Portugal’s drug policy pays off; US eyes lessons – FoxNews.com

Portugal’s drug policy pays off; US eyes lessons – FoxNews.com.

LISBON, Portugal – These days, Casal Ventoso is an ordinary blue-collar community — mothers push baby strollers, men smoke outside cafes, buses chug up and down the cobbled main street.

Ten years ago, the Lisbon neighborhood was a hellhole, a “drug supermarket” where some 5,000 users lined up every day to buy heroin and sneak into a hillside honeycomb of derelict housing to shoot up. In dark, stinking corners, addicts — some with maggots squirming under track marks — staggered between the occasional corpse, scavenging used, bloody needles.

At that time, Portugal, like the junkies of Casal Ventoso, had hit rock bottom: An estimated 100,000 people — an astonishing 1 percent of its population — were addicted to illegal drugs. So, like anyone with little to lose, the Portuguese took a risky leap: They decriminalized the use of all drugs in a groundbreaking law in 2000.

 

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/12/26/portugals-drug-policy-pays-eyes-lessons/#ixzz19Gb1xbEf

Portugal’s drug policy pays off; US eyes lessons

via foxnews.com

LISBON, Portugal – These days, Casal Ventoso is an ordinary blue-collar community — mothers push baby strollers, men smoke outside cafes, buses chug up and down the cobbled main street. Ten years ago, the Lisbon neighborhood was a hellhole, a “drug supermarket” where some 5,000 users lined up every day to buy heroin and sneak into a hillside honeycomb of derelict housing to shoot up. In dark, stinking corners, addicts — some with maggots squirming under track marks — staggered between the occasional corpse, scavenging used, bloody needles. At that time, Portugal, like the junkies of Casal Ventoso, had hit rock bottom: An estimated 100,000 people — an astonishing 1 percent of its population — were addicted to illegal drugs. So, like anyone with little to lose, the Portuguese took a risky leap: They decriminalized the use of all drugs in a groundbreaking law in 2000. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/12/26/portugals-drug-policy-pays-eyes-lesso…

DEADLIEST DAY OF THE YEAR

WHY NEW YEAR’S IS THE DEADLIEST DAY OF THE YEAR FOR PEDESTRIANS 

Loyola physician warns of the perils of drunken walking — It’s the holiday season and New Year’s partiers will soon be inundated with warnings about the risks of drinking and driving.

Little is ever heard, though, about the risks of drinking and walking, which can be just as dangerous, said trauma surgeon Dr. Thomas Esposito at Loyola University Health System in Maywood, Ill.

"Alcohol impairs your physical ability to walk and to drive," Esposito said. "It impairs your judgment, reflexes and coordination. It’s nothing more than a socially acceptable, over-the-counter stimulant/depressant."

A trauma surgeon for more than 20 years, Esposito has witnessed the tragic aftermath of drunken walking in his own work and family. Several years ago, Esposito’s cousin opted to walk instead of driving home from a party where he had been drinking.

"A driver, who I don’t believe was intoxicated, did not see him and hit him, and he was killed," said Esposito, who is chief of the division of trauma, surgical critical care and burns in the Department of Surgery, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. "They found him on the side of the road on New Year’s Day."

In 2005, the journal Injury Prevention reported that New Year’s Day is more deadly for pedestrians than any other day of the year. From 1986 to 2002, 410 pedestrians were killed on New Year’s Day. Fifty-eight percent of those killed had high blood-alcohol concentrations.

Alcohol also plays a significant role in the deaths of pedestrians throughout the year, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. In 2008, 38 percent of fatally injured pedestrians 16 and older had blood-alcohol concentrations at or above 0.08 percent, which is the legal definition for impaired driving in Illinois. The percentage rose to 53 percent for deaths occurring during 9 p.m.-6 a.m. Fourteen percent of pedestrian deaths involved drivers with BACs at or above 0.08 percent.

From July 2009 to June 2010, 105 people were treated at Loyola after being struck by cars. Fifty-five had their blood-alcohol levels checked. Of those, 16, or 29 percent, were found to have had some level of alcohol in their system. Thirteen, or 24 percent, had blood-alcohol concentrations at or above 0.08 percent.

"If they had been driving and were stopped by police, they would have been arrested for driving under the influence," Esposito said.

He added that those statistics don’t take into account the people who suffer injuries in their homes from unintentional causes and violence after drinking.

"It’s not just walking outside. We often see people who have been drinking that have fallen down the stairs or tripped at home and injured themselves. Others have unwisely chosen to ‘get into it’ with guns, knives, bottles and fists," Esposito said.

If you drink and plan to walk on New Year’s Eve, or any other day of the year, you have to take special care, Esposito said. Don’t wear dark clothing at night that can make it difficult for drivers to see you. Walk solely on the sidewalks and cross at designated crosswalks. Also, it’s a good idea to walk in a group, which is easier for drivers to spot, and try to walk with at least one person who has not been drinking, a designated chaperone or escort.

Drivers need to take extra care when in restaurant or bar districts, since intoxicated pedestrians have slower reflexes and can be unpredictable, Esposito said. People hosting parties in which alcohol is consumed have as much of obligation to watch over their guests who are walking home as they do with those who may be driving.

"You have to be able to assess someone’s perceived ability to safely get from one place to the other," Esposito said. "If their mode of transportation is a car, you do things to prevent them from driving, such as calling them a cab or finding them an unimpaired chauffeur. If that mode of transportation is their legs, then you either drive them – assuming you’re not impaired – or make them stay at home with you."

Even if a guest stays at your home, you should be aware that they could trip and fall down the stairs, Esposito said.

"So you don’t want to send them up to the second-story bedroom," Esposito said.

