26th Annual CNY Prevention Conference
Find out more about the workshops and sessions presented by the Prevention Consortium.
Hosted in East Syracuse NY on May 16, 2014
View the PDF Brochure
Find out more about the workshops and sessions presented by the Prevention Consortium.
Hosted in East Syracuse NY on May 16, 2014
View the PDF Brochure
The Herkimer County Prevention Council’s annual Drug Quiz Show will be held at Herkimer County Community College on Thursday March 27, 2014 9am-3pm. (Snow Date will be on Friday, March 28, 2014) Local Schools competing for the title of Herkimer County DQS Champions are: Dolgeville, Herkimer, Little Falls, Mount Markham, Poland and Town of Webb.
Teams have received their study materials so that they can prepare for the competition with their school advisor. The competition will cover all the most current data on substance abuse. The officials for the competition will be volunteers from local law enforcement, and human service agencies, and HCCC.
If you would like more information, visit the Herkimer County Prevention Website
SHATTER THE MYTHS ABOUT DRUGS AND ALCOHOL!
National Drug Facts Week (NDFW) is a health observance week for teens that aims to shatter the myths about drugs and drug abuse.
Through community-based events and activities on the Web, on TV, and through contests, NIDA is working to encourage teens to get factual answers from scientific experts about drugs and drug abuse.
Download the NDFW Info Sheet (PDF format, 188KB)!
For the latest Herkimer County AA, NA and Al-Anon meetings and their locations, please visit our site @ herkimercountyprevention.org or select a link below:
AA Meetings: Click here
Al-Anon Meetings: Click here
NA Meetings: Click here
“The facts about alcohol poisoning are pretty simple: it IS lethal, and it can happen to just about anyone who drinks too much at one time. It is not limited only to teenagers and college students, but also grown adults who “should know better” can accidentally give themselves alcohol poisoning.”
(Courtesy: talkrehab.org)
SIMPLE WARNING SIGNS
Does not respond to being talked to shouted at, pinched, prodded or poked.
Vomits while sleeping or passed out and doesn’t wake up after vomiting.
Can’t stand up or can’t remain standing unless aided by others.
Won’t wake up despite repeated attempts.
Has slow breathing.
Skin is bluish, purplish, cool or clammy to the touch.
If someone you are with shows any of these symptoms CALL 911 for medical assistance.
All drugs have unintended effects. In the world of pharmacology, they may be classified as serious adverse effects (SAE), adverse effects (AE), or side effects (SE). Sometimes, the negative effects can be more pronounced (and harmful) than any intended medical benefits. Thus, when pro-marijuana enthusiasts insist that marijuana has no negative effects to self or others, they are ignoring or minimizing the basic dynamics of pharmacology.
Side Effects of Medical Marijuana Use Can Include:
Ataxia
Diminished Ability to Learn
Reliance on Welfare Programs
Clinical Depression
Addiction
Amotivational Syndrome
Anxiety
Family Dysfunction
Emotional Liability
Schizophrenia
Apathy
Academic Underachievement
Anger and Rage
Cancer
Low Job Performance
Chronic Unemployment
Phobias
Psychosis
DWI
Rise in Medicaid Costs
Lethargy
Asthma
Impotency
Mood Changes
Lapses in Concentration
Distortion of Time and Space
Mental Confusion
Hallucinations
Depersonalization
Impairment of Judgment
Social Problems
Cognitive Problems
Dizziness
Lack of Coordination
Rapid Heartbeat
Unusual Thoughts or Behaviors
Paranoid Reaction
Amnesia
Abdominal Pain
Nausea
Fatigue
Insomnia
Seizure
Dependency
Withdrawal
It is important to discuss the definition of addiction in order to understand how Problem Gambling can be addictive. An addiction is defined as a need and use of a habit forming substance causing a disruption and confliction within a person’s life.
Problem Gambling is labeled as a “process addiction” in which the need is to engage in a particular activity, such as gambling, rather than a substance. In a chemical addiction the need or compulsion is to ingest a substance, such as alcohol, in order to gain the euphoric effects altering the way you think and act. However in a process addiction, the need is to engage in a particular activity seeking similar euphoric effects triggered by extraneous stimuli.
