Residents of Wisconsin can’t be too proud of the statistics these days. Wisconsin has the highest rate of drunken driving in the nation, according to the Department of Transportation. Alcohol killed 337 people and injured 5,500 in car accidents in the state last year. More than 42,000 drivers were convicted of drunken driving in Wisconsin in 2007, and that’s just the number of people that were actually caught and convicted. Wisconsin had a rash of hit and run accidents this past summer, many of them fatal, and many of the fleeing drivers were suspected of being drunk.

Lenient Laws
What is the cause of the high number of drunk drivers in some states, and what can be done about it? Many would argue that the laws for drunk driving in states like Wisconsin are very lenient. In fact, Wisconsin does not consider drunk driving as more than a misdemeanor until multiple offenses have occurred. Only after the 4th offense, or if someone was injured or killed, is drunk driving considered a felony. Countless attorneys in the area specialize in DUI cases, which may contribute to even repeat offenders getting off with little jail time.

Possible Solution:
Ignition Interlock System
Other states have taken steps, sometimes controversial ones, to prevent drunk driving, especially among repeat offenders. The ignition interlock system is one disputed measure that some states are working to enforce. This device would be installed in a repeat offender’s car and would not allow the vehicle operator to start the vehicle until they blow a blood alcohol level below a certain level.

Safe Ride
Another option is for states to offer incentives to local tavern leagues that provide a SafeRide program. Often, states will give grants for volunteer drivers or taxis to take people home safely from the bars. But this solution can become useless when there is lack of interest or coordination.

Sobriety Checkpoints
Sobriety checkpoints, where police set up random roadblocks to check drivers, are banned in Wisconsin and 11 other states. The argument is that the checkpoints infringe on people’s rights, and they won’t necessarily catch the drunk drivers that know to avoid the blocked road.

Monitoring Bracelet
The newest solution some are proposing in Wisconsin for repeat offenders is the alcohol monitoring bracelet, which would take readings of blood alcohol levels from the sweat on a person’s skin. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), these bracelets won’t prevent people from driving drunk; they simply can tell authorities that someone has been drinking.

Although there is criticism for these prevention or monitoring methods and none of them seems to be a fix-all, it would seem that something needs to be done in states like Wisconsin that struggle with this problem. Possibly the answer is a combining of these solutions in order to catch or prevent as many people as possible from driving drunk.

Sources

http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/safety/motorist/drunkdriving/index.htm

Dashek, Ryan Lawmakers must tighten drunk driving penalties December 1, 2008

Damos, Tim Drunk driving a county problem December 18, 2008

Dlabay, Kyle Lawmaker Proposes Statewide Alcohol Monitoring Bracelets December 15, 2008

Alcohol abuse occurs among many people in our country, but different ages of people tend to handle the consumption of alcohol in a variety of ways.  Often alcohol abuse is considered a college problem, but studies show that more and more older individuals are abusing alcohol on a regular basis.  Government statistics have shown that 17 % of older adults are believed to misuse alcohol or prescription drugs, and that widowers over the age of 75 have the highest rate of alcoholism in the country.  This problem is expected to get worse as baby boomers get older.

Reasons behind drinking in older adults
Old age can be a lonely time for many, and surviving the loss of a spouse or grown child may lead some to drink to forget their loneliness.  Physical limitations and reduced mobility may lead to alcohol use to ease the feelings of isolation.  A retired individual does not have the social support from their job anymore, which can lead to sadness and depression.  Drinking to drown one’s sorrows or stress can turn into a dangerous cycle.

Risks of alcohol abuse in older adults
Older Americans that drink alcohol in excess are putting themselves at risk for disease and injury.  Seniors are more sensitive to alcohol, because they reach higher blood alcohol levels faster than younger people.  Their kidneys and liver do not remove the alcohol from the blood as quickly as they used to.  Another problem is that senior citizens often take medication on a regular basis, which can interact negatively with alcohol that is consumed.  Sometimes alcohol will decrease the effectiveness of a medication, and sometimes it will cause harmful side effects with a medication.  With possible physical limitations occurring already, falls and accidents are also a risk for older adults that abuse alcohol.

Benefits to alcohol consumption in older adults
With that being said, there are benefits for many older individuals that consume moderate amounts (1-2 drinks a day) of alcohol.  It is believed that alcohol in moderation can reduce heart disease and diabetes.  Moderate use of wine (not beer) can also reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia.  However, it is important to note that excessive alcohol can actually raise the risk of dementia.  Women that drink with control can lesson the risk of osteoporosis.  Finally, alcohol is sometimes credited for improving social interactions, nutrition, appetite, and quality of life.  Sometimes the consumption of alcohol with friends actually raises the spirits of seniors, giving them a more positive attitude toward life.

