We Restore Hope -

Prejudices are the chains forged by ignorance to keep men apart. ~Countess of Blessington

An alcohol awareness group in England estimates that at least 502 million units of alcohol will be consumed over the holidays. That is the equivalent of 265 million pints of beer, 602 million shots of vodka or 286 million glasses of mulled wine drunk at Christmas celebrations at work and at home. Nearly healf of consumers in England believe they will be drinking more alcohol than is recommended.

These predictions are in a report released last week by Drinkaware, a British alcohol awareness charity. A random sample of 2,000 adults were asked about their holiday drinking habits for the survey.

Chris Sorek, Chief Executive of Drinkaware said that 602 million units is thought to be an underestimate of how much alcohol will be consumed over the holidays
www.thetreatmentcenter.com

It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not. ~Author Unknown

A woman in western Pennsylvania who fell into a coma after celebrating her birthday claims a hospital did not properly care for her. She says that the hospital’s neglect resulted in partial amputation of both of her legs.

Shanna Hiles, 20, is suing Uniontown Hospital and one of its emergency room physicians. Hiles says she passed out while sitting on the floor of the emergency room in May of this year. She was in that position for more than 12 hours. Hiles claims hospital personnel did not properly diagnose her and help restore circulation to her legs.

Hiles says she was later transferred to a hospital in Pittsburgh hours later where both legs were amputated at the knee. The first hospital has not made any statement on the case.

www.thetreatmentcenter.com

If you want to test your memory, try to recall what you were worrying about one year ago today. ~E. Joseph Cossman

Last week, police in Nassau County, New York arrested a physician accused of selling Oxycodone from his office. His Massapequa office is across from a school.

Undercover police had a tip and purchased the Oxycodone nine times without being examined or diagnosed by the doctor.

“Dr. Saji Francis is the antithesis of the Hippocratic oath, to do no harm,” said Nassau Couty Police Commissioner Lawrence Mulvey. “His greed and total disregard for the ethics of the medical profession has exacerbated the opiate and heroin abuse in Massapequa.”

According to police, Dr. Francis charged between $480 and $600 for the Oxycodone prescriptions.

www.thetreatmentcenter.com

If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door. ~Milton Berle

Half of Australian adults and 63 percent of Australians believe that 15 to 17-year-olds should be allowed to consume alcohol under parental supervision at home, according to a recent survey.

BUPA Australia Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Christine Bennett, said “these statistics were both surprising and concerning due to the damage alcohol can do on developing brains.”

“Our survey suggests many Australians believe it’s acceptable to buy alcohol for teenagers and allow them to drink under parental supervision at home,” Dr. Bennett said. “Some parents may think this is harmless. But we want parents to understand that early exposure may actually be doing them damage.”

“Evidence suggests that the earlier the age that alcohol is introduced, the greater the risk of long-term alcohol related health problems. It’s shocking to think that one teenager a week [in Australia] dies of alcohol abuse. We teach children about the harmful effects of smoking, unsafe sex and taking illicit drugs, but we also need to teach them about the damage that alcohol can do.”

www.thetreatmentcenter.com
877-392-3342

Take the time to come home to yourself every day. ~Robin Casarjean

A group of psychologists from the University of Almeria in Spain has just finished a study about the use of addictive substances by university students and the result of impulsive behavior in the same group of people.

Regular users of marijuana and alcohol are more impulsive than non-users. There is no evidence of the differences between both of these groups which makes the experts believe that “consuming these substances, whatever their nature, is related to impulsivitiy.”

Behavior was measured in three categories: motor impulsivity, cognitive impulsivity and unplanned impulsivity. A total of 575 students participated in the study.

The results show significant behavior differences depending on the analysed groups. “It is undeniable that university students regularly consume addictive substances. On the other hand, it seems clear that ther is a relationship between drug use and impulsive behavior, although we still have to clarify whether this attitude is a cause or a result of drug use.”

www.TheTreatmentCenter.com

Scars remind us of the past. They do not have to dictate the future.

Deaths from opioid use in Ontario, Canada have doubled since 1991. The addition of long-acting oxycodone was linked to a five-fold increase in oxycodone-related deaths.

Opioids are among the most commonly prescribed medications in Canada. This study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, suggests that there is a connection between the higher rates of opioid prescriptions and related deaths.

The study included data from 1991 to 2007 from IMS Health Canada and deaths attributed to opioid use from the Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario between 1991 and 2004. It also linked the coroner’s information to databases that tracked patients’ medical visits.

Prescriptions for opioids increased by 29 percent, with codeine the most frequently prescribed, though prescriptions for that drug declined during the study period. Oxycodone prescriptions rose more than 850 percent, and accounted for 32 percent of the almost 7.2 million prescriptions for opioids dispensed in Ontario in 2006.

They cannot take away our self-respect if we do not give it to them. ~Mahatma Gandhi

Drug companies began last week to prevent the misuse of prescription painkillers, under pressure from the government to prevent hundreds of deaths annually.

Johnson & Johnson, King Pharmaceuticals and other companies want to use patient medication guides, letters to doctors, and more physician training to stop inappropriate use and prescribing of painkillers.

In February, the Food and Drug Administration sent letter to 16 drug companies ordering them to create risk management plans for their drugs. The companies presented their joint proposal to the FDA after several months of discussion. The companies at the meeting make 24 opioid drugs – including morphine, oxycodone and methadone – often abused drugs for their euphoric effect.

The FDA has issued warnings on prescription pain relievers over the years. A 2007 federal survey found that 5.2 million people said they used prescription drugs inappropriately.

Even if happiness forgets you a little bit, never completely forget about it. ~Jacques Prévert

Repeated use of ecstasy significantly raises the risk of developing sleep apnea in otherwise healthy people. This finding comes from researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and highlights the dangers of using the illegal amphetamine.

Sleep apnea alone can contribute to a decline in cognitive function, an increased risk of diabetes and an increased risk of death from heart disease.

“Our finding show yet another reason not to use ecstasy,” said Una D. McCann, M.D., the lead researcher of the study. McCann’s team previously linked ecstasy, or methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) to cognitive deficits, impulsive behavior and altered brain wave patterns during sleep.

UAU2QHJ8V5EV

Some days there won’t be a song in your heart. Sing anyway. ~Emory Austin

New research suggests that fruit flies are the new heroes in the fight against drug abuse. A new study says that fruit flies can be used as a simpler and more convenient animal model for studying the effects on brain chemistry from cocaine and other addictive drugs.

The study noted that laboratory mice, rats and monkeys have been instrumental in finding effective medicines for treating addiction. Scientists have learned that fruit flies are easier to study than mammals.

The scientists gave cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine and methylphenidate to fruit flies and then studying brain chemistry with a microelectrode one-twentieth the diameter of a human hair. The results demonstrate that fruit flies are a good model for studying human drug addiction.

The most wasted of all days is one without laughter. ~e.e. cummings

Common mental disorders, such as depression and alcohol abuse, are the top psychological problems amongst British troops coming home from combat.

Since the beginning of the Iraq war, over 100,000 British troops have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. These men and women are at increased risk of mental health problems.

A study conducted by Dr. Amy Iversen and colleagues from the King’s Centre for Military Health Research and the Academic Centre for Defence Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, says that alcohol abuse is the most common mental health disorder among returning troops. Depression and anxiety are also seen in those returning home.

The research surveyed 821 people. They found that the prevalence of all common mental health disorders was 27.2 percent, with alcohol abuse at 18 percent and depression and anxiety at 13.5 percent. The information showed that reservists who deployed to Iraq are at a greater risk of psychiatric injury than regular personnel.