Category Archives: Drunk Driving

Alcoholism in College

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Alcoholism in College

College drinking is extremely widespread: about four out of five college students drink alcohol. About half of college students who drink, do so by binge drinking. The first 6 weeks of freshman year is an especially vulnerable time for heavy drinking and alcohol-related consequences because of student expectations and social pressures at the start of the academic year.

College Drinking: Trending Toward Alcoholism in College Students?

A new study shows that 6% of college students meet criteria for a diagnosis of alcohol dependence or alcoholism and 31% meet the clinical criteria for alcohol abuse. The study also found that more than two of every five students report at least one symptom of these conditions, putting them at increased risk of developing a true alcohol disorder.

More than 14,000 students at 119 4-year colleges were surveyed by researchers who then based their findings on these responses. Researches included questions that are based on criteria for the diagnosis of alcohol disorders as set forth by the American Psychiatric Association. Alcohol disorders include alcohol dependence, the most severe, to alcohol abuse, a less advanced, although still serious disorder.

Binge Drinking and Alcoholism in College

Binge drinkers (heavy episodic drinkers) and especially those who frequently binge drink, are at an increased risk of developing one of these alcohol disorders. Heavy episodic drinkers are defined as men who had five or more—or women who had four or more—drinks in a row at least once in a two week period before completing the survey questionnaire. The definition of a frequent heavy episodic drinker is someone who has consumed these amounts at least three times in the previous two weeks.

Further Findings of Alcoholism in College

Students who attend colleges with heavy drinking environments are more likely to be diagnosed with abuse or dependence. Male students are at greater risk than females. Nearly one in 10 college men under age 24 met a 12-month diagnosis of alcohol dependence compared to one in 20 college women under age 24.

Community Impact of Alcoholism in College

Each year, drinking affects college students, as well as college communities, and families.  And it’s clear that there is a relationship between alcohol and crime. The consequences of drinking include:

Death: 1,825 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die each year from alcohol-related unintentional injuries.

Assault: More than 690,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking.

Sexual Abuse: More than 97,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape.

Injury: 599,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 receive unintentional injuries while under the influence of alcohol.

Academic Problems: About 25% of college students report academic consequences of their drinking including missing class, falling behind, doing poorly on exams or papers, and receiving lower grades overall.

Health Problems: More than 150,000 students develop an alcohol-related health problem.

Suicide Attempts: Between 1.2 and 1.5 percent of students indicate that they tried to commit suicide within the past year due to drinking or drug use.

Drunk Driving: Each year an estimated 3,360,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 drive under the influence of alcohol.

Prevention: Alcoholism in College

Research strongly suggests that prevention strategies geared towards particular groups, specifically individual students, the student body as a whole, the college itself and its surrounding community, can help reduce the frequency and quantity of college drinking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources:

http://alcoholism.about.com/

http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/

 

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Is Alcohol More Dangerous Than Heroin?

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Is Alcohol More Dangerous Than Heroin?

Heroin is clearly a dangerous drug. It carries a certain stigma because it is illegal. And no doubt, deadly. But what about alcohol? It, too, is a drug but, it is legal. Does that mean that alcohol is any safer than other drugs like heroin?

The World Health Organization estimates that risks linked to alcohol cause 2.5 million deaths a year from heart and liver disease, road accidents, suicides and cancer — accounting for 3.8 percent of all deaths. It is the third leading risk factor for premature death and disabilities worldwide.

Let’s take a look at the effects of alcohol and heroin, respectively on both the user’s brain and physical body to see how they compare.

Alcohol Effects on the Body

Heart: Alcohol is more dangerous than heroin because it can have serious effects on physical health. And it is not just from drinking a lot over a long time; drinking too much on a single occasion can damage the heart and cause problems such as cardiomyopathy (stretching and drooping of heart muscle); arrhythmia – (irregular heart beat); stroke; high blood pressure.

Liver: Alcohol is more dangerous than heroin because heavy drinking takes a toll on the liver, which leads to a variety of problems such as fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis.

Pancreas: Alcohol is more dangerous than heroin because it causes the pancreas to produce toxic substances that can eventually lead to pancreatitis, dangerous inflammation and swelling that prevents proper digestion. This can lead to malnutrition and therefore affecting brain function.

Cancer: Drinking too much makes alcohol more dangerous than heroin because it increases your risk of developing certain cancers, including cancers of the mouth, esophagus, throat, liver, and breast.

