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"In the last analysis, the individual person is responsible for living his own life and for 'finding himself.' If he persists in shifting his responsibility to somebody else, he fails to find out the meaning of his own existence." - Thomas Merton

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Teens Who Feel Less Favored By Parents More Likely to Use Drugs, Alcohol: Study

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

September 18th, 2014/

Teens who feel their parents favor their siblings over them are more likely to use alcohol, drugs and tobacco, a new study finds.

“There’s this cultural perception that you need to treat your children the same, or at least fairly,” lead researcher Alex Jensen of Brigham Young University told NPR. “But if kids perceive that it’s not fair, that’s when issues start to arise.”

The researchers studied 282 teenage sibling pairs, ages 12 to 17. He asked each participant how their parents treated their children overall, whether any sibling was favored, and how the family functioned.

They found an association between feeling less favored and substance abuse. Teens were more likely to abuse substances if they felt less favored and were in a family that was not particularly close. The more they felt slighted, the more likely they were to use alcohol, drugs or tobacco.

Teens in these disengaged families who felt less favored were almost twice as likely to use alcohol, cigarettes or drugs. If the preferential treatment was perceived to be extreme, the less favored child was 3.5 times more likely to use any of these substances, the researchers found.

In families in which members were more engaged with one another, teens who felt less favored were less likely to abuse substances.

“It’s not just how you treat them differently, but how your kids perceive it,” Jensen said in anews release. “Even in the case where the parents treated them differently, those actual differences weren’t linked to substance use – it was the perception.”

The study appears in the Journal of Family Psychology.

Jensen advises parents to try to minimize any bad effects of perceived favoritism. “See them as individuals and love them for who they are. Show them how you love them. Hopefully you do, but try to communicate that love.”

Football Players Will be Tested for Human Growth Hormone Under New Plan

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

September 18th, 2014/

Football players will be tested for human growth hormone (HGH) under a new drug-testing plan agreed upon by the National Football League (NFL) and the players union. The plan has been in the works for several years, The New York Times reports.

The plan also includes a higher threshold for a positive marijuana test. Under the new plan, a positive marijuana test will require 35 nanograms of THC per milliliter in a player’s urine, compared with the previous limit of 15. Players who test positive for amphetamines for the first time in the off-season will be referred to the league’s substance abuse program, instead of being suspended. No agreement has been reached on new terms for the substance abuse program, the article notes.

Appeals for positive test violations will be heard by an independent arbitrator, not an appeals officer appointed by the league. Up to five arbitrators will be selected, approved and paid for jointly by the NFL and the union.The plan will require a player to be suspended for two games if they are convicted of, or plead guilty to, violating laws involving drinking and driving.

To address privacy concerns, the plan calls for fines of as much as $500,000 for any NFL, union or team employee who is found to have disclosed information about drug violations. Players, agents and drug policy administrators can also be fined.

HGH testing should begin by the end of the month, and will be fully implemented this season, according to the NFL.

September is National Recovery Month.      We need you more than ever.

September 18, 2014

Dear Subscribers, September is National Recovery Month, a time when we celebrate individuals who have bravely navigated the difficult and often devastating path of addiction.   For many of our Join Together subscribers, we know that recovery is something you are focused on not just this month, but every day of the year. We are as well, providing a place for those in recovery – like Ricky, Trena and Joshua – to share their stories and a chance to connect with our community who supports them. Every day, we take calls from people across the country looking for help for a loved one, giving them the tools they need to find and maintain sobriety. We look for your support this month to keep these efforts going. We want to reach even more individuals who are struggling with addiction, giving them a place to come together, get help and share hope.   Let’s celebrate together those overcoming their addiction, and please help us continue our commitment to recovery by making a donation today.

September 18 v 12 v 13 TWELVE STEPPING WITH STRENGTH FROM THE PSALMS

Restore to me the joy of your salvation ,and make me willing to obey you .

Then I will teach your ways to rebels ,and they will return to you .

STEP 11 - Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood God, praying only for knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry that out.

