Combining Alcohol and Energy Drinks is a Public Health Concern: Expert

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

January 27th, 2015/

Mixing alcohol and energy drinks leads to negative consequences that are a public health concern, according to a new paper. Combining the two beverages makes a person want to drink more and masks the signs of drunkenness, Time reports.

“When people mix energy drinks with alcohol, people drink more than they would if they had just consumed alcohol, which is associated with a cascade of problems,” says paper author Cecile Marczinski of Northern Kentucky University.

In Advances in Nutrition, Marczinski says drunk driving is the main public health concern. The caffeine in an energy drink makes a person look and feel more coordinated and balanced than they actually are. This leads some drinkers to believe they are not drunk, she says. Mixing alcohol and energy drinks can also lead to brain damage in teens, as well as increased emergency department visits and hospitalizations, Marczinski notes.

A study published in July 2014 found mixing energy drinks with alcohol increases the urge to drink. People who consume the mixture may drink more alcohol than they planned, according to the researchers.

Energy drink manufacturers in the United States are no longer allowed to make high-caffeine drinks with alcohol, but young people are mixing their own drinks, such as combining Red Bull and Jägermeister liquor.

A study published in 2013 concluded drinking alcohol with an energy drink is more dangerous than drinking alcohol alone. Researchers found college students tended to drink more heavily, and become more intoxicated, on days they used both energy drinks and alcohol, compared with days when they only drank alcohol.

Clinton Foundation Negotiates Lower Price for Naloxone Device for Local Groups

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

January 27th, 2015/

The Clinton Foundation announced Monday it has negotiated a lower price for a device that delivers the opioid overdose antidote naloxone. The device, called Evzio, will be available at a lower price to institutions that can distribute naloxone more widely, such as police departments and universities.

The high cost of naloxone has prevented its widespread use, The New York Times reports. In some cases, prices for the drug have increased by 50 percent or more. Naloxone reverses the effects of an overdose of heroin or opioid painkillers.

The antidote has long been used by emergency rooms and paramedics. Recently, the World Health Organization said increasing the availability of naloxone could prevent more than 20,000 deaths in the United States annually. Naloxone works quickly, without side effects.

A growing number of states have passed laws increasing access to the antidote.

As of September 2014, there were 24 states with such laws. Most of the laws allow doctors to prescribe naloxone to friends and family members of a person who abuses opioids. The laws also remove legal liability for prescribers and for those who administer naloxone.

The Clinton Health Matters Initiative, part of the Clinton Foundation, announced it had negotiated a lower price for Evzio, which is a hand-held auto-injector similar to an EpiPen. Evzio delivers a single dose of naloxone. The price, which was not disclosed, is close to what the federal government pays, the article notes.

The Food and Drug Administration approved Evzio in April 2014. It can be used by friends or relatives of a person who has overdosed. When the device is turned on, it gives verbal instructions about how to use it. The medication blocks the ability of heroin or opioid painkillers to attach to brain cells.

Almost One-Third of Women of Childbearing Age Fill Prescriptions for Opioid Painkillers

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

January 27th, 2015/

Almost one-third of women of childbearing age had an opioid painkiller prescription filled each year from 2008 to 2012, according to a new government study. These drugs can increase the risk for birth defects, The New York Times reports.

The study, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), found 39 percent of women ages 15 to 44 on Medicaid, and 28 percent of women of the same age group with private insurance, filled an opioid prescription in a pharmacy each of those years.

“These are dangerous drugs that are addictive, and we are substantially overusing them,” said CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden. He noted that women often do not know they are pregnant in the early weeks of a pregnancy, which is a crucial time for organ formation. If they take opioid painkillers, they could be “unknowingly exposing their unborn child,” he said.

Opioid painkiller exposure can raise the risk for defects in a baby’s brain, spine, heart and abdominal wall, the article notes. Babies whose mothers take opioids during pregnancy are also at risk of neonatal abstinence syndrome. A baby with the syndrome experiences symptoms of withdrawal from medications or drugs taken by a mother during pregnancy.

