AB 1019: California Alcohol Tax Bill Put on Hold April 29, 2009
Posted by Ernesto in : Alcohol, Recovery, Substance Abuse, United States , add a comment
The California state government was set to enact Bill 1019, which would have proposed a fee on alcohol companies in order to allocate collected funds of approximately $1.4 billion to programs that help Californians alleviate alcohol-related harm, such as car accidents, deaths, illnesses, injuries, and crime (domestic violence).
Democrat Assemblyman Jim Beall, Jr. from San Jose, the author of AB
1019 (Alcohol Related Services Act), recently said: “The industry must start paying its fair share for the problems their products cause. If this fee and the program it pays for prevents another child from being born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or prevents another senseless DUI fatality it will have paid for itself and more.”
The kinds of programs that AB 1019 was originally designed to fund were in the five areas most impacted: alcohol treatment, alcohol prevention, hospitalization, trauma care, and law enforcement. Most Californians seemed to be in agreement with Jim Beall, Jr. that the proposed $1.4 billion that would have been collected would have paled in comparison to the estimated $38.4 billion dollars in damages that the alcohol industries’ products cause yearly in the state.
The “Regulatory Mitigation Fee” (Tax), AB 1019, originally called for the following breakdown: An increase of $1.07 per gallon of beer; $2.56 per gallon of wine containing 14 percent alcohol or less; $4.27 per gallon of wine and hard cider containing more than 14 percent alcohol; and $8.53 per gallon of 80-proof-liqour.
Roughly, the fees would have broken down to about a dime per drink (12-ounce serving of beer, 1.5 ounces of 80-proof-liquor, or a 5 ounce glass of wine). The fee was to be assed directly by the manufactures that distribute the alcohol. However, it remained unknown whether retailers would have passed the heightened cost for alcohol products onto consumers.
Nonetheless, the California state government announced that AB 1019 (Alcohol-Related Services Act of 2009) had been revised by its author Jim Beall, Jr. and turned into a two-year bill for discussion next year.
National Survey in Panama Shows Alcohol as most Consumed Drug April 28, 2009
Posted by Ernesto in : Addcition, Alcohol, Alcohol Addiction, Central America, Substance Abuse , add a comment
The results of the national Panamanian survey “Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Calidad de Vida” (ENSCAVI) have revealed that alcohol is the most widely-used drug in the country. The data reported by the ENSCAVI was obtained in 2007 from survey responses given by approximately 25,748 adults. Several Panamanian organizations collaborated to administer the survey, including the “Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud”, the “Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censo de la Contraloría General de la República de Panamá”, and the “Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas (MEF).”
The statistics obtained from the ENSCAVI survey also provided significant evidence of gender differences in regards to alcohol consumption. Across all variables, it was the survey concluded that Panamanian men reported drinking alcoholic beverages with more frequency then women. In addition, it was found that men begin consuming alcohol at an earlier age than their female counterparts. The average age that Panamanian males reported, for first consuming alcohol, was between 18 and 24, while the average female reports were around 25 years of age.
In regards to the consumption of alcohol among Panamanian youths, a research study conducted by psychologist, Geraldine Emiliani, found that 89% of the polled adolescents (ages 14 -17) reported already consuming alcohol at family gatherings and at clubs. Researchers believe that possible causes of early alcohol consumption are linked to a lack of parental involvement and communication, peer pressure, an excess in alcohol marketing. When these factors are combined with a shortage of safe and healthy entertainment, subsequently, a deterioration of the family follows.
New Program, Project G86, to curb Rise of Youth Drug Addiction in India April 25, 2009
Posted by Ernesto in : Addcition, India, Narcotics, Substance Abuse , add a comment
Hindustantimes of Indian reported last week that according to drug-abuse experts, statistics are showing youth drug addiction has risen drastically in India over the last few years. One such expert is psychologist Rahul Chandok of the Batra Hospital, who said “The number of students smoking marijuana to beat stress has gone up considerably in the past few years. Students with an experimental zeal are more prone to intoxicants like weed and hash.” Some experts are saying that kids as young as 13 and 14 in India are regularly partaking in such behaviors.
Nonetheless, the UN is taking preventative measures to curb youth drug addiction in India by implementing a school-based, awareness and education program designed specifically for youths, called G86. Thus far, the G86 project has already had 200 public and government schools commit to participating in their “I Decide — I will not take drugs” campaign. The program mainly targets middle-schoolers but also involves parents by sending informative brochures home with kids.
It seems that the effort to reach out to parents is considered crucial by expert like Deepak Raheja, who heads the Hope Foundation, which works in the recovery community and commonly sees addicted kids. Raheja often shared his sentiments in the article, saying “abuse can lead to various behavioural changes in children. They need to rekindle essential values that can save children from deadly consequences.”
