Category Archives: Drug Dependency

ROCK HILL Kristian McManus said that a week before she gave birth to a son, she took Lortab and Klonopin to calm her nerves and stop her pain. An hour before delivery, she swallowed half a Percocet. I was in so much pain, she said. When that pain came, I couldnt help myself. What I did was a mistake. On Feb. 17, Mcmanus, 22, gave birth to Brendyn Perdue. Four days later, the York County office of the Department of Social Services took custody of the newborn and Mcmanus daughter, 1-year-old Mary Katherine Perdue, after doctors told police she tested positive for opiates and benzodiazepines in her system just before delivery. According to a Rock Hill police report, she had trouble staying awake during labor. Test results determining if the baby tested positive for drugs are pending, said Rock Hill Police spokesman Mark Bollinger. Police investigated and last month issued a warrant for Mcmanus, saying she took benzodiazepines not prescribed to her during her third trimester and put her child at an unreasonable risk of harm. Benzodiazepines act as sedatives and relaxants, and can be detected in urine tests for hours or weeks depending on the drug. They are sometimes … Continue reading →

Justice Minister Judith Collins today announced that money seized from drug crime will be allocated to Government agencies to directly fight crime and drug addiction. "As part of our 2009 Methamphetamine Action Plan, we made a commitment that money taken from those who profit from drugs would be used to hit the drug trade and reduce the harm from drugs," Ms Collins says. "Were sending a clear message that this Government is serious about tackling drugs, particularly methamphetamine, and the harm they cause in our communities." The Government has received about $8.3 million since the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act came into force in December 2009. Key agencies such as the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Corrections will now bid for funding for drug treatment projects and the New Zealand Police and the New Zealand Customs Service will bid for funding for law enforcement initiatives. Bids will be assessed by the Inter-Agency Committee on Drugs (IACD), who will then advise the government on the best programmes to fund. Ms Collins says the Government remains committed to fighting crime and drug dependency. "We must ensure our law enforcement agencies have the support they need to continue … Continue reading →

ROCKFORD Doctors warned Chris Cole that the next time he used heroin he could die. It was four years ago, and Cole, then 21, had spent two months in the hospital with a heart infection brought on by injecting himself with the drug. I didnt even care when I did it (again), said Cole, now 25. I lived to use and hoped I would die. His life continued to center on the drug, which can annihilate the respiratory system and cause a slow and irregular heartbeat over time. Any cash he had, he said, was spent on heroin almost as quickly as he could earn it. His previous attempts to get clean through treatment had failed, mostly because of his unwillingness to commit to a program, he concedes. I thought I was going to die a monster and nobody was going to miss me, Cole said. Cole eventually did get clean, agonizing through the effects of withdrawal inside a Winnebago County Jail cell. It was his arrest, and subsequent sentence to Winnebago County Drug Court, that finally ended years of abuse. A week after celebrating his 22nd birthday, Cole was arrested in Rockton. He said he had been a constant … Continue reading →

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (PRWEB) June 07, 2013 A spike in the number of teen heroin overdoses in New York state is a haunting reminder of how powerful and addictive this drug can be among adolescents. To read more about this drug problem visit this link http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/erie/increase-in-number-of-heroin-overdoses According to a recent report, officials in upstate New York are concerned that teens are mixing heroin with another powerful drug fentanyl and end up overdosing. This pattern of teens using drugs, abusing their bodies, then going back out for more is symptomatic of an addictive process. One sure way to change course is to enter drug rehab and start learning about healthier life choices. Recovery Associates developed its Adolescent Track for these exact situations, where teens can leave the drug life behind and start truly living a sober, free, happy life. Recovery Associates is a drug and alcohol treatment center that provides a variety of programs and services for men, women and teens struggling with chemical dependency issues. At the core of their philosophy is the belief that addiction is a treatable illness. Their addiction treatment experience has shown that anyone is capable of achieving lasting recovery and physical, mental and spiritual … Continue reading →

Courier staff writer ALAMOSA A woman who sold prescription painkillers to an undercover law enforcement agent for thousands of dollars wont be joining her husband in the state prison system. Twelfth Judicial District Judge Pattie Swift on Wednesday placed Hollye Mitchell on probation for four years and ordered the 35-year-old Manassa woman to serve 90 days in jail. Prosecutors originally charged Mitchell with six Class 3 felonies, including three counts of distributing a Schedule II controlled substance and three related counts of conspiracy. But those charges disappeared when she became the latest member of a drug trafficking ring to reach a plea deal with the district attorneys office. In April, Mitchell pleaded guilty to a lesser Class 4 felony charge of attempted distribution, and since the defendant has no prior criminal history, Judge Swift found she is an appropriate candidate for probation. That sets her apart from her husband Jeffrey, who was sentenced in May to eight years in state prison for distributing a controlled substance. Jeffrey Mitchell received a harsher sentence partly because he pleaded guilty to a more serious offense, but in his case, the court also took two other factors into consideration. At the time of his … Continue reading →

