Parental involvement in educating their kids about drugs and alcohol has been shown to reduce the incidence of kids’ substance abuse by 50 percent. Now a study conducted by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University has found that the more often kids eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink and use drugs. A new company is now preparing dinners for families to encourage this practice. I don’t know their prices, but you can be sure it’s less expensive than drug rehab.

With billions of dollars being spent to fight the war on drugs both locally and internationally, I find it refreshing and encouraging to know that the most effective deterrent is society’s basic building block – the family.

People make the mistake of thinking a kid’s life is easy. But, really, it’s not. They have to do well in school even though they may not like their teachers or some of the other students, they sometimes get bullied, they have to cope with fickle friendships and frivolous rivalries, and they have to live up to the expectations of their parents, their teachers, and their peers. All while trying to figure out life –who they are, why they’re here, and where they want to go. Is it any wonder that they are tempted by drugs or alcohol?

Amidst all this turmoil is the one thing that remains stable. The thing that is most likely to keep them off drugs and out of drug rehab – their family. No matter how many moves are made, no matter how many schools are changed, no matter what problems they run into in the outside world, the family is always there to come home to. And it should be a source of strength, encouragement, love, and knowledge.

If you want to avoid having to find a successful drug rehab program for your kids, get involved. Family dinners will help keep the kids on the straight and narrow, give you a chance to get to know them, and they might even learn good table manners.

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Congress has put $10 million into an anti-meth campaign based on recovery: Hope for treatment. According to the Department of Social Services Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse, more adults check into drug rehab for methamphetamine addiction than for any other drug except alcohol. And for good reason: meth is probably the most debilitating drug around.

Here’s a list of the short term side effects, courtesy of KCI, The Anti-Meth Site.

Central Nervous System: Euphoria, increased alertness, paranoia, decreased appetite and increased physical activity. Writhing jerky or flailing movements, irritability, extreme nervousness, insomnia, confusion, tremors, anxiety, aggression, incessant talking, convulsions and hyperthermia – both of which can be fatal, body temperature can rise to 108 degrees.

Cardiovascular: Chest pain, accellerated heartbeat, elevated blood pressure – both of which can cause irreversible brain damage, cardio . chest pain and hypertension that can lead to cardiovascular collapse and death. In addition, methamphetamine causes accelerated heartbeat, elevated blood pressure and can cause irreversible damage to blood vessels in the brain.

Other physical effects: Pupil dilation, respiratory disorders, dizziness, tooth grinding, impaired speech, dry or itchy skin, loss of appetite, acne, sores, numbness, and sweating.

Mental and emotional effects: Anger, panic, paranoia – which can sometimes lead to homicidal or suicidal thoughts - auditory and visual hallucinations, repetitive behavior patterns, and delusions of parasites or insects on the skin.

What does it do to you in the long term? Fatal kidney and lung disorders, brain damage, liver damage, blood clots, chronic depression, hallucinations, violent and aggressive behavior, malnutrition, disturbed personality development, deficient immune system, and psychosis.

You can see why people are lining up to get off this stuff. A successful drug rehab program can help you do it.

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I read an incredible article today called Pregnancy, The Other Drug Rehab about the effects of drugs and alcohol on an unborn baby, although some of the effects don’t show up until the child is three years old. If you’re pregnant, or plan to be, or know someone who is, here are several good reasons to get into drug rehab first.

Marijuana: memory problems, impaired decision making skills, impulsivity, hyperactivity or an inability to pay attention

Amphetamines: problems with the circulatory system – the heart, arteries, veins and capillaries

Barbiturates: birth defects, withdrawal symptoms, poor feeding, seizures

Opioids: abnormalities and complications during pregnancy, premature labor, growth retardation while in the mother, preeclampsia (high blood pressure, swelling, headaches, changes in vision – all of which affects both mother and baby and can be fatal for both)

Cocaine: miscarriage, lowered IQ, mental deficiencies, sudden infant death syndrome

PCP: abnormal development

Alcohol: miscarriage, heart and limb defects, unusual facial characteristics, behavioral problems, impaired speech, impaired muscle and joint use. Alcohol use by dad can do the same.

