Friday, June 18, 2010
Older Americans Stru
Older Americans Struggling with Drug Addiction Wall Street Journal, 6/17/10 WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--A government report released Wednesday shows a rise in the proportion of older Americans who are struggling with cocaine, heroin and marijuana. In the period between 1992 and 2008, the proportion of substance abuse treatment admissions involving people who were at least 50 years old nearly doubled. It jumped from 6.6% of all admissions in 1992 to 12.2% in 2008, the most recent year for which data is available. The data was gathered from treatment centers across the country. While alcohol abuse is still the leading cause for admissions, the study--sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA--also shows a sharp rise in the proportion of older Americans who were admitted to treatment centers because they were struggling with illegal drugs. Jennifer Cofield, a 55-year-old mother and wife who lives in upstate New York near Lake Delta, struggled with substance abuse when she was in her late forties and early fifties. At the age of 52, she checked in to Seabrook House, an inpatient treatment center on a 40-acre estate in New Jersey. She has since kicked her habit. "I was a heroin snorter," she said. "If you had asked me 10 years ago if I would have ever tried heroin, my answer would have been, 'Are you out of your mind?'" But Cofield said she decided to try heroin after her 29-year-old daughter died of breast cancer. "That was the catalyst for me to find something to numb myself," she said. At that time she was in her late forties. "I just thought it was very unusual to be 48 and a heroin addict right out of the blue," she said. "When I went to rehab I was the oldest woman there until a woman came in who was in her sixties." Still, the SAMHSA study shows that older adults are making up more of the population at the nation's drug treatment centers. Between 1992 and 2008, the proportion of older Americans involved in heroin abuse more than doubled, going from 7.2% to 16%. Cocaine abuse almost quadrupled, going from 2.9% to 11.4% and prescription drug abuse rose from 0.7% to 3.5%. Additionally, marijuana abuse increased from 0.6% to 2.9%. Alcohol abuse-related admissions actually fell, going from 84.6% in 1992 to 59.9% in 2008. Peter Delaney, director of SAMHSA's office of applied studies said part of the reason older adults are making up more of the population at the nation's treatment centers is because the U.S. population--particularly the baby boom generation--is aging. Also, the study shows that about 75% of the older adults being treated at rehabilitation centers started using drugs when they were 25 or younger, so "there is a solid group of adults now who have been using for quite a long time," Delaney said. However, there isn't a lot of data about how different types of illegal drugs affect older adults, who are more likely to have slower metabolisms and to suffer from dehydration. "What that points to is our need to be pretty proactive in reaching out to older adults before it becomes a problem," Delaney said. "I think we think about prevention only for young kids. We also need to begin to think about prevention options for older adults." The study also suggests that an increasing number of older Americans are starting to experiment with drugs later in life. Delaney, a social worker by training, said there are usually two reasons people turn to drugs: "to feel better or to feel good." But it's important to find out why more older adults are starting up drug habits. "That's something we're going to be looking at a little more closely. We don't know what that's about," said Delaney. The report also found that substance abuse in older adults can be hard to diagnose because symptoms are often the same as other medical problems common among this population, such as diabetes. "These findings show the changing scope of substance abuse problems in America," said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela Hyde in a statement. "The graying of drug users in America is an issue for any programs and communities providing health or social services for seniors." -By Maya Jackson Randall, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-257-6313, maya.jackson-randall@dowjones.com
Prescription Pill Abuse Soaring....
This article reinforces what we have been seeing at Intervention 911. Prescription pill abuse is a serious problem with no end in sight. Just because something is prescribed, does not mean it is ok to use. With the proliferation of doctor shopping and online pharmacies, access for people prone to addiction is easier than ever. If you have even the slightest concern about someone's prescription pill use, call Intervention911 at 866-888-4911 to speak confidentially with someone who can help identify if your loved one is abusing pills.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/abuseofprescriptionpainkillerssoars
Abuse of prescription pain relievers is soaring in the United States, according to what health officials call "alarming findings" in a new report.
