Attorney challenges OWI conviction in 'pay-for-plea' scheme
Sallinger tells The IND his client completed all of the requirements of the program, which include community service and substance abuse counseling. Unlike some others who secured an immediate 894, “[Stelly] performed the special conditions,” Sallinger …
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Ce-classes.com Announcing a Continuing Education Course for Nurses
The company possesses multiple accreditations such as American Psychological Association (APA), Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC), and National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse …
Read more on Virtual-Strategy Magazine (press release)

Drug-testing dilemma
Coffing, a state-licensed addictions counselor, said there are exceptions, but typically the mindset of the drug user is that the punishment couldn't possibly reach them. “That doesn't mean we should stop drug screening, because drug screening helps …
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State launches drug abuse prevention initiative at Wheelersburg School
Each conversation brought another person into the group,” Ware said. “By the time … “Start Talking is inspired by research that shows youth are up to 50 percent less likely to use drugs when parents and adults talk with them about substance use and …
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New Helpline in Temple, TX Provides Teens with Reliable Substance Abuse …
Operators are available 24/7 to address any questions or concerns pertaining to drug or alcohol addiction. The helpline is designed to provide information on the latest treatment options available at rehab centers as well as guidance and support …
Read more on PR Web (press release)

Minnesota lawmakers strategize on curbs for synthetic drugs
“It will take a family, it will take a village, a state and country,” Lynn M. Habhegger of Carlton told the committee about what is needed to fix the problem. “It will take you and … “Any support we can get will be beneficial to us in the future …
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Question by FAITH: How come people on government assistance are not subject to a drug test before and while receiving benefits?
Our tax dollars are paying for a lot of people’s drug addictions. I know here in California, most people on welfare are also on some type of drug abuse. They will take the General Relief money and Food Stamps and feed their drug habit instead of the kids. I believe they should all be subject to drug testing to receive benefits from our tax money and continue with unannounced drug testing to continue to receive payments. We the tax payers have a right to where the money is going.

Best answer:

Answer by TheOrange Evil
I think it’d be a lot cheaper and easier to 1) get rid of welfare, especially long-term welfare, and 2) make drugs legal.

Answer by Easy, later tonight my rm.
I think WI just got tougher. WI has a good gov. currently, and he’s hated by the socialists. The socialist left think Government is infringing on the rights of the poor if they have to produce an ID or get a drug test. Idiots!

I agree with the first guy as well. Legalize them all for the sake of freedom.

Question by Mr. Sir: If feminists want equal pay for women?
Then shouldn’t there be pay equity among men first, so it is easier to tell that a woman is getting paid less than all her male colleagues?
@ Jeff- Well men don’t earn the same amount of money as other men. How can we tell that there is true wage disparity between genders if neither gender has a standard wage among themselves?
@ Jiff- Sorry, meant to put Jiff, not Jeff, in the first additional comment.

Best answer:

Answer by Jiffy Ann
well women need the equal
amount of money as men gets

Answer by Empress Luka ルカ
It was “equal pay for equal work,” if you were paying attention.
Just “equal pay period” is Communism.

You don’t need to be a Communist to have equality — just equal opportunity from the starting gate (ensured by taxes to help bring the lower class children to the same starting line. That is: better schools, better health care, etc.) and personal initiative to carry you through, but with some help for those who are physically/mentally handicapped or otherwise disadvantaged.

I am a Liberal and I believe in helping those in need and doing all that you can to aid the larger community. I am not a Communist simply because I recognize that people need some positive reinforcement to keep them going and on track; purely negative reinforcement just creates unrest and misery.

@ The Fall of Man
I can most certainly hold my own.
Like the vast majority liberals, I am from the educated middle class — the level that can both contribute our efforts in the workforce and still afford to help others, as well as realize the importance of doing so, but doesn’t have the degree of greed and selfishness to launch us into the wealthy class.
I am not sure where the conservative idea that “all liberals are stoopid welfare parasites” came from. Most of us are neither rich nor poor. The wealthy/elite, the country/small town bunch, and the rural poor have always tended to gravitate towards conservatism. Liberalism is always strongest in more updated urban areas with lots of educational and working opportunities as well as a thriving middle class.