Six weeks clean time and I am ready to sponsor . I have seen many fall due to this misguided thinking .Six weeks clean time is a lot but enough too help others . If you have the slightest doubt about reaching out then you need to wait . Believe me and beware they are plenty of people in the rooms who are not there for sobriety .They are very much still in the game and looking for another victim .Give yourself one year with a good sponsor ! Pray everyday for what the Psalm states a willingness to obey God . Work the steps , I cant tell you enough how important the steps are. This is why I write what I write ,I am trying to stress the importance of the steps. I know you feel awesome and I am glad and I know you wanna give back and that's great but you gotta take it slow . Just because you can say the word recovery does not mean you have been recovered .

Galations 6:1 - Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

By Joseph Dickerson

This week on the Addict's Mom Live Video Online Meetings on In the Rooms, W Have Extra Some Extra Special Guests!! Our very own Addict's Mom members reading letters, poems, songs, blog entries they wrote about addiction. Grab a box of tissues and jo...in us!!

All loved ones react to and deal with the addicts in their lives in different ways. Some of us express our thoughts and feelings in creative ways to help ourselves and sometimes to help others who are feeling the same way. During this week's online video meeting (Thursday night7Pm EST) on intherooms.com, some of the members on the Addict's Mom will share their letters, poems, songs, blog entries, with the Addict's Mom audience. 

We hope you will participate in the discussion during the second half of the meeting and share with our group your feelings about these "creations", your reactions, and maybe about something you've created to help you with your situation. 

Remember you can remain anonymous also while you on in the rooms join the Addict's Mom group here is the linkhttp://www.intherooms.com/group/view?gid=1806 See More

Remember when you sign into In the Rooms use Google Chrome of Firefox they are best to access the live online video meetings.

Visit The Addict's Mom at: http://addictsmom.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

Deaths Due to Prescription Painkiller Overdoses Slowing Down: Report

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

September 16th, 2014/

Deaths from prescription painkillers are rising at a slower pace than in years past, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports. Prescription painkiller overdose deaths rose by 3 percent from 2007 to 2011, compared with 18 percent each year from 1999 through 2006, according to USA Today.

The CDC, in a report released this week, said opioids including hydrocodone, morphine and oxycodone were involved in 11,693 drug-poisoning deaths in 2011, up from 2,749 deaths in 1999.

The report noted benzodiazepines are involved in a growing number of opioid-related deaths. Benzodiazepines were involved in 31 percent of opioid-related deaths in 2011, up from 13 percent in 1999. The number of drug-poisoning deaths involving methadone, used to treat opioid dependency and pain, increased from 784 deaths in 1999 to 5,518 deaths in 2007 and then declined to 4,418 deaths in 2011.

In 2006,the Food and Drug Administration urged doctors to use caution when prescribing methadone to patients who are not used to the drug, and that patients take the drug exactly as directed. Two years later, methadone manufacturers agreed to limit distribution of large volumes of the drug, the article notes.

In the past decade, adults ages 55 to 64 and non-Hispanic whites experienced the greatest increase in the rates of prescription painkiller poisoning deaths.

In an effort to reduce prescription drug abuse, the Drug Enforcement Administration recently announced it will reclassify hydrocodone combination products such as Vicodin. Under the new rules, patients will be able to receive the drugs for only up to 90 days without receiving a new prescription.

Hydrocodone combination products will be classified as Schedule II drugs. Currently these products are Schedule III drugs, meaning they can be refilled up to five times, and prescriptions can cover a 180-day period.

Accidental Ingestion of Buprenorphine a Danger to Young Children: Study

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

September 16th, 2014/

Buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid addiction, is the prescription drug most commonly implicated in emergency hospitalizations of young children, according to a new study. The drug poses a danger to children who find and accidentally swallow relatives’ prescriptions, the Associated Press reports.

The study, published in Pediatrics, found for every 100,000 patients prescribed buprenorphine, 200 children ages 6 and younger were hospitalized for ingesting it. That rate is four times higher than the rate for the next most commonly ingested drug, a blood pressure medication. In total, almost 800 young children are hospitalized annually after swallowing buprenorphine.

Lead researcher Dr. Daniel Budnitz of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told the AP that recent drug-packaging changes may help reduce the risks of accidental buprenorphine ingestion by children.