With alcoholism there are tell tale signs of addiction and even use. You can smell alcohol; you can see changes in their appearance among other things. With substance abuse, for example marijuana, you can smell it and see glossy blood-shot eyes. One distinct difference between compulsive gambling and alcoholism or substance addiction is you can’t smell the loss of money nor can you see the loss of money. You can, however, see that the abuser is preoccupied with engaging in risky activities, nervous, or even crying but you can also attribute these behaviors to other occurrences such as losing a loved one, missing a deadline at work, etc.
Gambling addiction is silent. Usually people don’t know if a person has a gambling problem until it’s too late.
Another important point to make is that there is no substance ingested when gambling, unless the addict has a co-occurring disorder; which is what makes compulsive or problem gambling a “process addiction.” To the compulsive gambler it’s the “living on the edge” that makes them high. Often times gamblers will “chase the win” or make a big deal of describing their winnings, but they will never remember how much they have lost. However, like all other addictions, the warning signs are almost the same: always asking for money, hanging out with a different group of people, stealing in order to maintain their addiction, a preoccupation with risky behaviors, and the list goes on.
Compulsive gambling is still very new to New YorkState treatment providers but not to New YorkState. Gambling has affected many homes and individuals, even those who are not the gamblers themselves. Currently one million New Yorkers have or are at risk of compulsive/problem gambling. According to the 2009 HerkimerCounty’s Teen Assessment Project (TAP) survey, two thirds of HerkimerCounty’s youth have reported gambling within the last year.
Gambling addiction, while different does share some similarities to other addictions. As with addictions, it is possible to “kick the habit” and completely reform. It isn’t uncommon to see an alcoholic become a drug and substance abuse counselor or even a well-to-do business man or woman. Successfully going through treatment for drugs or any substance can be a way out for any addict. However, when you leave treatment for compulsive gambling, your gambling debt follows you. The $150,000 debt that a gambler may have brought with them into treatment will be there when they get out and, unfortunately, the easiest way to make money, in most people’s opinion, is to gamble.
At any point, the gambler thinks they are going to win. What they don’t understand is that the odds are astronomical! According to the National Weather Service[1], “1 in 5,000 people will be struck by lightning once in their lives”. 1 in 10,000 people will die in a car accident[2], and your chances of winning the New York State Mega Millions Jackpot are approximately 175,000,000 to 1[3]. Truly, these odds put a face to the slogan “a dollar and a dream”.
Most people would agree that the desired effect of smoking marijuana is to get high. The desired effect of drinking alcohol is to get drunk. And the desired effect of gambling is to win. Equally true is that if one ingests enough alcohol they will get drunk and the same effect could be said with marijuana. But with gambling, you can gamble and gamble, and continue to gamble and never win. What happens when one doesn’t get that euphoric feeling they desired from alcohol? They will drink more until they get what they set out to do. With gambling you keep gambling and gambling until the desired effect is achieved, and by the time the desired effect is achieved, who knows how much money you lost.
Usually with gambling you can tell someone is up to something but may not know that the person has a gambling addiction. Here are some questions you could ask yourself if you feel someone you know and love has a gambling problem.
Adults
Adolescents
Co-Workers
If you find that someone you know and love may be having a drug, alcohol or a gambling problem call the NYS Hope Line at:
1-877-8-HOPE-NY
For prevention services and Problem/Compulsive Gambling trainings in HerkimerCounty, contact:
HerkimerCounty Prevention Council
A program of Catholic Charities
[1] www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/medical.htm
[2] National Traffic Safety Admin, Fatality Analysis Reporting System, www.nhtsa.gov/FARS
[3] Lotto Strategies, www.lottostrategies.com
There has been a lot of talk about the creation of synthetic marijuana (K2) being sold in head shops across the United States. Now a new synthetic drug has been created causing a high similar to cocaine. Synthetic cocaine, often called fake cocaine is being sold as “bath salts” throughout the world. Law enforcement and healthcare officials in Europe, Australia, and now the United States have increased reports of users snorting a white powder substance know as bath salts. It is most commonly being used by teenagers and young adults. These bath salts can be found in gas stations, convenience stores, and head shops in most states. This specially-made white powder is sold in half-gram bottles for about 25 to 30 dollars. They are also known as party salts and party powders and come in a variety of different brand names. Most packages are labeled “not for consumption” or “for novelty use only” however that has not stopped individuals from snorting or ingesting this product.