Immune System: Drinking too much can weaken your immune system, making your body more susceptible to disease.  Chronic drinkers are more likely to contract diseases than people who do not drink too much.  Drinking a lot on a single occasion reduces the body’s ability to fight off infections, even up to 24 hours after getting drunk.

Alcohol Effects on the Brain

Looking at the effects on the brain from long-term drinking, it is clear: alcohol is more dangerous than heroin. Extended alcohol consumption can lead to something known as “wet brain.” It is a chronic and debilitating syndrome characterized by persistent learning and memory problems. Patients are forgetful and easily frustrated. They experience difficulty with walking and coordination. Although these patients have problems recalling old information, it is their difficulty in forming new information that is the most striking.

People may not be aware that prolonged liver dysfunction can harm the brain, leading to a serious and potentially fatal brain disorder known as hepatic encephalopathy, which causes changes in sleep patterns, mood, and personality; anxiety and depression; severe cognitive effects such as shortened attention span; and problems with coordination. Alcohol–damaged liver cells allow excess amounts of these harmful byproducts to enter the brain, thus harming brain cells.

Heroin Effects on the Body

Chronic users may develop collapsed veins, infection of the heart lining and valves, abscesses, constipation and gastrointestinal cramping, and liver or kidney disease. Pulmonary complications, including various types of pneumonia, may result from the poor health of the user as well as from heroin’s effects on breathing.

In addition to the effects of the drug itself, street heroin often contains toxic contaminants or additives that can clog blood vessels leading to the lungs, liver, kidneys, or brain, causing permanent damage to vital organs.

Heroin Effects on the Brain

Regular heroin use changes the functioning of the brain. One result is tolerance, in which more of the drug is needed to achieve the same intensity of effect. Another result is dependence, characterized by the need to continue use of the drug to avoid withdrawal symptoms.

Withdrawal Syndrome: Alcohol vs Heroin

Another indication as to the danger of alcohol is its associated withdrawal syndrome. When an alcohol-dependent person suddenly stop drinking, they are subject to many serious symptoms that can even lead to death. Heroin withdrawal, on the other hand, feels like you are dying but it isn’t actually fatal.

The MCDA Scale and Findings

In an effort to offer a guide to policy makers in health, policing, and social care, Professor David Nutt, chairman of Britain’s Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs (ISCD) and his team rated drugs using a technique called Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) which assessed damage according to nine criteria on harm to the user and seven criteria on harm to others.

Harms to the user included things such as drug-specific or drug-related death, damage to health, drug dependence and loss of relationships, while harms to others included crime, environmental damage, family conflict, international damage, economic cost, and damage to community cohesion.

Drugs were then scored out of 100, with 100 given to the most harmful drug and zero indicating no harm at all.

The scientists found alcohol was most harmful, with a score of 72, followed by heroin with a score of 55.

Therefore, their finding is that alcohol is more dangerous than heroin when the combined harms to the user and to others are assessed.

 

 

 

Sources:

www.nih.gov

www.niaaa.nih.gov

http://www.thefix.com/

www.reuters.com

www.cbsnews.com

 

 

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Will urinalyzers cut down on DUI’s?

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Will urinalyzers cut down on DUI’s?

We all know how and why breathalyzers work. You blow into a tube and it can accurately detect your blood alcohol content (BAC). If you have ever seen a breathalyzer hopefully it was because you owned one that you used to keep an eye on your own BAC and it wasn’t because you are drunk driving. If it was because you were drunk driving, at least you and the rest of the people on the road are safe. Drunk driving is dangerous and causes thousands of accidents a year. Many people needlessly die due to drunk driving and law enforcement as well as groups such as MADD; have been trying to combat it for years now. Finally there may be an answer to the drunk driving epidemic: urinalyzers.  

Few people actually have the extra cash to spend on a portable breathalyzer and even fewer people who have a portable breathalyzer with them, actually use it. The drunker people get the less responsible, shall we say, they get. This is where the urine-analyzer rightly dubbed the “urinalyzer”) comes in. A urinalyzers is a new device which measures your BAC when you go to the bathroom after a few drinks, a lot of drinks, or you can’t even walk to the bathroom in a straight line amount of drinks. These urinalyzers are the newest thing in nightclub technology created by a marketing agency DDB and Zouk, a popular night club in Singapore.

The urinalyzer is a creative and clever device that is meant to stop drunks before they ever become drivers. Therefore the urinalyzer is meant to stop drunk drivers. So how does a urinalyzer work?

