Methadone - Addiction

ELLSWORTH, MAINE—You’ve heard of asset forfeiture in drug cases?

Police in Ellsworth have confiscated the $1,000 lottery winnings of Michael David, saying he bought his lottery ticket with the proceeds from an illegal sale of drugs.

According to police, David, 46, allegedly sold four 10 mg methadone pills for $15 each last week to an undercover officer and then bought lottery tickets and other merchandise at a convenience store. He was busted when he returned to his motel room.

One of his lottery tickets was a winner and police seized it, labeling as proceeds from an illegal transaction. It will up to the court to decide who gets the money. 1-20-08

You know, Methadone is so personalized these days. There is no way that some people can come off of it, and then for others it is simply part of their recovery. In my humble opinion, there are only two sorts of people that should not get off of Methadone. They are chronic pain patients, and those who could not handle the "cravings" that will surely return if they quit taking Methadone. They would be back to "using", which is not even a "choice" as far as I'm concerned! They are either in need of some counseling to be able to live life without Methadone, or else they are simply a part of the group of people who will be "lifers"....those who need to be on Methadone for life.

And I don't care what people say about those who will surely be on Methadone forever. I say that they are brave. To know that they'd surely ruin their lives by returning to use if they were to stop taking Methadone to me, makes them much smarter and braver than those bitching at them to stop! - Rozi -

Visiting a faith-based addiction treatment program in Baltimore, President George Bush referenced his own past drinking problems in telling program participants, "I understand addiction, and I understand how a changed heart can help you deal with addiction."

The Associated Press reported Jan. 29 that Bush visited Baltimore's Jericho Program, a project of Episcopal Family Services of Maryland, and spoke for the second time in as many months about his personal struggle with addiction.

"Addiction is hard to overcome. As you might remember, I drank too much at one time in my life," Bush said. After asking two program participants how they were able to stop using drugs, Bush said, "First is to recognize that there is a higher power. It helped me in my life. It helped me quit drinking."

During the conversation, Bush alluded to the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and said he was "proud to be with" the two mean in addiction recovery, Adolphus Mosely and Tom Boyd. He praised the men for working to be reunited with their daughters, saying, "Girls love their dad, especially a redeemed dad."

John Schwarzlose, head of the Betty Ford Center, said that Bush's recent openness about his drinking could inspire some to get help with their addictions, but he chided the president for failing to aggressively take the lead in addressing the nation's addiction problems."I love that (Bush) said that today," Schwarzlose said. "But where's the action? ... It's really too late."

In hatred as in love, we grow like the very thing we brood upon. What we loathe, we graft into our very soul. ~Mary Renault

WASHINGTON – The Bush administration and law enforcement officials appealed to Congress on Thursday to approve a $1.4 billion foreign-aid package to Mexico – assistance they say is needed to stabilize a region rocked by a renewed surge in drug violence.

Thomas Shannon, assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, said the aid is necessary before "the window of opportunity closes" as organized crime poses a growing threat to Mexico's democratic institutions.

"This is money well spent," he told the House Committee on Foreign Affairs' subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere.

The hearing is the first this year as Congress considers allocating a first installment of $500 million in aid to Mexico and Central America for training and equipment, such as helicopters.

That proposed first installment is part of the three-year, $1.4 billion Merida Initiative – named for the southern Mexico city where President Felipe Calderón and President Bush announced a new framework in the drug fight that includes more direct U.S. assistance. An additional $450 million is facing a vote later this year.

The hearing, with sometimes testy exchanges, reignited debate on combating drug trafficking and the U.S. relationship with Mexico.

"This is the ideal situation to take a step back and ask the key questions about our war on drugs, what works and what doesn't," said Maureen Meyer, associate for Mexico and Central America at the Washington Office on Latin America. "And unfortunately, we don't have all the answers yet."

Mr. Shannon and representatives of five federal law enforcement agencies fielded questions from members of Congress, some of whom were skeptical about helping a country with a long history of corruption.

