Wednesday, January 28, 2015

 
 January 27, 2015                                                                                                          Volume 2., No. 23
Writers In TreatmentREEL Recovery Film FestivalAddiction/Recovery eBulletin WebsiteTestimonials
The Bus Stops Here
     L.A. City Council Bans Alcohol Ads
                 at City Bus Stops   

Members of the Coalition to Ban Alcohol Ads on Public Property In Los Angeles say they have spent the past three years trying to get this ordinance passed.  Los Angeles now joins other cities like San Francisco and Seattle in banning alcohol-related advertising on city property. "This is the last city, county or transit district in California that will get rid of alcohol ads on its public property," said Bruce Livingston, Alcohol Justice's Executive Director and CEO.
Live Stream w/ William Cope Moyers   

The Legacy of Betty Ford:  
Women in Recovery
Saturday January 31, 9:30 AM PST
A Walk in the Park
The Likely Cause of Addiction Discovered  

"I learned it from an extraordinary mixture of people I met on my travels. From the surviving friends of Billie Holiday, who helped me to learn how the founder of the war on drugs stalked and helped to kill her. From a Jewish doctor who was smuggled out of the Budapest ghetto as a baby, only to unlock the secrets of addiction as a grown man."
CONTINUED @ HuffingtonPost.com
Just What The Doctor Ordered   
     Future Moms Using Painkillers 

More than 25% of women who might become pregnant are getting prescriptions for opioid painkillers, such as Vicodin and OxyContin, that can cause birth defects and other serious problems early in pregnancy. Taking them early in pregnancy is dangerous. "They're deadly, addictive and they cause birth defects," CDC Director Tom Frieden said.
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Try Anything
   Researchers Test Anti-Cocaine Vaccine    

In a decades-long search for a vaccine that could fight drug abuse, scientists came upon one that can potentially annul the addictive buzz of cocaine. The vaccine, which was reported in the journal Molecular Pharmaceutics onDec. 22, was developed by researchers from The Scripps Research Institute in California. It works by tapping on the natural immune system of the body to reduce the high produced by cocaine.
Where 2 or More Are Gathered  For Coffee 
      Cafe Therapy To Treat Alcoholics
           and Addicts in Bucharest
   

Cafe Therapy is the first cafe in Romania that will help alcoholics and drug addicts treat their addictions.It will open soon in Bucharest. Cafe Therapy, financed by European contributions, will be launched by the ALIATAssociation through a bigger project to prevent and treat people who abuse alcohol and drugs. Alcohol consumption and smoking will be forbidden in the cafe. There will also be the presence of social workers and psychologists.
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Detox With Dignity Now  
There's Always One
         Addiction Counselor Charged                             with Drug Trafficking    

Members of the Major Crimes Task Force  said Tuesday that they have arrested an addiction counselor for selling drugs to an undercover officer. Roberta Payne, 52, was charged with aggravated trafficking in drugs. The Ohio Attorney General said Payne was arrested Fridayevening  after she allegedly sold more than 2,000 morphine pills and 30 milligrams of liquid morphine to the undercover officer. "What is particularly disappointing is that a person who has been placed in a position of trust apparently abused that trust by using her job for illegal activities which are counterproductive to her position," said Police Chief Patterson.
The Odds are Pretty Good   

       NEW Article by Michael Burke
  More Gambling Does Lead to More                         Gambling Addiction   

I just finished the article entitled "More Gambling Does Not Lead to More Gambling Addiction." The premise for the article is, "Despite an increase in gambling opportunities, rates of problem gambling remained stable." This survey showed the rate of problem gamblers remained in the 3.5 to 5.5 percent range and pathological rate in the 1.0 to 2.4 range.  Although this number is a small percentage of the adult population of the United States, it is a large number of people, representing between 12.5 million and 20 million adults.
Bridges To Recovery

His House & Her Creation Treatment   
Fallen Angel
   Dallas Taylor, Drummer for Crosby, Stills,             Nash & Young, Dies at 66    


Dallas Taylor, a rock 'n' roll drummer who played behind David Crosby,Stephen Stills and Graham Nash, among other big names, and who overcame desperate addictions to drugs and alcohol to become a counselor for other addicts, died on Jan. 18 in Los Angeles. He was 66. But his real feat was overcoming addiction, and counseling others in recovery. David Crosby wrote: "I use Dallas as an example when I'm speaking about surviving the drug experience. I think he wound up being a hell of a good example." Memorial, Jan. 30, 3:00 PM, Brentwood Presbyterian, 12000 San Vicente, L.A., CA 90049
CONTINUED @ New York Times
Recovery 2.0 Conference   


