Staten Island is seeing a growing trend of prescription drug abuse, as evidenced by the arrests last week of 23 people involved in an illegal prescription drug distribution ring. Most of those arrested were in their mid-20s and together they forged over 108 prescriptions.

"...over the past few years, autopsy results have linked several notable deaths on Staten Island to prescription drug abuse...' This is serious stuff. Kids figure "I'm not shooting heroin, I'm not snorting cocaine, I'm not smoking crack... This must be safe because an American pharmaceutical company made this,"' [District Attorney Daniel] Donovan says."

Teens have been known to pillage unlocked cars, looking for valuables to sell in exchange for prescription drugs. But most (34 percent and 31 percent respectively) get them from their own home or from friends or classmates. Source: Staten Island Advance

Labels: prescription_drugs, criminal_activity

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

The Jefferson County (Kentucky) Drug Court started in 1993. Since then, more than 2,000 people have graduated from its program, which offers court-supervised treatment aimed at curbing drug use and related criminal activity.

"The year-long program consists of three phases followed by aftercare. Although each individual has a specifically designed program, each plan includes group, family and individual counseling; frequent and random drug testing; education and vocational training; scheduled payments of restitution, child support and court fees; and health and community activities."

During the last week in July, fourteen more people graduated from the program in a ceremony at the County Courthouse that featured remarks from Supreme Court Deputy Chief Justice Will T. Scott. Source: Kentucky Post

Labels: treatment, criminal_activity, drug_courts

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 1 Comment

Teens who binge drink are more likely to develop drug habits, become homeless, and engage in criminal behavior as adults, according to a long-term British study.

Dr. Russell Viner of University College London and Professor Brent Taylor of the Institute of Child Health studied more than 11,000 Britons born in 1970 through the year 2000. They found that by age 16, about 20 percent were binge drinkers and 25 per cent were regular drinkers. By age thirty, the binge-drinking group was 40 percent more likely to have a drug habit, and 60 percent more likely to be homeless.

Dr. Viner noted that binge drinking "brings a distinct set of problems of its own."

This study appears in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Learn more about teen binge drinking at DrugRehabTreatment.com.

Labels: criminal_activity, binge_drinking, drug_use

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments