We Restore Hope -

The essence of true friendship is to make allowance for another’s little lapses. ~David Storey

A new ice cream store in Kennewick, Washington is proving popular with customers and recovering addicts. The owner of Sandstone Creamery, James Ortega, is a recovering addict and has been clean and sober for the past 18 months. That fact has led to Ortega reaching out to members of the community.

Every Sunday men from the Teen Challenge Organization, a local men’s outreach program, are scheduled to work at the ice cream shop. All of them have struggled with drug and alcohol addiction at some time.

Ortega met the men at church and quickly realized that by helping others in the community, it strengthens him in his fight against addiction.

“For me it’s a blessing that cuts both ways,” Ortega said. “I feed them a meal and they feed my need to stay clean and sober.”

All of the ice cream shop’s proceeds made every Sunday are donated back to the Teen Challenge Organization where the men live.

“This teaches us to work in the community, to be productive and do that being clean,” said Davis Margerison, a resident at the Teen Challenge Home. “It also gives us a sense of self worth.”

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I don’t suffer from insanity. I enjoy every minute of it. ~Author Unknown

Members of a controversial organization called Project Prevention is roaming the streets of Honolulu with cash in the pockets. They are hoping to persuade drug addicts and alcoholics to undergo sterilization or go on long-term birth control. The group was stated by North Carolina resident Barbara Harris. It offers addicts $300 if they agree to birth control methods such as DepoProvera, patches, or intrauterine devices (IUDs).

The program’s critics say that the addicts will just use the cash to buy drugs or alcohol, a fact which Harris does not argue.

“That’s their choice if women use the money to use drugs, but babies don’t have a choice. At least they won’t get pregnant,” Harris said.

In `997, Harris adopted four children from a mother addicted to drugs. That experience was the catalyst to the beginnings of Project Prevention. As of February of this year, the group had paid more than 3,000 addicts to go on long-term birth control methods or get sterilized.

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When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.  ~Kahlil Gibran

The California State Assembly conducted a special hearing last week on budget cuts for addiction programs. The non-profit organization Drug Policy Alliance estimates that ten percent of Californians abuse drugs or alcohol. In California, about 30,000 addicts are in prison for drug possession.

“Everyone comes back to the community after they get out of prison,” said Judge Steven Manley, a California Superior Court judge. Manley runs the drug court in Santa Clara County. The court monitors 7,000 offenders sentenced to treatment instead of jail time.

Ten years ago, drug offenders made up 30 percent of Santa Clara County’s jail population. In 2010, that number is down to 18 percent. Recent cuts in the state budge have reduced half the slots in offender rehabilitation programs.

“That means long lists and ability to get offenders into treatment and a difficult time keeping them in treatment,” Manley said. The results of the state budget cuts also increases the chance that addicts will end up in state prison. Once in the prison system, few addicts can get the help they need to battle a drug habit. In 2010, the state department of Corrections and Rehabilitation can only treat 8,500 inmates – a fraction of the tens of thousands of inmates who need treatment for addiction.

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I love hugging. I wish I was an octopus, so I could hug ten people at a time. ~Drew Barrymore

Actor Corey Haim was found dead Wednesday morning. The actor, 38, was found unresponsive by police at his mother’s Burbank, California apartment. Haim had a long history of substance abuse problems and police believe he died from an accidental overdose. An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death. Police do not believe there was any evidence of foul play.

Haim starred in several teen films in the 80s including The Lost Boys, Lucas and License to Drive. He had a reality show on A&E for a year with fellow actor Corey Feldman. Haim lost touch with Feldman due to his problems with drugs.

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I was so in the present moment the past was no longer part of me. ~Laurel Hoodwrit

Prescription drug overdose deaths in Florida increased by 77 percent between 2003 and 2008. According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, prescription drug abuse among children ages 12 to 17 increased 212 percent from 1992 and 2003.

The Florida Department of Health, in collaboration with the Governor’s Office of Drug Control, is actively implementing the legislation passed in 2009 that created a prescription drug-monitoring program. The program was designed to help reduce the amount of deaths from prescription drug overdoses in the state.