And, in case you’re wondering, many prescription drugs can have similar effects. The best policy is no drugs whatsoever during pregnancy.

If you’re already pregnant, consult a medical doctor who is certified in drug detox and drug rehab before you go into treatment. But if pregnancy is planned, or possible, a successful drug rehab program that will get you off drugs or alcohol and prevent relapse should be done immediately.

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Relapse is a big problem in the alcohol and drug rehab industry. Despite the fact that a drug rehab apparently addresses issues that cause relapse, it is still very prevalent. Supermodel Naomi Campbell has been doing some research of her own and may have come up with the real source of the problem: it’s the weather. Unfortunately, the weather’s not as easy to control as a drug rehab program but, hey, you could move to another climate if you really had to.

According to a recent article, Campbell, who has been rumored to have a drug problem for years, just recently fessed up and admitted she’s had a problem with both drugs and alcohol, and that she has relapsed many times – especially with alcohol. According to Campbell, who’s really glad the summer is over, resisting temptation is especially hard during the summer because people are outdoors and want to have a good time.

Everybody knows that being outdoors and having a good time are synonymous with alcoholism. So, of course, it’s pretty much impossible not to relapse.

I was of the misguided option that relapse was tied into drug rehab programs – how well they actually address the causes of alcohol and drug addiction, and how they prepare the former addict for getting back into the scene. That’s what a ‘successful drug rehab program’ is. Or so I thought. Evidently, I must stand corrected.

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On the recent anniversary of 9/11, many of us were reminded of the terror caused by al-Qaeda. But that incident is far from the only terrorist activity for al-Qaeda and the Taliban: They are also major contributors to the U.S. heroin problem. In fact, Afghanistan is the world’s number one supplier of heroin; a drug that kills many Americans each year, and sends even more to prison and drug rehab.

A recent article reported that Afghanistan’s poppy fields produce over 93% of the world’s opium supply and currently accounts for 90% of the country’s exports. In Afghanistan, the trading of narcotics is a $3.2 billion dollar industry. According to the Office of the National Drug Control Policy, heroin is one of the most widely abused and most addictive drugs in the U.S. Over 3.5 million American have admitted to trying heroin, and 30 percent of 12th graders say it’s not hard to find.

Want to fight terrorism? Fight heroin addiction. Cut the demand and you’ll cut the funding for terrorist activities. Simplistic? Yes. But every little bit helps. Supplying the world with heroin could be considered a terrorist activity in itself. Educate people so they won’t use heroin, get heroin addicts into a successful drug rehab program. You’ll be saving lives, and cutting the funding for terrorist activities.

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The Acting U.S. Surgeon General has just announced a call to action to stop underage drinking in the state of North Dakota. A recent article reports that even though the state’s under age drinking statistics have decreased by 6 percent, there is still a lot of work to do to improve the statistic further and prevent future problems. The state has not released the details of their plans, but we hope it includes drug education for those who aren’t already drinking and alcohol rehab for those who are.

One other statistic of note: although underage drinking in North Dakota is down, the state has the highest number of underage drinking incidents in the country. According to the National Survey On Drug Use and Health, over 42 percent of kids under 21 reported that they drink alcohol. And 32 percent have engaged in binge drinking.

One thing is certain: if North Dakota doesn’t get underage drinking under control they will see a rise in alcohol rehab admissions, and their drug problem will also probably accelerate.

Details of the plan will be released later this week but, judging by the number of kids involved in underage drinking, a successful alcohol rehab program should be at the top of the list.

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The idea of having a drug counselor who is a former convict may make some uneasy, but if you take a closer look at it, those with colored pasts that are now cleaned up may be perfect to work with others needing drug rehab.

In fact, a recent article reports that nine inmates of the San Quentin prison just passed an examination this past Friday certifying them as drug and alcohol counselors. This is part of a program implemented by the prison to lower the recidivism rate by getting those with histories of alcohol and drug addiction turned around.

Inmates were trained on such things as peer counseling, drug and alcohol education services and case management. They can now work with other inmates in the recovery program at the prison. Once they’ve finished their sentences, they will receive job placement and be able to gain employment working in the drug treatment field helping others.