  • First off, when you enter the nightclub you hand over your car keys in exchange for a special RFID card from the valet.
  • Second, you have a few drinks.
  • Third, you go to relieve yourself and the card will pair with the urine analyzer which then provides instant feedback on a screen above your urinal. 

If you have gone above the limit and don’t listen to the warning that you just got from your urinal, the RFID card will warn the valet pretty much not to let you drive. The valet will then offer you many other ways to get home that don’t involve you getting behind the wheel of a car. They may offer to call you a cab or pitch to you their own drive-home service.

The urinalyzer is a new proactive technology so it has plenty of room to develop and fix any minor inconveniences or problems; the biggest one right now being the fact that women don’t use urinals. It won’t be surprising if eventually the urinalyzer finds its way into the women’s restroom too. But in the meantime the urinalyzer has stopped 573 people over the legal limit; in only two weeks. The sad news about that is only 342 took the valet up on the cab or drive-home service but those numbers could improve and include every person over the limit with police involvement.

Either way it seems more than hopeful that yes, urinalyzers will cut down on DUI’s.

http://www.thefix.com/content/urinalyzers-tag-drunk-clubgoers91941

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Xanax and Alcohol: A Deadly Combination

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Xanax and Alcohol: A Deadly Combination


In recent years, as the use of prescription medication has proliferated in the United States, so too have the abuse of and overdose from many of these substances.

Prescription-drug abuse is the fastest-growing drug problem in the U.S., says a report issued last month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The same report states that in 2007, there were roughly 27,000 unintentional deaths from drug overdoses—or one death every 19 minutes.

But of all the things that people ingest, there are few combinations more life-threatening than alcohol and Xanax, a benzodiazepine in the class of sedatives such as Valium and Klonopin.

What Makes Xanax and Alcohol a Deadly Combination?

When taken together, Xanax and alcohol have what’s known as an additive effect, which means that in the presence of Xanax, alcohol is made more potent than it would be alone.

Both Xanax and alcohol work by depressing the central nervous system of the body, reducing the activity of several mental functions, such as thought, memory, coordination, and respiration.

Alcohol alone doesn’t have that limit, because often times people will pass out before they drink enough alcohol for it to be lethal. When you take the two together and you have a totally different picture – Xanax and Alcohol: a deadly combination.

Prescription drugs and alcohol can be a dangerous combination. Alcohol interacts with anti-anxiety drugs such as Xanax, intensifying the drugs’ sedative effects, causing drowsiness and dizziness, and making falls and accidents more likely. A 2010 study published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health reported that automobile drivers were much more likely to weave and speed if they were under the influence of drugs like Xanax in addition to alcohol than if they had consumed alcohol alone.

How it Works

Your usual three drinks is actually like drinking six. And because of the additive effect of combining the two substances, it becomes impossible to know just how your body will absorb the alcohol you’ve ingested. Throw in other factors—sleep deprivation, an empty stomach, a cold—and the mixture is made all the more unpredictable and deadly.

Xanax and alcohol is the most deadly combination because it can cause amnesia. So not only is it does this combination affect respiratory function, the amnesic effect it causes is just as deadly. People die accidentally in the truest sense of the word: they don’t remember how many drinks they had, or how many pills they took.

 Why Xanax, in particular

In fact, it is this same rapid action that makes Xanax the most addictive of the benzodiazepines, many neuroscientists believe, providing the sensation of a high more so than other drugs of its class.

Other people start taking prescription drugs just to get high, perhaps in part because they have the false notion that prescription drugs are safer to experiment with than are illicit drugs.

Any benzodiazepine is highly dangerous in combination with alcohol, but Xanax is perhaps the most dangerous, because it is more fast-acting than the others. Because Xanax and alcohol both work on the brain at a rapid-fire pace, their mutually enhancing effect is bolstered compared to slower-acting benzodiazepines, which peaks in the brain more slowly, after the effect of the alcohol may have already begun to decline.

 

 

 

Sources:

http://www.thedailybeast.com

http://www.cdc.gov/

http://www.scientificamerican.com

 

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Alateen and Al-Anon Resources

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Alateen and Al-Anon Resources

Alateen and Al-Anon Resources

Addiction is known as a “family disease”. This is because it doesn’t just affect the addict or alcoholic. Loved ones of the addict/alcoholic are often caught up in the destruction as well. Luckily there are groups that address the family members of an alcoholic or addict specifically. Alateen and Al-Anon resources can be very helpful to the families of recovering alcoholics.