Visits to hospital emergency departments involving nonmedical use of prescription narcotic pain relievers more than doubled between 2004 and 2008, according to a study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"The abuse of prescription drugs is our nation's fastest-growing drug problem. And this new study shows it is a problem that affects men and women, people under 21, and those over 21," said Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Gil Kerlikowske.
Three prescription opioid pain relievers were most frequently involved in hospital emergency department visits related to nonmedical use from 2004 to 2008:
Oxycodone products: Up 152 percent (well more than doubling), to 105,214.
Hydrocodone products: Up 123 percent, to 89,051.
Methadone products: Up 73 percent, to 63,629.
"These alarming findings provide one more example of how the misuse of prescription pain relievers is impacting lives and our health care system," said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde. "This public health threat requires an all-out effort to raise awareness of the public about proper use, storage, and disposal of these powerful drugs."
The trends reflect in part dramatic increases in the rate at which these drugs are prescribed in the United States, according to a CDC statement. And this is not the first study to reveal the trend.
A separate study found abuse of certain prescription drugs nearly doubled from 2000 to 2007, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Some health officials are calling the rise in the misuse of prescription drugs an epidemic.
"We urgently need to take action," CDC director Dr. Thomas Frieden said this week. "Emergency department visits involving nonmedical use of these prescription drugs are now as common as emergency department visits for use of illicit drugs. These prescription medicines help many people, but we need to be sure they are used properly and safely."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/abuseofprescriptionpainkillerssoars
Abuse of prescription pain relievers is soaring in the United States, according to what health officials call "alarming findings" in a new report.
Visits to hospital emergency departments involving nonmedical use of prescription narcotic pain relievers more than doubled between 2004 and 2008, according to a study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"The abuse of prescription drugs is our nation's fastest-growing drug problem. And this new study shows it is a problem that affects men and women, people under 21, and those over 21," said Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Gil Kerlikowske.
Three prescription opioid pain relievers were most frequently involved in hospital emergency department visits related to nonmedical use from 2004 to 2008:
Oxycodone products: Up 152 percent (well more than doubling), to 105,214.
Hydrocodone products: Up 123 percent, to 89,051.
Methadone products: Up 73 percent, to 63,629.
"These alarming findings provide one more example of how the misuse of prescription pain relievers is impacting lives and our health care system," said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde. "This public health threat requires an all-out effort to raise awareness of the public about proper use, storage, and disposal of these powerful drugs."
The trends reflect in part dramatic increases in the rate at which these drugs are prescribed in the United States, according to a CDC statement. And this is not the first study to reveal the trend.
A separate study found abuse of certain prescription drugs nearly doubled from 2000 to 2007, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Some health officials are calling the rise in the misuse of prescription drugs an epidemic.
"We urgently need to take action," CDC director Dr. Thomas Frieden said this week. "Emergency department visits involving nonmedical use of these prescription drugs are now as common as emergency department visits for use of illicit drugs. These prescription medicines help many people, but we need to be sure they are used properly and safely."
Thursday, June 17, 2010
I have no more room
I have no more room for friends on FB, sorry. I am going to start doing all my posting on this fan page. http://htxt.it/FlHH Can you please hit “LIKE” on it and I would love to hear from you on how we can fight this real war on addictions. Please Please Please chime in when you hear something close to your heart.. Or just to chime in… Look forward to this wall making a difference in helping families come closer and addictions moving away from the people we love.. Thank YOU for your help. If you ever have a question that is private I answer questions on my email Ken@intervention911.com or send me a private message here on FB. Sincerely, Ken Seeley
Monday, June 7, 2010
What is up with Delt
What is up with Delta??? No TV and no video???? What do you do for 4 hours... I tried to get on Nefix but that doesn't work on GOGO.. At least I can complain about it from up here..
Monday, May 24, 2010
Parents who have kids using herion......PAY ATTENTION
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37319358/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts
THERE IS SOMETHING YOU CAN DO BEFORE YOUR LOVED ONE DIES.....Call 866-888-4911 if you think your son or daughter is using....Read below to find out just how dangerous using can be. Death does not have to be the rock bottom. Intervention can save their life.
