News

Swedes Created Breathalyzer that Detects Drugs

Posted on by Christy Weeks

A recent advancement in the technology used for Breathalyzers may benefit the state of Colorado in preventing substance abuse related accidents. Colorado has seen its fair share of drunk driving and the recent passing of Amendment 64 has made people question the safety and legality of drivers under the influence of marijuana.

Apparently Switzerland has a high rate of substance related accidents as well, which promoted them to create a new device that can detect 12 different substances including the most commonly abused drugs such as marijuana, morphine, crystal meth, cocaine and heroin. Currently the process and enforcement mechanisms behind testing drivers for drugs other than alcohol have been limited at best. Testing for substances require blood and urine samples – which police can’t conduct roadside.

The Swedish designed Breathalyzer was tested on 47 patients in an addiction clinic and was able to detect drugs with an accuracy rate of 87% – which is in line with the accuracy rate of most urine and blood tests. One drawback of the device is that it was able to pick up on the use of substances 24 hours after they were reportedly used. Therefore the level of substances and determination if one is “under the influence” at the time they are suspected cannot be accurately detected. According to the lead of the study published in the Journal of Breath Research, Professor Olof Beck, future studies can be refined to correlate the breath with actual concentrations of the drugs.

In this way, law enforcement could use the Breathalyzer preliminarily at the scene and then later confirm it by urine and blood tests. While this seems viable, a lot of regulations would be required – such as determining the levels of drugs that would be deemed “over the limit” according to the height, weight, history of use, developed tolerance and gender of the suspect. Prosecution and enforcement would be difficult as DWI and DUI defense attorneys would have a field day with the amount of indeterminate factors of what is “over the limit” for each substance. But considering and fine tuning this option in the future seems increasingly important as the Center for Disease Control reports that the aforementioned drugs are involved in roughly 18% of fatal car crashes.

Gun Violence at Denver’s 4/20 Rally

Posted on by Christy Weeks

Denver has had several 4/20 celebrations but last weekend was their first since the passing of Amendment 64 and was also the first celebration wrought by gun violence. Amendment 64 supporters say incidents like this could curtail marijuana legalization.

Speculations that the gun violence was associated with the legalization of marijuana, the volume of people that attended the celebration or a product of local gang violence have been made. The attendance figures far exceeded those of previous years and the rally was scheduled to be a two day rather than one day event. Because there were larger crowds expected the police presence was larger. Prior to the rally, Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson asserted, “Our biggest goal is to ensure everyone is safe in this environment…We’ll have the necessary number of officers to ensure the safety of the public.”

Unfortunately the public wasn’t safe, as bullets were fired into the crowed causing upwards of 80,000 people to flee into nearby streets. Fortunately, only two people sustained non-life threatening gunshot wounds and one was grazed by a bullet. Denver police released descriptions of the gunmen but haven’t made any arrests yet but may have identified one of the suspects and there is growing speculation that this was a gang related incident.

Advocates for marijuana legalization say the gun violence and the nature of the festival could damage legalization efforts by portraying a tainted public image of marijuana users. The dialogue around the 4/20 celebration rally and those who attend it is about “getting high” or the excessive use of marijuana, alcohol and other drugs. It is a place to party and binge on substances which is why, according to Joe Megysey the spokesman for the Amendment 64 campaign says these events give marijuana users a negative public image: “The vast majority of legitimate industry condemns these events, but most people watching television coverage of the event will see instead images of a 30-year-old stoner… rambling about how great pot is.” Megysey also predicts that these types of rallies will lose their appeal, saying, “As we move toward normalizing marijuana and as legalization moves forward, these kinds of rallies will become a thing of the past.”

While the rallies seem to encourage and celebrate the excessive use of marijuana they also don’t help with drug prevention either. Young adults and youth that attend these festivals are exposed to behaviors that they may think are “cool” to model. There have been various studies linking early use of substances like marijuana with the development of substance abuse disorders later in life. In light of this, hopefully Megysey’s prediction is right that these types of rallies will lose their appeal and the public doesn’t have to worry as much about exposure to marijuana abuse – or gun violence.

