After a death related to prescription drug addiction and abuse - a 24-year-old man had obtained prescription drugs from 17 different online pharmacies - Minneapolis authorities cracked down on drugs available on the Internet. One of the pharmacies is under investigation and two pharmacists have been disciplined and fined, thanks to new state laws. Florida could really use something like that. Prescription drug addiction is rampant in Florida, it’s nicknamed ‘the pill state’, and Tampa is considered ground zero for Internet pharmacies.

In another Minnesota case a pharmacy was fined $25,000 for filling 4,500 Internet prescriptions over a period of less than three months. Give me a break!!! How many people went to the ER, got sick, died, or developed a prescription drug addiction because of his prescriptions? $25,000 is peanuts compared to the harm that pharmacist did. Shouldn’t he be in jail?

What is the deal with fining people like that. If they were drug dealers on the street and had sold 4,500 people drugs, they’d be in jail. No question about it. But the same does not apply with prescription drugs.

But, at least it’s something. I think things will get tougher on these guys in the near future. Not even the judge in the Purdue case was happy about the guys not going to jail.

Each of the recipients of those 4,500 prescriptions could be contacted. Find out what condition they’re in and, if they have developed a prescription drug addiction, the pharmacist could pay for drug rehab. Florida could certainly make some headway if there was a law like that! 

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Check out Reuters’ interview with Stephen Pasierb, president and chief executive of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America for his take on the prescription drug addiction and abuse epidemic.

He reviews the various sectors of the public taking prescription drugs: those who take them because they’ve tried them before and know they work (his example was college students taking Ritalin and Adderall because they’ve gotten better grades with them in the past), those who are self-medicating - i.e. taking painkillers because they’re in pain, and those who just want to get high.

All groups are abusing the drugs, and all are at risk for prescription drug addiction.

He also reiterates that because these drugs were manufactured under sterile conditions, because you know what’s in them, because they’re approved by the FDA, and because they are prescribed by doctors, they’re safe. However, as Mr. Paserieb points out, doctors get about four hours of training on the subject of addiction during their education, and yet are licensed to prescribe dangerous, highly-addictive drugs.

Mr. Pasierb refers to prescription drugs as the new ‘gateway’ drugs (it used to be marijuana.) People who would never have taken illegal drugs become willing to do so because they tried prescription drugs and didn’t have a problem.

What are the solutions to prescription drug addiction and abuse? Mr. Pasierb has some suggestions. But they involve changes in systems that don’t change quickly. In the meantime, the prescription drug addiction epidemic rages on and individuals have to take matters into their own hands.

People need to be educated - although there’s plenty in the online press about this subject, it’s not enough. And most people don’t read it. Most people don’t read much of anything. It’s going to take some grass roots action - and that starts in your own home, with your own family, and with your friends and co-workers. If someone you know is having a problem with prescription drug addiction or abuse, get them into a drug addiction treatment center for help.

Frankly, it’s going to take a lot to get some of these people into any kind of drug addiction treatment center - as most of them really don’t think using prescription drugs is a problem. But, they do. And those who understand that are responsible for doing something about it.

 addiction and abuse the new sees prescription drug addictHis research shows that college kids who take Ritalin or Adderall, for example, are taking it because they’ve tried it before and they get better grades with it.

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Okay. We’ve finally got some numbers here. Over 7 million people in the U.S. abused prescription drugs in 2007. More than cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, Ecstasy, and inhalants (which includes, for some reason, marijuana) combined. That figure was less than 4 million in the year 2000. That’s prescription drug addiction on the ‘illegal’ end of things. But those numbers don’t even come close to the ‘legal’ numbers.

From 1995 to 2005, the number of people treated for abuse of prescription painkillers increased by 321 percent. And every year 180 million legal prescriptions are written for painkillers every year. That’s amazing. If only one prescription went to each person, about 1/2 the population of the U.S. would be taking what is basically heroin.

Let me see. A 40 mg OxyContin pill costs just under $6 for a legitimate prescription. If each of the prescriptions written was a two week’s supply - let’s say 42 pills - the drug manufacturer would make about $45 billion. 

If that’s not a vested interest in prescription drug addiction, I don’t know what is. With that kind of incentive, you can be sure the drugs are designed to make you want to keep taking them.

