Posted by azdrugrehabctr on July 30, 2016 under Addiction Trends, AZ Drug Rehab News, Opiate Abuse, Prescription Drugs | 
Drug or alcohol addiction does not discriminate. White, Black, Muslim, Christian, Asian or any other race or religion can fall victim to substance abuse. Immigrants can be particularly susceptible to opiate abuse because of the culture shock and overwhelming feelings of living in a new country. Heroin and painkillers can be a way to escape these overwhelming feelings. While there are apparently no current studies that effectively break down drug use by ethnicity, there is evidence that minority groups all over the country are suffering from increased use of heroin and prescription drug use.
In order to include immigrants and minorities in substance abuse prevention and education, it is important for the public to understand why these groups can turn to drugs in the first place. Unlike white suburban teenagers, immigrant teenagers are likely to turn to heroin or other illicit drugs because their new lives in America can be very overwhelming. Many other countries do not create public service announcements or programs to educate children on the dangers of certain drugs, so when people immigrate to the United States they are often unprepared to deal with the temptations of drugs.
One woman explained just how different it is to raise children in America. “It’s the transformation of how you raise your kids back home and the whole village is taking care of your kids to here. You’re in America; the only village taking care of your kids is the street,” explained Kathy Khatari, a Muslim immigrant.
Some experts have also pointed out that families of immigrant drug users are also not likely to come forward and discuss a drug addiction. The threat of shame and embarrassment that falls onto the family is often too much to allow parents and family members to speak out and educate other immigrants. Treatment and prevention efforts should be much more all-inclusive to be able to catch all of the people that are affected by addiction.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on January 8, 2016 under Addiction Trends, AZ Drug Rehab News |
For several decades public officials have been waging a war against drugs, drug users and drug dealers. When the war on drugs was proposed by Richard Nixon it was heralded as the ultimate solution to the problem that was wreaking havoc on the country. Anyone caught using drugs, selling drugs or possessing drug paraphernalia would be subjected to legal action. This hard line approach was thought to be the best way to deter people from getting started on drugs at that time. Punishing those who were already using drugs was also thought to be the most beneficial. However, as time has passed, it has become very evident that punishment and scare tactics are not as effective as once was thought.
In fact, countries all over the world have begun to take a different approach to the drug abuse problem, and even the United States has come around to see that help is better than punishment. The United States, Canada and several European countries have legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes, and sometimes even recreational purposes. Some people hope that by decriminalizing marijuana, the focus can be shifted to helping those who have serious drug problems, whether they are addicted to marijuana, heroin, alcohol cocaine, methamphetamine or other substances. Funneling resources that were once reserved to catching and prosecuting marijuana offenders into programs that are designed to help addicts get treatment may be more successful than prosecuting individuals.
Another significant change that is occurring throughout the world regarding the drug problem is that the United Nations is getting more involved. The UN General Assembly Special Session on Drugs is expected to convene in the Spring. In 1998 the world political agency met and decided on universal policy that mirrored the United State’s War on Drugs. Now, in 2016, it is believed that much of the talks will be geared towards helping individuals and shaping policy that is designed to assist in treatment and recovery, rather than punishment.
Public understanding has also changed throughout the years. As more and more people become affected by drug use, either personally or through a loved one, it is becoming clear that more help is needed. When the War on Drugs began, many of its supporters were not dealing directly with drug use. Addiction appeared to be more of an inner city problem. Now that drug use has pervaded much of the country, more people are beginning to speak out against ineffective policies.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on November 15, 2015 under AZ Drug Rehab News |
One of the main functions of border patrol is to prevent the entry of illegal drugs into Arizona and other border states. This has never been as important as it is now that it has become exceedingly difficult to manufacture drugs like methamphetamine in the United States. Due to changes in laws around the sale of methamphetamine precursors, drug cartels in Mexico have stepped up their production to supply American addicts with the drugs they demand. An illustration of this is the amount of drugs that have been seized at the border. Officials report that heroin and methamphetamine seizures in Arizona have increased by 300%.
In order to come up with this statistic, the Drug Enforcement Administration tabulated information from reported seizures, arrests, investigations and drug enforcement surveys. This is an important number for two reasons. The first reason is that it shows how sophisticated border patrol has become over the years. In order to thwart the drug cartels from getting drugs into the United States, border patrol has to be ready for anything. By implementing drug dogs, technology and intense education, border control has been able to penetrate the drug cartel’s relentless invasion of illegal drugs across the border.
Another reason why this release of information from the DEA is important is because it shows just how many substances are coming into the country. An increase of 300% in seized drugs highlights the demand that United States citizens place on drug dealers and drug providers. While many people are becoming better informed about the dangers and risks associated with various drugs that are commonly abused, there still appears to be a growing demand. To underscore this point, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reports that in 2013 there were 2.8 million Americans who tried drugs for the first time. Most of these Americans were teenagers.
As long as border control continues to seize drugs out of the cartel’s hands they can help keep some drugs out of the hands of waiting Americans. However, this is certainly not the answer to the overall problem. While it can play a part as a form of intervention on our nation’s drug problem, the most effective ways to address the issue is with successful treatment and prevention.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on November 23, 2014 under Addiction Trends |
The teenage years are often very difficult for children and parents. These soon-to-be adults are learning who they are as people and developing their own viewpoints and opinions about life. They have more freedoms than they have had in the past, they are much more influenced by their peers and they are confronted with a lot of hard decisions.
One thing that makes the teenage years especially hard for parents and children is the increased amount of pressure to experiment with drugs. Studies indicate that at this age teenagers are more likely to listen to their peers than their parents, so when their friends are consuming drugs the chances that poor decisions are going to be made increase exponentially. Due to all this, it is becoming more important to discuss drugs with children than ever before.
Some parents are content with letting the educational system lecture children on the dangers of drug abuse. Uncomfortable conversations about choosing friends, drug abuse, sex and peer pressure are often avoided to keep the peace during these tumultuous years. Some experts share why this is detrimental to the safety of teenagers and why parents need to have open, honest conversations regarding all of these topics – because they are real issues going on in most teenager’s lives.
Telling a teenager not to do something can often be a fatal mistake. At this age, teenagers are oftentimes rebellious and believe that they know best. Since they are already more inclined to take advice and direction from their peers instead of their parents, it is important to not alienate them further by forbidding them from association. Instead of taking such a contentious route, it is better to help them understand why they should not experiment with drugs. Using examples from their life will help them to see that they do not want to take chances with drugs. For instance, if a teenager is very involved with sports, show them how drugs would prevent that sort of lifestyle from continuing. Using real life examples is better for this age group, as extreme examples tend to be brushed off as too hypothetical to happen to them.
Praise and encourage teenagers when they make good, healthy decisions. Acknowledging a correct decision is important when building self-confidence and it shows the teenager that they have the ability to do the right thing for themselves.