The risk with stating these benefits, however, is that it may encourage people to drink.  Even though alcohol is said to positively impact the health of many older adults, there is a fine line between the health benefits of alcohol and the dangers of alcohol.  It is important to know the difference.

Sources
Brody, Jane Query for Aging Patients: How Much Do You Drink? December 15, 2008 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/16/health/16brod.html?em

Sutter, Cindy Alcohol and seniors: Holiday togetherness may reveal substance abuse problem  December 15, 2008 http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/dec/15/no-headline—16pcovw
Buddy T. Alcohol and the Elderly Seniors Drinking Mostly Unreported, Undiagnosed, Or Ignored July 23, 2006 http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/elder/a/aa981118.htm

On October 3rd, 2009, the bill known as HR 6983 will go into effect. Mental health patients and treatment providers around the country are understandably curious and concerned about exactly what this means.

Here’s a brief rundown of what this latest parity act does, and how it may affect your coverage.

What is the Act?

The 2008 Parity Act is not the first such law, and is, in fact, an expansion of a 1996 law that already required parity with regard to annual and lifetime dollar limits. The new federal parity law will require group health plans to cover treatment for mental illness on the same terms and conditions as any other illness. Parity will be required in two specific areas:

1.      Treatment Limits. The new law requires equity - equal treatment - with respect to numerical limits (number of visits) on inpatient and outpatient services, barring limits on both services that don’t also apply to medical/surgical coverage.

2.      Financial Limits. The parity law also requires equity with regard to financial strictures, excluding any cost-sharing, deductibles, or out-of-pocket limits that don’t also apply to medical/surgical coverage.

What this means is that most plans will eliminate separate deductibles for mental illness or substance abuse treatments, and that if a cost or deductible doesn’t apply to medical or surgical coverage is cannot also be applied to mental health or substance abuse coverage, but any charges that ARE applicable to medical/surgical coverage may be applied to mental health and substance abuse as well.

Who is affected by this Act?

The new parity law is only applicable to group health plans that are sponsored by companies or employers with more than fifty employees (”51 or more”), including fully insured group health plans regulated by individual states, and ERISA self-insured/self-funded plans regulated by the United States Department of Labor. It’s the ERISA plans that are most affected, since the new law will extend full parity to 82 million people whose current health plans are exempt from existing parity laws in 42 states.

It’s important to remember that health plans do have the right to drop coverage for mental illness and substance abuse treatment, and that those plans which can prove that coming into compliance with the new law will increase costs 2% or more have the right to postpone their compliance for a year.

On the other hand, most experts agree that the cost increase to most insured consumers will be less than 0.5%.

What Does this Mean to Me?

Right now, most health plans and EAPs (employee assistance programs) limit the number of mental health and/or substance abuse treatment visits you may make. Often, psychiatric care and therapy are limited to thirty visits a year. Under the new parity law, if there are no limits about how often you may see your doctor or surgeon, there cannot be limits to the number of mental health treatment visits you can have.

Since mental health and substance abuse are not easily defined illnesses, but are often open ended, this new law gives treatment providers the necessary leeway to treat their patients, and patients the ability to take the time they need to work through mental illness and addiction.

Since the law is targeted toward employee health plans, which are often a patient’s only source of affordable health insurance, this is extremely beneficial.

Is There Anything the New Parity Act Does Not Do?

The new parity law does not redefine mental illness or addiction, or specify what is or is not covered. At present, the wording on that is nearly identical to the 1996 parity law, which says that such conditions are “defined by the plan” in accordance with State and Federal law, which  basically means that insurance providers and plan administrators will continue to define what conditions are recognized, and eligible for coverage benefits.

The new law also does not require existing plans to add mental health or substance abuse programs if they are not already part of the programs offered.

It is estimated that more than 54 million Americans suffer from mental disorders in any given year, though less than a fifth of them actually seek treatment. It is also estimated that 65-85% of employee terminations, and 80-90% of industrial accidents.

By establishing parity with medical and surgical conditions, the Wellstone-Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 will enable significantly more people to receive the treatment and support they need and deserve.

The manufacturing of street drugs in private homes isn’t a new concept, but it is just as risky today as it ever has been. Illegal drugs have been made in clandestine labs for decades as a way for the maker to bring in money or to support a drug habit. Methamphetamine is available by prescription, but this controlled substance can be cooked in a home lab and made into powder and sold on the street as a potent drug. Other amphetamine-type stimulants have also commonly been made in makeshift labs, as well as the rave drug, GHB, LSD and other strong hallucinogens. Many illegal drugs that end up being sold to kids and addicts on the street come from these homemade labs throughout the world.