Rep. Gabrielle Gifford, D-Ariz., questioned whether it was wise to assist Mexico at a time when the U.S. economy appears to be headed toward a recession.

"Unless we have our house in order, putting millions into Central America and Mexico is not the solution," she said.

U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, responded that helping Mexico fight the drug war is "in our own interest ... because there is no magical line that will stop the spillover on our side."

Mexico receives about $47 million in annual aid for counternarcotics efforts.

Mr. Shannon said that Mr. Calderón, who begins his first U.S. visit as president this weekend, has sent more than 30,000 troops across Mexico to fight drug traffickers, "with some successes, but with a great loss of life."

More than 4,000 people have been killed in drug violence in the last two years, and more than 280 have been killed so far this year.

By ALFREDO CORCHADO / The Dallas Morning News February 8, 2008
acorchado@dallasnews.com

Actavis Inc., the United States manufacturing and marketing division of the international generic pharmaceutical company Actavis Group, has announced that 14 lots of fentanyl transdermal system CII patches sold in the United States by Actavis' subsidiary Actavis South Atlantic LLC are being voluntarily recalled from wholesalers and pharmacies as a precaution. They include:

Actavis Fentanyl Transdermal System, 25 mcg/hr.
Actavis Fentanyl Transdermal System, 50 mcg/hr.
Actavis Fentanyl Transdermal System, 75 mcg/hr.
Actavis Fentanyl Transdermal System, 100 mcg/hr.

The lots covered by this recall are: 27261 (exp 05/09), 27317 (exp 05/09), 27318 (exp 06/09), 27319 (exp 06/09), 27391 (exp 06/09), 27409 (exp 06/09), 27475 (exp 07/09), 27476 (exp 06/09), 27488 (exp 06/09), 27514 (exp 07/09), 27536 (exp 07/09), 27537 (exp 08/09), 27538 (exp 08/09), 27545 (exp 07/09), covering the following strengths: 25 mcg/hr, 50 mcg/hr, 75 mcg/hr and 100 mcg/hr.

If you are using any of the medication described above, the following actions are recommended: Check the box or foil pouch for information to see if they have patches that are being recalled. Contact the following manufacturer immediately for further instructions:Anyone with Actavis fentanyl transdermal system patches with the above listed lot numbers should call 877-422-7452. Notify your healthcare provider who prescribed this pain medication that you have received a recalled lot.

13 Feb 2008

"That was good!" "Do it again."

This is what the brain says when people use tobacco, as well as 'hard drugs' such as heroin. New research published in the February 13 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience indicates that the effects of nicotine and opiates on the brain's reward system are equally strong in a key pleasure-sensing areas of the brain - the nucleus accumbens.

"Testing rat brain tissue, we found remarkable overlap between the effects of nicotine and opiates on dopamine signaling within the brain's reward centers," says Daniel McGehee, Associate Professor in Anesthesia & Critical Care at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

McGehee and colleagues are exploring the control of dopamine, a key neurotransmitter in reward and addiction. Dopamine is released in areas such as the nucleus accumbens by naturally rewarding experiences such as food, sex, some drugs, and the neutral stimuli or 'cues' that become associated with them.

Nicotine and opiates are very different drugs, but the endpoint, with respect to the control of dopamine signaling, is almost identical. "There is a specific part of the nucleus accumbens where opiates have been shown to affect behavior, and when we tested nicotine in that area, the effects on dopamine are almost identical," says McGehee.

This research is important to scientists because it demonstrates overlap in the way the two drugs work, complementing previous studies that showed overlapping effects on physiology of the ventral tegmenal area, another key part of the brain's reward circuitry. The hope is that this study will help identify new methods for treating addiction - and not just for one drug type.

"It also demonstrates the seriousness of tobacco addiction, equating its grip on the individual to that of heroin. It reinforces the fact that these addictions are very physiological in nature and that breaking away from the habit is certainly more than just mind over matter," says McGehee.

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.

Remember...Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car. "Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."

Editor: Rozi Fox Dated: 20 February 2008