Easter Long Weekend - Don't Drink and Drive - Keep our Alberta Streets Safe!

The Easter long weekend is right around the corner and Alberta has made some changes to the province's impaired driving laws.

Remember not to Drink and Drive there are alternatives to getting home. Plan ahead have a designated driver, call a taxi, take public transit or call a friend!

Our province’s new impaired driving law will help to reduce the number of drinking drivers on our roads – and that means fewer deaths and serious injuries. Drivers who are criminally impaired or refuse to provide a breath sample will receive the harshest penalties. And, these drivers will still be charged with a criminal offence. Tougher consequences at the .05 to .08 level are designed to discourage drinking and driving – before drivers reach the criminally impaired level. Our goal is to create safer roads by ensuring that Albertans take responsibility for their actions behind the wheel. Alberta's impaired driving law is about one thing: keeping families safe. We're strengthening our approach. Responsible Albertans can have a drink with dinner or friends. Repeat offenders will be targeted. So will Criminal Code offences and new drivers. Not included — fines and demerit points offenses. The focus is on changing behaviours through mandatory courses and ignition interlock. Education and enforcement are key Key Changes Use this chart to understand changes to the law. Drivers with blood alcohol over .08 Previously Alberta had license suspensions, but not vehicle seizures for drivers above .08. Under the new law Immediate license suspensions are sustained until the criminal charge is resolved. Mandatory ignition interlock is installed after criminal conviction (over .08) 1st offence Sustained licence suspension 3-day vehicle seizure 1-year mandatory ignition interlock 2nd offence Sustained licence suspension 7-day vehicle seizure 3-year mandatory ignition interlock. 3rd offence Sustained licence suspension 7-day vehicle seizure 5-year mandatory ignition interlock Drivers with blood alcohol between .05 & .08 Under the new law Increasing sanctions against drivers suspected to be impaired are included in the new law. These drivers are not and will not be subject to Criminal Code prosecutions. 1st offence 3-day licence suspension 3-day vehicle seizure 2nd offence 15-day licence suspension 7-day vehicle seizure "Planning Ahead" course 3rd offence 30-day licence suspension 7-day vehicle seizure "Impact" course New drivers Under the new law Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL)still begins at age 14. All GDL drivers are already subject to zero tolerance for blood alcohol and receive a 30-day suspension. GDL drivers found with blood alcohol 30-day licence suspension 7-day vehicle seizure Plan Ahead Be Safe You have alternatives! Plan for them ahead of time and keep Alberta safe.

Fatal Drug Overdoses in US increase for the 11th consecutive year

Fatal drug overdoses have increased for the 11th consecutive year in the United States, new data show.

According to a research letter published Tuesday from the National Center for Health Statistics, 38,329 people died of drug overdoses in the United States in 2010, an uptick from the previous year and the latest sign of a deadly trend involving prescription painkillers.

In 2010, 57% of overdoses, or more than 22,000, involved known prescription drugs. Three-quarters of those involved painkillers like Oxycontin and Percocet while another 9,400 involved some unidentified drug cocktail.

More than 74% of all prescription drug deaths were accidental, statistics show. Only 17% of overdoses were suicides. The numbers show how drugs in the opioid family, like Oxycontin, methadone and codeine, were often implicated in fatal drug cocktails.

An opioid was found in 77% of overdoses that involved benzodiazepine, a central nervous system depressant likeValium, Xanax or Ativan. The addictive narcotic was also involved in 65% of overdoses with antiepileptic or anti-Parkinsonian drugs; 57% of overdoses with antidepressants; and 56% of overdoses with anti-inflammatory and fever-reducing drugs.

The paper buttresses a Times investigation last year that showed a surge in painkiller prescriptions in California and across the nation has had fatal consequences.

Fatal prescription drug overdoses over the last decade have outnumbered deaths from heroin and cocaine combined, The Times reported. In nearly half of all accidental prescription drug deaths in Southern California, the deceased had a prescription for at least one of the drugs involved in the overdose.

The study was published in the American Medical Assn. journal and was written by scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which funded the study.

Content from: http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-drug-overdoses-increase-20130219,0,1564869.story

Bath Salts BANNED in Canada

Bath Salts BANNED in Canada

The key ingredient in a new, highly addictive street drug known as "bath salts" has been banned in Canada.

Under new federal rules announced Wednesday by Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq, methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) is illegal to possess, traffic, import or export, unless authorized by regulation.