By ALICIA A. CALDWELL, JIM SALTER
Associated Press Writers
updated 11:39 a.m. PT, Mon., May 24, 2010
WINFIELD, Mo. - Mexican drug smugglers are increasingly peddling a form of ultra-potent heroin that sells for as little as $10 a bag and is so pure it can kill unsuspecting users instantly, sometimes before they even remove the syringe from their veins.
An Associated Press review of drug overdose data shows that so-called "black tar" heroin — named for its dark, gooey consistency — and other forms of the drug are contributing to a spike in overdose deaths across the nation and attracting a new generation of users who are caught off guard by its potency.
"We found people who snorted it lying face-down with the straw lying next to them," said Patrick O'Neil, coroner in suburban Chicago's Will County, where annual heroin deaths have nearly tripled — from 10 to 29 — since 2006. "It's so potent that we occasionally find the needle in the arm at the death scene."
Authorities are concerned that the potency and price of the heroin from Mexico and Colombia could widen the drug's appeal, just as crack did for cocaine decades ago.
The Latin American heroin comes in the form of black tar or brown powder, and it has proven especially popular in rural and suburban areas.
Originally associated with rock stars, hippies and inner-city junkies, heroin in the 1970s was usually smuggled from Asia and the Middle East and was around 5 percent pure. The rest was "filler" such as sugar, starch, powdered milk, even brick dust. The low potency meant that many users injected the drug to maximize the effect.
But in recent years, Mexican drug dealers have improved the way they process poppies, the brightly colored flowers supplied by drug farmers that provide the raw ingredients for heroin, opium and painkillers such as morphine. Purity levels have increased, and prices have fallen.
'Different group of users'
Federal agents now commonly find heroin that is 50 percent pure and sometimes as much as 80 percent pure.
The greater potency allows more heroin users to snort the drug or smoke it and still achieve a sustained high — an attractive alternative for teenagers and suburbanites who don't want the HIV risk or the track marks on their arms that come with repeated injections.
"That has opened up heroin to a whole different group of users," said Harry Sommers, the agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Agency office in St. Louis.
Among the drug's casualties was William Henderson, a 29-year-old welder from rural Missouri who died in his sleep in 2009, hours after snorting heroin. A bear of a man at 6-foot-1 and 300 pounds, he had tried the drug only a few times.
His wife recalled waking up to find the alarm buzzing. Her husband's body had turned blue, and his stomach was cold to the touch.
"I kept telling him, 'Will, you're late — get up!" said Amanda Henderson of Winfield, Mo., northwest of St. Louis. "But he wasn't moving, wasn't breathing. I called 911, but I knew it was too late." She and her three small boys were left destitute.
An increasing amount of the deadliest heroin appears to be coming from Mexico. Although the vast majority still arrives from overseas, Mexican dealers appear to be chipping away at the U.S. market.
As recently as two years ago, state and federal drug agents saw heroin arriving from Colombia, Asia and Mexico. But as the availability and quality of cocaine and methamphetamine have declined, Mexican smugglers have stepped up heroin shipments to the U.S.
Overdose deaths rise
Independent Mexican smugglers have the market largely to themselves because the major drug cartels only dabble in heroin, preferring to focus on locally grown marijuana and Colombian cocaine, according to a DEA official in El Paso, Texas. The agent spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing security concerns and his ongoing role in active drug investigations.
Heroin metabolizes in the body so quickly that medical examiners often cannot pinpoint the drug as a cause of death unless there is other evidence to back it up — say, a needle or a syringe found near the body. Also, many victims use multiple drugs and alcohol, so citing a specific substance is often impossible.
THERE IS SOMETHING YOU CAN DO BEFORE YOUR LOVED ONE DIES.....Call 866-888-4911 if you think your son or daughter is using....Read below to find out just how dangerous using can be. Death does not have to be the rock bottom. Intervention can save their life.
By ALICIA A. CALDWELL, JIM SALTER
Associated Press Writers
updated 11:39 a.m. PT, Mon., May 24, 2010
WINFIELD, Mo. - Mexican drug smugglers are increasingly peddling a form of ultra-potent heroin that sells for as little as $10 a bag and is so pure it can kill unsuspecting users instantly, sometimes before they even remove the syringe from their veins.