A Sober Bar is Opening in Chicago

Posted on by Christy Weeks

In NYC there is a bar called The 13th Step where you can reportedly purchase drinks with AA sobriety chips. A bar opening at the end of April in Crystal Lake near Chicago is antithetical to The 13th Step, because it will support sobriety rather than mock it.

The Crystal Lake bar will be a sober bar, called The Other Side, started by a local non-profit group that will provide a healthy atmosphere for people both in and out of recovery who want a sober space to hang out in. For many people who don’t drink, there are few sober spaces to hang out and not participating in the societal norm of drinking can be isolating.

This is especially true for young people in recovery in the suburbs of Chicago or for those who are just out of addiction rehab and need a supportive atmosphere. The Other Side will give the suburban sober community a place to hang out and share experiences. Housed in a warehouse loft space filled with couches, pool tables, TVs, a dance floor, a stage area for a band and a DJ – the only real difference between The Other Side and regular bar is that the drinks don’t have alcohol in them. People will even be carded at the door to make sure they are at least 18 and sober.

The warehouse where The Other Side will open has been used by people in recovery as a hangout spot for some time. At first, it just had a few folding chairs and a boom box, but as the volume of people hanging out in the warehouse grew, so did the idea for The Other Side. The local community and those in recovery banded together and made The Other Side – opening April 27th – possible. The sober bar will be open Thursday through Sunday evenings and the profits will go toward drug education and addiction treatment initiatives.

April is Alcohol Awareness Month

Posted on by Christy Weeks

Alcohol Awareness Month, founded by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) in 1987, occurs every April. Addiction treatment providers across the nation work to raise public awareness about alcoholism and to de-stigmatize it.

Although the stigma associated with alcoholism has improved since the 1980s, there is still much work to be done to reduce the negative public impression of what being “alcoholic” entails that discourages many from seeking the alcoholism treatment that they need. More than 8.5% of Americans over the age of 18 suffer from alcohol disorders and many have yet to seek addiction treatment.

Famous alcoholics like Betty Ford and movies depicting all walks of life suffering from alcohol abuse disorders have helped reduce the shame and dishonor associated with being an alcoholic. However, a lot more work needs to be done to help youth, middle aged and elderly alike to seek treatment. Some reasons of the reluctance in seeking help include losing professional stature, being shamed in one’s community or feeling socially alienated from friends or family who drink.

The theme of this year’s Alcohol Awareness Month is “Help for Today. Hope for Tomorrow” with a specific focus on how alcoholism and alcohol related problems impact young people and the children that compose our future. A total of 25% of children in the US are exposed to alcoholism in their families. Also, alcohol is the number one drug of choice for American youth, and is reported by NCADD to be more likely to kill young people than all illegal drugs combined.

Other statistics that shed light on the enormity of the problem of alcoholism among youth and young adults include:

  • More than 6,500 youth under the age of 21 die each year from injuries related to alcohol.
  • Over 1,700 college students in the US are killed each year because of alcohol related injuries.
  • Everyday 7,000 kids in the US under the age of 16 take their first drink and those who take their first drink before the age of 15 are 4 times more likely to develop a drinking problem than those who wait until they are 20 to drink.

Alcohol Awareness Month is purposefully in April because it is a time when youth are often exposed to alcohol and peer pressure to drink. Social gatherings from prom to high school and college graduation often involve alcohol use and abuse. Thousands of organizations and addiction treatment providers will work to raise awareness and educate people about prevention and treatment of alcoholism while encouraging people to make smart choices when it comes to use of alcohol throughout the month of April.

Harmony Foundation addresses problem drinking among youth by offering an addiction treatment track for young adults who need rehab. For more information on our program that helps empower young adults to stay alcohol free, please click here.

Addiction Doesn’t Discriminate – Especially not Against Attorneys

Posted on by Christy Weeks
Addiction does not discriminate, it impacts professionals, students, the famous and the unemployed alike. That is why it came as no shock that Los Angeles criminal defense attorney was arrested last week on drug charges.

The lawyer, who is now suspended from practicing law, is 49-year-old Kenneth Roger Markman. He was first arrested in October of 2011 after a failed attempt at smuggling balloons of heroin and meth into a jail holding facility in downtown Los Angeles. He was reportedly trying to smuggle the drugs to a client who had a court appearance that day.

