This weekend, a lot of people in the US will be celebrating Independence Day (July 4th). There will picnics and barbeques and fireworks, you name it! There will also be drinking at those get-togethers, and not just for adults over the age of 21, but by minors who shouldn’t be partaking in alcoholic beverages.

There was a study done across hospital emergency rooms in the US and it showed that kids who wind up in the emergency room for underage drinking dramatically spikes during this holiday weekend. It was an 87 percent increase, to give you an idea of what I meant when I said “dramatic increase”.

In addition to kids visiting hospital ERs for alcohol, injuries, arrests and embarrassment can all be attributed to them making the choice to drink. And, to make matters worse, about 5000 people under the age of 21 die each year with alcohol related to their cause of death.

Do you know what your kids have planned for this weekend? It might not be such a bad idea to find out, or to make sure to include your children and their friends in your plans. If they’re going out with their friends, have a talk with them about the dangers of drinking alcohol. Most people chock it up to “kids being kids”, especially if they drank underage. It’s incorrect. It’s not a good example and kids should not be allowed to drink. Oh yeah, and it’s actually against the law.
Let’s vow to lower that dramatic spike in ER visits this weekend by helping our kids learn the facts and dangers about alcohol abuse. It could save their life!

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Over the last 8 weeks, a doctor from Kansas and his wife have been on trial for illegally prescribing prescription medications to dozens of patients who wound up dying. In total, they were linked to 68 overdose deaths.

This week, they were finally found guilty of the charges. And, the reason behind all of the prescription writing was money. So, the “doctor” was no more than a glorified drug dealer.

With prescription drug abuse being such a rampant and devastating problem here for us in the US, it’s amazing that they got as far as they did before getting into trouble. I mean, how come 68 people had to die before anything was done?

This makes it more important than ever to put prescription monitoring programs into place. Not only are we dealing with addicts who “doctor shop”, but we’re dealing with shady doctors who don’t care what the effects are in terms of prescribing dangerous medications as long as their pockets continue to be padded with cash. I’m not referring to all doctors, of course, but there are some out there, apparently, who need to have this enforced. Such a shame!

Prescription drug overdoses are the second leading cause of death in the United States right now. We seriously need to get on the ball and start putting some programs in motion to straighten out the mess that has been created. And, that doesn’t mean sending all of the heroin users to methadone clinics either! We need to get people rehabilitated and living drug free lives.

If you know of anyone who is suffering from prescription drug abuse, or uses them recreationally for a “little bit of fun”, it’s no joke! They need help! Drug rehab help, to be exact. Don’t let them become a prescription drug overdose death statistic.

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This week, there was an article in the news about a professional soccer player, the captain of the team actually, who got caught through a drug test for smoking marijuana. What was interesting about this article to me, was the way the Players’ Union handled the issue. He wasn’t just thrown out and told not to come back.

There are preset rules in the league that deal with drug abuse. Not only a way to deter use, but a way to help the players through, should they find themselves faced with drug addiction issues.

The soccer player was drug tested, which is a bi-annual, no prior notice procedure, administered to everyone in the league. An independent company tests the players for common street drugs like heroin, cocaine, marijuana as well as performance enhancing drugs.

Instead of throwing players out of the league for testing positively, they have the option to attend a drug rehab program. Then, after successful completion, they can play again. To me, it’s truly a winning solution. And, I think a lot of people would benefit from this type of program in many different work-based scenarios. The player who got busted is through his time in rehab and back to doing what he loves, playing soccer.

Rather than throwing someone out, which doesn’t help the situation at hand, they are assisted. And while marijuana seems like a fairly harmless, non-addictive drug to a lot of people, it is illegal and many, many people enter drug rehab to battle the havoc it causes in their lives.

President Obama is currently working on a new anti-drug strategy. I really hope this headline makes its way to his desk. Perhaps it could be a positive addition to what he’s working on to clean up America. We need all the help we can get!

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Recent studies have proved that pot smoking at a young age can lead to problems with harder drugs and alcohol abuse as adults. The studies have gone on to show that even occasionally indulging contributes to this phenomenon. This is the “gateway drug” theory, and unfortunately, it appears to be true.

Teens who start smoking pot around ages 13 or 14 are more likely to move on to drugs like ecstasy, cocaine, amphetamines and heavy alcohol consumption. This should be a warning to all parents, no matter how unlikely you think your child is to partake. Kids hang out with all kinds of influences and could be doing things that you don’t know about.

