Do you know someone who is addicted to drugs? If so, how do you know? This is the third in a series of blogs addressing the primary warning signs that there may be addiction or substance abuse issues. In the first two blogs we examined two tell-tale signs of addiction – lies and peers. As a counselor for both in-class and online drug classes I have found that those who lie about their use are trying to protect their addiction. I also have found that if a person associates with addicts the... [More]

Do you know someone who has a substance abuse problem? The chances are pretty likely you do. As a counselor for both in-class and online drug classes I am often asked how to tell if someone has a problem with drugs or alcohol. This is the second in a series of blog entries examining this question. As reported in newswatch.nationalgeographic.com. Most Obvious Sign Can you guess what the most obvious sign of addiction and substance abuse is? It is really quite simple – lies. This is the m... [More]

Soccer players are human too. As great as they are as athletes, they too can fall victim to the influence of drugs. Such is the case for one Major League Soccer player. Goalkeeper Josh Saunders will be lost to the Galaxy for an indefinite period after being enrolled in the MLS’s substance abuse treatment program. This according to the LA Times. The Galaxy was informed that Saunders would be unavailable to play until he completes a treatment protocol, despite the fact that he did not fail... [More]

One of the latest ideas circulating around the country is to drug test welfare recipients. There are some who think it is unconstitutional. Others believe it is a waste of time and money. Yet a growing number of people do not want to see government subsidy going to promote the use of illegal drugs. What do you think? Begin with a premise — welfare recipients often use drugs — and build state law based on it. Kansas is among the latest states with a proposal to drug-test welfare r... [More]

With a huge Mormon population and a strong influence by the church’s leaders in both the community and in state politics, Utah has long been a state where there have been tight controls on substance abuse. Alcohol is more difficult to purchase and the state as a whole spends fewer dollars per person on substance abuse than every other state in the US. Fox 13 now reports that the state is going to have to do something fast to curb the abuse of prescription medications.  It has been di... [More]

If you read my blogs or just follow current events, you know that prescription drug abuse is reaching epidemic proportions. It is becoming especially alarming among adolescents. Police say the pervasive problem of prescription pill abuse grows worse by the day. Some children you might think are too young to even consider taking pills are raiding their parent’s medicine cabinet. Terrifying Revelations When Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway asks a group of children in the gymnasium at... [More]

Musicians are certainly vulnerable to the virulent talons of drugs and alcohol. Drugs have ruined the life of another great musician. Sly Stone, the leader of popular 60s and 70s R&B Group Sly and the Family Stone is well known for his hit songs “Dance to the Music,” “Everyday People,” “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin),” and “Hot Fun in the Summertime” and now we’ve learned that despite his celebrity he’s penniless ... [More]