Archive for May, 2010

Vanacores Share Experience with Drug-Addicted Son to Help Others

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction on May 18th, 2010

It is not unusual for us to see the drug-related exploits and downfall of celebrities, as in one way or another these have become a whole industry in itself. More often than not, these celebrities do not necessarily choose to have their dirty linen hanging out for the world to see.

Cheryl and Paul Vanacore with photo of JoshuaIt is rather unusual, however, to find everyday citizens who choose to lay bare their family secrets to the world. But when Paul and Cheryl Vanacore of Lancaster read about an attempted suicide by a man and a woman in their 20s who were addicted to heroin on The Buffalo News, they decided to share their story.

In another feature on The Buffalo News the Vanacores share their experience with their eldest son Joshua, who is now serving a ten-year sentence for robberies that he committed in order to get money to finance his heroin habit.

Joshua Vanacore, however, did not have the kind of childhood that is stereotypical of a drug addict. His family moved to Lancaster from California when he was in the third grade. He played soccer as a kid and graduated from Lancaster Central High School in 2003. Cheryl reminisces: “He was a good boy. He came home every night for dinner, he came home every night for curfew. We never had any issue like that — never, ever in his whole life. I just can’t even believe what happened.”

It was after his graduation that Joshua started experimenting with painkillers Lortab and OxyContin. As he needed an increasing number of pills to get high, a friend introduced him to a cheaper alternative – heroin.

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Ashland High School Forms Panel to Address Teen Drug Use

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse, Drug Addiction, Drug Testing on May 17th, 2010

Ashland High School in Oregon recognized that there is an ongoing drug and alcohol problem among students in the school, including athletes. Concerned parents and school administrators have come together and formed a panel that will attempt to address this issue, according to a feature on the Mail Tribune.

teen drug abuseSuperintendent Juli Di Chiro shared: “There’s a drug and alcohol problem in Ashland among our students and the athletes are no different. This is something that we continue to not be successful in making those percentages go down. It’s a real dilemma.” Drug and alcohol use before games by athletes increases their risk for injuries, according to Di Chiro.

The committee is scheduled to meet on Thursdays at 4 in the afternoon, at the new gym auxiliary classroom of Ashland High School; all the meetings are open to the public. They have been tasked to come up with steps that the school can take to discourage the use of alcohol and drugs. Some parents are pushing for the implementation of a new drug and alcohol policy by fall of this year.

At this time, student athletes are asked to sign a form that says that they will not use drugs or alcohol during the season, but Superintendent Di Chiro said that some of these athletes do not take the contract seriously because they think that they will not get caught. Football coach Charlie Hall had asked that the School Board allow him to perform voluntary and random drug tests on a weekly basis. The board, however, voted to table the request 5-0.

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Michigan Contemplates Drug Testing for Public Housing Tenants

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Testing on May 16th, 2010

The director of the Housing Commission of Flint, Michigan, Rod Slaughter, is interested in implementing drug testing for some tenants in public housing, according to a feature on MLive.com. The idea is still in its initial stages, according to Slaughter, and specific details have not been worked out yet.

drug testingSlaughter is using a program in Indianapolis as a model, where some residents who are recipients of rent assistance are subjected to random checks for such substances as marijuana, cocaine and heroin. According to Slaughter, a zero-tolerance drug policy is in keeping with the goal of ensuring that one or more public housing complexes are smoke-free.

The concept sat well with Crestview Apartments Nora Snowden, who noticed a change in the complex since she moved in. “When I moved in here, it was pretty much all elderly; HUD changed that. I enjoyed it when it was just seniors.” She spoke of running into tenants who “reeked” of drug use and of visitors being asked whether they need drugs. She gave the opinion that drug users may change their lifestyle if they were at risk of getting evicted.

There are those, however, who are opposed to random drug testing; in this case, having such a program generalizes the fact that anyone in public housing is a suspected drug user.

Indianapolis Housing Agency executive director Bud Myers shared that their program performs annual testing of family members who are 18 years and older, “and if a leaseholder fails, we do move for eviction.” People are given 30 days to get clean, and if they are unable to do so, they are evicted.