Unfortunately, Esposito’s cousin took none of those precautions, the surgeon said. He was wearing dark clothing, was alone and walking in the street when he was hit.

"His death has had a devastating effect on the family, especially on his parents," Esposito said. "They required a lot of professional, psychological support and they really have never been the same, especially around the holidays."

From; http://loyolamedicine.org/

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In an average year 30 million Americans drive drunk – 10 million drive impaired by illicit drugs.

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In an average year 30 million Americans drive drunk – 10 million drive impaired by illicit drugs..

Past year drunk driving rates topped 20 percent in some states.

A new survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) indicates that on average 13.2 percent of all persons 16 or older drove under the influence of alcohol and 4.3 percent of this age group drove under the influence of illicit drugs in the past year.

The survey’s state-by-state breakdown of drunk and drugged driving levels shows significant differences among the states. Some of the states with the highest levels of past year drunk driving were Wisconsin (23.7 percent) and North Dakota (22.4 percent).  The highest rates of past year drugged driving were found in Rhode Island (7.8 percent) and Vermont (6.6 percent).

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Mommy’s Gone to Treatment

Mommy’s Gone to Treatment

Addiction is a devastating and all-embracing disease. Family members are often as profoundly affected by the illness as the person who suffers from it. Imagine what a child must think watching a parent descend deep into addiction, changing from a loving and nurturing mother into a hostile, screaming stranger.

But there is hope for addicts and their families. This book is about Janey, a young girl whose mother has entered a center for addiction treatment.

Written in easy-to-understand language with brightly colored illustrations, Mommy’s Gone to Treatment addresses issues children often face when an addicted parent seeks help.

Included is a parent’s guide with important talking points on easing a child’s apprehension when someone they love confronts their illness.

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Order today >> Mommy’s Gone to Treatment

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Successful Treatment of Physicians With Addictions | Psych Central Professional

Successful Treatment of Physicians With Addictions | Psych Central Professional.

Physicians generally display better health and have lower rates of all-cause mortality than the general population.¹ However, their education, nutrition, and lifestyle do not offer similar protection from substance abuse and dependence. Prevalence rates of alcohol abuse and dependence among physicians are about equal to those seen in the population as a whole, while prescription drug misuse and dependence rates are far higher.^2,3 Addiction impairs more physicians than any other disease.⁴

Defined as “a primary, chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. . . . [Addiction] is characterized by impaired control over drinking and/or drug use, preoccupation with the drug or alcohol, use of drugs or alcohol despite adverse consequences, and distortions in thinking, most notably denial.”⁵ The recognition that addiction is a disease, rather than a character flaw or failure of willpower, has led to the development of effective treatments and has helped reduce the stigma associated with rehabilitation and recovery. This model promotes the acceptance of treatment in persons with addiction disorder and results in increased satisfaction with care and improved prognosis.

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Fetal Alcohol Syndrome series: Mysterious clues led to FAS diagnosis

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Fetal Alcohol Syndrome series: Mysterious clues led to FAS diagnosis.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD): A term widely adopted in 2003 to describe all alcohol-related disorders, including FAS, pFAS and ARND.

Behaviours associated with FASD include – Poor executive functioning, which may include difficulty planning, organizing, prioritizing and following through with tasks, being on time and sticking to a schedule.

- Impulsivity and may be over-reaction to stimulating environments.

- Often repeating the same mistakes because they don’t learn from past behaviours.

- Poor memory or an inconsistent memory, which is hard for teachers to understand because they might perform well on Monday but forget on Tuesday. Math and science are hard subjects to grasp, money management is a challenge.

- Frequent inability unable to make decisions or understand risks. While they often have good expressive skills, their receptive skills are weak so while they are nodding and pretending they understand, they might not. Often will say what he or she thinks you want to hear, thinks more slowly, gets “stuck” in rigid behaviour and has trouble changing gears stepping from one activity and starting another.

- Often functioning developmentally — socially, emotionally and cognitively — at half their chronological age. Tend to mature and “catch up” as much as they are going to by age 35, so will need support.

Source: Diane V. Malbin, Asante Centre

 

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Mysterious+clues+diagnosis/3928233/story.html#ixzz17UdnsPTp

Twelve Step Christianity

Twelve Step Christianity

Genuine Christianity is more than a set of beliefs–it is a relationship with Jesus Christ that involves hearing His voice and following His directions.

But how does one do this? What tools or spiritual disciplines enable Christians to live out their lives in dynamic submission to God’s will? Perhaps no set of principles is better suited to help Christians hear God’s voice and submit to His will than the Twelve Steps.

As a Christian who practices the Steps, Saul Selby knows them to be an invaluable tool for living out the Christian faith. Selby brings his knowledge to bear in Twelve Step Christianity, which teaches Christians in recovery to connect their faith with their program–and shows any Christian a clear path to a more intimate relationship with Christ.

Laid out in a workbook format, with room for readers to write answers and track their progress, Twelve Step Christianity explores the roots of Twelve Step spirituality, examines the connections and distinctions between Christianity and Twelve Step programs, and offers readers a deeper and broader understanding of the myriad of powerful reasons for applying the Twelve Steps to their lives.

  Buy today >> Twelve Step Christianity 

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Finding God When You Don’t Believe in God

Finding God When You Don’t Believe in God

Here is an opportunity to listen in on fascinating conversations with people who found God when they didn’t really want to and weren’t even looking.

Through a series of deeply personal interviews with individuals from different walks of life, the authors conduct a captivating discourse on discovering a "higher power."

The interview subjects are not proselytizers, nor are they interested in comparing spiritual states. Their stories are neither tidy nor definitive. What they offer, however, is a remarkable, refreshing, and ultimately satisfying mosaic on the meaning and manifestation of God.

  Get today >> Finding God When You Don’t Believe in God