Drug treatment courts are specialized community courts designed to help stop the abuse of drugs, alcohol, and related criminal activity. Non-violent offenders who have been charged with simple possession of drugs are given the option to receive treatment instead of a jail sentence. A judge oversees each case from the beginning and traces progressions and lapses through random drug testing and monitoring attendance to treatment sessions.

Personal accountability is an important aspect of the drug court. Rules are clearly defined and each participant chooses his or her own path to recovery. If a participant fails to meet the minimum requirements set forth by the court, immediate sanctions are imposed. The acting judge reviews the situation and rules accordingly. For example, a participant who fails a drug test might be sent to jail for a night. For determined individuals, completion of the program might bring about dismissal of charges, a reduced sentence, a lesser penalty, or a combination of these.

The National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) announced a relief effort valued at over $5 million to provide primary inpatient beds and addiction treatment for the thousands of victims of Hurricane Katrina. Many victims who are facing withdrawal or are in need of ongoing treatment services are in shelters where there are no facilities and do not have resources available to them.

NAATP will coordinate the relief effort with HopeNetworks.org, a grassroots organization founded in Louisiana in 2002, networks people and organizations for action to reduce the impact of addiction on communities.

What are the treatments for heroin addiction?

A variety of effective treatments are available for heroin addiction. Treatment tends to be more effective when heroin abuse is identified early. The treatments that follow vary depending on the individual, but methadone, a synthetic opiate that blocks the effects of heroin and eliminates withdrawal symptoms, has a proven record of success for people addicted to heroin. Other pharmaceutical approaches, such as buprenorphine, and many behavioral therapies also are used for treating heroin addiction. Buprenorphine is a recent addition to the array of medications now available for treating addiction to heroin and other opiates. This medication is different from methadone in that it offers less risk of addiction and can be prescribed in the privacy of a doctor's office. Buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone) is a combination drug product formulated to minimize abuse.

Medical Encyclopedia: Opiate withdrawal
Alternative names
Withdrawal from opioids; Dopesickness

Definition

Opiate withdrawal is caused by stopping, or dramatically reducing, opiate use after heavy and prolonged use (several weeks or more).

Opiates include heroin, morphine, codeine, Oxycontin, Dilaudid, methadone, and others. The reaction frequently includes sweating, shaking, headache, drug craving, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, inability to sleep, confusion, agitation, depression, anxiety, and other behavioral changes.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Alcoholics Victorious
This is a Christian-oriented 12-step support group for those recovering from alcohol or chemical dependency. It offers information and referrals, literature, phone support, conferences, support group meetings, and a newsletter.
1045 Swift Street
Kansas City, MO 64116-4127
816-471-8020
www.alcoholicsvictorious.org

Calix Society
This is a 12-step fellowship of Catholic alcoholics who help one another maintain sobriety through Alcoholics Anonymous. The group is concerned with total abstinence, spiritual development, and sanctification of the whole personality of each member.

Mom and Dad's disapproval a greater deterrant than the law when it ... - News-Medical.net - WFMY News 2Mom and Dad's disapproval a greater deterrant than the law when it ...News-Medical.net, World - 2 hours agoAccording to a survey by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA), the number of students attending schools where drugs are used, kept or ...