A month after that incident, Markman was at a courthouse in Lancaster, CA after security officers found drug paraphernalia and two small bags of cocaine in his wallet. Despite his attempt to grab his wallet and  leave the building, he was arrested.  Last week he faced sentencing for these incidences – to which he pleaded no contest. His sentencing includes one year in county jail and one year in a residential addiction treatment program as part of three years of supervised probation.

The State Bar of California has suspended Marksman’s license pending a decision on whether he will be allowed to continue to practice law. The fact that his license isn’t revoked all together is in part due to the high incidences of lawyers today being treated for alcoholism and addiction. The American Bar Association estimates 15% to 20% of lawyers suffer from substance abuse and chemical dependency.

Born out of the growing number of attorneys who need addiction treatment are programs and policies that help them regain their careers after getting sober. This has allowed those convicted, like Markman, have a second chance and has incentivized lawyers who need help to come forward without the gripping fear that they will ruin their careers. Similar programs exist for medical professionals and airline pilots – all of whom deserve a second chance at life and career once they get sober.

If you are an impaired professional and need addiction treatment, Harmony has specialized treatment programs that can help.

Opioid Abuse on the Rise in Colorado

Posted on by Christy Weeks

A recent survey from SAMHSA suggests that opioid abuse is on the rise in Western states including Colorado.

About 5 years ago, painkiller addiction reigned in Southern and Appalachian states. The abuse of opiates like OxyContin was well known as “hillbilly heroin” from the high percentage of southerners abusing it. But today states like Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Idaho have among the highest rates of opioid abuse.

For example, according to SAMHSA, as many as 6.5% of Oregon residents abuse opioids and deaths from overdoses climbed 172% between 2004 and 2011. Southern states like Kentucky have seen a reduction in painkiller abuse at 4.5% ranking it at 31 in 2011 compared to 6 in 2009. Many attribute this to policies that were enacted following statistics of opioid abuse. When the statistics were high in the South, there were several efforts made to curb abuse such as creating state task forces to crack down on prescribing privileges of physicians and the enforcement of harsher penalties for illegal possession and using false prescriptions.

The growing rate of opiate abuse in the West is attributed to a greater supply of prescription painkillers from drug trafficking rings and lenient prescribing rights for doctors who operate “pill mills” with limited restrictions. Recent articles have covered incidences of doctors in Nevada and Southern California who are recklessly prescribing large quantities of oxycodone.

The drugs are then transported to neighboring states like Colorado – a state that has seen its fair share of prescription drug overdoses and is working to curb them. For example, Colorado addiction treatment centers have stepped up their specialized programs for those addicted to opioids and the Colorado School of Public Health has created an online course to train prescribers statewide. The course gives healthcare providers guidelines on pain management. According to Alfred Gilchrist, the CEO of the Colorado Medical Society, “The goal of this private-public initiative is to help improve practice, address the epidemic of opioid prescription-associated health problems and improve care.” The course includes training on assessing risk for addiction, using the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) to stop those who engage in “doctor shopping” and other risk reduction practices.

If you or a loved one is struggling with opioid addiction and are seeking addiction treatment for painkillers, Harmony Colorado has affordable addiction treatment programs for men and women suffering from prescription addiction.

Russell Brand Shares A Tool to Avoid Relapse

Posted on by Christy Weeks

Relapse prevention is an essential component of recovery and there are endless tools that help addicts avoid a relapse. One such tool is picking up the phone, often referred to as the “50 pound phone” because it is hard to make a phone call when we are feeling our worst.

Even those who are in their double digits – 10 years or more – of sobriety occasionally struggle, as expressed recently by Russell Brand in a blog post he wrote about relapse. “The last time I thought about taking heroin was yesterday,” he wrote on his website, russellbrand.tv. But, recognizing his thought was fleeting and that the promises of recovery outweigh the ill fated reality of active abuse of drugs and alcohol, Brand says he picked up the phone: “Even as I spin this beautifully dreaded web I am reaching for my phone. I call someone not a doctor or a sage not a mystic or a physician, just a bloke like me, another alcoholic, who I know knows how I feel.”

Just picking up the phone and calling someone to talk about triggers (in Brand’s case it was bad news from a woman) can help immeasurably because fellows in recovery have been through similar situations and sentiments. That is why in 12 step meetings people often say, “I have a sponsor and my sponsor has a sponsor” because somewhere, someone has had the same experience and can share how they got through it – sans alcohol or drugs.