The family group idea is nearly as old as Alcoholics Anonymous. Early AA members and their wives visited AA groups around the country. The visiting wives often told the mates of the newer members of Alcoholics Anonymous about how they benefited from trying to live by AA’s Twelve Steps, and how it had helped to improve family relationships that often remained difficult after the alcoholic had become sober. Al-anon was founded in 1951, and the Twelve Steps were adopted as guiding principles.

Teenage children in the families of alcoholics soon realized that their problems differed from those of adult members. In 1957, Alateen grew out of this need. There are now over 1,700 Alateen groups worldwide.

Alateen and Al-Anon Resources: On the Web

Local Alateen and Al-Anon resources can be found through the website at http://www.al-anon.alateen.org/. The website can tell you about group meetings, what you can expect, and where to find a meeting in your area. Group members share their experience, strength, and hope with each other. Anyone who has been affected by another person’s drinking or drug use is welcome to join. There are no dues or fees in Alateen and Al-Anon meetings.

There are also a number of on-line meetings that can be used to supplement attendance at regular face-to-face meetings.

Alateen and Al-Anon Resources: On the phone

Alateen and Al-Anon meetings can also be found by calling the hotline at 888-4AL-ANON (888-425-2666) from 8 am to 8pm ET, Monday through Friday. There are also phone meetings which, like the online meetings, can be used to supplement regular face-to-face Alateen and Al-Anon meetings.

Alateen and Al-Anon Resources: Starting your own group

If there is no Alateen or Al-Anon group in your community, you may want to start one, along with one or two other people who need and want help. Any two or more relatives or friends of alcoholics who meet to solve their common problems may call themselves and Al-Anon or Alateen group, provided they have no other affiliation is a group.

You must decide on a group meeting place, day, and time. Then contact the World Service Office at Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc. announcing your decision to start a group. You will be given registration information and instructions on how to complete it. The form can be downloaded from the website. When your group is registered, a group number is assigned and a packet containing introductory materials will be sent to the group’s current mailing address. After the registration process is completed the group contacts the local district or Al-Anon Information Service (AIS) to be included in the local meeting directory and the area web site.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Hangover Movie: Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle

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Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle

Hangover Movie: Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle

Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle is a classic hangover movie that every college kid and stoner has seen. It is very much a remake on the very classic Cheech and Chong movies with its ridiculous antics, drug use, sex, and drinking.

Harold Lee and Kumar Patel play the parts of two stoners who end up getting the munchies and decide they want to go to White Castle. Harold is the more introverted awkward character and Kumar is the more outgoing and spontaneous one setting this hangover movie up for some interesting situations. Harold and Kumar’s journey to find a White Castle because of the relocation of the old one; turns into an entire movie.

Harold and Kumar set out to get White Castle and in the process of trying to get some delicious hamburgers to satisfy their munchies, Harold gets bitten by an animal and ends up in the hospital. After getting out of the hospital Harold and Kumar continue their hunt for White Castle and then the car breaks down. After their car breaks down they meet a nice man named Randy who takes them with him to his house to fix their car. At Randy’s house, Randy offers to let Harold and Kumar sleep with his beautiful wife Liane. After this debacle, Harold and Kumar end up picking up a hitch-hiker, who when they stop at a gas station steals their car. So now Harold and Kumar are walking and end up jay walking. After jay walking they get stopped by a police officer who just likes to pick on minorities and ends up arresting Harold and holding him in a cell. Harold and Kumar escape and both run to hid in the bush and come face to face with a cheetah. And the antics go on and on.

Eventually Harold and Kumar find themselves at a raging party that they stop by for a minute and they also in the end make it to White Castle after being up all night losing their car, walking, hitting a party and going through everything they have to get it. While at White Castle the hitchhiker returns the car. And while Harold and Kumar are eating the White Castle it is an epic moment for them because what was supposed to be a quick trip to White Castle had turned into an all-night debacle of sex, drugs, music, and drinking. The classic hangover movie: Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Consequences of a DUI

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Consequences of a DUI

Consequences of a DUI

Driving under the influence (DUI), or driving while intoxicated (DWI), is a serious criminal offense. A DUI can cost you money, your driving privileges, even your freedom. But there are other consequences of a DUI as well. Besides the legal repercussions, a DUI can have emotional, social, and even relationship consequences.

Consequences of a DUI: Legal

The penalties and requirements for drunken driving vary somewhat from state to state. However, due to the effort of advocacy groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving, all 50 states have passes laws intended to crack down on drunk driving by increasing penalties and consequences of a DUI.