How does it happen. Read U.S. grapples with rising prescription drug addiction. Then refuse to take the drugs or give them to your kids unless it’s a life-threatening situation. And if it’s already too late for that, get anyone you know who’s taking them into a drug addiction treatment center.

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A methadone clinic opened up about two years ago in Indiana. The goal was to provide a closer location for those on methadone treatment - which is supposed to help heroin addicts through withdrawal so they can then get through drug rehab at a drug addiction treatment center so they’ll be drug free. 

I get tons of responses from readers of this blog whenever I write about methadone treatment. They tell me how it’s saved their lives and that it was a last resort.

According to a recent news article, the clinic in Indiana is using it as anything but a last resort. The requirements for getting methadone from this clinic are that the person has been addicted to an opiate for at least one year.  And many of the people they’re servicing are addicted to prescription drugs - it’s opiates, so it would be OxyContin or a similar painkiller - that they were given by their doctor and then couldn’t quit.

Wow. So much for methadone treatment being used as a last resort.

“They don’t want to lose their job or lose their kids,” said the program director. “They come to us because they want to be safe, and they want to be legal.”

So, now, instead of long-time heroin addicts being addicted to methadone, we have people addicted to methadone because they couldn’t quit taking OxyContin or some similar drug because of surgery or an illness.

The program director says they’re supposed to get daily methadone for a while but are supposed to start weaning off it within three to six months. He said it works for some, and not for others. Of course. That’s because they’re getting methadone instead of going to a drug addiction treatment center that can help them with their addiction.

Prescription drug addiction - especially OxyContin addiction or addiction to another painkiller - is like heroin addiction. Just like we’ve been saying. And, like heroin addiction, the solution is drug rehab. Not methadone.
 

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A recent increase in heroin deaths has health officials in Oregon worried. The whole country should probably be worried because Oregon is a major transshipment point for drugs in other states including, but not limited to, Montana, Minnesota, Illinois, and New York. Heroin deaths are up 32% over last year. If anyone you know is using heroin, now would be a good time to get them into a drug addiction treatment center.

The officials think this is the beginning of a trend. They’ve noticed that heroin deaths go up and down. When they see something like this, they know there’s much more of it to come.

A word of warning, don’t opt for methadone - methadone replacement therapy programs usually don’t include any of the drug addiction treatment they promise. The heroin addict winds up addicted to methadone instead, and they can stay on it for the rest of their lives. Go for a real drug addiction treatment center that helps them through withdrawal, gets them on a regimen to improve their overall health, and then gets down to the bottom of the reasons behind the person’s addiction so they don’t relapse.

There are many centers like that around, but for every one like that there are hundreds or thousands that don’t work. So, if you want to handle the situation once and for all, do it right the first time.

Officials are warning heroin addicts about these deaths in the hopes that they will test the drugs before they take them rather than shooting up a full dose right off the bat. Hey, if they can do that, maybe they can quit altogether. If you’re looking for a way to help them, call Drug Rehab Referral. Their specialists know all the facilities available and can find the right one for your situation. Whatever you do, don’t delay. Get them into a drug addiction treatment center before they become one of the increasing statistics.

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Students starting and the University of Virginia this semester will have the opportunity to do a special orientation on alcohol abuse. The program actually starts in August online and continues once school starts. This is sure to prevent a lot of college kids from needing an alcohol rehab center but what I can’t figure out is why this program is optional.

Shouldn’t it be for every student?  ”Every year we hear about students across the country dying from alcohol poisoning,” said Susan Bruce, director of the university’s Center for Alcohol and Substance Education. “We don’t want that to happen here.” So, if the school is so concerned, what is the deal with making it optional?

Another kind of strange thing about the program is the focus on ensuring kids don’t think the alcohol problem is that bad at UV. While UV is not even in the top 20 party schools, to UV’s credit, I hope this doesn’t have the effect of minimizing the situation or the dangers.

According to statistics, it’s likely that about one in five college students could use some time in a drug or alcohol rehab center. It really is time colleges  and universities cracked down. So, even if this program is not the ideal, it’s a big effort. And if it’s done right, it should keep a lot of kids safer and ensure an alcohol rehab center isn’t the next step in their education. Want more info. Check out these articles on alcohol and drug addiction treatment?

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Okay, so just about everyone is probably sick of hearing about Amy Winehouse - she’s very far removed from the life most of us lead. However, according to a recent news article, Amy is going through some changes - she’s apparently going to volunteer in drug addiction treatment centers and other venues to help people get off drugs.