Often in active addiction people struggle with what is coined “terminal uniqueness,” thinking that no one has walked in their shoes and experienced what they have. When they get sober and share what they thought of as unique experiences, they realize they are far from being alone, and that their sponsor – or their sponsor’s sponsor – has experienced the same thing and can shed light on how they overcame it.

Making a phone call a fellow in recovery is one of the most powerful tools to avoid relapse because, as Brand says, “the price of this [recovery from addiction] is constant vigilance because the disease of addiction is not rational.” Therefore, staying in one’s own head, filled with triggers and temptations may not serve up a rational answer – but someone on the other end of the phone line can provide some rationality to help us stay sober.

Here at Harmony Foundation, we understand the potential for relapse, which is why we have crafted a special program called Recommitment to Recovery aimed at helping those who have relapsed get back on track. Picking up the phone is just one of the many tools we instill in our clients in our relapse prevention programs.

Drug Testing Those on Unemployment and Welfare

Posted on by Christy Weeks

Should welfare recipients be submitted to drug tests? 

There has been much controversy over this question in recent weeks as Indiana passed House Bill 1483 that will make welfare recipients take drug tests and lose benefits if they don’t stick to a recommended course of treatment.

The idea of drug testing recipients of government benefits grew out of a nation-wide trend seen among those trying to hire the unemployed. “They said they had potential employees that would come and apply and couldn’t pass the drug test,” said South Carolina state Sen. Harvey Peeler. After hearing several variations on this same theme, he introduced a bill that suspended unemployment checks to those who failed the drugs tests they had to take to get a job.

Arizona, Georgia, Florida, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah passed similar laws in 2011 and 2012 that require drug testing and screening for those applying for or receiving public assistance. Each state’s laws vary in their enforcement and requirements from laws that just ask recipients about their drug use to laws that test everyone before they get benefits.

The Indiana bill would require TANF recipients to take a drug screening test and those with a propensity for drug abuse would be required to get randomly drug tested. Those who fail the drug test would keep their TANF benefits, but would have to enter a drug treatment program – for which they pay for out of their own pockets. The treatment programs could be anything from a local Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) to an inpatient drug rehab, after which, according to the bill, “Those in treatment who test clean on two consecutive drug tests would continue to receive benefits. If they are unable to stay off drugs for four months, he said they would lose benefits for three months. Then they could reapply and could, if a drug test showed they were no longer using narcotics, get benefits again.”

The Rep. who wrote the bill, Jud McMillin says it will be one that helps drug abusers while protecting tax dollars. But opponents of the bill raise concerns such as how children will be impacted if their parent loses benefits and how much the bill and the enforcement of it will cost. For example, an Indianapolis Democrat recalled a law Florida passed in 2011 that tested 4,086 people, only finding 2.6% positive, which ending up costing the state more to conduct than was saved by denying benefits. Other opponents call the bill discriminatory saying it inherently assumes the poor have substance abuse problems.

Drug abuse does not discriminate, as it is a disease of the rich and the poor, the welfare recipient and the millionaire. However, many studies in the US and overseas have linked the idle time, boredom, depression and lethargy that arise during periods of unemployment with drug abuse. Denying benefits to those that find themselves in this predicament may be beneficial if combined with corresponding policies to help them find treatment and stay sober. However, this would cost taxpayers and bring the entire debate back full circle to the starting point from which it began – over how to save taxpayer dollars. In short, the bill and any corresponding policies have a long way to go, but the bottom line is that those who are penalized for their addiction, be in loss of benefits, job loss or loss of friends need effective addiction treatment to get better and recover their losses.

Oscar Pistorius Kills Girlfriend in a Reported Roid Rage

Posted on by Christy Weeks
Oscar Pistorius Roid Rage
 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Oscar Pistorius, known as the paralympic star “Blade Runner” made the headlines last week after he shot and killed his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkemp, through the bathroom door of his house. Pistorius made more headlines yesterday when banned steroids were found in his home.