"Effective immediately, all activities with respect to MDPV are illegal in Canada. MDPV has been classified in the same category of drugs as heroin and cocaine," Aglukkaq said in the foyer of the House of Commons Wednesday.

Aglukkaq said border officials and police officers who find bath salts now have the power to act under the law.

"These bath salts pose a real and present danger to Canadians and the Canadian public. That is why we gave law enforcement the tools they need to get these products off our streets and out of the hands of those who may not know how harmful they are," Aglukkaq said.

Aglukkaq was joined for the announcement on Parliament Hill by Conservative Sen. Jean-Guy Dagenais, Randy Franks of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and members of the RCMP and the Border Services Agency.

Franks, who is a staff inspector with Toronto police and is chair of the CACP's drug abuse committee, said the spread of the drug has been a "serious concern" to police and Wednesday's move will allow them to "deal with those who victimize some of the most vulnerable people in our communities: the young and those who suffer from addiction."

Police warnings

The white, powdery MDPV is used to create bath salts which can reportedly cause hallucinations, paranoia and violent behaviour in some cases.

A number of police agencies across Canada have issued warnings in recent months about the synthetic drug spreading north from the United States.

Bath salts contain a number of amphetamine-like chemicals, including MDPV, a synthetic cathinone similar to the active ingredient in the drug khat that's chewed in parts of East Africa and in Yemen.

MDPV had not been regulated in Canada, but is now designated under Schedule 1 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act – the same category as heroin and cocaine.

Researchers in Canada will still be able to use MDPV in scientific studies despite the ban, but they will need to seek an exemption from the regulation.

U.S. President Barack Obama signed a bill into law in July banning several drugs, including bath salts, south of the border.

Bath salts captured international headlines in May after media reports suggested the perpetrator of a face-eating attack in Miami was high on bath salts. However, it eventually came to light there was only marijuana in the attacker's system.

The move to ban MDPV is being billed as a way to help Canadian law enforcement agencies overcome problems in combatting the spread of bath salts.

As a synthetic product, drug-sniffing dogs and urine screening tests can miss bath salts. It is also difficult to track down because the drug is being packaged and sold as an authentic consumer product with labels that describe it as real bath salts, plant food or insect repellent, and say "not for human consumption."

**Article from http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2012/09/25/bath-salts-ingredient-mdpv-banned.html **

Strengthening Alberta's approach to impaired driving

The Labor Day long weekend is right around the corner and Alberta has made some changes to the province's impaired driving laws.

Remember not to Drink and Drive there are alternatives to getting home. Plan ahead have a designated driver, call a taxi, take public transit or call a friend!

Our province’s new impaired driving law will help to reduce the number of drinking drivers on our roads – and that means fewer deaths and serious injuries. Drivers who are criminally impaired or refuse to provide a breath sample will receive the harshest penalties. And, these drivers will still be charged with a criminal offence. Tougher consequences at the .05 to .08 level are designed to discourage drinking and driving – before drivers reach the criminally impaired level. Our goal is to create safer roads by ensuring that Albertans take responsibility for their actions behind the wheel.

• Alberta is focusing on those who receive Criminal Code offences, repeat offenders and new drivers.
• Education and enforcement are both key to Alberta's approach.
• This made-in-Alberta approach focuses on changing behaviours through mandatory courses and ignition interlock use.
• Alberta does not believe that fines are the solution. These changes do not include fines or demerit points.
• This legislation does not prevent responsible Albertans from having a drink with dinner or friends.
• Our focus is safer roads.

Penalties

Starting July 1, 2012 For drivers with blood alcohol over .08:
Criminal charge Immediate licence suspension which is sustained until criminal charge is resolved. 1st charge: sustained licence suspension and 3-day vehicle seizure, “Planning Ahead” course. 2nd charge: sustained licence suspension, 7- day vehicle seizure, “Impact” course. 3rd charge: sustained licence suspension, 7-day vehicle seizure, “Impact” course. Mandatory ignition interlock after criminal conviction – 1 year for 1st conviction; 3 years for 2nd conviction; 5 years for 3rd conviction.
Starting September 1, 2012 For drivers with Blood Alcohol .05 to .08:
1st offence - Immediate 3-day licence suspension and 3-day vehicle seizure. 2nd offence - Immediate 15-day licence suspension, 7-day vehicle seizure, “Planning Ahead” course. 3rd offence - Immediate 30-day licence suspension, 7-day vehicle seizure, “Impact” course.
Starting July 1, 2012 For new (GDL) drivers with blood alcohol over .00
GDL driver found with any blood alcohol - Immediate 30-day licence suspension and 7-day vehicle seizure

Jeff VanVonderen, known for 'Intervention' appearances, talks with Sentinel about addictions

Jeff VanVonderen, an interventionist and former counselor known for his appearances on "Intervention," A&E's Emmy award-winning documentary series about addicts, recently spoke in Orlando at a town hall meeting.