June 6, 2013, 11 p.m. THERE TO HELP: Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Service clinical treatment officer Edwina Rushe travels between Mount Isa and Doomadgee to help people lower or eliminate substance addiction. - Picture: EMMA KENNEDY/7299 IF there is any profession where you see personal struggle overcome, it would have to be Edwina Rushe's. As one of the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Service's outreach clinical treatment officers, Ms Rushe spends her days working through the cycle of substance dependency and journey of recovery with her clients in the North West. The physiological and psychological factors involved with a person's use of a drug are differing and individual, making each client a world apart in the field of rehabilitation. "The challenge with any client is engaging them and to a point making them believe in you and how you can help them," she said. "We use this idea of strength-based counselling and assessing what the client feels their strengths are, whether that be their work or family relationships for example, and make a treatment plan tailored to them specifically." Ms Rushe said as their service was voluntary, each client had one reason or another for wanting to quit or … Continue reading →

West Palm Beach, Florida (PRWEB) June 04, 2013 Thirty days at an inpatient treatment center is rarely enough time to truly treat the physical, emotional and mental trauma that addiction can create. For many, they are only starting to reach a point of physical stability after 30 days. Recovery Associates Christian Drug Rehab Center wanted to offer clients a way to remain connected to a solid support system. While clients at Recovery Associates generally attend the program anywhere from three months to a year, the Alumni program offers graduates a way to stay part of Recovery Associates long after they complete treatment. Another benefit of the new Alumni Program is that it reminds clients what it means to really have fun again. For many addicts and alcoholics, they struggle with the idea of having sober funeven though partying (i.e. drinking and getting high) had stopped being fun a long time ago. Activities like fishing trips, scavenger hunts and volleyball tournaments help remind clients what it means to really enjoy life again. Recovery Associates is a drug and alcohol treatment center that provides a variety of programs and services for men, women and teens struggling with chemical dependency issues. At the … Continue reading →

West Palm Beach, Florida (PRWEB) June 03, 2013 Recovery Associates Drug Treatment Center, through its multiple treatment tracks, now offers support for adolescents and adults seeking to find relief from painkiller addiction. According to research provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, prescription and over-the-counter drugs are, after marijuana (and alcohol), the most commonly abused substances by Americans 14 and older. To read more visit this link http://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/prescription-drugs Symptoms around long-term use of painkillers include drowsiness, constipation, and slower brain function. If painkillers are combined with other medications that cause drowsiness or mixed with alcohol, a persons heart rate and respiration can slow down to dangerous levels. Recovery Associates is a drug and alcohol treatment center that provides a variety of programs and services for men, women and teens struggling with chemical dependency issues. At the core of their philosophy is the belief that addiction is a treatable illness. Their addiction treatment experience has shown that anyone is capable of achieving lasting recovery and physical, mental and spiritual freedom from the disease of addiction. Their unique program offers three different tracks: a Traditional Track, an Expressive Therapies Track, Teen Rehab Track, and a Christian Rehab Track. They believe that … Continue reading →

MEYERSDALE, Pa. In response to the discovery of a series of meth labs insouthern Somerset County, a Community Methamphetamine Awareness event was held Wednesday in Meyersdale. Sponsored by the Somerset County Drug Free Communities, the event featured a panel of law enforcement and drug/alcohol treatment experts sharing information on the dangers of one-pot meth labs in the region. Meth, a man-made drug, comes in many forms and can be smoked, snorted, orally ingested or injected. The drug is highly addictive, but the danger is not limited to dependency, the very act of producing the drug can cause dangerous fumes and fires. Pennsylvania State Police Cpl. Dennis Ulery serves as the coordinator for the PSP Clandestine Lab Team, the agency tasked with identifying meth labs and safely disposing of materials. All of the ingredients to produce meth are available at your local convenience and drug stores and a batch of meth can be cooked in less than two hours, he explained to more than 100 citizens gathered for the event. While there are many recipes and methods for cooking meth, the most common method uses ingredients and equipment that can easily fit into a duffle bag. These ingredients can include cold … Continue reading →

West Palm Beach, Florida (PRWEB) May 31, 2013 N-Bomb, a new synthetic drug being compared to LSD, has been reported to cause hallucinations, psychotic episodes and, in some cases, even death. This week, The Daily News reported on 18 year-old Noah Carrasco who died after taking a hit of N-Bomb To read more about this dangerous and deadly drug that is on the market visit this link here http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/new-synthetic-hallucinogen-n-bomb-killing-users-cops-article-1.1336327 . The medical director at Recovery Associates, Board Certified Adolescent Addictions Psychiatrist Dr. Eduardo Pena, explains how, developmentally, teens in particular are more likely to try new drugs despite the potential risk factors. He states, Adolescence is often characterized as a time of risk taking to the point of recklessness. While adolescents are in fact the biggest risk takers among the age groups; they use the same basic cognitive strategies that adults do. They do recognize they're mortal contrary to popular belief, it's simply that they weigh the rewards in a situation more heavily than adults do. Recovery Associates is a drug and alcohol treatment center that provides a variety of programs and services for men, women and teens struggling with chemical dependency issues. At the core of their philosophy is … Continue reading →