Category Archives: Drug Dependency

By RICHARD PAYERCHIN rpayerchin@MorningJournal.com @MJ_JournalRick Morning Journal/Richard Payerchin House Manager Ed Wells, the Rev. Steve Paliwoda and Alan Revercomb Sr. stand outside Sobering Centers first home on East 33rd Street in Lorain. They hope to provide a safe, sober home for veterans who want to end alcohol and drug dependency before moving to other residences or, in the future, Valor Home Lorain County. LORAIN City officials are mulling over a zoning variance for a home where veterans can live while overcoming drug and alcohol addictions. Sobering Centers Inc. was formed in anticipation of the Valor Home Lorain County veterans shelter and resource center opening at the St. Joseph Community Center in Lorain. Since Valor Home is not planning to accept residents with chemical dependency, the nonprofit Sobering Centers Inc. was formed as a place where veterans can live while they recover. Were veterans helping veterans, its as simple as that, said Alan L. Revercomb Sr., president of the organization. Sobering Centers is seeking a conditional use variance to use at a two-story home at 2538 E. 33rd St. The Lorain Zoning Board of Appeals yesterday voted to delay a decision for 30 days because of legal questions about the issue. … Continue reading →

Dan Farish said he has never met anyone who struggled with alcohol or drug dependency who did not have a poor self-esteem or were dealing with physical or emotional abuse. Farish said a dysfunctional home he grew up in on Washington Street in Idlewell during the 1960s and early 1970s helped set the stage for him to abuse alcohol, a struggle he details in 3 Steps To Recovery, a book on sale at local bookstores. My parents never drank at all, said Farish, who now lives in Washington State and works as a substance abuse recovery coach My father had major anger problems and my mother was subservient to him. There was a lot of unhappiness in the house. My father would go to work angry, and hed come home angry. My mother was in denial all the time. Farish said his father would sometimes strike his sister. He was always looking for someone to bully, he said. If he saw kids riding a mini-bike, he would call the police. I caught a lot of flak for that. Both of Farishs parents are deceased, and he said his home life, coupled with some bullying he endured as a middle school … Continue reading →

While significant progress has taken place on lab seizures in the past 15 years, methamphetamine is still primarily the drug of choice in Independence, and law enforcement officials say they need the communitys help in fighting back. Independence is continuing its role in a metrowide effort to curb meth manufacturing and distribution. Local police officials can easily state the statistic that Independence had seven total meth lab seizures in 2011. Those lab busts were actually on a smaller scale shake-and-bake operations using soft drink bottles. This year, to date, just one lab has been seized, and no meth was recovered in that bust. But the statistics that arent readily available are how many people in Independence remain addicted to meth, a drug known for its strong triggering of dependency. On the possession side, its estimated that in 2011, Independence police encountered about 170 cases in which someone possessed meth or meth-related paraphernalia. So, despite efforts to end production in Independence, meth possession is relatively consistent, said Capt. Paul Thurman, an 18-year veteran of the Independence Police Department who oversees the Drug Enforcement Unit. Its an absolute concern, he said. Our possession cases, while still quite high, have stabilized for probably … Continue reading →

Posted on: 9:15 pm, May 27, 2012, by Bill Sheil, updated on: 11:07pm, May 27, 2012 CLEVELAND It is the new way to become a drug addict: follow doctors orders. Experts say Ohio is in the middle of a prescription pill epidemic. In fact, the number of people dying from overdoses now exceeds those of heroin and cocaine combined. Raise your hand if your dependency started for treatment of a medical condition, asks Judge David Matia at the start of Cuyahoga Countys weekly drug court. Ten hands go up, including the hand of Crystal Manlet. Manlet, a nurse, was in a horrible car accident that crushed part of her spine. She was in incredible pain, and the doctors were trying to ease that pain. They prescribed percocets, then they put me an oxycontin, and I slowly progressed to getting caught on opiates by them prescribing me oxycontin, she tells Judge Matia in open court. Crystal, a registered nurse, says she felt trapped by the pain. I didnt want to use the drugs, she says, but I couldnt manage without them. Doctors are now prescribing almost 10 times more opiates, opium-based pain killers such as Oxycontin, then they did just 15 … Continue reading →

(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Angela Mardini of West Jordan holds her certificate of graduation as Third District Juvenile Court hosts a graduation ceremony at the Scott M. Matheson Courthouse on Wednesday, May 23, 2012, for 20 Drug Court participants of the Family Dependency Drug Court and the Delinquency Drug Court. Mardini, who was happy to get her two children back after a long and difficult journey, is now a peer counselor at Valley Mental Health. Drug Court graduates have completed substance abuse treatment services, frequent drug testing, and close monitoring by the court. After successfully completing the program, Family Dependency Drug Court participants are reunified with their children, while Delinquency Drug Court participants have their charges dismissed. Graduation 21 people successfully complete the program. Family and friends of 21 graduates of 3rd District drug court on Wednesday shared messages of hope and encouragement to others fighting to overcome addictions. The 21 six juveniles were honored at the Matheson Courthouse for successfully completing drug treatment. Each year, the Family Dependency Drug Court serves about 140 parents. The Juvenile Drug Court works with about 65 youth. About 60 percent of parents and juveniles who enter both drug courts successfully … Continue reading →

