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I'll speak generally here, because the lessons I've learned from my near 35 years of experience are mainly universal, and not necessarily from within the confines of my own family. Some have been observed through other close relationships in my personal life , which is to say, they aren't my stories to tell.
However, if I feel a lesson is beneficial to this community, I'll share it , just in a respectful way. The last thing I'm out to do is hurt anyone's feelings or speak out of turn. That being said, I have plenty of experience on the matter at hand, in many different facets and forms. While I may be nonspecific at times, understand it's out of empathy, not shame or fear.
Real substance abuse problems absolutely tear families apart over entire lifetimes if families allow it to go unaddressed for that long. And many do. Many do because they don't know what else to do, other than what they've always done. Be it drinking or a drug. If they’re the user or acting like they don't know what the user is doing or if they’re the loved one.
It not only tears apart entire close families, but it does so from the inside out, in the most merciless, unforgiving, and ugly of fashions imaginable. Addiction and alcoholism don't care about you or your family's feelings. They don't care what happens to your wife, husband, mother, father, brother, sister, or kids.
They [addicts] lie because they think it is the truth that will crush their loved ones, but again, just the opposite is true. While yes, lies or omitting certain truths may be easier in the moment or at first, they are never the real solution. I don't care who tells you otherwise or how they justify it, they can spin it any way that helps them sleep at night. Lies are never better.
I know from watching how lies and omitting truths destroy entire families, with the root almost always being a drink or a drug…
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Anyone claiming they’re “fine to drive” after a couple of beers may think again after seeing the results of a scary test in Japan.
We’ve all heard it: “I’m fine, mate”, “It’s only 10 minutes away”, “I’m not coming back for my car tomorrow”.
But anyone claiming they’re “fine to drive” after a quiet couple of beers might want to think again after seeing the results of a peculiar test undertaken by this Japanese driving school.
Marking 17 years since the tragic drunk driving death of three small children in the city of Fukuoka, authorities opted for an unorthodox approach to getting the message across.
Chikushino Driving School has now begun offering controlled drink-driving experiences as part of a police campaign to convince motorists to never drink and drive.
Two reporters from the local Mainichi Shimbun newspaper took the test to see exactly how just a few drinks can impair someone.
The participants are asked to navigate three road sections, including a slalom, S-bend, and tight curves. First while sober, and then again after a social amount of booze.
One of the reporters, Hyelim Ha, was then told to down a 350ml can of beer, along with cups of umeshu plum wine and shochu spirit over about an hour.
A breathalyser test on Ha indicated an alcohol level of 0.30mg per litre of breath, twice the threshold of 0.15mg.
Despite saying she felt confident to drive, as many do, Ms Ha’s driving ability plummeted. But not in a way that she would immediately notice herself.
Drink driving causes approximately 30 per cent of fatal crashes in Australia, with over one in four drivers and passengers killed showing a blood-alcohol content over the legal limit.
In 2022, there were 1192 road fatalities in Australia, marking a 5.6 per cent increase on 2021. While fatalities have generally decreased over the past decade, from about 1300 to 1100 per year, there were 107 deaths on Australian roads in March alone.
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A large-scale evaluation of the impact of Family Drug and Alcohol Courts (FDAC) as an alternative to standard care proceedings (the new legal framework introduced by the Children and Families Act in 2014). FDAC aims to address the problems which have led the local authority to bring the parent(s) to court by using a ‘problem-solving’ approach. This involves a specialist multi-disciplinary team working closely with a judge and other professionals to provide intensive support to parents, with the aim of reducing their substance misuse issues.
Objectives: The objective of the impact evaluation was to understand the effect of FDAC proceedings on reunification for children and families at the end of care proceedings compared to standard care proceedings. The evaluation also aimed to test if parents who had been through the FDAC process as opposed to standard care proceedings were more likely to stop misusing substances, and also investigated if there were any differences in the rate of contested final hearings or the use of expert witnesses in proceedings.
