Minnesota organization helps inmates with drug addiction

Not every addict has become so because it was a choice. There are many of them who have just been victims of consequences. The same goes for prisoners. Not all of them are in jail because they were guilty of something. Many of them were just left with no choice or they have been framed for something they did not do. But the worse thing is when these inmates become addicted to drugs.

Instead of serving their purpose in prison, they are putting themselves at greater risks. This is why these people need all the help they could get. It’s a good thing that in Minnesota, organizations are taking the initiative to help inmates overcome their drug addiction. This is for the purpose of helping them avoid overdosing as soon as they leave the jail.

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A Minnesota jail is working to get inmates to access to drug treatment and avoid the danger of overdosing when they leave.

Minnesota Public Radio reports that faith-based Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge offers short-term and long-term treatment programs.

Tim Walsh is the organization’s vice president of long-term recovery and mental health. He says about 40 percent of the people the organization helps to have legal conditions connected to their recovery.

Walsh says that while people leaving jail likely have the advantage of having already gone through withdrawal, they also face other challenges like limited job options, legal requirements, and loss of a support system.

Gina Evans leads the organization’s community outreach efforts. She says inmates being released are at a high risk of overdosing.

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Those Struggling With Drug Addiction Have A Unique Place To Seek Help In New Jersey

The struggle against drug addiction is real and one of the most difficult things that one will ever go through. So many fail to get out of it and there are those who were able to get through it as well with some help. As the problem with drugs is getting more serious each day, all the help that one can get will make a great difference.

In New Jersey, the Evesham Township police station is ready to change their lives and deal with their drug addictions. It’s a program called “Straight to Treatment.” The program is part of a broad approach to the opioid epidemic which includes enforcement, education and expanding treatment. By getting help at a police station, addicts can also clear some of their legal hurdles like outstanding warrants.

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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — There are many reasons people walk into police stations, usually to report a crime or because they’re accused of committing one.

But since March, more than 50 people have gone to the Evesham Township police station ready to change their lives and deal with their drug addictions. It’s a program called “Straight to Treatment.”

“There was one individual that they referred directly to us and within 15 hours we were able to get them into treatment and started on medication,” said Samantha Dowgin with Oaks Integrated Care.

Oaks Integrated Care, a local addictions treatment provider, has partnered with Evesham Township as the first town in Burlington County to do the “Straight to Treatment” pilot program. It was initiated by the prosecutor’s office.

“Sometimes the people with addiction that break the law are not career criminals but people who really need help,” said Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina.

The program is part of a broad approach to the opioid epidemic which includes enforcement, education and expanding treatment.

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Instagram will send a pop-up about opioid addiction support if you search certain hashtags

Social media has been greatly influential in our lives, especially at this present time. It has gone beyond being a venue for communication. Many of us now depend on it to learn new information and to be aware of the latest news. Social media is indeed making a huge impact in each of our lives today.

Now, people are using it, specifically, Instagram to find addiction support and communities, as well as illegal drugs. The company is rolling out a pop-up today that will provide users with drug addiction resources when they search for hashtags like an opioid. With this, more people would be able to seek help as they know that it is available and within their reach.

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Instagram says people are using the platform’s hashtags to find addiction support and communities as well as illegal drugs. So, in response, the company is rolling out a pop-up today that’ll provide users with drug addiction resources if they search certain hashtags, like “opioid.” The pop-up reads:

“If you or someone you know is struggling with opioid or substance misuse, find ways to get free and confidential treatment referrals, as well as information about substance abuse, prevention, and recovery.”

The user can then opt to get support resources that Instagram developed with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, and the Partnership for Drug Free Kids. There will also be advice for family and friends of people with substance abuse problems…

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University of South Carolina to sell drug that reverses overdoses without prescription

Drug overdose is a common problem in today’s time. It has already affected so many people, even the families of those who are using it. But the worse thing is, so many lives have been lost because of it. In spite of strict regulations, still, there are so many people who get access to drugs which lead them to abuse or overdose from it. But today, students in the University of South Carolina can now buy a so-called life-saving drug on their campus that can help them reverse the effects of opioid overdose.

This drug is known as naloxone and is sold under the name Narcan. With this drug, drug overdose can have a solution which would mean saving so many lives. It is very important that solutions are made to save these people, along with the help of different addiction treatment centers that can provide a tailored treatment for the affected individuals.

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University of South Carolina students can now buy a “lifesaving” drug on campus that can help reverse the effects of opioid overdose, the university announced Friday.

The drug, naloxone — sold under the brand name Narcan — will be available to all students without a prescription at the Center for Health and Well-Being pharmacy, the university said in a tweet.

Price of the drug varies depending on a student’s insurance coverage, but without insurance it would cost about $125, USC spokesman Jeff Stensland said in a text message. The university is applying for a grant that would make the drug free to students, Stensland said.

“As you know, there is much concern nationally about the opioid crisis,” Stensland said. “Although opioid overdose is not widespread at USC, we wanted to be proactive, because no community is immune.