Syracuse, N.Y. -- Crouse Hospital wants to nip drug and drinking problems in the bud before they destroy peoples lives. Crouse launched a random screening program earlier this year in its PromptCare urgent care center across the street from the Syracuse hospital. Its purpose is to identify patients at risk of developing serious substance abuse problems. Patients deemed to be at risk are offered on-the-spot counseling and/or referral to treatment. We want to help you at that point when theres a chance to turn things around, before you get a bad needle or before you overdose, said Tom Murphy, a chemical dependency therapist who does the screenings. The program is known as Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral and Treatment SBIRT, for short. Developed in the late 1990s at Yale New Haven Hospital, its being replicated nationwide. Research done by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration shows it can help motivate people with drug and/or drinking problems to change their habits. A study done by that agency showed about 20 percent of people screened are at risk, 70 percent can be treated with a single brief intervention and the rest need follow-up services. It also found 74 percent of … Continue reading →

Malibu, CA (PRWEB) May 17, 2012 Passages Malibu and Passages Ventura, the worlds leading drug and alcohol rehab centers, are proud to support the first annual National Prevention Week, which is held from Monday, May 21, 2012 through Friday, May 25, 2012. This health observance is an opportunity for community members and leaders to learn more about behavioral health issues and get involved in ongoing prevention efforts. National Prevention Week is a new annual health observance week that is supported by SAMHSA(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) to celebrate and support the work that community organizations, individuals, healthcare providers, and treatment centers, such as Passages Malibu and Passages Ventura, do year round to help heal and to promote mental, emotional, and behavioral well-being. National Prevention Weeks themes are as follows: Monday, May 21: Prevention of Underage Drinking Tuesday, May 22: Prevention of Prescription Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Use Wednesday, May 23: Prevention of Alcohol Abuse Thursday, May 24: Suicide Prevention Friday, May 25: Promotion of Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Well-Being Being an alcohol and drug treatment center that takes the holistic approach to healing the mind, body, and spirit to help promote overall wellness, balance, health, and freedom … Continue reading →

LIHUE A repeat drug offender got a harsher sentence on two cases Thursday in 5th Circuit Court. Chief Judge Randal Valenciano said there were two felony charges and that it would be a harsher sentence, but that they would be carried out concurrently. Lacilee Napua Nobriga was sentenced to 120 days of jail in addition to time served. She must also take part in chemical dependency assessments and other programs that are determined appropriate. Nobriga, 26, of Anahola, was arrested on Nov. 14 for third-degree promotion of a detrimental drug, third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, drug paraphernalia, and resisting an order to stop. She was also being sentenced in another case of drug paraphernalia, promotion of a controlled substance, and first-degree contraband. Second Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Samuel Jajich said Nobriga has a minimal prior record and is remorseful, but that she has not performed well in court ordered programs. He recommended the 120 days sentence with probation and drug rehabilitation. She pleaded no contest to third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug on Jan. 26. She could have been sentenced for up to 20 years with an extended sentence on two or more felony charges. The state agreed to drop … Continue reading →

LONDON (ShareCast) - Bundesbank president Jens Weidmann has insisted that the European Central Bank (ECB) cannot possibly resolve all of Europe (Chicago Options: ^REURUSD - news) 's problems and warned that inappropriate action could risk over-dependence on temporary measures. "Contrary to widespread belief, monetary policy is not a panacea and central banks' firepower is not unlimited", writes Weidmann in an opinion piece published on Tuesday morning (NasdaqGS: TUES - news) in the Financial Times. The German central bank president stressed the need to protect the ECB's independence and not to forget that the extraordinary measures being taken now are a response to an exceptional crisis. "We have to make sure that by putting out the fire now, we are not unwittingly preparing the ground for the next one," he commented, while warning that the current accommodative policy stance is a drug with side effects that become "all the more severe the longer the drug is administered." In particular, Weidmann warned that if banks become overly dependent on ECB funding then this runs the danger of encouraging more aggressive risk-taking by banks instead of prompting them to restructure their business model. Similarly, intervention in sovereign bond markets runs the risk of … Continue reading →

WESTBORO School Committee members tonight will consider putting a temporary hold on the student drug testing they approved at their last meeting. The policy has drawn criticism from some civil liberties advocates. The drug test, approved April 25, would be in addition to a breath test currently in the school districts chemical health policy. Although it would not be in place until at least the fall, Superintendent Marianne OConnor said the committee now plans to slow the process down to make sure it has the correct language. The superintendent wants public input on the policy. Under the policy that was approved, students would not be forced to take a drug test. Similarly, students have not been forced to take alcohol breath tests. There is no random testing in Westboro Public Schools. This is just an opportunity for us to not be subjective, Ms. OConnor said. If we have any concern about a student it is going to be used solely with the permission of the student. She said if an administrator has reasonable suspicion that a student may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the student would be asked if he would agree to a saliva test, with … Continue reading →