Key findings:
- Children with a primary carer in FDAC care proceedings were more likely to be reunified with their primary carer at the end of the care proceeding in comparison to children with a primary carer in non-FDAC care proceedings (52.0% versus 12.5%).
- A higher proportion of FDAC than comparison parents had ceased to misuse drugs or alcohol by the end of the proceedings (33.6% versus 8.1%).
- The proportion of hearings being contested was lower for FDAC than standard care proceedings (4.2% versus 23.8%).
- A lower proportion of FDAC cases used external expert witness assessments compared with non-FDAC care proceedings (7.7% versus 96.1%).
- Children in FDAC sites had lower probability of being placed in LA care compared with non-FDAC care proceedings (28.6% versus 54.7%).
- The positive outcomes for cases supported by FDAC is in line with the evidence on FDAC in the WWCSC’s Evidence Store and the literature base.
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Alcohol, substance misuse causes brain changes, reducing 'cognitive flexibility'
- “Cognitive flexibility” involves adapting to changes in circumstances to achieve favorable outcomes.
- Certain substances influence cognitive flexibility, and researchers are still working to understand the interactions and changes that occur.
- A recent study explored the link between reduced cognitive flexibility and the use of alcohol and cocaine.
- The data offered vital insight into the underlying neural pathways involved in these brain changes.
“Cognitive flexibility is a complex phenomenon that typically refers to the ability to shift one’s mental focus and adapt to new obstacles, goals, and patterns. Being able to think and act effectively in response to changes in stimuli, environments, and surprises signifies a healthy level of cognitive flexibility. Cognitive flexibility is important because our environment is rapidly changing, and when our thinking patterns remain rigid and fixed, we become unable to adapt to our environment.”
“In this study, we see how some of that switch between impulsivity and compulsivity takes place — neurons are sending signals to release high levels of dopamine, which then inhibits other deep structures that enforce cognitive flexibility. As this cycle of behavioral abuse continues, the structures continue to inhibit cognitive flexibility, thus leading to a negative feedback loop,” Spielberg added.
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Once hailed for decriminalizing drugs, Portugal is now having doubts…PORTO, Portugal — Addiction haunts the recesses of this ancient port city, as people with gaunt, clumsy hands lift crack pipes to lips, syringes to veins. Authorities are sealing off warren-like alleyways with iron bars and fencing in parks to halt the spread of encampments. A siege mentality is taking root in nearby enclaves of pricey condos and multimillion-euro homes…Portugal decriminalized all drug use, including marijuana, cocaine and heroin, in an experiment that inspired similar efforts elsewhere, but now police are blaming a spike in the number of people who use drugs for a rise in crime. In one neighborhood, state-issued paraphernalia — powder-blue syringe caps, packets of citric acid for diluting heroin — litters sidewalks outside an elementary school…But given existing laws, there’s only so much they can do. On a recent afternoon, an emaciated man in striped pants sleeping in front of a state-funded drug-use center awoke to a patrol of four officers. He sat up, then defiantly began assembling his crack pipe. Officers walked on, shaking their heads… (For more :https://web.archive.org/web/20230707185209/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/07/07/portugal-drugs-decriminalization-heroin-crack/)
Portugal's crack cocaine & heroin epidemic shows madness of SNP's decriminalisation call The mayor of Porto says people shooting up in the street has become 'normalised' while the police say their 'hands are tied' when it comes to tackling drug-fuelled crime. Portugal is considering turning its back on the failing policy. The nation became the first in the world to introduce decriminalisation in 2001 but now soaring rates of crack and heroin addiction and overdose deaths are forcing many to demand a rethink. (For more : https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/world-news/portugals-crack-cocaine-heroin-epidemic-30419939)
Also see
- ‘Grown ups’ Substance use is a key ACE for Kids – Leading to Cannabis Use.
- The Impact of Marijuana on Motivation with Adolescents
- Building Resilience in Children Aged 9-13: A Most Effective Method of Illicit Drug Use Prevention
- Preserving Resilience: Tackling Substance Misuse and Empowering Communities