Hear Leonard Buschel and 30 more speakers talk about ways to #MoveBeyond addiction and thrive in recovery. Sign up today and invite a friend.
Twelve Promises: Rewards of Recovery

Brandi's Wish     
Abandoned Forever
       Police Find 2-Year-Old After Mom
       Dies From Overdose

Police detectives are credited with tracking down a 2-year-old girl who was found alone in an apartment after her mother died of a presumed heroin overdose. A Cleveland police spokesman said on Thursday
 that three detectives from the heroin-involved death investigation team responded to a call about a woman dead inside a car this week.
Taking Steps     
Deaths From Heroin Galvanizing Leaders In Maryland And Virginia   

Political leaders in Annapolis and Richmond are searching for ways to combat a wave of heroin overdoses that is killing dozens of their constituents each month - in inner-city neighborhoods, suburbs and rural enclaves. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R)  declared reducing heroin use a priority, putting lieutenant gov. in charge of finding solutions. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) introduced a package of heroin-related bills in the past week...
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It's  A Crime
New Drug Law May Mean More Deaths    

Faced with years of soaring overdoses, Orange County leaders are directing more money to drug treatment centers - but a new law is emptying the very beds the county hopes to fill, and experts fear an increase in deaths. After November's voter-approved proposition that classifies drug-related and other nonviolent crimes as misdemeanors rather than felonies, officials report dramatic drops in the number of people seeking government-funded treatment.
Jail Can Be Hazardous to Your Health   
      Pediatricians Say Don't Lock Up
      Teenagers For Using Marijuana
   

On Monday, the American Academy of Pediatrics revised its policy on medical marijuana, saying pediatricians should avoid prescribing it to children until more research is done, except in cases where patients are suffering from chronic, debilitating conditions. The pediatrics group is also recommending the decriminalization of weed.
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Finally, Essential Education
          Risk of Painkiller Abuse Now
       Required Subject in Ohio Schools    

A new law requires Ohio schools to teach children about the dangers of prescription painkillers, a leading gateway drug to heroin abuse. Nationally, 1 in 5 high-school students uses painkillers without a prescription, while about half of young people who get hooked on heroin became addicted to prescription painkillers first, the Dayton Daily News reported.  "Most people don't realize that prescription opioids and heroin are close cousins, and heroin use is simply a later phase of the same addiction," the lawmakers testified in support of the bill. CONTINUED @ Dispatch.com 
Breaking Bad in Brisbane   
Australia Facing Meth Crisis  

Australian seizures of methampheta- mine have increased almost 10 times in the last few years. In 2011 there were 44 amphetamine-like substances seized. In 2014, there were 415. Police raided almost 750 meth labs last year and expect to raid many more in 2015. Most labs were discovered in rural areas, but police have conducted busts in motel rooms, shipping containers and truck beds.
Frequency AND Duration
Daily Drinking Increases Risk of Cirrhosis    

Approximately 170,000 people die from alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver in Europe every year. Although alcohol is the most important risk factor, less is known about the significance of different patterns of drinking. Investigators have now established that alcohol drinking pattern has a significant influence on the risk of cirrhosis and that daily drinking increases that risk compared with drinking less frequently.
Shameless Commercial TV Gossip VIDEO   
Kim Richards: I'm "Strong in My Sobriety Today" After Pills From Doctor VIDEO   

Kim Richards thinks that poker night episode of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills should be renamed "Awkward" - and we have to agree. "From the limo to the spa to the wine tasting, there was literally alcohol everywhere in this episode," Kim writes. "But I am so strong in my sobriety today and know how to handle situations like this. I removed myself from the situation and was fine the whole trip."


Combining Alcohol and Energy Drinks is a Public Health Concern: Expert
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
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
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   *   Tel215-536-8026   *   Fax:  215-538-9026
http://www.womenforsobriety.org   *   http://www.wfscatalog.org

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

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"


Today's Online Meetings
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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The Addicts Mom Addiction Educational Series is dedicated to getting Drug Awareness into our schools.
We believe educating young minds and continuing to educate during their formative school years may lead to better choices.
We want children to "STOP and THINK"....
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Created by Barbara Theodosiou and Debbie Gross Longo (TAM Director of Education)

Saturday, January 24, 2015



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