An Associated Press review of drug overdose data shows that so-called "black tar" heroin — named for its dark, gooey consistency — and other forms of the drug are contributing to a spike in overdose deaths across the nation and attracting a new generation of users who are caught off guard by its potency.
"We found people who snorted it lying face-down with the straw lying next to them," said Patrick O'Neil, coroner in suburban Chicago's Will County, where annual heroin deaths have nearly tripled — from 10 to 29 — since 2006. "It's so potent that we occasionally find the needle in the arm at the death scene."
Authorities are concerned that the potency and price of the heroin from Mexico and Colombia could widen the drug's appeal, just as crack did for cocaine decades ago.
The Latin American heroin comes in the form of black tar or brown powder, and it has proven especially popular in rural and suburban areas.
Originally associated with rock stars, hippies and inner-city junkies, heroin in the 1970s was usually smuggled from Asia and the Middle East and was around 5 percent pure. The rest was "filler" such as sugar, starch, powdered milk, even brick dust. The low potency meant that many users injected the drug to maximize the effect.
But in recent years, Mexican drug dealers have improved the way they process poppies, the brightly colored flowers supplied by drug farmers that provide the raw ingredients for heroin, opium and painkillers such as morphine. Purity levels have increased, and prices have fallen.
'Different group of users'
Federal agents now commonly find heroin that is 50 percent pure and sometimes as much as 80 percent pure.
The greater potency allows more heroin users to snort the drug or smoke it and still achieve a sustained high — an attractive alternative for teenagers and suburbanites who don't want the HIV risk or the track marks on their arms that come with repeated injections.
"That has opened up heroin to a whole different group of users," said Harry Sommers, the agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Agency office in St. Louis.
Among the drug's casualties was William Henderson, a 29-year-old welder from rural Missouri who died in his sleep in 2009, hours after snorting heroin. A bear of a man at 6-foot-1 and 300 pounds, he had tried the drug only a few times.
His wife recalled waking up to find the alarm buzzing. Her husband's body had turned blue, and his stomach was cold to the touch.
"I kept telling him, 'Will, you're late — get up!" said Amanda Henderson of Winfield, Mo., northwest of St. Louis. "But he wasn't moving, wasn't breathing. I called 911, but I knew it was too late." She and her three small boys were left destitute.
An increasing amount of the deadliest heroin appears to be coming from Mexico. Although the vast majority still arrives from overseas, Mexican dealers appear to be chipping away at the U.S. market.
As recently as two years ago, state and federal drug agents saw heroin arriving from Colombia, Asia and Mexico. But as the availability and quality of cocaine and methamphetamine have declined, Mexican smugglers have stepped up heroin shipments to the U.S.
Overdose deaths rise
Independent Mexican smugglers have the market largely to themselves because the major drug cartels only dabble in heroin, preferring to focus on locally grown marijuana and Colombian cocaine, according to a DEA official in El Paso, Texas. The agent spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing security concerns and his ongoing role in active drug investigations.
Heroin metabolizes in the body so quickly that medical examiners often cannot pinpoint the drug as a cause of death unless there is other evidence to back it up — say, a needle or a syringe found near the body. Also, many victims use multiple drugs and alcohol, so citing a specific substance is often impossible.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
On way to London for
On way to London for conference on addiction.. I love my work but couldn't we do it in my living room.. I travel to much.. Spreading the message on Intervention worldwide..
Monday, May 10, 2010
10PM EDT May 10Th Jo
10PM EDT May 10Th Join Ken Seeley On Ask "The Interventionist" At 10PM EDT. If you have been following the show Ken has been working with a family for two weeks in which their loved one Joe entered into detox on this past Thursday. Tonight Ken and the family will plan out the family contract for Joe to live by. Joe is ...scheduled for longterm treatment At St. Lukes Addiction Treatment Center in Miami on May 18,2010. He has a week between detox and treatment. Listen live to the show and ask questions by calling 1 (877) 486-3457.See More "Ask The Interventionist" - Ken Seeley Of Intervention 911 Location:http://htxt.it/Hix4 Time:10:00PM Monday, May 10th
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