The researchers said it is not known why women on Medicaid had higher prescription rates than women with private insurance. “The higher opioid prescribing rates among Medicaid enrollees might be due to differences in the prescription medications covered under their health insurance plan, differences in use of health care services, or differences in the prevalence of underlying health conditions among Medicaid enrollees compared with persons covered by private health insurance,” the CDC noted in a news release.

Oxycodone, hydrocodone and codeine were the most frequently prescribed opioids for women with either public or private insurance.

Women for Sobriety, Inc. Reflections Hello WFS Friends! I thought you would like to read one of the day passages from the WFS booklet, "Reflections for Growth" that WFS's Founder, Jean Kirkpatrick, wrote.  All women using our program in their recovery are encouraged and welcomed to submit their comments on this reflection for possible publication in the March 2015 issue ofSobering Thoughts newsletter...please send them to newlife@nni.com by February 11th.  Thanks! WORRY: Why do we worry?  Usually it is because we do not believe in ourselves.  We think of ourselves as being incapable of meeting the demands that are being made upon us.  Or we worry about our children and/or husband.  Or we worry about bills lying unpaid in the checkbook.  Our we worry about our elderly parents and how to care for them. Yes, these are our worries.  They are universal.  And, certainly, we are an integral part of that universality. (This was an excerpt from "Reflections for Growth" booklet and may be purchased through the WFS Catalog - there are 12 booklets - one for each month of the year.  Copyright WFS Inc.) EXTRA EXTRA....  checking to see who actually reads through to the bottom of the emails... Because Jean always encouraged us to counter every negative with a positive (and then some!) - I am asking those who will respond with comments to the "Worry" reflection by ALSO respond with at least 5 things that make you HAPPY.  They will be added to Jean's article on "Happiness is..." for the April 2015 Sobering Thoughts Edition (or at least as many as I can fit in the newsletter!).  And to give you some encouragement, here is Jean's list: Happiness is... + Visiting my Aunt in a nursing home and seeing her smile. + Saturday morning with Sunday following. + Knowing we each have an allotted amount of time and appreciating each day. + Seeing a sunset or a sunrise anywhere on earth. + Spring, Autumn, even Winter and dull gray days. + Rescuing a stray cat from otherwise certain death. + Yellow, orange, pale blue + Smelling new-mown grass. + Living every day to the very fullest. Warm regards, Becky Fenner, WFS Director Email:  newlife@nni.com   *   Tel: 215-536-8026   *   Fax:  215-538-9026

http://www.womenforsobriety.org   *   http://www.wfscatalog.org

January 27 CHP 32 v 8 v 9 TWELVE STEPPING WITH STRENGTH FROM THE PSALMS

The Lord says ,"I will guide you along the best pathway for your life .I will advise you and watch over you. Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control."  
(GODS BIG BOOK)

STEP 3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

NEED I SAY ANYMORE!  Yes it is that simple!  

Deuteronomy 28 47-48 -Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things, therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness, and lacking everything. And he will put a yoke of iron on your neck until he has destroyed you.(GODS BIG BOOK)By Joseph Dickerson

Daily Quote

"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it." - "A Course In Miracles"

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AA Meeting - 8:00 pm CST: "12 Steps and 12 Tradiditons"

Guest Speaker - 1:00 pm CST: "Being Sober and Becoming Happy"

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January 24 CHAPTER 97 v 7 TWELVE STEPPING WITH STRENGTH FROM THE PSALMS

Those who worship idols are disgraced - all who brag about their worthless gods - for every god must bow down to HIM. (GODS BIG BOOK)

STEP 3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God.

I would like to apologize for my last two posts !Please let me explain! I have no right to push my beliefs on anyone or deny the existence of their HP. Even today's Psalm attests to the fact that there are other HPs. What I should be doing is ask all of you to examine your HP and see if trusting your life and investing your valuable time into an HP that must bow down to the GOD of everything. Today's verse states , that those who worship , pray or follow other HP s will be disgraced .When I was caught up in active addiction my life was already full of disgrace and shame, coming into recovery should not start out this way . If you have decided to take the journey into recovery then I would like to ask you to investigate your HP before you make a life changing choice . Does your HP have a book written about your life ? Does your HP know you on intimate level and all the secrets of your heart ? Did your Hp create you ? Does your Hp call you a son or daughter ? Does your Hp have a proven track record that goes back two thousand years plus in helping others live fulfilled lives. Here are some examples Moses was a murderer , David was adulterer , Rah-ab was a prostitute and the list of people is endless who put there trust in the one true GOD . If you are starting your journey in recovery and your facing step two and three all I ask is you take an educated look at your choice when it comes to your HP .