@ The Fall of Man
So, do you think it fair that people are born into poverty and therefore can’t get a very good education, so that the get lower-paying “un-skilled” jobs and will likely stay poor?
Do you think it fair that because someone is born with a physical/mental disease and disables them from working, they should have to suffer for it?
Eventually, if everything works out the right way, everyone should have an amazing education, complete safety, advanced healthcare, and as much community [moral] support as possible, regardless of what class he/she was born into. Therefore, whether you succeed and fail would become 110% you, not your birth class, not luck, not talent, not your family/parents, not money/resources, etc. Just you. If you hate this idea, it’s probably because you like being lucky and don’t want to have more people to compete with in the workforce — in that case, you are being a petty elitist (thinking that you are by nature better or more deserving than everyone else).
For this to equal starting-ground to be a reality, everyone needs to pitch in. Those with more are just going to have to give a little more. Don’t worry, there’ll still be a hierarchy — just not one dependent on luck and birth, but rather true hard work.
This starts now. If you keep chucking the weight on your descendants, nothing will ever get done. Everyone needs to give some and pledge themselves to the greater good, at least in part, today and every day.

@ The Fall of Man
Fine, I’ll try to make it simple so you can understand me.
I said it before and I can say it again: Liberals do not “steal people’s money.”
We give our aid, surplus derived from OUR OWN sweat and blood, to the disadvantaged and expect others to help as well. Everyone needs to pay their fair share. If I can be a good person and a part of the community, you can too.
I believe in some hierarchy, but hierarchy based off of hard work, determination, and mutual respect — not luck. If, growing up, you had loving parents, received a quality education, lived in a safe area, got medical treatment when you needed it, had no physical/mental disorders, had a roof over your head, weren’t pressured into drugs/alcohol/gangs while you were too young to know those were bad ideas, weren’t abused or bullied, weren’t threatened with violence into intentionally get lower grades, and/or didn’t face prejudice, you were VERY LUCKY. Many many people never got those privileges and, therefore, couldn’t have gotten into the same place you are in now no matter how hard they worked. And sometimes those people need a little extra help.

Alpharetta mom educates community on growing teen drug abuse
Alpharetta resident Kate Boccia, founder of H.O.P.E, (Helping to Open People's Eyes), an organization working to alert parents to drug problems by offering resources, said that today's opiates are easily available in most high schools. "If a kid has …
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Is Decriminalization the Best Approach to Vermont's, and Nation's, Drug Abuse …
… to drug abuse and addiction. This is a great milestone itself, but his proposed increases in funding for treatment programs will only do so much to fight the state's drug abuse crisis. To seriously reduce the harms of drug abuse, Gov. … Fourteen …
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Cumberland County treatment court addresses the issue of drugs, their effect …
“What I think Cumberland County has done a good job with for a long time is recognizing that simply putting folks like that in jail doesn't do anything to break the cycle of addiction, substance abuse and criminal behavior,” he said. “We've gotten a …
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Question by ophelia: Hypocritical advice about finding your calling/figuring out what to do with your life?
I come from an extremely dysfunctional family full of former and current alcoholics,addicts,and in general very irresponsible and shallow people im terms of providing what a family is meant to provide;uncondition love,support,and understanding.

I know not many of us out there can say theyve ever experiences that type of support and love so hopefully someone can give me some insight or help to get over this obstacle for once and for all.

I am pretty much always presented with unsolicited advice from family and the friends of family ,”so have you figured out what youre gonna do with your life?” Or “you know this just comes from experience,when talking to an adult you should always give a one word solid answer on what your plans are for your career instead of saying youre still trying to figure that out”,the list goes on and on.