Unfortunately, there isn’t any special trick to getting your kids to stay away. But, being honest, having an open line of communication and keeping your children active in positive groups and activities can be one way of combating the drug scene.

If you do suspect that your child is using drugs, don’t wait and hope that they “grow out of it”. Be up-front. Tell them about your concerns. You could be saving them from a life of addiction, social problems, job troubles, family issues and possibly death.

Kids who have drug and/or alcohol issues should be addressed and, if needed, go to a drug rehab program. They’re much more likely to get past the addiction and be able to live drug free, productive lives.

Pot is a hot topic right now, with all of the medical marijuana laws and California considering making it legal for recreational use. I sincerely hope that these studies are taken into consideration. Things could certainly take a tragic turn for the worse!

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Did you know that prescription drug poisoning is the second leading cause of death in the United States? A recent study has shown that between the years 1999 – 2006 hospitalizations for accidental overdose of prescription drugs has increased by one-third. And, as if that’s not bad enough, hospitalizations for intentional overdoses of prescription drugs has gone up by 130% over that same period of time.

These staggering figures include people of all ages, teenagers, twenty-somethings, thirty somethings, up to the elderly. The study has shown that women under the age of thirty four are far more likely to be admitted for accidental overdose. When they looked at men vs. women, the study showed that men were more likely to be admitted than women for accidental overdose though (of all ages).

As I mentioned above, teenagers are no exception to this study. Prescription drugs really aren’t that difficult to get. Whether through a doctor, their parent’s medicine cabinets, or even from a dealer selling them.

Controlled substances like psychoactive drugs as well as other substances like depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens and anabolic steroids have a tendency to hook people. They are easy to become dependant on and/or addicted to. They are not something, obviously – from viewing the results of the study, that anyone should play around with. And what most people don’t consider is that just because they’re prescribed by a physician or taken by parents or family members, this does not make them safe and give a green light to use them for fun.

If you know anyone who has what you think even might be a problem with prescription drugs, or you-yourself are taking them inappropriately, I hope that this is a wake up call and that you do something to stop immediately. The last thing anyone wants is another prescription drug overdose to add to the statistics for the next round of case studying. Get help now for prescription drug addiction and good drug rehab program or drug detox can be the answer.

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I’ve seen a couple of articles within the past several months about the possibility of drug testing welfare recipients. My first thought when I read the information was, why hasn’t this already begun? Why are we even wasting our time “considering” this idea?

With a nation that has a drug problem of epidemic proportion, we have got to be proactive in coming up with some solutions to this problem. I’m not saying that all people who are on welfare are drug users, or even that everyone should be tested. What I am saying though, is that welfare recipients should be randomly tested, and there should certainly be consequences for those who do not pass.

As a working taxpayer, who helps to pay for the welfare system, I must say that I am not into the idea of anyone using that aid to buy drugs. There are people out there who use the welfare system to help them get on their feet through rough economic times, and that is appropriate. And, there are people who take advantage of the system. The latter group are the ones that need to be weeded out so they’re not taking benefits away from those who genuinely deserve them.

Ideally, the people who test positively for drug use should get help in a good drug rehab program. It would actually be great to offer some sort of services to get them in drug rehab programs so they can get through their addictions and back into the world living drug free.

I guess it’s a touchy and tricky subject. I felt strongly enough about it though to comment. What are your thoughts?

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This week, the news headlines that caught my eye had to do with a fairly popular drug in the UK called Mephedrone – a.k.a. on the street as “Meow Meow” and “Bubbles”. This drug is popular right now because it’s legal there. And, the reason there have been headlines all over the world is because two teenage boys recently died from this drug’s “legal high”.

It’s a club drug that people actually snort like cocaine. It looks a lot like cocaine and you can purchase it legally within the UK in gram increments. You can also purchase it online and it will be delivered to you the next day, as long as you somehow prove that you’re over the age of 18.

Alright, so with that said, I have one question; How could it possibly be legal (in the UK) to snort a drug that resembles cocaine and makes you high? I cannot wrap my head around that one. And, to make matters worse, an 18 year old and a 19 year old, both fit and healthy according to their families, collapsed after using the drug, and died.

I visited a website that sells Mephedrone as well as two other powder substances used to get high and read that they are being sold as “plant food” and not fit for human consumption, but you can consume it at your own risk. The website also went on to show people’s experiences with getting high as well as photos of people snorting the drug and partying.