Romans 1 : 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. (GODS BIG BOOK)

By Joseph Dickerson

	RESCHEDULED TO JAN 31ST
	Life ReScripted is a (FREE!) experiential workshop that uncovers and clears unresolved issues that can undermine recovery. There are strong and compelling reasons why these issues persist. A rescripting identifies and transforms the root cause of our self-sabotaging choices & behavior. About the facilitators: Bob and Vicki met in a 12 step meeting in the late 90's and soon started a monthly gathering with others to augment their recovery. Life ReScripted was continually modified in those early gatherings and became their most effective tool. They found they were able to do deeper work in this safer environment which resulted in less struggle and lasting change. Word spread and they were invited to facilitate at 12 step and other retreats and began hosting weekends and training others to form their own circles. Their goal is for Life ReScripted to be accessible as 12 Step programs worldwide. Training is available for those interested in helping facilitate and/or starting their own circles. Congratulations to Bob on 24 years of sobriety! Requirements to attend this workshop: at least 3 months of sobriety, a support system and a commitment to be responsible and accountable for your actions and behavior within the group .  Workshop will be held Saturday, January 31 at 2:00pm - 5:00pm Dwier Center 392 Church St Yardville, NJ To view or respond to the Facebook Event Invite please click link below: Life ReScripted For questions or comments, contact: cityofangelsnj@hotmail.com

Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Professionals to Convene at CADCA Forum

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

January 22nd, 2015/

Substance abuse prevention and treatment professionals from around the nation will gather at the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America’s (CADCA) 25th Annual National Leadership Forum, February 2-5.

More than 2,500 participants are expected at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.

The forum will feature more than 70 courses to help participants learn effective strategies for addressing drug-related problems in their communities. Participants will include community drug-prevention coalitions, government leaders, youth, prevention specialists, addiction treatment professionals, addiction recovery advocates, researchers, educators, law enforcement professionals, and faith-based leaders.

Topics to be covered include prescription drug abuse, marijuana use among youth, and reducing tobacco use and underage drinking.

“More than a conference, the CADCA Forum is a national movement that brings together federal and state officials and community leaders from across the country to find solutions to our nation’s substance abuse problems. For 25 years, participants have left our forum with new ideas and strategies that they can implement in their communities to prevent and reduce youth drug use,” said CADCA Chairman and CEO Gen. Arthur T. Dean. “This year, to mark the CADCA Forum’s silver anniversary, we’re excited to welcome our nation’s top drug policy experts as well as many leaders from the fields of public health and addiction science.”

Speakers will include Michael Botticelli, Acting Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and a panel of past U.S. “drug czars”: Dr. William Bennett, Dr. Lee P. Brown, General Barry McCaffrey, John P. Walters and Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske.

Participants will hear from legislators during Capitol Hill Day on February 4. Several hundred youth will take part in CADCA’s National Youth Leadership Initiative, to learn how to become substance abuse prevention advocates and powerful community leaders.

E-Cigarette Vapor Can Contain High Concentrations of Formaldehyde: Study

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

January 22nd, 2015/

Vapor produced by e-cigarettes can contain formaldehyde at levels five to 15 times higher than regular cigarettes, a new study finds. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen, NPRreports.

Researchers from Portland State University in Oregon found formaldehyde in e-cigarettes could increase the chance the toxin will get deposited in the lung. They reported their findings in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine.

“I think this is just one more piece of evidence amid a number of pieces of evidence that e-cigarettes are not absolutely safe,” said co-author David Peyton. “We simulated vaping by drawing the vapor — the aerosol — into a syringe, sort of simulating the lungs,” he explained. The researchers then conducted a detailed analysis of the vapor.