“Currently all law enforcement and health services staff have access to Narcan and are trained in administering it,” Stensland said…

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Battling Drug Addiction: What Comes After Detox?

Drug addiction is a problem that has been existing for quite a long time now. The sad thing is we are not seeing any signs that this will be stopping soon. In fact, it seems to be getting worse each day and the number of those who are using drugs keep on increasing. This has led the government and many private sectors to come with solutions that help people quit the addiction and encourage others not to ever do drugs.

The challenge, however, is what happens after having the treatment or detox. Does it mean that the problem ends there? Or is there another challenge that these people have to face? Whatever it is, the most important thing is the courage that people take to get out of drug addiction. This is the first step to changing and starting anew.

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Like many states, Illinois is battling an opioid epidemic. Loran Owens, who lives in Franklin county in Southern Illinois, knows what the epidemic is like first-hand.

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“My brother, [when] I was in jail, my brother got arrested and he was in there about four months,” Owens said. “And he shot up heroin, more or less. It was OxyContin and stuff … and while he was in there, he was trying to get help. He was wanting to go to rehab when he left there.”

But Owens brother didn’t get into a rehab program. Owens says he didn’t even make it two days after he was released, and was found dead behind a tire store after an overdose.

“People are dying left and right.”

Owens spent 20 years in and out of prison thanks to addiction. He’s clean now, but he says the lack of resources leads to many people staying addicted or overdosing. During his time in and out of jail he says he saw the same people over and over – and now that he’s out, he’s fielding phone calls from people who want to get clean.

“People looking for help all the time,” he says. “I can’t help ’em.”

The first step is getting off the drug. Withdrawal symptoms from opioids can last for up to a month. A detox facility can help – but only if there’s a bed available. Owens recalls asking his probation officer about getting into rehab at one point, only to be told it would be four months before he could get into treatment. He never got into that facility – he was arrested and landed in jail instead.

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Irish bishops combat drug addiction through parish life, partnerships

Although there are so many ways on how to combat drug addiction, not all of them can be effective. Indeed. The problem has been going on around for so many years now, but there are no signs that it is near over. The number of users is continuously increasing. This is a sad reality but its happening in today’s time. This means that so many futures are getting broken because of drugs.

However, it’s a good thing also that people are not giving up on it. They also keep on thinking of ways on how to combat drug addiction. In Dublin, their parish is doing so much to help with this problem. They have parish life and partnerships as their way of fighting drugs. This is an excellent initiative as this will not only help people stay away from drugs, but will also encourage them to seek help and believe in God.

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DUBLIN – Parish life, peer education and public-private partnerships are needed to combat addiction, said Darren Butler, national coordinator of the Irish Bishops’ Drugs Initiative during an Aug. 22 presentation at the World Meeting of Families 2018 in Dublin.

More than 140 people listened Aug. 22 as Butler described the multifaceted pastoral response developed by the initiative, established in 1997 to address the issue of substance abuse in Irish society. Since then, the initiative has worked with numerous local and national agencies to provide resources for recovery.

Parish and diocesan structures are key to the initiative’s mission, said Butler, as they enable his team “to reach areas many other programs miss.”

Since young people are vulnerable to drug and alcohol experimentation when transitioning to secondary school, the initiative invites students preparing for confirmation to pledge themselves to a healthy lifestyle. As part of their “confirmation commitment,” they attend a ceremony at which their sponsors promise to serve as positive role models. Students are then presented with commemorative wristbands and bookmarks listing the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Panelist David Conway of Kilkenny, Ireland, noted that his parish had created “family fun days” to strengthen both the confirmation commitment and communal life.

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Meth Plaguing Rural Minnesota more than Opioids

There are different kinds of drugs available in today’s time but of course, all of them have detrimental effects. One of the most popular drugs that many people use is opioid. It is very rampant in so many countries, causing problems in so many ways. However, in Minnesota, although opioid is rampant, meth has been plaguing their rural areas. The number of deaths caused by the use of this drug is also on the rise.

Whatever the kind of drug is, the truth remains the same the drug use if dangerous. It can destroy one’s life. With this problem, it’s very important that help should be available and it can be in different forms like addiction treatment centers. This allows drug addicts to know that they should not be afraid to quit because there are people and institutions that can help them change and start a new life.

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The problems of opioid addiction is real and large, but outside the Twin Cities metro, meth remains king.

Treatment admissions for meth in Greater Minnesota have skyrocketed compared to opioids, and deaths due to meth use are on the rise, too.

The findings are part of a study released by the Center for Rural Policy and Development. The report, “It’s an Addiction Crisis,” found that outstate counties are grappling with meth use. 

“We’ve been bombarded with the news of all the deaths from opioids. Our job is to find out what may be the same or different in Greater Minnesota than in the Twin Cities,” said Marnie Werner, interim executive director of the Mankato-based center.

“As soon as we started talking to a few county administrators, we found that opioids are a problem, but meth is a bigger problem.”

She said information on the opioid crisis tends to be statewide data. “The Twin Cities is so large it skews the statewide data.”

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