In 2013, the company that makes Suboxone (a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone), said the drug would no longer be available in tablet form because of the risk of children becoming poisoned after swallowing the drug. The company switched to making a film version of the medication, which is put under the tongue. According to the AP, generic Suboxone tablets are still available.

Buprenorphine can help reduce drug cravings and withdrawal symptoms without producing a narcotic “high,” the AP reports. In children, the drug can cause sedation, dangerously slowed breathing and vomiting.

New Portable Method to 

Detect “Bath Salts” Being Developed

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

September 16th, 2014/

British researchers are developing a new method to detect synthetic drugs known as “bath salts,” PBS NewsHour reports. The researchers say the method is low-cost, disposable and quick. It could someday be used in a handheld sensor to detect bath salts, the researchers explain in the journal Analytical Chemistry.

Although bath salts have been banned in the United States, they are still sold in some retail shops and online disguised as household products including stain remover, toilet bowl cleaner or plant food, the article notes.

Bath salts can be taken by mouth, inhaled or injected. Adverse effects of bath salts include heart and blood vessel problems, depression, suicidal thoughts, psychosis and death.

The suggested technique to test for bath salts uses mercury, which is toxic, the article notes. The new method uses a mercury-free electrode. It could be the basis for the first portable, onsite testing device for bath salts. The researchers tested their method on bath salts bought online. They reported the accuracy of their results matched that of established methods for identifying bath salts.

Tens of thousands of emergency room visits and several deaths have been attributed to bath salts, the researchers noted in a press release.

Percentage of Positive Drug Tests in Workers Increased For First Time in a Decade

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

September 16th, 2014/

For the first time in more than 10 years, the percentage of positive drug tests among American workers has increased, according to a company that conducts the tests. The increase is fueled by a rise in use of marijuana and amphetamines, Quest Diagnosticsfound.

The findings come from an analysis of 8.5 million drug test results. The positive drug test result rate increased to 3.7 percent in 2013, compared with 3.5 percent in 2012. It is the first time the positive rate for national workplace urine drug tests has increased since 2003, the company reported.

In Colorado, marijuana was detected in 20 percent more employment-related drug tests performed by Quest during the first year recreational use of the drug was legal, The Coloradoan reports. “While it’s interesting, and it could be a harbinger for things to come, I think it’s a little too early to draw conclusions at this point,” Dr. Barry Sample, Director of Science and Technology at Quest Diagnostics Employer Solutions, told the newspaper. Sample said he did not see evidence that employers are changing their drug-screening patterns to reflect Colorado’s legalization law.

In Washington state, where recreational use of marijuana has also been legalized, Quest found a 23 percent increase in drug tests that were positive for marijuana. In contrast, the company found an increase of 6.2 percent nationally.

Employers in Colorado are getting mixed messages about how to deal with employees who use marijuana. While recreational use of marijuana is legal for adults in the state, it remains illegal under federal law. Under Colorado state law, employers can ban use of marijuana at work. Another state law prohibits employers from dismissing workers for engaging in lawful activities off the premises of the business during nonworking hours.

	Hello , Because you’ve registered to receive PACT360 community education materials, I want to let you know about a new informative toolkit from the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. The Partnership is teaming up with Major League Baseball Charities for a special “Play Healthy” program designed to help coaches, parents, teachers and all concerned adults help young people make healthy decisions and prevent them from abusing performance-enhancing substances and prescription drugs. The Play Healthy Toolkit contains a DVD, a discussion guide and handouts that anyone can use to educate themselves and others about the risks of abusing performance-enhancing substances and other drugs. The Toolkit is free of charge and available in English and Spanish. It also contains nomination forms for the Commissioner’s Play Healthy Award, which celebrates and recognizes one youth sports coach and one student athlete who embody the spirit of teamwork, dedication, leadership and a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. To receive your free Play Healthy Toolkits, e-mail Kevin Collins at kevin_collins@drugfree.org. Please specify the number of English and Spanish kits you would like to receive and your contact information, including e-mail and phone number. I hope you and your community will make use of this important resource.   Kevin Collins Deputy Director, Community Education The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids
We're here to help. Call our Parents Toll-Free Helpline 1-855-DRUGFREE (1-855-378-4373)            DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE. Messages sent to this email address are not read. If you have a question or comment, please use our interactive online help system. Subscribe to our RSS feeds. To prevent mailbox filters from deleting mailings from Drugfree.org, add thepartnership@drugfree.org to your address book. Partnership for Drug-Free Kids | 352 Park Avenue South | Ninth Floor | New York, NY 10010 Forward to a Friend unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences | view email in browser