Long-term exposure to formaldehyde is recognized as contributing to lung cancer, Peyton noted. “And so we would like to minimize contact (to the extent one can) especially to delicate tissues like the lungs.”

Gregory Conley of the American Vaping Association told NPR the researchers found formaldehyde only at e-cigarettes’ highest voltage levels. “If you hold the button on an e-cigarette for 100 seconds, you could potentially produce 100 times more formaldehyde than you would ever get from a cigarette,” he said. “But no human vaper would ever vape at that condition, because within one second their lungs would be incredibly uncomfortable.”

Peyton argues many people use the high settings on e-cigarettes. “As I walk around town and look at people using these electronic cigarette devices it’s not difficult to tell what sort of setting they’re using,” he said. “You can see how much of the aerosol they’re blowing out. It’s not small amounts. It’s pretty clear to me that at least some of the users are using the high levels.”

Best of this week from Choose Help When Your Loved Ones Keep Relapsing Supporting those who keep going back out: how to maintain hope and effectively cope when a loved one just can't seem to stay sober. I've always hated it when folks refer to themselves as a "chronic relapser." It's not just a statement about their past; it's also a prediction of their future. For as much as I seek to challenge the thinking of those active in addiction, I have sympathy for the overwhelmingly painful form of powerlessness experienced by those who love them. After a sufficient number of crises, treatments, rehabs, and heartbreaks, many of us reach a point where continuing to have hope just feels like we're asking for disappointment. This is an easy place to get stuck emotionally. Assuming that we're not enabling, how do we maintain hope and effectively cope when our loved ones just can't seem to stay sober? Cumulative Recovery Every period of sobriety matters. I've served countless folks who have a number they can't get past. It's a pattern that gets perpetuated by relapse at a relatively fixed benchmark. For some it's 30, 60 or 90 days. The most common interval I've seen is six months. There's only so far a person can go in recovery without meaningfully soliciting and accepting support. For many of us, self destruction is what we do when we don't know what to do. Relapse: It's quick, efficient, and we do it very well. It's like hitting a reset button. I've gone as far as I'm confident going. I'm left with the choice of going into unchartered waters or returning to my comfort zone. The addict and affected other (those who love the addict) tend to take an extremely negative view of this cycle. The opportunity is to consider that something is gained in every period of abstinence and nothing that is learned, healed or implemented is ever more than temporarily lost. The question becomes: What's Going to be Different This Time? This must not be a rhetorical question. Breaking recurring patterns has to be done with careful planning and a high degree of accountability. Expecting that your loved one demonstrate responsibility is healthy. Demanding that they ensure a different outcome is not. None of us can offer guarantees. At the same time, we are free to ask ourselves what we need to change: Have we set healthy boundaries? Are there forms of support we could be offering? Most importantly, are we getting support for ourselves? This is the most overlooked aspect of the journey for most of the families I've served. Many seek professional support but fail to recognize the value of accessing Al-Anonand Nar-Anon. It's Ok to Be Angry In fact, whatever you feel is okay. A lot of us feel ashamed to find how upset we are with our friend . It's uncomfortable to resent someone you love. Many of us go to great lengths to hide it, which means resentments fester and pressure builds within us. This is not only a disservice to ourselves, it is also a very subtle form of enabling. Better to: Communicate Clearly & Honestly One of the best services we can provide for both active addicts and people in recovery is to simply be honest and direct. It's very healthy for us to share our experiences and hopes as long as we do so without expectations. This means no nagging, no coercion, and no pleading. I suggest giving straightforward feedback when asked, and asking permission to share in other circumstances. Using "I statements" is often our best strategy. Counselors recommend these because they are the least likely to elicit a defensive response. When we say, "You need..." or"You always..." we can watch the walls of our loved ones go up. When we talk about what we want, feel, and need, defenses are not necessary (though sometimes they come up any way). The best we can do is control our delivery. When You Just Want to Give Up First and foremost, it's understandable. I encourage people in recovery and affected others alike to stay away from words like "always" and "never." Doing things once and for all is rarely a good idea. If we need to take some time for ourselves, that's very healthy and it's good to communicate that we will be unavailable for a time. We can offer either a fixed amount of time or simply indicate that we will be in contact when we are ready to communicate again. I urge folks to consider what needs to change so that we can feel safe in reaching out again. Alas, there are times when we must "detach with love." We sometimes come to a point where the person we once knew is no longer at all present. The disease of addiction claims many long before death. Even here, my bias is not to give up. If we can offer any lifeline at all, this is preferable. If your loved one has become violent, abusive, or otherwise unsafe, I urge you to wait for evidence that they are approachable. Sadly, this often means a call from jail, prison, hospital or psych ward. May your hopes and prayers be answered soon! Read in browser »   Recent featured articles: "Am I an Alcoholic?" Dealing with Issues of Confidentiality in Residential Addiction Treatment Understanding "Powerlessness" and Why Acceptance Liberates You Learning to Forgive Yourself and Let Go of Guilt and Shame New Year's Introspection: About Taking Stock of Our Progress And, as always, thank you for reading! All the best to you and yours, Martin Schoel, founder of Choose Help P.S. If you’d like to dive into the conversation, make sure to follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook (40K+ people do). FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO A LOVED ONE Do you or someone you know need rehab? Click or 'Tap' to speak with us now: (877) 333-5266

