that Promote Prescription Drug Abuse
Urban Outfitters, the national retail store popular with teens, is currently selling pint glasses, flasks and shot glasses
made to look like prescription pill bottles. These products make light
of prescription drug misuse and abuse, a dangerous behavior that is
responsible for more deaths in the United States each year than heroin
and cocaine combined. Medicine abuse has increased 33 percent over the
past five years with one in four teens having misused or abused a
prescription drug in their lifetime. Combined with alcohol, the misuse
and abuse of prescription medications can be especially dangerous,
making the Urban Outfitter Rx pint and shot glasses and flasks even more
disturbing.
As recent research from The Partnership at Drugfree.org shows, teens
and parents alike do not understand the health risks associated with the
misuse and abuse of prescription drugs.
In fact, more than a quarter of teens mistakenly believe that misusing
and abusing prescription drugs is safer than using street drugs.
Tongue-in-cheek products that normalize and promote prescription drug
abuse only serve to reinforce the misperception about the dangers
associated with abusing medicine and put more teens at risk.
Ask Urban Outfitters to remove these products from their stores and website immediately. Feel free to use the information above to help make your point.
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR Urban Outfitters:
Send an e-mail to:
Richard A. Hayne; CEO & Chairman
richard.hayne@urbanout.com
richard.hayne@urbanout.com
Write a letter:
Urban Outfitters, Inc.
5000 South Broad St
Philadelphia, PA 19112-1495
5000 South Broad St
Philadelphia, PA 19112-1495
Sign this Facebook Causes petition:
When you take action, reply to this e-mail to let us know, share a
comment on the website post – and please forward this message to a
friend or colleague.
Join us and make your voice heard!
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for malpractice and liability insurance for individuals and agencies.
Jon Bon Jovi to appear with Christie today at 'Good Samaritan' drug overdose bill signing
By
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on May 02, 2013 at 6:00 AM, updated May 02, 2013 at 10:39 AM
Jon
Bon Jovi, who appears in this photo with his wife Dorothea Hurley at
the White House Correspondents' Association after-party Sunday, will
accompany Gov. Chris Christie today when he signs a bill shielding from
prosecution people who report a drug overdose.
PATERSON — When Gov. Chris
Christie signs the Good Samaritan Overdose Prevention Act at a drug
treatment facility in Paterson today, Jersey rocker Jon Bon Jovi will be
at his side.
Bon Jovi has lived through the trauma of a child suffering a drug
overdose. Six months ago, authorities found 19-year-old Stephanie
Bongiovi unresponsive following a heroin overdose in her Hamilton
College dormitory in upstate New York. Police later arrested her on drug
possession charges.
The Sayreville-raised musician and philanthropist has spoken publicly
about the experience, telling Katie Couric on her talk show in March he
had no idea his daughter had a drug problem. "The problem is much more
prevalent than I know. I cannot get over how many people I've met that
said 'my son' or 'my daughter' … There is a lot of pressure on kids
these days," Bon Jovi said, according to published accounts of the
interview.
"She's doing great and I appreciate everyone's thoughts and prayers.
I'm just blessed she's healthy and whole, and we'll get through it," he
added.
Christie is signing a bill that allows people to call 911 to report
someone has overdosed on drugs, without the fear of getting themselves
arrested for drug possession.
Only six months ago he had vetoed the bill, saying it didn't focus
enough on prevention and deterrence. But a group of families whose loved
ones had died from drug overdoses pleaded with the governor and the
legislature to find a compromise. They had testified at committee
hearings that overdoses often occur in the presence of other drug users,
but medical assistance is summoned only half the time because
bystanders fear arrest.
On Monday, Christie and the legislature approved a new bill that
provides immunity to 911 callers under most circumstances. But they
combined it with another measure that makes naloxone, an FDA-approved
remedy for drug overdoses, available to spouses, parents or guardians
who could be taught to administer the drug in an emergency.
Christie and Bon Jovi are first expected to tour Turning Point’s
facility at the Barnert Medical Arts Complex this afternoon before the
bill signing, according to the governor's office.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Contact Urban Outfitters to Stop Selling Products that Promote Prescription Drug Abuse
Urban Outfitters, the national retail store popular with teens, is currently selling pint glasses, flasks and shot glasses made
to look like prescription pill bottles. These products make light of
prescription drug misuse and abuse, a dangerous behavior that is
responsible for more deaths in the United States each year than heroin
and cocaine combined. Medicine abuse has increased 33 percent over the
past five years with one in four teens having misused or abused a
prescription drug in their lifetime. Combined with alcohol, the misuse
and abuse of prescription medications can be especially dangerous,
making the Urban Outfitter Rx pint and shot glasses and flasks even more
disturbing.
As
recent research from The Partnership at Drugfree.org shows, teens and
parents alike do not understand the health risks associated with the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs.
In fact, more than a quarter of teens mistakenly believe that misusing
and abusing prescription drugs is safer than using street drugs.
Tongue-in-cheek
products that normalize and promote prescription drug abuse only serve
to reinforce the misperception about the dangers associated with abusing
medicine and put more teens at risk.
Ask Urban Outfitters to remove these products from their stores and website immediately.
Feel free to use the information above to help make your point.
CONTACT INFO FOR Urban Outfitters:
Send an e-mail to:
Richard A. Hayne; CEO & Chairman
Write a letter:
Urban Outfitters, Inc.
5000 South Broad St
Philadelphia, PA 19112-1495
5000 South Broad St
Philadelphia, PA 19112-1495
Sign the Facebook Causes petition by clicking here.
When you take action, reply to this e-mail to let us know - and please forward this message to a friend or colleague.
Join us and make your voice heard!
The Partnership at Drugfree.org
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