Some may think that’s a strange idea - especially since we haven’t really seen any news that she’s straightened out. But if that is what she’s planning on doing, it’s probably the most therapeutic move she could make. Helping others overcome problems similar to your own has a tendency to make you also see things more clearly. People completing drug rehab programs often get involved in that kind of work. In fact, drug addiction treatment centers are often staffed with people who have been helped themselves. They want to give back, as does Amy.

This will also be a great influence on those of her admirers who may well have started taking drugs and drinking so they could be like Amy  - their role model. I’m sure there are parents all over the world who hate Amy Winehouse for whatever they think her part may have been their kids’ behavior.

So, Amy, do give back. By all means. Your actions have probably caused a lot of misery you know nothing about. Helping drug addiction treatment centers and other groups and institutions that get people off drugs and alcohol will restore good will. If you know someone with an alcohol or drug problem - even prescription drug addiction - get them into a drug addiction treatment center. It really does work.

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There are some parents who think their kid’s drug addiction will get straightened out in prison. They’ve tried what they thought should work to get their kid to stop doing drugs, or alcohol, and it hasn’t worked. The kid may even have gone into a drug addiction treatment center of some sort - not usually the long term residential treatment that has the best success rate but, still, it was “treatment” and he had a chance.

So, parents kind of throw up their hands and decide to let the chips fall where they may. Whatever happens, happens. If he winds up in jail, so be it, he brought it on himself. And he’ll probably get straightened out in jail.

Not so. Check out this news story about the arrest that just took place in Miami-Dade County, Florida - a drug ring of five corrections officers and eight inmates and civilians were arrested for conspiracy to traffic drugs inside a prison. And, believe me, it’s far from the first time something like that has happened. I’ve heard prisoners say they had absolutely no problem getting drugs in prison.

The longer someone takes drugs, the higher the chances of them not making it out alive. Especially when it’s gotten to the point where the person is in jail - they’ve now entered the criminal element end of drug addiction.

If you’ve given up, try again. Get your kid, or someone else you care about, into a drug addiction treatment center. If you’re in Miami-Dade County, there are hundreds of facilities that offer drug rehab in Florida. If you need help, contact an intervention specialist who can help you.

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Want to get rid of drugs in your community? Check out what happened in Tallahassee, Florida. Several members of the community told the police that people were growing marijuana - in about 1/2 dozen different locations - and now the offenders are busted. The result could be a lot of kids who aren’t looking for a drug rehab in Florida.

The program that furnished the police with the information for the bust is called Crime Stoppers - it has, among other things, an anonymous tip line for members of the community who want to report criminal activity. The organization is funded by the State.

Great idea. In many communities it’s hard to remain anonymous when reporting something to the police. People think it’s dangerous to ‘get involved.’ And, in truth, it can be. Especially when you’re talking about drug addiction - drug addicts, and dealers, can get pretty nasty when someone comes between them and their drugs, or their money.

Check in with the police in your area to see if a similar program is available. There are literally thousands of drug addiction treatment centers in Florida and many are supported by taxpayers. Programs like Crime Stoppers could reduce the drug addiction problem, and enable communities to put their money into education and other beneficial programs.

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One of the attractions of beer for someone who’s an addict is that it’s relatively cheap. But this guy in Australia doesn’t seem to care how much it costs. He’s a father of four, a construction worker, takes home $1440 a week, spends $150 on rent, $150 on buses and taxis, $50 on his phone and spends about $1000 a week on beer. That’s one serious alcohol addiction. How he manages to work is beyond me.

He was also just convicted of drunk driving for the seventh time. In one of the accidents he killed someone. His most recent arrest came when he was driving his motorcycle at 123 mph.

He has now allegedly gone cold turkey and is involved in an alcohol rehab program. Let’s hope he gets into a long-term residential program that can get down to the bottom of his addiction problem.

This is an unusual case, no doubt about it. Not many people spend that much money on beer every week. However, alcohol addiction is the most common addiction in the U.S. and it kills thousands every year. Most of those people die from accidents or by taking risks they wouldn’t take if they were sober.

If you know someone who needs alcohol rehab, contact Drug Rehab Referral. They can help you find a drug and alcohol rehab that will really work. They can also help you with intervention services if you can’t convince someone they need alcohol addiction help.

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