This is coming from three cousins of mine who are recovering drug and alcohol addicts whom were given jobs only and i mesn only because of the real estate business their father owns,none of them graduated college which I think is absolutely fine and acceptable but for whatever reason I am constantly hurled bank handed insults,unsolicited advice,gossiped about by family,lied about,and pretty much made out to be the scapegoat which I have finally realized through a therapist.

I still am hurt though somehow by these comnents so do I just cut off contact? No matter how hard I try or how wonderful Im doing these comments and constant chatter never stop.

I am by nature very understanding,non-judgmental, very empathetic,respect absolutely everyone regardless of whether or not Ive been hurt by them or if they dont hold the same beliefs or morals,anything and anyone i am unconditionally supportive and loving and I just wish I could feel eve n an ounce of that love and respect in return. Im also buddhist/taoist so I can definitely recognize any religious barriers people may hold but still it seemd extreme for others to have so much animosity toward another person’s life and well-being? It just doesnt make sense to me.

Should i just give up and cut those relationships off so i can end any further destruction and damage on myself,my future&happiness?

Any help is much appreciated.
Thank you all,this is all lightening all the weight and hurt already,thank you thank you thank you,love you all.

Best answer:

Answer by GeorgieGuy
Hi Ophelia,
We don’t get to pick our family. We do, however, get to pick our friends. I recommend reducing contact with your hurtful and dysfunctional relatives and spending time with more supportive and healthy people. I think you might also benefit from attending an AL-ANON group to discuss coping with your family members. Here’s a link to connect online. If you prefer, most communities have group meetings where you can talk directly to others who are going through similar issues. AL-ANON is designed for people with family and friends who are dealing with addiction. Best wishes.

Answer by William
From a buddhist perspective it should be easy for you to understand that all of this life is projected through your conciousness, meaning that each person is responsible for their reality, this is also simple physics. The best you can do is respond to those negative people an situations with love and forgiveness. Dont necessarily cut ties with those in your life but tell them that you love them. Forgive them silently for they are more confused than you. Dont worry if they express their love for you or not, it does not matter, the world is a dream and we are all part of the one and besides I love you unconditionally.

DeForest Area – Meeting For Parents – Parents invited to alcohol and drug …
Located on this website are the answers to the many questions that surround addiction, signs and symptoms of drug abuse, treatment, insurance, legal issues, overdoes, recovery and getting support for family and friends of people in the grip of this …
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Thomas Koch: Governor's drug addiction initiative deserves wide support
It is a crisis bubbling just beneath the surface that may be invisible to many, but is already highly visible to law enforcement, medical personnel, social service and addiction treatment providers, and too many Vermont families. It requires all of us …
Read more on vtdigger.org

Parents cheer as Northern Valley school board rejects random drug testing
The decision was met with jubilation by many in a crowd of parents who had passionately questioned and challenged every reason given by the district in support of such a policy. Once reserved for elite athletes, drug testing is now employed … But the …
Read more on NorthJersey.com

Question by Tonya W: How to use Air dusters?
I am doing a paper at school on how are duster and i didn’t know how you actually got High with it. How do you do it?

Best answer:

Answer by Robert W
Read this article on the dangers of ‘dusting’.

Inhalant abuse has been on the rise nationwide, and more teens are experiencing the tragic effects of this cheap high. NBC News correspondent Peter Alexander reports on how a common household product, a computer cleaner, can result in a deadly high.

There’s a new way to get high, and you could have it right next to your desk at home. They’re designed to clean your computer but, if inhaled, these popular products have the potential to kill.

It’s called “dusting” — the term comes from the cleaning brand “Dust Off” — and it has become a teenager’s new cheap and easily accessible high, despite a warning on the side of each canister.
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This form of inhalant abuse, “huffing,” has been around for years, but dusting is the more specific term associated with the use of cans of any common aerosolized computer keyboard cleaner that contains compressed gas.

