Posts Tagged heroin

Dad Hides Heroin with Kids!

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction on August 5th, 2010

A report on the Long Island Press may cause people to shake their heads in frustration. A 26-year-old man from Medford was caught with heroin – which he tried to hide near his two kids in the back seat.

Richard NeumannThe man was identified in the report as Richard Neumann. Based on information provided by the Suffolk County police, Neumann was pulled over while driving eastbound on Montauk Highway in Patchogue. The officer who approached the vehicle claimed that he noticed that Neumann was trying to hide something near the car seats of his children, 18-month-old twins, a boy and a girl. The “something” turned out to be heroin and a hypodermic needle.

Neumann was charged with the following, as listed on the report: two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, criminal possession of a control substance, criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument, criminal possession of stolen property and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

The twins have since been released to the custody of their mother.

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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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Risks of Heroin Abuse

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction, Drug Facts, Prescription Drug Abuse on April 6th, 2010

Heroin is a dangerous drug that can be taken either intravenously, by snorting or by smoking. As the drug enters the brain, it is then converted to morphine and then bonds with brain receptors called opioids, which are primarily responsible for the body’s sense of reward and pain. The receptors also play important processes in the body like breathing, blood pressure and arousal. Taking heroin during pregnancy is extremely dangerous as it could result to premature birth, breathing problems for the baby, and poor health of the child.

heroinHeroin abuse is often associated with various health problems such as overdosing, miscarriages, HIV and AIDS and hepatitis. Users are often at risk of contracting HIV, Hepatitis C and other infectious diseases through sharing and recycling of syringes that have been used by other infected addicts.

Heroin often has immediate effects after a single dose and dissipates after a few minutes to few hours. After the initial dose, there is a surge of euphoria which is often followed by a warming sensation around the body. There is a certain “rushing” effect that overtakes the body, making the addict feel at ease. There is also suppression of pain, clouded mental functioning, and depressed respiration.

Extended use of heroin results in many dangerous illnesses. The addict may develop an increasing tolerance to Heroin and may feel the need to match every time the same level of pleasure. Using Heroin, especially intravenously, may result to collapsed veins, infections in the linings of the heart and valves, cellulitis, liver disease and abscesses. There is also a risk of  pulmonary complications such as pneumonia and may contribute to a user’s overall poor health. Other long term effects include bacterial infections, arthritis and other rheumatologic problems.

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A Bloodcurdling Trend in Drug Addiction

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Abuse Treatment, Drug Addiction, Drug Facts, Drug Rehabilitation, Drug Testing, Prescription Drug Abuse on December 4th, 2009

drug
Flashing blood is the new technique of addiction that is gaining immense popularity among the teenagers along the Kenyan coast. It is a cash saving method whereby a user injects himself with heroin or any other illicit drug. He then draws a syringe full of blood and pass on the syringe to the next injector to inject himself. Thus these users are not only sharing needles or other paraphernalia but also blood. No wonder the numbers of Hepatitis C and HIV positive cases are escalating in geometric progression.

Recently a study on drug abuse had been conducted at Kalindini and Mombasa districts. The study, sponsored by National AIDS Control Council and carried out by DARAT, an organization based in Mombasa, indicated that a sample of 120 narcotic users including injecting drug users showed an exceptionally high rate of Hepatitis C and HIV positive cases. The drug users were all residents of Mombasa and Kalindini.

Dr. Timothy Mugusia, who was involved in the study said, “Over 70 per cent of them were found to be infected with hepatitis C while half of them were HIV positive.” He also said, “An abnormally high rate of HIV and hepatitis among injecting drug users at the Kenyan coast points to ‘flashing blood’ among local users.”

The practice was first reported in Dar es Salaam two years ago. Sheryl McUrdy of the University of Texas and Paul Kilonzo of the University of Dar es Salaam first reported the incidents of flash blood in a study published in the African Journal of Drug and Alcohol studies in 2006.

Dr. Mugusia estimated that there are around 6,000 drug injectors in Mombasa and Kalindini and most of the users are in their early 20s. The women in Mombasa have threatened to strip publicly if the government fails to take any immediate steps to check drug use in this part of the city since it is eroding the productivity of the youth.