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If you don’t like how things are, change it! You’re not a tree. ~Jim Rohn

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime warned this week that developing countries could face a “health disaster” if wealthy countries do not control the flow of drugs. At a meeting in Vienna, Austria, UNODC chief Antonio Maria Costas said that “the developing world lacks the treatment facilities and law enforcement to control drugs. This seems to have been forgotten by people in rich countries calling for loosening of drug controls.

Costas talked about the increasing heroin use in East Africa, cocaine use in West Africa and synthetic drugs in the Middle East and Southeast Asia as warning signs. Costas believes that drug addiction is a treatable condition, though inequality “within and between states marginalizes poor people who lack access to treatment.”

The UNODC is working with the World Health Organization to achieve universal access to drug treatment programs and work with UNAIDS to stem the spread of HIV worldwide.

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Kindness, like a boomerang, always returns. ~Author Unknown

Portugal has the first alcohol-free resort in Europe. The vacation spot is targeted at recovering addicts. The project is called Sober Holidays and has a goal to give visitors a safe and supportive environment that is fun. The resort is a restored 19th century villa in the Algarve region in southern Portugal. The Algarve is a popular vacation region with beautiful beaches and amazing seafood. The resort is set to open in April. It will offer varied activities for guests like biking, mountain hiking, golf, tennis and bird watching.

Guests will be offered access to three weekly Alcoholics Anonymous meetings if they choose to attend. The guests will also have the choice to attend weekly Gamblers Anonymous meetings and twice weekly Narcotics Anonymous meetings. This resort is being greeting with anxious anticipation. It is tough to find an environment where people are surrounded by others who are experiencing the same thing while not being bombarded by temptation. The resort is owned by a recovering alcoholic.

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There is no telling how many miles you will have to run while chasing a dream. ~Author Unknown

One county in Ohio has the dubious distinction of having the most prescription drug overdose deaths in the state. According to the Ohio Department of Health, residents of Montgomery County are more likely to die of a prescription overdose. This cause of death surpassed car accidents as the top cause of injury death in Ohio in 2006.

In Montgomery County the average yearly death rate was more than twice the state average between 2000 and 2007. During that time, 785 county residents died of prescription drug overdoses.

It is not yet understood why the county’s numbers are so high. Rural counties in Ohio may be underreporting their statistics of prescription drug deaths. Dayton, which is the largest city in Montgomery County, has a reputation for cheaper drugs. According to Joseph Szoke, executive director of the Alcohol Drug Addicttion and Mental Health Services Board, believes that the number of car industry retirees in the county living on a fixed income may have contributed to the “epidemic” of overdose deaths.

“You have people who in a down economy are looking for ways to supplement whatever income they have” and may be selling extra prescription drugs. This in turn increases the supply of these drugs in the county.

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Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success. ~Henry Ford

The Maryland chapter of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence released the results of an opinion poll that found 72 percent of residents support a ten cent increase in the state’s alcohol tax if the money supports social services. The services would target people with drug and alcohol addiction, developmental disabilities, mental illnesses and health care for people without insurance.

Budget cuts in the state have reduced funding for addiction treatment and prevention by $4.7 million across the state.

“it’s clear that the citizens of Maryland support additional funding for addiction services and favor the alcohol tax as a mechanism to pay for it,” said Dr. Nancy Rosen-Cohen, executive director at the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence of Maryland. “The budget is such a critical issue that a majority of those polled think that the government leaders who are against raising taxes should make an exception and increase the alcohol tax.”

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My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand. ~Thich Nhat Hanh

A new study found that alcohol and marijuana use among teenagers is on the rise. The Partnership for a Drug-Free American released their annual study. It found that there was an 11 percent increase in alcohol use among kids in grades 9 through 12. There were about 6.5 million teens – 39 percent – reporting alcohol use. That is an increase from 35 percent or 5.8 million teenagers in 2008.

Twenty five percent of teens reported smoking marijuana in the last month. This was an increase from 19 percent in the 2008 survey. Until last year, marijuana and alcohol use had been steadily dropping since 1998, when about 50 percent of teenagers reported using alcohol and 27 percent said they used marijuana.

The use of ecstasy among teenagers is also on the upswing. Six percent of surveyed teens reported ecstasy use in the past month. In 2008, that use of ecstasy was only 4 percent. Teen abuse of prescription drugs and cold medicine remained constant in the past year.

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