You are still innocent until proven guilty in this country, but if you took a breath or blood test that recorded your blood alcohol content at 0.08 or above, you will be convicted of drunk driving. It does not matter if you did not appear intoxicated, if you have a BAC of above 0.08, you can be convicted under the “per se” laws in all 50 states.

Once you are convicted of drunk driving in court, you will be ordered to pay a fine, court costs, and will have your driver’s license revoked for a period of time. In some states, you will face jail time. From state to state, the amount of fine and the length of license revocation and the jail time will vary. However, in every state, the consequences of a DUI include a fine and license revocation.

Consequences of a DUI: Social

The consequences of a DUI also include social consequences. Your revoked license can cause you to have difficulties getting to work or school or to social events. Your peers may judge or ostracize you for getting a DUI. You may not get a job, be passed up for career advances, or be denied admission to the school you want to attend.  A DUI will increase your insurance rates and it may increase your mortgage or other loan rates.

Consequences of a DUI: Emotional

Some of the consequences of a DUI are emotional consequences. You may feel sad, angry, or ashamed. Those that get into traffic accidents while under the influence are prone to developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This disorder often includes experiencing flashbacks and unpleasant memories of the crash scene. PTSD can interfere with a person’s thoughts and awareness.

Another of the emotional consequences of a DUI involves being branded a criminal. In the time it takes for someone to be pulled over and arrested, they have gone from viewing themselves as an upstanding member of society to a common criminal. When you get handcuffed, put in the back of a cop car, taken to the police station, have fingerprints and mug shots taken, and put in a cell, it can be devastating emotionally.

Consequences of a DUI: Relationship

You can also experience relationship consequences of a DUI. Most people who are convicted of a DUI don’t even realize that their actions can negatively affect their relationships with other people. Loved ones may feel betrayed, disappointed, worried, or sad.

http://www.myduiattorney.org/dui-tips/emotional-impact-of-dui.html

http://www.wedodui.com/FAQ/Consequences-of-a-DUI.aspx

http://www.duifoundation.org/support/emotional/

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

More women are drinking and driving

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More women are drinking and driving

More women are drinking and driving

Traditionally, men have been seen as the riskier gender when it comes to car insurance. However, a disturbing new trend shows that DUI rates among men are rising while among women they are rising rapidly. Men are still more likely to get a DUI but new research shows that more and more women are drinking and driving.

More women are drinking and driving: A growing trend

Researchers recently convened in Washington to present evidence that drinking and driving is a growing problem among women. DUI arrests among women have increased almost 30% from 1998 to 2007, according to the Traffic Injury Research Foundation.

More women are drinking and driving: What is the cause?

Many experts have hypothesized the reason that more women are drinking and driving. Binge drinking (consuming more than four drinks in a sitting for women and five for men) rates are also rising for women. Some think that today’s women have to deal with more stress than their predecessors. More equality in the workplace combined with the same amount of home life duties may be causing more women to turn to alcohol. Because of the recession, women’s incomes have become more important because so many men have lost their jobs. Meanwhile, women are still responsible for most of the child-rearing responsibilities.

In addition, there are more female drivers on the roads today. In fact, female drivers outnumber male drivers. So part of the cause may just be that more women are drinking and driving because more women are driving.

Another theory points to the increase in the female-directed marketing campaigns for marketing.

In addition, women may not realize that alcohol tends have a greater effect than it does on men. The same number of drinks may put a woman over the legal limit while the man is still able to drive.

More women are drinking and driving: Who’s at risk?

Studies show that women who drink and drive tend to share similar characteristics. They tend to be unmarried and have less steady employment compared to men who drink and drive. Women who drink and drive were also more likely to have a primary problem with drugs like cocaine and/or a psychological problem like depression and bipolar disorder. Also, young women wanting to fit in, young mothers after the birth of a baby, and empty nesters drink and drive more often.

Women are also more likely to have children in the car, so more women drinking and driving also means more children at risk of fatal car accidents.

More women are drinking and driving: Getting help

Unfortunately women with drinking problems are much less likely to seek help than their male counterparts. Unlike men, women tend to drink alone and at home, which enables them to hide a problem from friends and family. When women do seek treatment, it is usually after something catastrophic has already happened. Women also tend to have most of the responsibility in raising children, so they are less likely to be able to go to inpatient treatment centers.

Sources:

http://healthland.time.com/2013/01/24/why-women-drink-and-drive/

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/32321637/ns/health-addictions/t/women-drinking-more-duis-experts-say/

 

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.