Substance Abuse & Addiction
DECEMEBER IS NATIONAL IMPAIRED DRIVING PREVENTION MONTH
In an average year, 30 million Americans drive drunk, and 10 million Americans drive impaired by illicit drugs.
A 2010 survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration revealed that 13.2 percent of all people aged 16 or older drove under the influence of alcohol and 4.3 percent drove under the influence of illicit drugs during the past year. Furthermore, rates of impaired driving differed dramatically by age.
While 11.8 percent of people aged 26 and older drove drunk, 19.5 percent of people aged 16 to 25 drove drunk.
And, 2.8 percent of the older group drove drugged, while 11.4 percent of younger drivers did so.
WHAT'S TRENDING?
**More than 42,500 students from nearly 400 public and private schools across the country participated in the Monitoring the Future (MTF) Survey of drug use and attitudes among American 8th, 10th, and 12th graders.
Where can I find help?
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is an international mutual aid fellowship with the stated purpose of enabling its members to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety. AA is nonprofessional, self-supporting, and apolitical. Its only membership requirement is a desire to stop drinking. The AA program of recovery is set forth in the Twelve Steps.
Find a meeting HERE.
Al-Anon/Al-Ateen
The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength, and hope in order to solve their common problems. We believe alcoholism is a family illness and that changed attitudes can aid recovery. Al-Anon has but one purpose: to help families of alcoholics. We do this by practicing the Twelve Steps, by welcoming and giving comfort to families of alcoholics, and by giving understanding and encouragement to the alcoholic.
Find a meeting HERE.
Narcotics Anonymous (NA)
Narcotics Anonymous (NA) describes itself as a nonprofit fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem. Narcotics Anonymous uses a traditional 12-step model that has been expanded and developed for people with varied substance abuse issues and is the second-largest 12-step organization.
Find a meeting HERE.
WHAT IS AN OVERDOSE?
An overdose means having too much of a drug (or combination of drugs) for your body to be able to cope with. There are a number of signs and symptoms that show someone has overdosed, and these differ with the type of drug used. All drugs can cause an overdose, including prescription medication prescribed by a doctor. It is important to know your correct dosage, what drugs definitely should not be mixed, and know to seek help if you feel you are not in control of your drug use.
Overdose Information and Fact Sheets by Drug:
Understanding Tolerance & Half-Life
TOLERANCE
When a person uses a drug regularly they develop Tolerance to it. This means they need to use more to get the same effect. Similarly, if a person hasn’t been using regularly – or if they’ve not been able to get drugs – their tolerance will drop. When people take their usual amount of drugs after a break from using, it could be too much for the body to cope with and lead to an overdose. This is why high-risk situations for drug overdose include post-release from prison, detoxification, and rehabilitation. Someone on naltrexone can also be at risk if they use soon after stopping oral medication, or skipped a dose, or when the effects of a naltrexone implant have ceased.
HALF-LIFE
Half-life refers to the time it takes for a drug to drop to half the strength of its original dose. Some drugs have a long half-life, for example, some benzodiazepines. If a person has used yesterday, they may still have enough in their system today to overdose if they use more. Diazepam (Valium) has one of about 24 hours, so if you took 20mg yesterday you would still have approximately 10mg of diazepam active in your system today. If you were then to use heroin or morphine, you would have an increased risk of overdose as you would be using the opioids in addition to that 10mg of diazepam.
Overdose Prevention Act (N.J.S.A. 2C:35-30)
In 2013, Governor Chris Christie signed into law the Overdose Prevention Act. The act “specifically provides that when a person, in good faith, seeks medical assistance for a person believed to be experiencing a drug overdose, whether the person is seeking assistance for him/herself or for another, the person calling for help and the person experiencing the overdose shall not be arrested, charged, prosecuted, or convicted for certain specified criminal offenses.”
What to do if Someone OVERDOSES from Drugs or Alcohol
Stigma isn't just reserved for Mental Illness...
