Narcotics Anonymous

Narcotics Anonymous.

We are recovering addicts who meet regularly to help each other to stay clean. There are no dues or fees. The only requirement for membership is the desire to stop using.

 

Clear Messages Reduce Teen Drug Use

Students With Parents Who Set and Enforce Clear Rules are Less Likely to Report Illicit Drug Use

Youths whose parents set clear rules for them are less likely to report using illicit drugs, according to data from the 2008-09 PRIDE Survey. Middle and high school students* whose parents set clear rules for them “a lot” or “often” were less likely to report using illicit drugs in the past year (12% and 21%, respectively) than students whose parents never set clear rules (49%). Similar results were found for having parents who punish them for breaking these rules (data not shown). Previous studies have found that youths living in households where parents kept track of their whereabouts and set curfews were less likely to report heavy drinking.

 

 

SOURCE: Adapted by CESAR from PRIDE, Questionnaire Report for Grades 6 to 12, 2008-09 National Summary – Grades 6 thru 12, 2009. Available online at http://www.pridesurveys.com/customercenter/us08ns.pdf.

Drugs and Kids: How Parents Can Keep Them Apart by Gary L. Somdahl

Minimising the Risk of Addiction to Codeine

New advice on over the counter analgesics containing codeine

The British Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) today announced new advice on over-the-counter (OTC) medicines containing codeine and dihydrocodeine (DHC) to minimise the risk of overuse and addiction.

The package of measures include clear and prominently positioned warnings on the label and patient information leaflet (PIL) about the risk of addiction, and the importance of not taking these medicines for longer than three days.

The revised guidance on the use of these products will focus on treating moderate pain not relieved by simple painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen. There will also be updated controls on advertising to ensure the new warnings are clearly presented.

Large packs of effervescent codeine containing products will no longer be sold in the pharmacy but will be available on prescription, which further strengthens the voluntary action taken by manufacturers in 2005 on pack size reduction. All packs containing up to 32 tablets remain available for sale through a pharmacy.

MHRA Director of Vigilance and Risk Management of Medicines, Dr June Raine said that taken in the correct manner and for the right purposes, codeine and DHC are very effective and acceptably safe medicines.

“However, these products can be addictive and we are taking action to tackle this risk,” she said.

“The MHRA is ensuring that people have clear information on codeine containing medicines on what they are to be used for and how to minimise the risk of addiction.

“Anyone who has concerns should speak to their pharmacist or a doctor.”

All indications related to colds, flu, coughs and sore throats, and references to minor painful conditions will be removed. The remaining list of indications will be for the short term treatment of acute, moderate pain which is not relieved by paracetamol, ibuprofen or aspirin alone.

Patient Information Leaflets (PIL) and Labels
The PIL and Labels will state that the products are for short term use only (up to three days) for the treatment of moderate, acute pain, and that the products can cause addiction or overuse headache if used continuously for more than three days. In particular, the following warning will be positioned clearly and prominently on the front of the pack:

‘Can cause addiction. For three days use only’

The PIL will also carry information about the warning signs of addiction, ie if the medicine is needed for longer periods and in higher doses than recommended, and if stopping the medicine makes you feel unwell but you feel better when you start taking it again.

Advertising

The advertising and promotion code of practice for manufacturers and retailers will be updated to reflect the new indications and warnings, and to remove references to painkilling power and strength. Also, all advertisements will include the statement ‘Can cause addiction. For three days use only’.

Full story at British Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency

• See also;
• $4 Million Killer Kids
• Current Social Problems
• Double Trouble in Recovery for Alcoholics
• Ten percent of adults abuse drugs
• Types of Dysfunctional Families

Addict In The Family: Stories of Loss, Hope, and Recovery. by Beverly Conyers

Chicken Soup for the Soul: All in the Family: 101 Incredible Stories about our Funny, Quirky, Lovable & "Dysfunctional" Families by Jack Canfield

Legal Drugs Kill Far More Than Illegal

Legal Drugs Kill Far More Than Illegal, Florida Says

From “Scarface” to “Miami Vice,” Florida’s drug problem has been portrayed as the story of a single narcotic: cocaine. But for Floridians, prescription drugs are increasingly a far more lethal habit.

An analysis of autopsies in 2007 released this week by the Florida Medical Examiners Commission found that the rate of deaths caused by prescription drugs was three times the rate of deaths caused by all illicit drugs combined.

Law enforcement officials said that the shift toward prescription-drug abuse, which began here about eight years ago, showed no sign of letting up and that the state must do more to control it.

“You have health care providers involved, you have doctor shoppers, and then there are crimes like robbing drug shipments,” said Jeff Beasley, a drug intelligence inspector for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which co-sponsored the study. “There is a multitude of ways to get these drugs, and that’s what makes things complicated.”

Full story at the New York Times

See also;

• Abstinence from Heroin Addiction Works
• Alcohol & Medication Interactions
• Alcohol is a drug – TOO!
• Subscribe by e-Mail to Alcohol Self-help News

Focus on recovery

Focus on recovery for Scottish drug addicts

SCOTLAND’S new drug strategy will focus on helping addicts into recovery rather than treatment programmes.

Community safety minister Fergus Ewing is expected to unveil the Scottish Government’s drug abuse plan to Holyrood later this week.

And the key theme will be for treatment services to go beyond harm reduction and to help addicts to become drug-free.

Ewing said that drug users had “the right to the same care and treatment as the rest of us and shouldn’t be treated as second class citizens”.

Full story at Scotland on Sunday

See also;

• Dependency is a Ravenous Beast
• Mental health services need radical changes to make recovery a reality
• Subscribe by e-Mail to Alcohol Self-help News