Rise in Violence-Related Attacks in UK Partly Due to Alcohol Abuse April 24, 2009
Posted by Ernesto in : Alcohol, Alcohol Addiction, Europe, Substance Abuse, U.K. , add a comment
The annual violence study conducted by Cardiff University (UK) found that the frequency of hospital visits for violence-related attacks in Wales and England has risen by nearly 7% since last year. This marks the first overall rise of incidents in the data since 2001.
According to Professor Jonathan Shepherd, who is Cardiff University’s research director of Violence Research and Society Group, the 7% increase was the result of alcohol abuse, citing: “The big problem is alcohol-related violence in towns and city centers,” adding, “It’s not so much that you drink and become violent but that you become vulnerable. For both women and men, the best way to reduce the risk of being injured is monitoring how much you drink.”
Experts like Wynford Ellis Owen of the Welsh Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs agree with Shepard in that alcohol has a major part to play in the equation. However, Owen believes that the violence is a direct result of alcohol abuse that has been worsened by the recent economic downturn. In an interview, Owen said, “I think it’s inevitable that in order to ease the pain of what they are suffering now, people will turn to alcohol and drugs.” Owens added about the uprising trend in violence, “It’s a consequence of abusive drinking and it’s a reality that society has to come to terms with.”
Nonetheless, Shepard added, “We saw an encouraging and sharp fall in violence-related serious injuries in 2007, suggesting…that initiatives such as Crime Reduction Partnerships were delivering results. What the 2008 results show, however, is that crime prevention policies and delivery agencies still have a way to go before violence in the UK gets properly under control.”
Cocaine Production on the Rise Says Bolivian Anti-Drug Chief April 23, 2009
Posted by Ernesto in : Addcition, Narcotics, South America, Substance Abuse, Worldwide , add a comment
Bolivian Anti-Drug police chief, Oscar Nina, recently warned that law enforcement has seen a spike in cocaine productions, mainly due to Colombian and Mexican cartels subcontracting local coca growers to process the leaf instead because it’s more efficient than shipping it out. “There is more interest and investment in purifying coca paste here and exporting it, rather than sending it to Colombia for purification” said Nina in the interview.
However, this pattern is not new. In the mid 90’s, Peruvian anti-drug authorities saw the same shift being made by the major cartels in Colombia, when local growers were paid more to process the cocaine, rather than exporting it to Colombia for the task. Still, much of the coca grown in Bolivia is done so by family farms and is legal under the country’s law, as it is intended for use in teas and herbal medicines. For exactly this reason, conditions are ideal in Bolivia for upping local processing of coca.
Last Month, Bolivian authorities busted three hidden processing-labs in the jungle, after a small plane aviated by two Colombians was seized carrying 660 pounds of cocaine and lead to the discovery. Thus far in 2009, nine tons of cocaine has been seized and 992 drug-related arrests made. Just last year, Bolivian authorities busted more than 3,000 local, coca-processing labs and seized a record breaking 27 tons of cocaine that mainly came from the small, clandestine operations.
Recovery Nation Helps Couples Coping with Sex and Porn Addiction April 22, 2009
Posted by Ernesto in : Addcition, Online, Recovery, Worldwide , add a comment
The online self-help resource, Recovery Nation, recently announced its newly launched, web-based initiative, called Couple’s Workshop, to help couples cope and move forward through problems stemming from sex and porn addictions. Jon Marsh, founder of Recovery Nation, describes the Couple’s Workshop by saying, “This workshop is for those couples who have already made the decision to heal their partnership–be that as friends, parents, or lovers.”
Couple’s Workshop utilizes similar health-based recovery techniques found in traditional addiction recovery programs and partner’s healing workshops. More so, Recovery Nation’s new sex and porn addiction, recovery program also looks to rebuild a healthy sexual life with a partner beyond addiction management. It does so by providing over forty free lessons that guide couple’s in the development of partnership communication skills as well as trust and intimacy rebuilding.
While some may feel “shock, fear, confusion, disgust and ignorance” about their sexual addiction problem as mentioned on the Recovery Nation website, which tends to act negatively in “guiding the recovery response as well,” the site also mentions that the provided resource of the Couple’s Workshop will “assist you, your partner and/or anyone seeking to fully understand the sex, love and porn addictions in such a way as to facilitate a permanent recovery and/or healing process.” For more information, visit the website at: http://www.recoverynation.com
British Shopaholic Liz Jones Admits to Spending Half-Million on Clothes April 21, 2009
Posted by Ernesto in : Addcition, Europe, U.K., Worldwide , add a comment
From a column in UK’s Dailymail.com, former Marie Claire fashion editor, Liz Jones, described her experiences being a Shopaholic, and for anyone who knows about addiction recovery and the 12 step programs, economic failure goes hand in hand with any addiction. Jones opens the article by saying that the “excess” started with a $140.00 sweater, when she was making $30.00 a week and ballooned to purchases that would eventually reach $4000.00 for a single dress.
