Check out the press release from PR web titled: GateHouse Academy Trains Next Generation of Dual Diagnosis Clincians and Drug Rehab Specialists

The press release takes a look at how Gatehouse Academy trains graduate level students in community based treatment for addiction in young adults.  Gatehouse Academy is the premier source for young adult drug rehab, and trains the counselors of tomorrow to be effective in dual diagnosis treatment.

According to an article from MSNBC.com, the effects of prescription drug abuse in the United States are becoming more apparent every day.

Here’s a quote from the article:

“The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says nearly 7 million Americans currently abuse prescription drugs, noting that is ‘more than the number who are abusing cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, ecstasy and inhalants combined.’ The DEA also reports that ‘opioid painkillers now cause more overdose deaths than cocaine and heroin combined.’”

The problem of abusing prescription drugs resulted in 8,500 American deaths in the year 2005 alone, and the numbers are only climbing.

There is a problem across the United States, but Kentucky really seems to be suffering from the epidemic the most.  “Kentucky led the nation in the use of prescription drugs for non-medical purposes during the last year, according to the state’s Office of Drug Control Policy. Officials said prescription drug abuse is particularly acute in the cities and rural areas of Eastern Kentucky.”

Kentucky lost 485 people to prescription drug abuse just last year. Drug overdoses resulted in abuse of drugs such as methodone, Xanax and Vicodin .  The region now has a newly formed drug court.

Another problem that is coming out of the prescription drug epidemic, especially in Kentucky is that drug rehabilitation clinics are becoming over crowded. Those looking for drug rehab are unable to get the treatment that they need and deserve due to overcrowding.

What makes this kind of drug addiction very scary is the shear availability of these kinds of pills. Children can easily obtain prescription medications because they are already in their homes, just ready for consumption.

According to the article, this epidemic in Kentucky is taking its toll on families of all different types. There are children who are from good families that are falling victim to prescription drug abuse.

Prescription drug abuse just might be one of the most under reported drug epidemic in the country and it’s affecting American lives.

More information on kids getting drugs at home.

According to an article from MSNBC.com, the effects of prescription drug abuse in the United States are becoming more apparent every day.

Here’s a quote from the article:

“The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says nearly 7 million Americans currently abuse prescription drugs, noting that is ‘more than the number who are abusing cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, ecstasy and inhalants combined.’ The DEA also reports that ‘opioid painkillers now cause more overdose deaths than cocaine and heroin combined.’”

The problem of abusing prescription drugs resulted in 8,500 American deaths in the year 2005 alone, and the numbers are only climbing.

There is a problem across the United States, but Kentucky really seems to be suffering from the epidemic the most.  “Kentucky led the nation in the use of prescription drugs for non-medical purposes during the last year, according to the state’s Office of Drug Control Policy. Officials said prescription drug abuse is particularly acute in the cities and rural areas of Eastern Kentucky.”

Kentucky lost 485 people to prescription drug abuse just last year. Drug overdoses resulted in abuse of drugs such as methodone, Xanax and Vicodin .  The region now has a newly formed drug court.

Another problem that is coming out of the prescription drug epidemic, especially in Kentucky is that drug rehabilitation clinics are becoming over crowded. Those looking for drug rehab are unable to get the treatment that they need and deserve due to overcrowding.

What makes this kind of drug addiction very scary is the shear availability of these kinds of pills. Children can easily obtain prescription medications because they are already in their homes, just ready for consumption.

According to the article, this epidemic in Kentucky is taking its toll on families of all different types. There are children who are from good families that are falling victim to prescription drug abuse.

Prescription drug abuse just might be one of the most under reported drug epidemic in the country and it’s affecting American lives.

More information on kids getting drugs at home.

According to a new report from the Office of Applied Studies that provided state by state analysis found that there are a wide range of types of drug and alcohol use, but that of course, every state has its varying issues.

The report was developed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration ( SAMHSA ) based on the 2006 and 2007 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health ( NSDUH ).

Here are the report’s most notable findings:

• Vermont had the nation’s highest incidence rate of marijuana use among people aged 12 and older ( 2.5 percent ) while Utah had the lowest ( 1.6 ) percent.

• The District of Columbia had the nation’s highest rate of past year cocaine use among those aged 12 and older ( 5.1 percent ) while Mississippi had the lowest ( 1.6 percent ).

• Utah had the nation’s lowest rate of current underage drinking ( 17.3 percent ) while North Dakota had the highest ( 40 percent ).