This program is the first of its kind but if it is successful, it will probably be expanded: The California Department of Correction has already announced plans to do so. Getting inmates through a successful drug rehab program, and training other inmates in the field of recovery is a brilliant idea designed to handle crime and drug addiction.

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I read an article today that said drug addiction is a disease – the doctor quoted described it as ‘the result of genetic, neurochemical disease that alters brain regions that control decision-making and judgment.” He said that with drug detox, drug rehab and other treatment, it can be overcome.

Yes, it’s true it can be overcome. But is it really a disease? I tend not to think so. I did heavy drugs daily for years. When I was presented with overwhelming evidence of the potential for destruction, I stopped. No one treated my genetic neurochemical disease, and no one treated my altered brain regions. I quit. And in pretty short order I could put my hands on lists of thousands of people who did exactly the same thing.

But to stay clean I stopped hanging around with the same people, involved myself in different activities – constructive activities that didn’t involve drugs – and made some other serious changes in my life. And I stayed clean.

The ‘disease’ I had had nothing to do with genetics, nothing to do with neurochemicals, or altered brain regions. It did have something to do with decision making and judgment – but those things had nothing to do with the drugs. The drugs happened because I was miserable. For me, life consisted of trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Drugs made that feeling go away. And, at that time, I wasn’t really aware of my options. I started young.

Getting off drugs isn’t easy – but, still, if you make the decision, then get help from a drug detox or rehab program through withdrawal, then find your square pegs and round holes and help you sort out your options, it will work. And, that, in a nutshell, is a successful drug rehab program.

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A few days ago a man was arrested upon his return from a drug rehab meeting. Police searched his house and found 29.3 grams of methamphetamine, unused packaging materials, a digital scale, a glass pipe, and a drug rehab card that had been used to scoop up and weigh the meth. Looks like his meetings aren’t getting down to the nitty-gritty.  He needs a serious, long-term drug rehab program.

According to the news report, this guy’s been on probation for 13 years!  Amazing. How could his probation officers, drug rehab counselors and everyone else he’s been involved with all this time not have noticed that there was something going on with this guy?

Long and short of it – some alcohol and drug rehab programs work better than others.

Case in point: my son got a DUI once. He had his license suspended and had to go to monthly meetings for several months. That was his ‘treatment’. He came home after every meeting and told me what happened. In the first meeting the speaker gave the group recipes for tuna casserole and other relatively inexpensive but ‘nourishing’ food. The second meeting taught them how to shop – helpful hint: don’t shop near the doors because that’s where the most expensive food is stocked, and the junk food. Go straight to the middle of the store. Another meeting was about budgeting.

Not one single meeting had anything to do with drinking too much, taking drugs, and so on. The speaker was the laughing stock of the entire group. I was incredulous. How can anyone possibly think that recipes for tuna casserole are going to stop someone from drinking or taking drugs? How can a program like this possibly be called alcohol and drug rehab?

My son stopped his excessive drinking, but it had nothing to do with his ‘treatment.’ It was because I applied the principals I had learned from a successful drug rehab program. If you know someone in trouble, do some serious research and find a successful drug rehab program and get them into it. If you don’t, you might not get anything out of it other than an alcoholic or druggie who can make a mean tuna casserole.

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The first long-term drug rehab program in B.C. is due to open next year, according to an article in the Canadian Press. Young people with drug addiction problems will go into the treatment center after drug detox so they can get the benefits of full drug rehab and kick the habit.

B. C. currently has 1,038 treatment centers, 160 of which are for young people, but they are only for detox and short-term treatment. Research referenced by the health minister has shown that the longer someone stays in treatment, the more chance there is of success.

The program will service people from 14 – 24 years of age and, according to the Ministry of Health, they really need it. Statistics on teen substance abuse is on the rise – everything from prescription painkillers to inhalants to alcohol. In fact, 90 percent of teens in B.C. have experimented with alcohol by 10th grade.

Getting a long-term successful drug rehab program up and running will help them to finally stay off drugs and alcohol so they don’t live out the rest of their lives with a substance abuse problem.

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