Methylenedioxyprovalerone (MDPV)
Methylenedioxyprovalerone is a psychoactive drug that produces a cocaine-like high. It stimulates the central nervous system similar to Ritalin but is said to be four times more potent. The FDA has not approved MDPV for any type of medical use and this drug is currently not detectable by drug tests.
Users most commonly snort MDPV. It can be ingested and injected but when mixed with other solution it loses its potency.
Side Effects
Side effects of MDPV are limited to health official reports because no scientific reports have studied proper dosages of MDPV or the effects it has on humans. Health official reports and users of the drug report the following effects…
According to the DEA’s Drug and Chemical Evaluation Section high dose users of MDPV have reported cravings showing signs of dependence or addiction. The DEA also reported that MDPV in high doses have been known to cause…
Europe has seen the circulation of MDPV since 2007. Heath officials there report users are being treated in mental institutions and are “losing touch with reality”.
Banning MDPV
Britain banned MDPV in April 2010. Several people had ingested the drug and died prompting the ban.
Louisiana was the first state to add MDPV to the state’s Controlled Dangerous Substance Act making it an illegal narcotic under state law.
North Dakota’s Board of Pharmacy has banned MDPV and all chemicals related to it.
Kentucky has put forward legislation to ban MDPV.
The DEA is currently studying MDPV but it has no current plans to ban the drug. However, the DEA stated that “MDPV is an analogue of a drug that is on schedule I of the Controlled Substance Act” (CSA). Therefore, “law enforcement cases involving MDPV can be prosecuted under the Federal Analogue Act of the CSA”.
Sources:
About.com Alcoholism. What is Fake Cocaine? (2011, Jan 26). Retrieved from http://alcoholism.about.com
Click Orlando. Synthetic Cocaine Sold As ‘Bath Salts’.(2011, Jan 17). Retrieved fromhttp://www.clickorlando.com
Hendricks, B., The Herald Dispatch. Synthetic Coke Sold As Bath Salts.(2010, Nov 24). Retrieved fromhttp://www.herald-dispatch.com
Join Together. Specialty ‘Bath Salts’ Linked to Hospitalizations, Suicides.(2011, Jan 24). Retrieved fromhttp://www.jointogether.org
Yahoo! News. Bath Salts: For Bathing or the Latest High? Willingway Hospital Warns Legally-Purchased Product Can Be Fake Cocaine. (2011, Jan 17). Retrieved from http://news.yahoo.com
Drunkorexia is not an official medical term but has been used to describe the behavior of starving ones self or binging and purging in combination with the use of alcohol, most commonly binge drinking. Most recently is has been called the “Jersey Shore Phenomenon”. Binge drinking is drinking five or more drinks in a row for men and four or more drinks in a row for women. The term drunkorexics is most commonly referring to college age students who are frequent binge drinkers. They tend to typically be women although men can also participate in this behavior. It is believed that drunkorexia comes from the desire to be as thin as possible while still being able to go out and have alcoholic drinks with friends. People have reported skipping meals or throwing up before going out to account for the high calories in alcohol. Although the term combines alcoholism and anorexia, medical professionals are undecided if it is accurately describing an eating disorder, alcohol addiction, or both.
The Difference Between Men and Women
Although women are more commonly affected by eating disorders there are more than a million men and boys who struggle with eating disorders every day. There have been reports of drunkorexia in the male population. Some men report skipping meals to watch there weight, but most men say that other factors cause them to fit into the category of drunkorexic. Men often choose to skip meals because it optimizes the effects of alcohol making intoxication quicker. Without food as a buffer alcohol enters the blood stream faster making a person feel the effects faster. Money is also a factor. If there is a choice between spending money on dinner or beer men are more likely to choose beer.