He sat down with the Orlando Sentinel to talk about drug and alcohol addiction and the nation's prescription-drug epidemic.

Q. What are the biggest misconceptions about addiction?

A. People think it's just a matter of willpower, that if you just try a little harder you can stop the addiction. Using is a matter of will. But once you cross the line into addiction, I think then you have a disease, and it's not just a matter of stopping using.

Q. What are the biggest signs someone has a drug or alcohol addiction that people miss the most?

A. I think the reason people miss the signs at all is because they're not paying attention.

Q. Is there a difference between prescription drug addiction, alcohol addiction, or other illicit drug addictions? If so, what are the differences?

A. From my standpoint, there is no difference. For me, the addiction is the same and the chemical that they're using is a fill-in-the-blank. But the difference is there are some substances where people get physically addicted like opiates and alcohol….Drugs like pot for instance, or cocaine, or things like that they don't get so physically addicted but you get mood addicted. You get addicted to the phenomenon of mood altering.

Q. Is there anything unique about prescription drug addiction that makes it easier or more difficult for people to overcome?

A. One of the main rationalizations for people who are addicted to prescription medication is that they got it from the doctor, so it must be ok. When you get into the situation where someone is actually addicted, they're no longer taking it like the doctor prescribed.

Q. What's the worst thing to do when someone has an addition?

A. Ignore it. In an addictive situation…the rule, and this rule is established by the addict over and over again, is the problem's not the problem — you're the problem for talking about the problem. There wouldn't even be a problem if you didn't make such a big deal about it. And then people buy into that and they stop confronting, stop talking about it. They don't take steps to help….they feel like somehow they're in the wrong.

Q. What's the best thing to do?

A. Holding people accountable….The best thing is to not ignore the problem. The best thing is to not act like talking about it causes it. You need to remember the problem is always the problem. Talking about the problem is not the problem.

Q. How can you approach the family of a friend who is suffering from addiction?

A. People deal with the small picture of addiction, which is how do we put out the latest fire this person started? How do we smooth over the latest crisis? Treat the addict the same as you would a friend. Families give the addict, their loved one, a license to be less accountable, less responsible than they would an enemy. Family members are supposed to be more safe, more accountable, more responsible than friends, neighbors, strangers and enemies. But the whole thing flips upside down.

Q. Is battling an addiction a life-long process?

A. I think it is. There are some addicts who don't have cravings anymore and it's not an issue that they struggle with everyday. But I think that it is because if an addict ever asks a substance to do for them, what they once asked it to do, it will. Most addicts that I know, they'd say, they cannot guarantee that every time they'll start using, they will stop. So they don't start.

Q. How long does it take to develop an addiction?

A. I know people that would say that they were addicted the moment they started using. Then I know other people who maybe drank successfully without consequence for 30 years. No big deal — an appropriate social drinker. Then their wife died and six months later they lost everything. Because on that day they changed the reason why they drank…. It's different for different people.

Q. Have you seen anything like the prescription drug epidemic facing the country today?

A. I think the prescription drug epidemic is getting worse and worse. I think that with how much money there is to be made and how easy it is to make it…And also how uneducated the medical profession is

c/o http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-04-06/health/os-prescription-drug-panel-ae-20120407_1_addiction-prescription-drug-problem

What Is Addiction?

When a drug user can't stop taking a drug even if he wants to, it's called addiction. The urge is too strong to control, even if you know the drug is causing harm.

 

When people start taking drugs, they don't plan to get addicted. They like how the drug makes them feel. They believe they can control how much and how often they take the drug. However, drugs change the brain. Drug users start to need the drug just to feel normal. That is addiction, and it can quickly take over a person's life.

Addiction can become more important than the need to eat or sleep. The urge to get and use the drug can fill every moment of a person's life. The addiction replaces all the things the person used to enjoy. A person who is addicted might do almost anything—lying, stealing, or hurting people—to keep taking the drug. This could get the person arrested.

Addiction is a brain disease.

