The struggles and triumphs of an addict

In March, the commander in chief of the War on Drugs stood in front of a crowd of policymakers, advocates and recovering addicts to declare that America has been doing it wrong. Speaking at the National Prescription Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit in Atlanta – focused on an overdose epidemic now killing some 30,000 Americans a year – President Barack Obama declared, "For too long we have viewed the problem of drug abuse ... through the lens of the criminal justice system," creating grave costs: "We end up with jails full of folks who can't function when they get out. We end up with people's lives being shattered." Touting a plan to increase drug-treatment spending by more than $1 billion – the capstone to the administration's effort to double the federal drug-treatment budget – Obama insisted, "This is a straightforward proposition: How do we save lives once people are addicted, so that they have a chance to recover? It doesn't do us much g...

Her fiancé gave her heroin. She overdosed. Does that make him a murderer? When Jarret McCasland and his fiancee decided to celebrate her 19th birthday with heroin, it meant the end of her life and the end of his freedom. Flavia Cardenas, who worked in a nightclub, died of an overdose the next morning in Baton Rouge. After a prosecutor convinced a jury that McCasland administered the fatal dose, the 27-year-old pipe fabrication shop worker was found guilty of second-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison in February with no chance for parole. With deaths from heroin and opioids at their highest level in U.S. history, prosecutors have begun charging those who supplied the final dose with murder, even when that person is the deceased’s friend, lover, sibling or spouse. The new initiative is sometimes in direct conflict with good Samaritan laws, which protect addicts from being charged if they call 911 when a fellow user is overdosing. The tougher approach also is in m...

Chronic pain syndrome is a life altering disease that often destroy families. The DEA says they do nothing to interfere with pain patients getting medication desperately needed, but the facts tell a different story. The DEA has shut down the biggest Walgreens distribution center in Florida. They constantly bully doctors and tell pharmacies they can only have so much pain medication in stock. Yes, there is and has been a huge problem with pain medication being sold and used illegally, but that does not change the fact millions of Americans suffer everyday because of the Federal government overreaching. We must understand there is a big difference in chemical dependence and addiction. Chemical dependence will cause withdrawal symptoms and that does not make one an addict. Addiction is a psychological illness of the brain that is usually apparent when an individuals life becomes chronically disrupted because of the drugs. Dependence is a normal physiological response to taking the...

Obama gives second chance to 61 convicted drug offenders Yahoo News - 3 days ago Drug shortages prompt question: are some medicines too cheap?                                                  Yahoo News ‎ - 1 day ago   British Female Drugs Mules Dubbed 'Peru Two' Released From  Jail Early    Yahoo News ‎ - 19 hours ago Click here for original story                                                              ...

Flight attendant accused of trying to smuggle 70 pounds of cocaine arrested in NY A JetBlue flight attendant accused of using her credentials to attempt to get 70 pounds of cocaine through airport security in Los Angeles before flinging off her heels and fleeing, has been arrested in New York, authorities said. Marsha Gay Reynolds surrendered Wednesday to federal authorities at John F. Kennedy International Airport, though it wasn't immediately clear how she reached New York, federal officials said JUST MY OPINION The war on drugs started by  President Nixon was a must at the time. There was a heroin epidemic due mostly to the American soldiers bringing massive amounts in on military planes from Vietnam. Then crack hit in the early 80's and President Reagan tried continuing the effort while his CIA was involved with drug trafficking with the Nicaraguan Contras. The war on drugs is a political front. The United States has been fighting this war for half a century ...