Pistorius claims he forgot Steenkemp was spending the night and thought there was an intruder in house and shot at them through the bathroom door. Detectives believe he may have been in an alcohol and steroid induced rage, known as roid rage, and intended to shoot Steenkemp after an altercation occurred over texts she received from a Francis Hougaard, a South African Rugby star.

Under this assumption, detectives ordered blood tests for steroids and searched his house to determine if steroid abuse was at play. It is unclear as of yet if his defense attorney will use self-defense or roid rage insanity to defend Pistorius. According to South African law, self-defense is permissible only to the extent that you have repelled an attack, which means when Pistorius fired his weapon, it was an excessive use of force. If Pistorius tests positive for steroids, the roid rage defense could be used but skeptics say it would win only in extraordinary circumstances.

Steroids can be abused just as other addictive substances like cocaine and heroin and often require drug rehab for recovery. They are used to build up muscles by boosting the male hormone testosterone. Excess testosterone can cause negative physical impacts such as liver and heart damage and mental and emotional damage by inciting aggressive and paranoid behavior. Studies have revealed that incarcerated violent criminals and athletes attracted to sports with a high propensity toward violence, like football and hockey, have above average levels of testosterone.

When men or women take steroids above the therapeutic dosage, they can experience intense mood swings, aggression and irrational behavior. Steroids can become addictive because they are potent mood elevators at first and if an abuser stops taking them they experience “estrogen rebound” – causing a surge of suppressed estrogen to flood the body, lowering mood and sex drive. The abuse of steroids mimics the abuse of alcohol or drugs in that addicts continue to take them despite negative health and social consequences, they need more to achieve the same effect and experience withdrawal symptoms once they have stopped.

Steroid addiction often requires addiction treatment because of the severity of depression and suicide risk after stopping the drug. Unlike the speedier recovery from other addictive substances, studies have shown that the depressive symptoms associated with steroid abuse can last up to a year after use is discontinued. Either way, Pistorius has a long, rocky road ahead of him.

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National Recovery Ski & Ride-A-thon Weekend Starts February 28th

Posted on by Christy Weeks

 

Colorado Addiction Recovery Fellowship
Harmony Foundation National Recovery Ski & Ride-A-thon

Harmony Foundation is proud to announce its 1st Annual National Recovery Ski & Ride-A-thon. It will take place at the Beaver Run Ski Resort in Breckenridge, Colorado from February 28, 2013 – March 3, 2013.

The event is a recovery fellowship weekend co-sponsored by excellent leaders in addiction treatment and recovery including Jaywalker Lodge, The Rose House and Sober Living in Del Ray Beach. It s also supported by Dominion Diagnostics and coordinated in collaboration with Harmony’s TPAS – Treatment Professionals in Alumni Services. 

The recovery fellowship weekend will include recovery activities including:

  • 12 Step Meetings
  • Film Screening of Bill W 
  • A Living Large in Sobriety Lecture
  • TPAS Meeting
  • Addiction Professionals Networking

And recreational activities including:

  • Dog Sledding
  • Tours
  • Skiing
  • Snowboarding
  • Snowshoeing
  • Tubing
  • Live Music
  • Open Mic Night
  • Shopping
  • Spa Services

All friends and family are welcome and encouraged to join us for this recovery fellowship weekend! The weekend is an excellent opportunity to network and hang out with fellows in recovery and addiction treatment professionals, not to mention a great mid-winter excuse to refuel and recharge.

Registration for the weekend is $25 which includes a special group lodging rate at the world-class full service ski in and out Beaver Run Resort. 
At 50% off, the rate is a huge savings off the regular peak season rate. Also, registration allows you to get 20% off lift tickets and lessons and 30% off equipment rental.

To reserve your spot for the recovery fellowship weekend contact Alice at Harmony Foundation at 970.685.9590 and be sure to go to www.rentskis.com/harmony to reserve your equipment rental at least 24 hours before your arrive at Beaver Run. Also, if you need transportation to Breckenridge, shuttle service is available from Denver International Airport through Colorado Mountain Express at 800-525-6363.

We hope you join us, our friends and family and Jaywalker Lodge, The Rose House and Sober Living in Del Ray Beach, Dominion Diagnostics and TPAS for this wonderful winter weekend getaway filled with recovery and recreation!

Sponsored in part by Passport To Recovery

 

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