Studies have shown that women’s bodies process alcohol differently then men’s. The female body has a higher proportion of body fat than a male’s body and fat does not absorb alcohol. Men have more muscle tissue and muscle tissue does absorb alcohol. Gastric enzymes help break down alcohol before it enters the blood stream. Women have less gastric enzymes than men. Women are more likely then males to become alcohol dependent. Becky Flood, executive director of New Directions for women, estimated that two years of women drinking equals 10 years of a man’s.
Dangers of Drunkorexia
Carrie Wilkens, co-founder and clinical director of the Center for Motivation and Change, states “Food slows the absorption and acts as a buffer from becoming intoxicated too quickly.” She goes on to say, “That first drink after not having eaten all day and in some cases these girls do not eat for many days in a row, that first drink has a big affect. They’re at risk for passing out, really terrible consequences.” Malnutrition, dehydration, impaired judgment and sexual victimization are just a few of the increased risked when drinking alcohol on an empty stomach.
Health Risks
Eating Disorders:
Heavy Drinking:
Statistics
following the behavior of drunkorexia. However, the statistics that are available show that 30
percent of young women who have a problem with alcohol also have some type of eating disorder.
associated with alcohol are from impairment problems. So this starving myself so I’ll become
profoundly and significantly intoxicated, carries a significant risk for death or other health
problems.”
reported skipping meals before drinking alcohol to cut down on calories.
United States drink in a way that threatens their health, safety, and general well-being.”
The Combination of Alcohol and Eating Disorders
The past president of the National Eating Disorders Association, Dr. Bunnell, said, “the obsession with being skinny and the social acceptance of drinking and using drugs – along with the sense, lately, that among celebrities, checking into rehab is almost a given, if not downright chic – is partly to blame.” He goes on to say, “both disorders are behaviors that are glorified and reinforced.” “Binge drinking is almost cool and hip, and losing weight and being thin is a cultural imperative for young women in America. Mixing both is not surprising, and it has reached a tipping point in terms of public awareness.”
Psychologists feel the main cause of drunkorexia is addiction. Eating disorders are like other addictions according to psychologists. Binging and purging are often used to numb emotional pain. Similar to substance abuse eating disorders often stem from some type of childhood trauma such as sexual abuse, neglect or mental anguish. The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism states, “alcoholism and eating disorders frequently co-occur and often co-occur in the presence of other psychiatric and personality disorders.” Currently, doctors have to look at each condition separately and treat them one at a time since drunkorexia is not a defined medical condition. The National Institute of Mental Health stated, “Many people with anorexia also have coexisting psychiatric and physical illnesses, including depression, anxiety, obsessive behavior, substance abuse, cardiovascular and neurological complications, and impaired physical development.” Combining both the diseases is doubly dangerous. The human body can only take so much with out having permanent and irreversible damage done.
Sources:
ABC News. Drunkorexia: Alcohol Mixes With Eating Disorders.Retrieved from www.abcnews.go.com
CBS News. Drunkorexia: Health Danger For Women. March 8, 2010. Retrieved from www.cbsnews.com
Herald Sun. Not Eating to Drink: Women Face Drunkorexia. November 5, 2009. Retrieved fromwww.heraldsun.com
Hubpages.com. Drunkorexia What is it? The Effects of College Alcohol Binge Drinking and Not Eating.Retrieved from www.hubpages.com
Join Together. Drunkorexia Becoming Concern on Some College Campuses. May 26, 2011. Retrieved fromwww.drugfree.org
MacAnally, David. Wthr.com. Campuses Concerned about ‘Drunkorexia’. September, 2, 2011. Retrieved fromwww.wthr.com
The New York Times. Starving Themselves, Cocktail in Hand.March 2, 2008. Retrieved from www.nytimes.com