One teen, 18-year-old Jessie Stotz, is now in rehab at the Pathway Family Center in Indianapolis because of dusting.

“There wasn’t the hassle of finding somebody to buy it for you and stuff, you could walk into a store, being 13 years old, and buy it yourself,” says Stotz.

But one hit can be crippling, as 15-year-old Ben Goudberg experienced in California.

“I couldn’t move for three to four minutes, and I was staring at a door thinking I wanted to get up and go and touch it and I couldn’t do it,” says Goudberg. “It’s one of the scariest feelings in the world.”

The high from the gas paralyzes the user for several minutes and gives a feeling of euphoria. Both dusting and huffing can result in damage to the brain, lungs, heart, kidneys and liver, and can cause death. In computer cleaning products, a freon type of gas, or fluorinated hydrocarbon, is the dangerous ingredient.

The dangerous practice was dramatized in the film “Thirteen.” In the opening scene, the two actresses are sitting on a bed, “dusting,” and then slapping each other out of their trancelike states.

“Sudden sniffing death” describes the process of inhaled hydrocarbons provoking irregular heart rhythms in the victim, which leads to sudden fatal cardiac arrest in even very young and healthy hearts.

“Just that fast a kid could experience intoxication,” says John Daily, a drug counselor at New Directions — and just that fast they could die. The compressed air in the cleaners fills a person’s lungs, keeping oxygen out and potentially stopping the heart.

Some retailers, like Staples and Wal-Mart, now restrict the sales of computer cleaners to buyers over 18 years of age, and many have placed warning labels on the top of cans.

But Jeff Williams, a Cleveland police officer whose son Kyle tragically died in March while trying dusting, thinks more needs to be done. Williams says there is already one keyboard cleaning product on the market that adds a bitter smell and taste to the chemicals, making them unpalatable, and he says all manufacturers should do the same. Williams also thinks that retailers need to do a better job of policing who they sell to.

Dusting is part of a larger problem involving inhalants, with huffing on the rise. In 2002, more than a million people abused them for the first time — the vast majority in their teens.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that inhalant experimentation is initiated earlier than any other illicit substance, with young females starting before young males. Also, a higher percentage of 12 and 13 year olds had used inhalants than marijuana.

Inhalant abuse is often more dangerous and difficult to detect than other drug abuse. Inhalants such as glue, lighter fluid and spray paint are completely legal and found in every home — which often leads kids to think they are harmless — and abusers need to conceal only the act of inhaling, not the product.

But inhalants are addictive physically and psychologically, almost as much as alcohol.

“Not only was it the inhalant that was addictive, it was the lifestyle, the friends and the attention that I would receive when I did it,” says Jessie Stotz.
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But in the deadly new world of dusting, someone’s first time seeking the high may also be their last.

In the United Kingdom, where deaths associated with these substances are tracked, 39 percent of the deaths occurred during the victim’s first time.

Wolfe says the most important way to combat this drug abuse is to educate parents about it and to inform kids that the inhalants can kill them on the first try.

Other prevention methods include reading product labels regarding safety issues, and choosing to minimize aerosols in households by using pump sprays instead.

The warning signs of dusting are not easily detected, but these signs may indicate abuse:

* Disappearance of the product at a rapid rate
* Empty cans or containers of chemicals in tra

Fla. congressman to resign after cocaine scandal
But Radel had pledged to stay in office after taking a leave of absence and completing a monthlong in-patient treatment program for drug and alcohol abuse. In a defiant prime-time news conference last month, he defended his legislative record and …
Read more on KFMB

Escorts of drug rehab center face inquiry for man's death
Police looking into the death of a man who died while being taken to a drug rehabilitation center in Cebu City will question four men who were hired to escort Jerome Bendebel, 42, from Balamban town on New Year's Eve. Investigators are withholding the …
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