The homemade drug manufacturer

Sometimes it is an ex-employee from a pharmaceutical company with the expertise on drugs that attempts to make them on their own. Other times it is a group of individuals that have researched how to best make certain drugs. Countless websites instruct anyone who cares on how to make certain street drugs. Often the ingredients are over-the-counter medicines or household chemicals. If it the ingredients aren’t readily available, some home manufacturers will find a way to order supplies or get ingredients on the black market.

Dangers of homemade drugs to the drug user

Besides the obvious problems with all street drugs, such as addiction, toxicity, brain damage, organ damage, and possible death, homemade street drugs have their own added problems. One of the most dangerous risks with homemade drugs is that each batch can be made differently, with changes in ingredients and measurements. With no standard of dosage, customers will often end up dying from overdose before other buyers and the seller realize the strength of a very powerful batch.

It is estimated that more than 50% of the time, the drug buyer is not getting the substance that they were told they were getting from a home-based lab. Makers will sometimes substitute a cheaper ingredient, or one more readily available, without the buyer knowing. And there are other things the home manufacturer won’t disclose either, such as the way the drugs have been handled and what tainted substances have come in contact with them. It could be that the drug maker used infected substances to cut and make the drugs, thereby passing along diseases such as hepatitis or maybe even AIDS.

Dangers to the public

Home-based drug labs are a threat to the general public at times also. These chemicals are often very unstable, which can lead to explosions or toxic fumes that threaten nearby residents. Because of the risks a homemade manufacturer faces, they may take drastic measures to protect their lab. Violence and shootings are commonly associated with clandestine labs.

Authorities are well-aware of the dangers associated with home drug labs and are working to find them throughout the country. The task may be daunting, but many lives will be saved by shutting down these drug labs.

Sources

Street Drugs

Chemical expert set up homemade LSD factory 10/12/2008

Crystal Myth

Elsevier B.V. Boltushka: A homemade amphetamine-type stimulant and HIV risk in Odessa, Ukraine 10-30-08

If you or someone you love is considering treatment for a drug or alcohol addiction, there are many decisions you may need to make in order to find the right facility. Below are some things to consider when choosing a facility, as well as things to expect once you get there.

First of all, it might be necessary to call a hotline to get immediate help for an addiction. This would be used when a person doesn’t know where else to go for help, or possibly someone is in immediate danger. If this is the case, the individual on the other end of the phone can give you valuable information about immediate treatment options.

Types of Facilities and Programs

If the decision is something that is thought about for a while and discussed, there are many different types of programs that might be useful. The first questions might be whether the facility offers residential, in-patient, or out-patient treatment, or a recovery house or long-term care. Some facilities are gender or age-specific, which might be particularly helpful to adolescents or females who might feel more comfortable in a setting with their peers.

It may be necessary for the treatment facility to have a detoxification program for the individual to rid their body of harmful substances while being monitored by a staff of medical professionals. After the physical dependency of the substance is addressed, the patient can begin counseling and treatment to manage the psychological dependency. Many treatment facilities have different activities to aid in this part of the recovery process. Things such as group therapy and family involvement have proven successful in treatment, as well as the 12-Steps for recovery. Some specialized facilities also provide programs such as equine therapy, recreational activities, cooking opportunities, and other things geared toward giving the mind and body something positive to focus on.

Recovery is an Ongoing Process

It is important for patients to be directed to long-term care to assist them in staying sober in the future. By learning about the risks of relapse and the skills needed to cope with stress and addiction triggers, an individual will be more likely to stay substance-free. A facility should provide follow-up services to give the recovering patient a support base when they move back into their lives. Recovery is an ongoing process. The groundwork is laid when an individual goes through treatment, but recovery continues on as the person is put back into their lives and families and has to effectively put what they learned into practice.

Entering into a treatment facility is a scary thing for most people. The unknown is hard to face. But the right facility can ease discomfort with their caring staff and positive programs. It still won’t be easy, but the goal is for the treatment to be successful. By working with counselors and staff to learn about oneself and taking accountability for the addiction, an individual can actually aid in the recovery process. So while you can expect treatment to be a challenge, it will hopefully be the best thing you’ve ever done.

Sources

T., Buddy Components of Effective Treatment Programs What Makes Alcohol Treatment Programs Work? January 22, 2008

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_rehabilitation

Some scientists in Great Britain have recently recommended that the drug ecstasy be downgraded in that country from a Class A drug to a Class B drug. This topic has been very heated among scientists, the government, and those that spend their lives to treating drug addiction.
Ecstasy is MDMA, a mind-altering drug that is popular among teens and those that frequent nightclubs and raves. It gives the user a boost of energy, and also produces feelings of exhilaration and excitement. But ecstasy also causes confusion and anxiety and can cause the user to suffer from disruptions in body temperature and hydration, leading to possible organ failure and, in rare cases, death.