In the article, Liz Jones outlines some her futile purchases over the years, noting: “I often do that terrible thing of buying something – a pair of Prada platforms, a pair of Seven For All Mankind jeans – and then later finding I already have the exact same thing at home.” Still, Jones bravely shares the story of someone who suffers from a severe case compulsiveness, which also usually goes hand in hand with any addiction.
Amongst other stories, Jones mentions how she went to the Oscars and had decided to wear one of her many expensive dresses, rather than buying a new one, but upon arriving to LA, she was so “unhappy” with what she had brought that she went out to buy a new wardrobe. While at Barneys she saw a pair of shoes that she thought were just OK, but because the clerk informed her there were none in her size, she felt “so thwarted” that she “couldn’t live without them” and had the store fly a pair to her hotel room from their New York branch for the following day.
Although most of the anecdotes in the article are quite comical, there is no laughing matter about Liz Jones’ addiction. Jones sums it up like this: “Shopping for me is like a drug: I get a high from making the sales assistant smile…” Nonetheless, Jones goes on to speak of her regrets for wasteful spending and notes that it was the recent downturn in the economy that finally brought her to her senses after she faced the serious credit crunch.
What Does the in the Rooms Logo Mean? April 18, 2009
Posted by inrecovery in : Online, Recovery, United States , add a comment
For those of you unfamiliar with the In the Rooms logo, it is the image of a tree with 12 different colored leaves on it; but, what exactly does it represent? After reading a recent newsletter, I found out that the logo symbolizes the 12 steps traditions, and the spiritual premises maintained as part of the lifestyle philosophy. In the Rooms added that “When we were originally developing our logo, we decided to go with the tree as it is a symbol of strength, growth and life. Just as with a tree, we believe that if we nurture and care for our community, it will grow and prosper.”
In the Rooms is a new social networking site that is specifically designed for addicts in recovery within the rehabilitation community. Within In the Rooms, members are able to utilize cutting edge technology to meet other like-minded people, upload photos, post videos, create blogs, and most importantly, share their experience, strength and hope about recovery. Among the many members is the musician, Richie Supa, who wrote a song especially for In the Rooms. To date, the website’s mantra has been the word H.I.T.C.H. which stands for Help, Inform, Touch, Connect and Heal; the site has said the acronym helps sum up their mission.
Meth Mothers Pass Drug’s Damage onto Unborn Children April 17, 2009
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A study recently published in the scientific journal, Neurology, cited a study out of the University of Hawaii that found children whose mothers where using methamphetamine while carrying them showed abnormalities in brain development.
The study, conducted by Dr. Linda Chang of UH’s of John A. Burns School of Medicine, is being considered the first of its kind. Using a new method of Diffusion tensor imaging, it compared brain scans of young children nearly-half from meth moms and the other half from non-meth moms, finding that the white matter of the former was lagging in development and showed some irregularities.
The researcher team at UH isn’t exactly sure how meth causes the physical abnormality in the white matter of the children. Nonetheless, the researchers have committed to following the children throughout their development to research long-term effects in longitudinal studies.
Hopefully, the findings will motivate drug-abuse prevention organizations to create campaigns targeting potential expecting-to-be, meth moms to clean up their act, so future children aren’t affected by meth addiction.
Marijuana Addictions Double in UK since Downgrade of Drugs’ Status April 15, 2009
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Recent reports from the UK have shown that since Marijuana was originally downgraded from its C class status in 2004 to the less serious B class, the number of new admittances to NHS treatment centers for cannabis addiction has doubled. This conclusion can be accurately made in hindsight, because although Marijuana’s C class was reinstated earlier this year, the statistics of abuse and required treatment still reflect the doubling.
The recent figures showed that new cases for Marijuana addiction rose from a previous yearly average of 13,408 to 26,287 in the first three years of the downgrade. The figures also reflected the new cases of Marijuana addiction for individuals under 18, which was first recorded in 2005 at 9,043 and rose to 12,021 in the first two years. Marijuana was initially downgraded in the UK five years ago, by former Home Secretary David Blunkett, in an effort to curb arrests for possession, even though the penalties for dealing Marijuana were made more severe at the same time.
Some experts attribute the increase in addiction not to the class downgrade, but rather to the steady increase in THC potency that Marijuana has contained in recent years. Still, most medics, anti-drug campaigners and law enforcement agree that the failure of the policy was due to a false illusion that Marijuana was somehow less harmful because it was legal. One such person is Norman Wells of Family and Youth Concern, who said that the downgrade created, “confusing and dangerous messages about the drug’s supposed safety.”