Like us on Facebook                      www.councilsepa.org               Follow us on Twitter       The Council, PRO-ACT and DBHIDS are pleased to invite you to a FREE SHOWING of this special film  in honor and recognition of Recovery Month!!  COMMUNITY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH 801 Market Street, 11th Floor Large Conference Room Philadelphia, PA 19107   THIS FRIDAY, Sept. 19, 2014  Noon to 2:30pm     To view the trailer, click here   Film Begins at noon followed by a Panel Discussion.     Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and comment. GREAT EVENT TO GET THE PHILADELPHIA RECOVERY COMMUNITY READY FOR THE WALK THIS SATURDAY!! To register:    https://theanonymouspeopledbhids.eventbrite.com For more information contact Andrea Brooks at andrea.brooks@phila.gov  or call 215-413-3100, x 6238 www.councilsepa.org

Use of Drugs and 

Alcohol Among Teens Declines Again

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

September 17th, 2014/

The rate of drug and alcohol use among American teens continues to decline, a new government study indicates. Teens’ use of tobacco also dropped, The Washington Postreports.

The rate of current illicit drug use among teens ages 12 to 17 was 8.8 percent in 2013, compared with 9.5 percent in 2012, and 11.6 percent in 2002. The 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) also found between 2002 and 2013, the level of teens with substance dependence or abuse problems decreased from 8.9 percent to 5.2 percent.

Between 2002 and 2013, teens’ rate of regular alcohol use declined from 17.6 percent to 11.6 percent. During that period, marijuana use among teens ages 12 to 17 also declined. Teens’ recreational use of prescription painkillers decreased as well.

The NSDUH is an annual survey of a nationally representative sample of about 70,000 Americans ages 12 and older. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released the report as part of its 25th annual observance of National Recovery Month.

Many Americans who need treatment for a substance use disorder are not receiving specialty treatment, the report indicates. While 22.7 million Americans 12 and older needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol use problem last year, only 2.5 million received it in a facility designed to treat substance use disorders.

“This report shows that we have made important progress in some key areas, but that we need to rejuvenate our efforts to promote prevention, treatment and recovery, to reach all aspects of our community,” SAMHSA Administrator Pamela Hyde said in an agency news release.

Online Initiative Aims to Reduce Prescription Drug Abuse

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

September 17th, 2014/

An online initiative designed to reduce prescription drug abuse is beginning to gain steam after launching in 2010, according to The Washington Post.

The initiative, called Electronic Prescribing for Controlled Substances (EPCS), is a rule by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that allows pharmacies and care providers to handle prescriptions for controlled substances that are designated Schedule II-V entirely online. The program is voluntary.

Schedule II drugs include oxycodone and fentanyl. The DEA recently announced it willreclassify hydrocodone combination products such as Vicodin from Schedule III to Schedule II.

The system reduces reliance on paper prescriptions, which decreases the risk of forged prescriptions, the article notes. The system also generates information that allows doctors and pharmacies to identify potential cases of drug misuse. New York launched a new online prescribing system last summer, which helped identify 200 incidents of “doctor shopping” in the first three days, according to the newspaper.

The launch of EPCS has been slow for several reasons. States have had to change their laws to align with the DEA rule, and had to ensure the prescribing networks were secure. In the past year, electronic prescriptions for controlled substances have started to increase, according to data from DrFirst, a vendor of EPCS technology. The number of EPCS transactions increased from about 11,000 in January 2013 to 60,000 in July 2014.

Surescripts, the company that operates the largest e-prescribing network, found as of August, 50 percent of pharmacies were able to electronically prescribe controlled substances, up from around 40 percent at the end of 2013. Implementation of the program has been uneven, ranging from 74 percent of pharmacies in Delaware to 15 percent in North Dakota.

Starting in March, New York will be the first state to require controlled substances to be prescribed electronically.