Great Britain’s Drug Classification Scale

The U.K. has followed a classification system for drugs since 1971. The system currently lists ecstasy in the most dangerous Class A, the same grouping as the United States’ Schedule I for drugs. These classifications give the government a way to enforce penalties and for citizens to be aware of the risks of certain drugs. For example, Class B drugs are considered more harmful than Class C, but less harmful than Class A. Penalties for possession of these drugs vary with class. Ecstasy now carries a maximum prison sentence of seven years, while downgrading it to Class B would mean a maximum of 5 years in prison and a lower fine.

In Favor of the Downgrade

Those in favor of the downgrade include Professor Colin Blakemore, the chief executive of the Medical Research Council, and Professor David Nutt, the president of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD). Their 2007 study listed ecstasy as the 18th most dangerous out of the 20 popular drugs studied, listing it lower than tobacco and alcohol. Both of these individuals say that ecstasy has caused far fewer deaths than the other Class A drugs, such as heroin and cocaine. To have it be in the same class, they say, discredits the whole class system. Some supporters of the downgrade also say that ecstasy is not as big of a public safety issue as many other substances because it does not usually cause the aggression or violence of other drugs, making the user less harmful to those around them.

Against the Downgrade

There are plenty of people that believe ecstasy should stay in Class A. Opponents of the downgrade say that there are numerous cases of bodily harm or death due to ecstasy, and by declassifying it the government is telling people it is not harmful. Opponents want the British government to continue to hand down strict penalties for those who misuse drugs. Those that spend long hours trying to get people off of drugs such as ecstasy are pushing to keep this drug in Class A to deter more people from using it, and in order to free the country from illegal drug use.

Sources
NIDA InfoFacts: MDMA (Ecstasy)

Jenkins, Adrian Expert slams ecstasy move

Knapton, Sarah Ecstasy could be downgraded to class B drug 9-17-08

Johnston, Philip Scientist in call to downgrade ecstasy and LSD Nov 24 2006

We know that substance abuse can affect people of every background and history. Perhaps the picture that comes to mind is that of a homeless drug addict, living on the streets, selling everything they have in order to get their next high. Or those that sell drugs to other people, including children, to support their habit. We know all about the trend for young people to try drugs to be cool, or certain lifestyles where drugs seem commonplace or even expected.

The Unexpected Substance Abuser

But lately new pictures may also come to some people’s minds. These drug addicts may be a little more surprising to some: the affluent housewife who orders her prescription drugs online to support her addiction, the office professional that has been hiding his drug addiction for years, the police officer in the local town.

Public Opinion

Drug abuse affects millions of people each year. In our country there is a stigma about drug abuse, and (perhaps for good reason) many people, especially those that don’t fit the typical drug addict role, spend their lives hiding the addiction. Admitting that there is a problem is embarrassing, and getting treatment for the drug addiction would disrupt their world. More and more today, however, groups are being organized to support these individuals that are struggling with addiction, as well as their families. It is important for them to see that they are not alone, and that substance abuse treatment can give them a new life.

Public Safety Officers

One group of people getting help for drug addiction is that of public safety officers, including police officers, firefighters, and EMT workers. These workers typically sacrifice much for others while performing their jobs, and many are seen as heroes to those they help. So when the pressure of a stressful job leaves these public safety officers turning to drugs or alcohol to ease their mind, it becomes hard for them to admit they have an addiction.

Getting Help

These professionals need help for their addictions just like everyone else does. It is important for more of these public officers who have struggled with drug addiction to come forward and tell their story, and encourage others to get help. Statistics on substance abuse among this group are hard to find, since many public officers suffering with addiction do so in silence. They need to be encouraged to find a substance abuse treatment facility that gives them the help they need.

Perhaps more should also be done to prevent drug abuse among professions that are full of trauma and stress. Counseling should be made available to help officers deal with particularly disturbing traumas. Support groups can be set up for public safety officers to discuss how the difficulties of their job are affecting them. Leniency can be granted to allow time off for mental health evaluation and substance abuse treatment. And in general, the public needs to have an understanding of those suffering from substance abuse, even if it is someone unexpected.

Sources

Substance Abuse Among Healthcare Professionals

Cross, Chad and Ashley, Larry Police Trauma and Addiction Coping with the Dangers of the Job

http://www.cophealth.com/index.html