• Tennessee had the nation’s highest rate of people aged 18 and older experiencing a major depressive episode in the past year ( 9.8 percent ) while Hawaii had the lowest ( 5.0 percent )

According to the press release for the study, here is another interesting finding:

“Among those aged 12 and older, Iowa had less than half the current illicit drug use rate of Rhode Island ( 5.2 percent vs. 12.5 percent ) – yet Iowa’s population aged 12 and older also had one of the nation’s highest levels of people experiencing alcohol dependence or abuse in the past year ( 9.2 percent).”

The report is an important indication that it really does not matter where you live because every state experiences its own set of problems and needs addiction treatment centers.

This report just goes to show how much of an impact addiction is having on our country as a whole and there may be more need for dual diagnosis treatment than we think.

It is about time there was a little positive news about teenage drug and substance abuse.  According to an article on EmaxHealth and the 2008 Iowa Youth Survey, fewer teenagers are reporting alcohol and marijuana use.

The survey was taken in October 2008 and 81 percent of those surveyed said they had not consumed any alcohol in the past 30 days. And 87 percent reported no binge drinking in the past 30 days. Binge drinking is defined as consuming five or more alcoholic drinks in a short time span.

Also, 94 percent reported not using marijuana in the past 30 days when the survey was taken.

The real question is what does this really say about teens in Iowa and across the United States? Is alcohol and marijuana use really down? Surveys like these have to be taken with a grain of salt. Because the survey considers such a small amount of time, 30 days, in the life of a teenager when it comes to alcohol and marijuana use.

So what if they didn’t consume it within the last 30 days, what about the rest of the year? Perhaps the survey should be changed to include how many times a year a teenager drinks or uses marijuana.

Despite the decline in the substance abuse, there is another thing that the survey revealed. More teenagers are experiencing being threatened via the internet or over text message.

These surveys are a great way to talk about substance abuse with your family and the children in their family.  Surveys help get a little bit of a dissection of what is going on in a certain area. It is always beneficial to consider the type of children that were surveyed, their socio-economic standing and many other factors.

Talking about these statistics and taking them into consideration is wise. The more information the better!

More than ever, young Americans are misusing over-the-counter cough and cold medicines. Once seen as just harmless drugs to get rid of the sniffles, young Americans are now using them to get high.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, about 3.1 million Americans age 12-25 used over-the-counter cough or cold medicines to get high. This is according to their 2007 National Survey on Drug Use And Health report.

More specifically, according to the study, “30.5 percent misused a NyQuil® product, 18.1 percent misused a Coricidin® product, and 17.8 percent misused a Robitussin® product in the past year.”

The chemical contained in product of this kind is called dextromethorphan (DXM),  and it is contained in nearly 140 over-the-counter drugs.  The cough suppressant is safe if taken in recommended doses, but can create a ‘high’ feeling if misused.

If DXM is taken in large amounts an “out-of-body” experience can occur.  This is much like the same experiences that can be had with the more illicit drug phencyclidine (PCP).

Just as with any street drug, overdosing on DXM can happen.  There can be life threatening reactions to the drug including: blurred vision, loss of physical coordination, intense abdominal pain, vomiting, uncontrolled violent muscle spasms, irregular heartbeat, delirium, and death. Because of this trend, there have been more reports of poisoning by DXM.

Today, most products containing DXM are now behind the pharmacy counter, but still available without a prescription.  Now most pharmacies require the person buying the substance to show identification.

The accessibility of this kind of ‘high’ is what is most frightening for parents. DXM is relatively easy to get and may already be in the young adult’s home for access. Keeping tabs on your medicine cabinet is never a bad idea when there are young adults and children in the home. It could to drug use that requires addiction treatment centers or as a gateway to other drugs resulting in the need for dual diagnosis treatment later.

read the full report here.

Although there has been a slight decline in illicit drug use according to the 2007 Substance Abuse and Mental Health services Administration study,  there is a troubling new trend among teens. More are abusing prescription medications because it is readily available in their medicine cabinet.

This kind of teen drug use is second in popularity only to marijuana.  Preventing this type of drug abuse is something that parents are missing the boat on, according to the study. Parents need to take control before their child need dual diagnosis treatment.

According to the 2006 SAMHA National Survey on Drug Use and Health more than 2.1 million teens abused prescription drugs.  Another alarming finding is that prescription drugs are the number one choice of teens 12- 13 years old.

The most common type of drug that teens are abusing is pain relievers like Vicodin and Oxycontin.

The scary part about abusing prescription drugs are that they can have fatal reactions when a teen decides to try other drugs or drink. According to the study, nearly half of teens who abused prescription pain killers also report using two or more other drugs,most commonly alcohol or marijuana. Addiction treatment centers may be needed to stop.

More alarming is that children and teens do not think that prescription drugs carry the same amount of danger because they are easily accessible to them in their own home, or from a friend.  The study states the 32 percent of teens do not think that prescription drugs, like painkillers are safer because they have fewer side effects than street drugs.