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Keep Your Kids Away from Alcohol Trouble on Prom Night

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse on May 15th, 2010

It’s prom season once again, and try as parents might to believe that all there is to prom are fancy clothes, limo rides and dancing, history has taught us that there is something a bit more to it than that. After the tux and corsage have been picked out and the limo service arranged, there are teens who then turn to something else: where to get the booze.

teen alcohol abuseAlcohol has become synonymous to prom night – and we are not talking about simply putting a couple more shots of rum into the punch. Some even start with the champagne during the limo ride, although they technically it is not legal for them to have even a drop of alcohol in their system. Media is not that much of a help, either, as teens can watch a bunch of Upper-East side teens that trod on Louboutins, sip champagne at swanky soirees and do shots during their nights out in national television.

And it is not just the drinking that will cause trouble. What starts with a glass or two can lead to risky sexual behavior, alcohol poisoning, or worse – fatal alcohol-induced road accidents. Sometimes, these teens hurt more than just themselves in the process.

What can parents do to keep their kids safe? A feature on the San Diego Entertainer Magazine shares a few points. It is suggested that parents be firm about hotel rooms and curfews, and it helps if you know exactly who your child is going to prom with. A limo company in Escondido is owned by a retired police sergeant, and they proactively confiscate any alcohol found on teenagers and then inform their parents; this may be something you may want to arrange with your child’s limo service.

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NFL’s Brian Cushing Denies Taking Performance-Enhancing Drugs

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Testing, Steroid Abuse on May 14th, 2010

Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing had tested positive for HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), a fertility drug that is on the list of banned substances of the NFL.

Brian CushingThe athlete went on public on Thursday regarding the allegations. He expressly denied taking any substance that is on the NFL banned substances list, and based on his comments, it would seem that he may be suffering from a medical mystery malady of some sort – something, however, that will be difficult to prove and that people would find hard to believe.

A Fox Sports article expresses doubt with regard to Cushing’s statements during the news conference. One of the things Cushing pointed out is that he has been informed that there were two possible explanations for his positive test results: he either injected the substance, or had a tumor. And since he did not inject HCG, then it must be the other one.

Cushing reportedly said: “I’m concerned about my health, and that’s the most important thing right now. I have to take care of my situation and find out why this is happening from a health standpoint and also from a prevention standpoint that it doesn’t happen again.”

This is not, however, the first time that Cushing’s name has been involved in steroid-related charges; such stories have dogged the athlete since his stint in college football at the University of Southern Califonia.

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California Police Concerned Over Heroin Dealers Targeting Teens

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction on May 13th, 2010

A report on KTLA news presents a cause for concern for those in the North Glendale and La Crescenta, California areas: heroin dealers are reportedly making teens as their primary targets, and they have allegedly been distributing free samples of the stuff to young people.

Crescenta Valley Drug and Alcohol Prevention Coalition vice president Nancy Stone shares: “It used to be just marijuana, but we’ve realized that the drugs are getting more serious, more deadly.”

heroinHigh school senior Erika Suzuki confirms that there are people her age who are starting to use heroin, adding that there was “a lot that the adults don’t know.” Drug dealers, many of whom are also gang members, have begun to bring samples of heroin as well as other drugs as freebies. Glendale Police Department officer Matt Zakarian shared to KTLA News that kids have taken to burning heroin off of foil.

The police, however, recognize the need of the community to mobilize in order to fight off this problem and protect the towns’ teenagers. The Coalition is made up of law enforcement, community leaders, educators as well as students who have come together to wage war against teen drug use.

Glendale PD Officer Zakarian shares how they came across a 13-year-old girl who was already injecting heroin; the experience solidified his resolve to move forward with the coalition.

Suzuki and fellow student filmmaker Charly Shelton are contributing to the effort by preparing videos of fellow students who willing to share their personal experiences with drugs, in the hopes that these stories will deter others from following suit. The identities of these students are being protected.

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