• Drugs change how the brain works.
• These brain changes can last for a long time.
• They can cause problems like mood swings, memory loss, even trouble thinking and making decisions.

Addiction is a disease, just as diabetes and cancer are diseases. Addiction is not simply a weakness. People from all backgrounds, rich or poor, can get an addiction. Addiction can happen at any age, but it usually starts when a person is young.

If you think you or someone you love is affected by addiction or a drug / alcohol abuse problem Dynamic Testing Solutions offers Drug and Alcohol testing services because you have the right to know. Drug and Alcohol testing can confirm the abuse of a substance to help you and your family know the truth and start on a path to recovery.

For more information please contact:

Dynamic Testing Solutions
Phone (403) 262-2721
info@dynamictesting.ca

The Painkiller EPIDEMIC!

THE PAINKILLER EPIDEMIC: HOW IS IT AFFECTING OUR YOUTH?

The rate of prescription drug abuse among youth has increased significantly over the past decade. The misconception that prescription drugs are safer than other drugs because they are legal has contributed to the rise in this abuse. The abuse of painkillers, a common opioid or prescription drug, especially needs to be looked at since this is the most frequently abused of all pharmaceuticals, the most common being OxyContin and Vicodin. It is important that parents, health professionals and prevention specialists address this issue and help prevent our youth from becoming addicted.

Why is it that youths abuse prescription drugs? The reasons are similar to that for other drugs, commonly including being able to deal with emotions, to try and fit in with their peers and the misconception that these are safer than other drugs because they are prescribed by physicians. Youth also take painkillers for health reasons, such as a sports injury, but it’s when they don’t understand the associated addictive properties that they can get hooked very easily and become addicts. Since the human brain doesn’t fully develop until the age of 25, youth are at a higher risk of becoming addicted. With alcohol and marijuana being the two substances most commonly abused by youth, the abuse of painkillers isn’t far behind. A serious issue arises when youth combine prescription pills with other drugs to get a better high. The combination of different substances can have significant consequences, sometimes resulting in death.

Why is it so easy for youth to get their hands on prescription drugs? The simplest way for a youth to get pain pills is through a friend or family member. If the pills are left in a cabinet, it’s very easy for a youth to take a couple unnoticed. They can also get pills from their friend's existing prescription to a painkiller. There are street dealers who sell so-called prescription drugs; most of the time, these drugs are counterfeit and are not produced by pharmaceutical manufacturers. As is the case with all street drugs, the buyer doesn’t really know for sure what the drug contains.

As the number of crimes and deaths increases, it is evident that proper measures need to be taken in order to keep the youth in our communities and homes safe. Prescription drug abuse by youth shouldn’t be taken lightly; it is just as serious and popular as alcohol, marijuana and other drugs. The abuse of pain relievers by youth is six times higher than that among adults. Painkiller abuse causes health problems, affects a youth’s academic performance and can lead to illegal and dangerous behaviour.

Parents have the first opportunity of affecting their youth’s decision regarding abusing painkillers, or any other drug. Some parents talk to their youth about alcohol, marijuana and other illicit drugs, but many forget to discuss pharmaceutical drugs and the severity of using them. Sometimes, a parent may need to do some research on such drugs to be fully informed and provide the appropriate data to their youth. Another step which parents can take is to be a good role model and be sure to take their own medication as prescribed, and to not share it with others. Putting the medication in a secure place and monitoring the number of pills taken is something to remember. If there is any expired or unused medication, it should be disposed of appropriately. Lastly, parents should talk to a health professional if they have any other questions.

Physicians and pharmacists play an important and difficult role in the issue of prescription drug abuse among youth. Prescribing the proper dosage of medication to treat the pain that a youth might have is challenging. Physicians face a dilemma in trying to balance the dosage of what’s needed to help relieve someone’s pain without sending them down the path of addiction. They can be careful to take multiple steps to prevent drug abuse occurring among youth. It is important to explain in detail how to take the medication properly, the effects it may have and any possible drug interactions. If a patient is asking for painkillers more frequently and in higher dosages than usual, this may be a good sign of possible abuse of the medication.

The abuse of prescription drugs among youth will not stop without the efforts of friends, family and health professionals. Being aware of the current trends in substance abuse, especially the abuse of painkillers, is crucial. The consequences of these drugs need to be understood. The accessibility of painkillers is making it too easy for our youth to start using. Our youth need to be educated and it is only through awareness and proper knowledge that there is a chance to protect our youth from ruining their lives.


c/o www.drugabuse.ca