Because prescription drugs are so easy for children and teens to obtain, they are more likely to try them.  More than half of the teens in the study reported that they abuse prescription drugs and painkillers because they are not illegal. Also, they feel they are less shameful and that parents don’t care as much if they get caught using them.

If you have prescription painkillers in your home, make sure you know how many are in the bottle and never let your child or teen take them without a prescription of their own. The only cure for this type of drug abuse is parental supervision.

Many parents are concerned that they cannot provide the right kind of support to prevent their teen from using drugs. Even though the teenage years are the time when counsel and guidance is most necessary, some adults start to lose confidence in their ability to influence their child’s choices about drugs and alcohol around the same time.

According to data from a study that tracked parent attitudes, half of all participants with kids in 6th-8th grade feel they lack the tools and information to prevent drug and alcohol use. In contrast, only 35 percent of parents of elementary school children feel they need more help. 37 percent of parents with kids in middle school feel they have little influence over their decision to try drugs.

Unfortunately, these reluctant parents are missing the opportunity to lead their child in the right path, as uncomfortable as the infamous “drug conversation” may be. The Partnership for a Drug Free America found that kids who learn about the risks of drugs at home are up to 50 percent less likely to use. This reinforces that parents are the most powerful influencers in their kids’ lives and can dramatically effect whether they choose to use drugs and alcohol.

The findings of the study demonstrate how many parents feel increasingly overwhelmed as kids become teenagers. “These vulnerable years are when teens and tweens are exposed to drugs and alcohol, and parents can’t let the normal turbulence and frustrations of raising teens interfere with their determination to keep their kids from risking their health,” Steve Pasierb, President and CEO of the Partnership. Science has helped us understand that the brain doesn’t fully develop until age 25, and while teens are attracted to experimentation and risk, they are simply not prepared to make good decisions about drugs, new social situations, sex and other tough issues that affect their futures.  Parents have to step in and help their kids, no matter how challenging the conversation.”

Addicted teens aren’t getting the help they need and the reason may be due to a lack of services designed specifically for adolescents, reports a recent article on Forbes.com. According to a study published in the Journal of Substance Abuse and Treatment, “Only about 10 percent of the 1.4 million American teens with substance abuse problems receive treatment.” The report also reveals that only about a third of the drug rehab programs in the U.S. have treatment programs for teens. The lack of treatment programs, “means we lose our chance at early intervention, and that families may be unable to find services for their children in their communities,” says the author of the report, Hannah K. Knudsen, Ph.D.

Knudsen also analyzed the services provided by over 100 teen-oriented treatment programs and rated them according to nine areas of quality, including the variety of services provided and family involvement in the treatment process. The results from the study showed that intensive, full-service residential treatment options generally scored better than other programs.Looking at these factors, Gatehouse Academy would likely score well, not just because Gatehouse is a long-term residential rehab facility, but also because it does provide a wide-range of treatment options — including a unique program for co-occurring mental and emotional disorders.

“For parents who are looking for high-quality programs that offer the most comprehensive array of services, a good proxy indicator is whether that organization has an inpatient or residential level of care,” Knudsen said.

Residential treatment really does make a difference in the recovery process for teens and young adults. It’s important for a treatment center to offer the services tailored to the needs of the age group in order to create an environment that will prompt and encourage a successful transition into a sober and drug-free life.

The United Nations International Narcotics Control Board reportedly announced that overall teen drug abuse in the U.S. has decreased by 24 percent since 2001. Unfortunately, the U.N. also reported that more people are abusing prescription drugs than before. Highlights of the news include:

- “After cannabis, prescription drugs are the most commonly abused substances.”

- “Among young adults, aged 18-25 years, abuse fell in all drug categories except pain relievers.”

Despite the good news of an overall decline, drug addiction is still a major problem in the United States. Even with the decline, there are still an estimated 19.9 million people aged 12 and up who suffer from drug addiction. An INCB representative also stated: “. . . the problem of substance abuse among United States teenagers continues to be widespread, as nearly half of United States students aged 17-18 (47 percent) have tried an illicit drug by the time they have finished secondary school.” That means just before going off to college, half of all students have used drugs.

Drug trade doesn’t just affect our nation’s children – it impacts our society as a whole. In 2002, the cost of health care and lost productivity due to illegal drug usage was estimated at $181 Billion. Just today, the U.S. State Department issued a travel advisory warning recommending American travelers to stay away from drug related. Reportedly, about 6,000 people were killed in Mexico from drug violence.

Even though it is great news that drug abuse is starting to decline, it’s only because of the efforts made by parents, friends, communities and law enforcement that progress is being made. Our country cannot afford to stop taking addiction seriously.