It’s all fun and games until someone dies, right? I just have to say that I think it’s entirely irresponsible to allow people to consume and sell this drug! No one has any idea of its effects over time, how much it would take someone to get ill from it or possibly overdose, etc. And, we now know that it’s not something to fool around with.

And, besides everything that I’ve mentioned, it resembles other street drugs that we as a culture need to steer clear of altogether. We have enough problems as it is with the drug issues that exist without adding Mephedrone. Let’s not add another drug to the mix! Get your teen into a drug rehab program before they discover another way to high.

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This week, the big media release was information about the actor, Corey Haim, dying suddenly in his mother’s home in California. He was found unconscious on Wed., in the very early morning hours. There’s a lot of speculation about him dying of an accidental drug overdose, which would make sense, since he’s battled drug addiction for all of his adult life.

There have been several different media stories covering this information, all with similar details. I did happen to catch in one of the articles though, that Corey entered drug rehab more than 15 times to try and beat his addiction. Can you believe that? That is a lot of drug rehab time, obviously without much of any positive and fruitful outcome. It’s a shame he didn’t do an effective drug rehab program.

I also read in another article covering the news of his passing, that Corey was trying to self medicate for illness, much like Brittany Murphy did which helped to cause her sudden death. This involves taking whatever medications you choose, based on symptoms that you’re experiencing – not because you were seen by a doctor and prescribed a medication for a particular illness. It has been made quite clear that this is extremely dangerous, and in some cases, fatal.

Whether Corey’s cause of death turns out to be accidental overdose, or something else, the rumors about overdose are warranted because Corey has struggled with drug addiction for a very long time. It’s a real shame that he didn’t get positive results from any of his drug rehab stays, and a chance to live his life truly addiction free. My deepest sympathy goes out to his family and loved ones.

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Now, more than ever, people who take prescriptions are realizing they can’t get off of them.  It’s a hard fact, but people who take prescription pain medications, anti-anxiety drug and sleeping pills, to name a few, will most likely need to go through a drug detox and, if there’s an addiction, they will need to go through drug rehab program as well.

What you don’t realize when your doctor is prescribing these medications is that even if you have only taken the drugs for a short period of time you are likely to need drug detox because of the withdrawal symptoms, which can be painful and quite uncomfortable.

‘Addict’ seems like such a harsh word and I’m sure that a lot of people out there who started out taking their medications as directed never intended for that to happen. People start out taking them for all sorts of innocent reasons like injuries, pain management for surgeries or for an illness. However, everyone – legally prescribed or illegally acquired on the street – will have to endure the same withdrawal symptoms when they stop taking them.

Are you one of these people? Have you taken these types of drugs for a short period of time, or perhaps even for years, and you can’t seem to stop? When you do try, the sickness and pain that you feel keeps you on the medications and you wind up calling your doctor and asking for more?

You’re not alone! At Drug Rehab Referral, we see this time and time again.

And, it is possible to stop. Going through a drug detox program will help your body safely and comfortably detox from the drugs that are holding you prisoner. If you want to stop, there is a way. Get help!

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Say you were put on some type(s) of antidepressants by your doctor and you’re not interested in taking them anymore. Is it possible that you’ll need to detox? Will you need to go to drug rehab? It’s certainly possible – and a drug rehab program would most definitely be necessary if you’re taking the drugs illicitly or because of an addiction.

An unbelievable number of people take antidepressants and other prescription drugs based on the FDA’s recommendation and approval to help or treat depression. And, as it turns out, some drug manufacturers may have omitted or left out (however you choose to view it) information that most likely would have made it extremely hard, if not impossible to get their drugs approved.

Billions and billions of dollars have been made by selling these drugs to unsuspecting citizens and these companies should be held accountable. These unsuspecting citizens aren’t just adults either, they’ve made drugs for teenagers, children and even toddlers to keep them from being too hyperactive. What is this doing to our social environment? I’ll tell you what; it’s putting an expectation on children that they should be quiet and still. And that a pill can “cure” depression.

So, how does one go about getting off of these drugs? The best way to handle the addiction or dependence is by going to a medical drug detox facility to withdraw from the drugs under medical supervision – according to medical professionals.

If you need to safely withdraw from any prescription drugs call Drug Rehab Referral and we will help you find a successful drug detox program.

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