Best of the Week: January 17–23 COMING UP IN THE FIX// How to Recover from Recovery * Wildest Gambling Losses of All Time * To AA or Not To AA: a Debate Between Lance Dodes and Joseph Nowinski * New Pro Voices * Getting High on Our Own Supply * Changes *Ask an Expert * New Rehab Reviews * PLUS: Other incisive articles ACT NOW// Seven Steps to Fix the Opioid Addiction Crisis Now We already have most of the tools we need. By Dr. Richard Juman NO REGRETS// Not So Golden Hollywood's award season brings up ghosts of the past—what might have been, where I am now, and, finally, how lucky I am. By Malina Saval HIGH SOCIETY// 2014—The Year in Celebrity Drug Stories From bizarre product placements to tragic deaths, The Fixlooks at 15 of the most prominent celebrity drug-related stories of 2014. By McCarton Ackerman WILD TREATMENT// Can Horses and Dolphins Help You Kick the Habit? Animal-assisted therapy may not be the first thing you think of when it comes to recovery. It works, but how effectively? By Jeanene Swanson GOOD LAUGH// Joe Sober's Guide to the 12 Steps I'm gonna hypnotize you back to joy. By Joe Sober   BEST OF THE QUICK FIX One Year After Obama-Ordered Release, Former Drug Prisoner Finds New Career 'Big Bang Theory' Star Kaley Cuoco Admits to Nasal Spray Addiction Pot-Infused Sex Lubricant Company Expands to Colorado Workaholics More Susceptible to Risky Drinking Will Israel’s Ban on Underweight Models Have Any Impact on Eating Disorders? Taiwan Gamer Dies After Three-Day Gaming Binge COMMENT OF THE WEEK A Real Pain This week, Dr. Richard Juman discussed how we can end the opioid crisis now. Readers agreed that our current measures cause more problems than they solve: This is already impacting the people with severe chronic pain. Even people under the care of pain management specialists are finding all kinds of barriers in the way of getting their medicine at pharmacies. They're holding up dispensing drugs so the person who is on a stable maintenence dose who misses a few days winds up in agony and has to take higher doses for a while just to get the pain under control. And of course, if you go to the ER you're accused of drug seeking behavior. Do you know, according to NIH, there are virtually no studies longer than 16 weeks on long term use of opiates for chronic pain. There are people who are better treated with other drugs that are not opiates like amitriotyline for neurogenic pain, genuine muscle relaxants like tizanidine) and God knows if insurance paid for maintenance physical therapy instead of demanding improvent in each session that would be of great help in avoiding opiates. But for some people opiates are all there is at this time. And even for conditions like neurogenic pain better trated with other drugs, there is the phenominon of breakthrough pain, which may well require opiates. -Camilla Cracchiolo, RN MORE »