College Tries New Ways to Reduce Binge Drinking

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

September 17th, 2014/

Colleges are looking for new ways to reduce binge drinking, as part of initiatives to reduce campus sexual assaults, NPR reports.

Frostburg State University in Maryland and city police agreed in 2012 to joint jurisdiction. This allows campus police to patrol off campus, looking for house parties. The university helps to pay overtime costs for state, county, city and campus police near the school. “We know there’s going to be underage drinking,” said Frostburg State University police officer Derrick Pirolozzi. “We can’t card everybody. But we want to make sure everybody does it the right way and safe way.” The aim is to prevent bad behavior before it starts.

“The thing that’s so striking to me is that many universities perceive [binge drinking] as an intractable problem and that there’s nothing they can do,” Jonathan Gibralter, president of Frostburg State University, told NPR. When he became president in 2006, the party scene was “out of control,” he said.

In addition to the joint patrols, the school has instituted more Friday morning classes to discourage students from drinking on Thursday nights. Gibralter was instrumental in passing Maryland’s ban on the sale of grain alcohol. The school has received a state grant to form a coalition with police, city officials, parents and business leaders to reduce underage drinking.

Gilbralter has been surprised by the parents and alumni who say they drank in college and don’t see it as a big problem. “When I tell parents that 1,800-plus college students drink themselves to death every year, they are stunned,” he said. “They have no idea.”

The changes seem to be having an effect. Since 2006 the share of Frostburg students who binge drink at least once every two weeks has decreased from 57 to 41 percent, the university says. The average number of drinks students have weekly has dropped from eight to four.

Medication Misuse a Rising Problem in Seniors: Experts

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

September 17th, 2014/

Medication misuse is an increasing problem in seniors as Baby Boomers age, according to experts. Many older patients develop addictions to prescription drugs, says David Oslin, professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine.

Older patients often misuse drugs because they continue to take them long after the medications stop being effective, Dr. Oslin told The Wall Street Journal. “Unfortunately, it’s much easier to take a pill than to exercise or routinely train health-care workers to properly treat the pain, anxiety, and insomnia often experienced by older adults,” he said.

Doctors may not recognize the potential for addiction in their older patients, according to James Huysman, a psychologist and a senior clinical consultant at the Hanley Center, a drug-treatment center in West Palm Beach, Florida. “Physicians who work in a fee-for-service system and are traditionally paid by procedure are pressed for time, and too often write prescriptions in the interest of time management without knowing the necessary behavioral health background of a patient,” he says. Doctors may end up prescribing potentially addictive drugs to people with a history of addiction, or who have a high risk for addiction.

When seniors take opioids or anti-anxiety medications for too long, they are at risk of cognitive decline and depression, as well as addiction, the article notes. Older patients who take a variety of drugs for their many medical conditions are at risk for potentially dangerous drug interactions. A dosage that is appropriate for a younger person may be too much for an elderly person.

The University of Pennsylvania has joined with a state pharmacy-assistance program to improve results for older patients prescribed anti-anxiety medications, antidepressants and antipsychotics prescribed by non-psychiatrists. Preliminary results suggest patients in the program show improvement in depression symptoms, and have better overall emotional well-being.

	Dear Joseph,   September is National Recovery Month, a time when we celebrate individuals who have bravely navigated the difficult and often devastating path of addiction. At the Partnership, we provide a place for those in recovery – like Ricky, Trena and Joshua – to share their stories and a chance to connect with our community who supports them. Every day, we take calls from people across the country looking for help for a loved one, giving them the tools they need to find and maintain sobriety. We need your support this month to keep these efforts going. We want to reach even more individuals who are struggling with addiction, giving them a place to come together, get help and share hope. We hope you’ll join us in celebrating those overcoming their addiction, and help us continue our commitment to recovery by making a donation today.
We're here to help. Call our Parents Toll-Free Helpline 1-855-DRUGFREE (1-855-378-4373)            DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE. Messages sent to this email address are not read. If you have a question or comment, please use our interactive online help system. Subscribe to our RSS feeds. To prevent mailbox filters from deleting mailings from Drugfree.org, add thepartnership@drugfree.org to your address book. Partnership for Drug-Free Kids | 352 Park Avenue South | Ninth Floor | New York, NY 10010 unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences | view email in browser