| Presiding over a 'drug emporium'
Consultant George Camp let the cat partially out of the bag with his comment about "less violent individuals" in the state penitentiary (Tribune, Nov. 6). He neglected, however, to tell the public what he darn well knows about the rest of that cat - that 75 percent of the current prison population in the State Penitentiary are in that category, already incarcerated because of drug addiction and would be served better by facilities in Jamestown and at the Bismarck Transition Center.These two examples of "hospitals of hope" that exist around this state, are neglected by Gov. John Hoeven and certain "greed Republicans" - determined to blow millions of dollars on prison bars and cement, on "depots of despair," rather than allocating those dollars more realistically toward labor intensive drug treatment programs already up and running.Better late than never.
Brain Region Tied to Amphetamine Addiction
THURSDAY, Oct. 25 (HealthDay News) -- A specific brain region may be crucial to drug addiction, according to a new study conducted with amphetamine-addicted rats. "This work in rats lines up nicely with new findings in humans involved with drug-seeking behavior," said one outside expert, Dr. Robert Vorel, a fellow at Columbia University Medical Center's division of drug abuse in New York City. .
Building begins soon on 'treatment campus' in Northeast Roanoke
Construction will soon begin on a 40-bed residential facility to treat the growing number of Roanoke Valley residents who suffer from alcoholism, drug addiction and mental illness. The facility, planned for a wooded slope off Hollins Road in Northeast Roanoke, will be the first of three buildings in a "treatment campus" on the 9-acre site, mental health officials said this week. Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare, an agency that offers public assistance in the areas of mental health, mental retardation and substance abuse, will operate the facility. The project's first phase, at 3003 Hollins Road, will replace the Shenandoah Recovery Center, which for 34 years has offered short-term inpatient care for up to 30 people with mental health or substance abuse needs.
Consulting life's experiences: Drug rehabilitation counselor draws on ...
It is hard to find many individuals who will say their job saved their life, but Marvin Horn, drug rehabilitation counselor at Russellville's Freedom House, credits his workplace for just that.
A self-proclaimed alcoholic, Horn was not shy to tell The Courier how Freedom House not only helped him to beat his own addictions, but has also provided him with a fulfilling career.
Horn first entered treatment at Freedom House in January 1985 and has now been involved with the rehabilitation center for more than 20 years. At age 43, he enrolled at Arkansas Tech University, where he received a bachelor's degree in rehabilitation. Horn has also done some graduate work at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville in rehabilitation science.
When asked to describe what he does at Freedom House, Horn quickly explained his job in one sentence.
Genes behind drug addiction tracked
Chinese scientists have found a way to track genes and biological pathways linked to drug addiction, unraveling potential ways to treat drug abuse and disorders.
"We have found 396 addiction-related genes and identified five pathways that are common to addiction to four different substances: cocaine, opium, nicotine and alcohol," the director of the center for bioinformatics of the life science college under Peking University, Wei Liping, told China Daily yesterday.
"The research provides a more complete picture of drug addiction, as genetic factors contribute to about 60 percent of the vulnerability to drug addiction," she said.
Wei said identifying common pathways meant that treatment targeting these pathways may be more effective for a wide range of addictive disorders.
|
