| Pete Doherty: I'm At Drugs Turning Point
However, the Babyshambles singer said in a BBC interview that he is still finding his battle against addiction "a struggle" following his recent stint in rehab. He told Radio 4's Front Row programme, "In the last eight years, I've never been that long without drugs. .
Lohan's boyfriend slams mum's TV show
Lindsay Lohan's boyfriend has criticised her mother Dina for filming a reality TV show.Snowboarder Riley Giles said publicity surrounding the series could set back Lindsay's recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.The pair have been dating since they met at the Cirque Lodge rehab centre in Utah, where Lohan spent two months in a treatment programme. Giles also revealed that he and Lindsay were asked to appear on the show, writing on his MySpace page: "Advice of the week - if you're a mother with four kids the best thing you can do for them right now is have a reality show We Do Not Want. She had the nerve to ask us to be on it. No thanks!"The series, which began filming last month, will follow the Lohan family's life in New York, focusing on Dina's new career as a talent manager.Lindsay reportedly sacked her mother as her manager last month, accusing her of courting media attention.
San Joaquin Jail Program Claims Success
San Joaquin County officials are hoping the state can match its success with a jail program that reduces repeat offenses.
It's called "Beyond Incarceration" and it began just over three years ago. The program stresses education and treatment for prisoners, not just punishment.
Judge Richard Vlavianos of the Superior Court of California, San Joaquin County, sees participants in the program once a month and spends much of his visit on the subject of drug addiction. He refers to statistics that show 76 percent of the men in California state prisons are there for drug-related crimes.
Beyond Incarceration would seem to be making good progress against those statistics. The recidivism rate in San Joaquin County among the 800 inmates who've taken part is 35 percent.
Educators brainstorm how to curb drug abuse
Educators from 35 schools across the state gathered at a Keefe Tech conference yesterday to trade ideas on battling substance abuse among students. ``You'll always have drugs and alcohol in high school,'' said Bill Phillips, who oversees a statewide program based at Keefe Tech to help kids facing alcohol and drug addiction. That program - New Beginnings - has been presented to an estimated quarter-million students over the last two decades, and offers kids ways to fight drug abuse, violence prevention and halting other risky behavior. Phillips gets funding from a $200,000 grant and credits state Sen. Steven Tolman, D-Brighton, for his support. ``There are a lot of kids doing well,'' he said. ``But there are kids not doing well.'' During the conference, principals, coaches, social workers and other staffers reviewed ways to help kids facing drug and alcohol addiction.
Breaking the cycle of drug addiction
If a community were a pond, then drug addiction would be a pebble big enough to cause ripples throughout, said Jim Gouveia, Benton County Drug Treatment Court program coordinator.According to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, Oregon ranks No. 2 in the country for illegal drug use, and mid-valley communities are no exception."I can't say the drug problem in Benton County has increased necessarily," Gouveia said. "But we're up there."Drug use isn't an individual problem or even a family problem. It's a community problem, said Jennifer Hogansen, a behavioral health specialist with the Corvallis Clinic."The effects on children and families, in particular, can be devastating," Hogansen said.The drug problem is a top priority for the criminal justice and social services systems, as well as educators, mental health experts and taxpayers.Locally, a consistent approach of modifying drug users' behavior to achieve lasting, life-changing results is being applied to public and private treatment programs.
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