There are many forms of child abuse, all of which are treacherous, in my opinion. But, what do you call drugging children to make them be more relaxed, quiet and sleepy? There was an article this week about his very subject, which stated that it’s an “unrecognized form of child abuse”. I’d say that I have to agree.

Giving babies cough syrup, or even more popular, Benedryl, to calm them and make them stop crying, is not only dangerous, but just plain wrong. The article talked about a woman who gave her infant cough syrup to put the child to sleep.

The baby wound up in the intensive care unit and almost died. The article went on to say “in this case, it was not an intentional overdose, it was a lack of information”. I’m sorry, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that you probably shouldn’t give cough syrup to an infant. It clearly states on the label how old a child should be to administer it. Plus sleep is not its intended used.

Unfortunately, there are some “uneducated” folks out there who are practicing this same type of medicating to “soothe” their children. I read another article a little over a month ago about a couple who continually gave their 14 month old baby methadone (a synthetic drug usually prescribed to heroin users to help in the process of overcoming their addiction) to help the baby sleep. And, the outcome; the baby died.  And by the way, this isn’t the only article that I’ve come across about parents giving their babies methadone.

This isn’t limited to babies though, it can happen with older children as well. Some people are experimenting with the effects of marijuana on children who have been labeled autistic as well as obsessive, compulsive disorder (OCD). Hello? Really?

Let’s NOT drug our children to shut them up. If they’re crying and upset, there’s something wrong. It’s an alert to us as parents that we need to fix something for them, or perhaps just soothe them. And, if it takes a label like “child abuse” to stop parents and get them educated on the harmful effects of drugging children, then I say so be it. Not to mention the path it could lead a child down as they get older and figure out that there are other drugs out there and start abusing them. Then the only hope will be a good drug treatment center.

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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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This week, I came across a headline about a young man who died from a drug overdose. Since I read mostly drug-related news headlines and the stories that are related, I see quite a few articles like this during any given week or month. But, why did this one jump out at me? Because the young man’s mother taught him how to use drugs starting at the age of 14 or 15!

It was reported that the Wisconsin mother smoked marijuana and crack-cocaine as well as used heroin with her child. How sickening is that? And, to top it off, she’s now left without a child and facing a jail sentence. She attributes her behavior to substance abuse and mental health issues.

Many people in the world are faced with substance abuse problems. The effects of these problems are reflected in the news stories that are about drug violence, trafficking and tragic overdoses. But when parents are involving their children into the mix, it brings it to a whole new level.

Apparently there were witnesses who told the investigators of the overdose death about the drugs she was doing with her son. Why on earth didn’t anyone get them help? Were they scared? Were they fellow drug users? Did they feel like it wasn’t their place to intervene? A plethora of questions fill my mind. But, what I do know, is that if they would have spoken up, it’s possible that the boy would still be alive today. And both the mother and son could have received help to live healthy drug-free lives.

If you know anyone who is either abusing drugs or alcohol, or if, god forbid, they’re giving drugs to their children, it’s important that you speak up. Get them some help by contacting a drug rehab center or addiction specialist, before it’s too late.

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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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Vancouver Canada has been in the news recently because it’s where the 2010 Winter Olympic Games were held. And, while all of the Olympic coverage was taking place, across town, like many other large cities across Canada as well as the US, there are daily problems with illegal drugs.

Vancouver has come up with an interesting “social experiment” having to do with the illegal use of injection drugs. Addicts line up every morning at a facility called Insite, where they can safely and legally inject their illegal drugs like Heroin, Cocaine, Morphine, etc. Basically, the only requirements for addicts are that they register their name and substance of choice, and that they inject themselves under the supervision of nurses who will provide them with sterile injection equipment.

The basis of this program is harm reduction. Over the seven years that this facility has been in existence, there have been studies done, since it is basically an experiment, that show that it has reduced the number of public injections, overdose fatalities, transmission of blood-borne illnesses like HIV & Hepatitis C and injection related infections. While all of these results are good, you have to wonder what type of message this sends out to the public.

What is lesser known, at least from the information that I’ve read and viewed about this program, is that they do offer the addicts who use the facility a chance to work with drug counselors who can get them to detox and drug rehabilitation programs, which are part of their facility called Onsite.

I can honestly say that this will be a controversial topic, no matter how you look at it. And, whether you agree with the “it’s legal here so just come in and be safe” approach or something else, the bottom line is that what is really needed is for people to be offered good drug rehab solutions.

It’s obvious that pouring resources into legal systems and jails isn’t fixing the problems that have become a worldwide epidemic. And while I don’t fully agree with Vancouver’s edgy and controversial approach, I think it’s noble to have thought outside the box.

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There are a plethora of drug rehab choices out there to help combat the world of drug and alcohol addiction. But, which are the most successful and help people to actually get rehabilitated? And, what about relapse, does it really have to be a part of recovery?

Unfortunately, with all of the choices out there, programs that offer short-term and out-patient based treatment don’t have great success rates. With the vast majority of drug rehab programs offering these types of treatment models, many people go through them and do wind up relapsing and just being told that it’s a “part of recovery”. Well folks, it doesn’t have to be that way!

The most successful drug rehab programs out there are at long-term, residential treatment centers. And no, relapse does not have to be associated with recovery. If someone goes through drug rehab, and it’s done thoroughly, there is no reason that he or she can’t continue on to live a totally drug free and productive life.

If you are looking for a drug rehab program that you don’t have to go back to over and over again, call Drug Rehab Referral to get help.

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Many kids, with all of the energy that they have, are into sports. Some enter high school and become great athletes. But what if your athlete child gets an injury during a practice or a game and winds up being prescribed painkillers for their injury? What is the likelihood of them become addicted to those painkillers? Unfortunately it’s high and who would have thought that as a parent of an athlete you’d be in a position where you would be looking for a drug rehab program rather than a good college?

Unfortunately, this is quite common in the drug detox and drug rehab world and these types of facilities see this every day. They don’t just get people needing help for drugs like Cocaine, Meth or Heroin, they are helping children who have addiction problems due to sports injuries who become dependent and/or addicted to their pain medication.

As a parent, it’s important to stay on top of helping your teen with prescription painkillers or any medications for that matter. Not only because of the risk for dependency and addiction, but also because of the risk of overdose. With the rising statistics of teenage prescription drug abuse, it’s your duty to play this role in your child’s life.

And, while it can be considered controversial, there’s always drug testing. Whether at home or in school sports programs, however controversial it may be, it could save a child’s life!

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Did you know that doctors receive about four hours of education on drug treatments during their entire education? With all of the drugs that wind up being prescribed, it seems as if there should be a little more emphasis on this part of their education. And, it leads me to believe that this contributes directly to drug addiction and abuse.

Since the doctors don’t have time to their own research, and the drug companies seem to go out of their way to hide any information that makes their drugs look bad, people are being prescribed medications based on almost no training. They rely on the “education” that they get from the drug manufacturers’ representatives, which often amounts to little more than propaganda.

With this being said, we MUST take it upon ourselves to get educated. It’s the only immediate solution to changing what’s happening in our current drug culture. We have to take some responsibility for ourselves and what we’re consuming and the risks that are involved. It’s obvious that our doctors aren’t going to do this for us.

With the little education the doctors receive about drug therapies, the lies and conveniently hidden information on behalf of the drug makers and the weak FDA regulations on research, beware of the risks involved with the drugs you’re prescribed. Drug dependence and addiction are all too common, even with people who take their medications as prescribed by the doctors they trust.

If this is a scenario you’re familiar with because of your own experience, or you know someone who has gotten hooked on prescription drugs, get help. Call a drug addiction treatment center right away!

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