Getting Wasted Has Real Consequences

How do we help those people who intend to get very drunk and who enjoy getting wasted via drinking games? CNN posted a thought-provoking article about the culture we live in whereby people intentionally indulge in drinking games to become very intoxicated, post their exploits on Facebook, YouTube and other social media for fun, and
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Heroin Facts and Information

Heroin is highly addictive and potentially fatal. This we know. Despite these facts being common, we are seeing a surprising number of people move on to heroin and quickly become hooked. Is it that each person considers him or herself exempt from addiction, or somehow different from others? The reasons for using illicit substances are
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Deadly Heroin and Fentanyl Drug Mixture

Below is a recent message from Dr. H. Westley Clark, Director of the Center For Substance Abuse Treatment, on a dangerous drug mixture which has already resulted in numerous overdose deaths around the country. While this message was targeted to treatment providers, it is relevant information for the entire community. Please share this cautionary message
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A Heroin Crisis is Happening in Vermont

CBS News recently profiled the rising opioid drug addiction problem in the state of Vermont. The CBS piece (see video below) highlighted that there has been an increase of 800% in opiate drug abuse since year 2000 in the state. Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin is quoted as saying “It’s an illness we need to treat,
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Actor Dies at 46 of Suspected Heroin Overdose

The New York Times reported yesterday that actor Philip Seymour Hoffman died Sunday of a drug overdose. He was found dead in a Greenwich Village apartment by a friend who had become concerned about him. Authorities report that an envelope suspected to contain heroin was found near Mr. Hoffman and a syringe still in his
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ABC News Anchor Discusses Her Alcoholism

ABC News anchor, Elizabeth Vargas, recently went public with her struggle with alcoholism. After many years of concealing her addiction, she finally sought help and embraced recovery for her illness. In a candid interview with long time co-anchor, George Stepanopoulos, Elizabeth explains how her chemical use covered up feelings of panic & anxiety. Her testimony
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Prescription Drug Abuse Trends

The National Institute on Drug Abuse recently published some drug trend statistics pertaining to prescription medications in particular. The misuse of prescription drugs in the United States remains high and will require a concerted effort by all cities and states to educate the public & to prevent Rx drug abuse wherever possible. Here are some
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Addiction and the Brain

Food for thought: As a society, we often think of drug-induced behaviors as simply intentional misdeeds or “bad choices”. We live in a country that prizes personal independence, freedom, and self-determination. It is important to emphasize that drug addiction is a process which hijacks the brain’s neurochemistry and alters normal brain functioning. A drug addicted
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Heroin and Prescription Drug Overdose

Just released by The Partnership at DrugFree.org is another article highlighting the growing opioid overdose epidemic spreading across America. The popular vacation destination, Jersey Shore, experienced an increase in overdose deaths in 2013 which doubled that seen in the previous year. The article reports that three people have already died this year in Ocean County,
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Link Between Mental Illness and Substance Abuse

Treatment professionals have long recognized a causal link between active substance abuse and the exacerbation of mental health symptoms. Similarly, those treating addiction have observed a patient’s drug use and associated problems suddenly escalate when the patient goes off of a needed psychotropic medication. That these two illnesses are connected is no great surprise. The
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