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Prescription Drug Abuse Needs Special Attention

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Abuse Treatment, Drug Addiction, Drug Facts, Drug Rehabilitation, Drug Testing, Prescription Drug Abuse on October 4th, 2009

prescription drug

The dangers associated with prescription drug abuse were brought to light in 2007 when a 24 year old man and a 13 year old girl overdosed within a spell of three months. Since then abuse of Rx drugs has reached alarming proportions. It is high time that the government pays special attention to the issue or else the loss that the country is sure to face in terms of youth potentials, is beyond imagination.

Inland Rep Mary Bono Mack told the members of the Western Hemisphere subcommittee that the nation’s domestic drug policy should give emphasis on the problem of prescription drug abuse – a problem which is growing beyond proportions. “Just because it’s sitting in the medicine cabinet doesn’t mean its safe,” she said before the subcommittee that had approved legislation that would create a commission to assess the effectiveness of U.S. counter-narcotics efforts.

The members of the legislation agreed to what Bono Mack said. Subcommittee Chairman Elliot Engel said, “For too long our country has been overly focused on the supply side of the drug trade, while paying far too little attention to what happens here at home.”

Bono Mack’s own son, Chesare is a recovering addict who first started taking Oxycontin, a painkiller, after the death of his father, former entertainer and Inland Rep. Sonny Bono. Chesare’s Oxycontin addiction later escalated to heroin addiction. This transition from prescription drugs to heroin is a common feature amongst this population.

A special drug-diversion unit is being formed by the Montana Department of Justice to fight against the growing problem in the state. The special unit will be funded by a $ 1.2 million stimulus grant through the U.S. Department of Justice. The team will comprise of six members – three investigators, a public outreach and education co-ordinator, a prosecutor and an administrative assistant. Their approach will include prevention, law enforcement and treatment.

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Some good blog sites on drug addiction and prevention

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Abuse Treatment, Drug Addiction, Drug Facts, Drug Rehabilitation, Drug Testing, Other Addictions, Prescription Drug Abuse on September 26th, 2009

Medical-MarijuanaDesign

Let us explore today some blogsites that I found to be informative and interesting. Hope our readers will like them too.

The first I found is Drug Addiction Support (http://www.drug-addiction-support.org/drug-addiction-blog.html). The site discusses common issues related to drug addiction, drug addiction syndromes, most common causes behind drug addiction, effects of drug addiction, and treatment modalities.

You will find nice, information rich articles that are easy to read and understand. It has a section on various drugs like cocaine, crystal meth, heroin, suboxone, marijuana, etc.

Next I found Narconon of Georgia (http://narcononofga.wordpress.com/alcohol-awareness/) quite interesting. Nice topics and good, authoritative content may help you if you are seeking information on drug and alcohol addiction. The site has added some videos which you may find to be very appealing.

You may also see Recovery Connection (http://www.recoveryconnection.org/) website that focuses on drug, alcohol, and substance abuse recovery and treatment plans. It has published a state-wise database of addiction treatment centers and information on the types of treatments offered in specific centers. You will find lots of information on Addiction Treatment Programs and Drug and alcohol Rehab Programs, Drug/alcohol Detox Programs, Dual Diagnosis Treatment Programs, Eating Disorder Programs, GLBT Addiction/rehab/detox Treatment and Detox Programs, etc.

Drug Rehabs.Org (http://www.drug-rehabs.org/) is dedicated toward rehab programs. You can have specific information if you are searching rehab programs for yourself, friend, family, spouse, children and you can search their database depending on the age of the person. The site has option of searching on the basis of the type of drug as well.

See Alcohol/Drug Help Line (http://www.adhl.org/) is an exclusive help line–based service provider. They run their service during Sunday through Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (previously it was 24-hrs helpline). The site presents some useful links if you wish to be a part of the rehab services or volunteer for some counseling.

We request our readers to write to us if you find some interesting sites/resources. This would help us in fighting the menace more comprehensively.

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