Recently, the song “In The Rooms” by Richie Supa was nominated for song of the year at the 13th Annual 2009 Prism Awards at the Beverly Hills Hotel, in Beverly Hills, CA. The song is currently available for download at www.InTheRooms.com

The Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. (EIC) annually presents, in collaboration with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), FX Network, and News Corporation, the PRISM Awards™, a nationally-televised awards show recognizing the accurate depiction of drug, alcohol and tobacco use and addiction in film, television, interactive, music, DVD, and comic book entertainment. Established in 1997, the PRISM Awards honor productions that are not only powerfully entertaining, but realistically show substance abuse and addiction, as well as mental health issues.

PRISM Award submissions are put through a rigorous nomination review process, judged by members of the creative community and scientific experts for entertainment value, accessibility of the message, and scientific accuracy. The production in each category that best exemplifies these three objectives is presented with a PRISM trophy at the annual event, held in Hollywood.

The PRISM Awards also has categories to recognize actors for their outstanding performances of substance abuse, addiction and mental illness onscreen, in television and feature films. These categories expand our celebration of “the art of making a difference” to include those who use themselves and their performances as instruments to show the real-life effects of drugs, alcohol and tobacco, and mental illness on the lives of the characters they play and their loved ones.

The PRISM Awards encourage creators to make the most of their rights to free creative expression, while at the same time showing the reality of these health issues. As a part of the industry, EIC never wants to inhibit the creative process; however, we take pride in being the first to applaud creators who use their power and influence over their audiences wisely and responsibly, informing them while at the same time entertaining them. This is what we refer to as “the art of making a difference,” and that is what EIC and the PRISM Awards are all about.

During workshop for overcoming painful experiences of the past, featuring expert Lori Prokop as speaker, attendees discovered some people who feel inferior or are dealing with pain use addictions to overcome weaknesses and anguish, especially in times of increased stress or deep inner conflict. Lori Prokop revealed that a person’s inner inferiority complex and personal anguish could reveal itself in actions such as addiction, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, child abuse, compulsive eating, blame and aggression among others.

Lori Prokop (http://www.lori-prokop.com), author and creator of the “How to Heal Abuse” series (http://www.howtohealabuse.com), says “No successful person desires a destructive addiction. What people who choose addiction or abuse really want is the power and ability to create better lives.”

“Fearing they do not have this power to improve their lives, you will hear these people use excuses and blame to justify their addiction and abuse and protect what little dignity they feel they have left,” Lori Prokop continued.

Lori Prokop recommended that if you find yourself or others dealing with addiction or abuse, instead of justifying or blaming, ask the following questions:

• Do I really want healing and resolution for this addiction or abuse?

• Am I willing to improve myself to achieve healing?

• Do I realize I can’t control others? The only one I can control is me.

• Am I willing to take the first step for myself and get rid of my addiction, abuse excuses, blame and other destructive habits to achieve peace and happiness?

“Beyond painful memories of the past, alcohol abuse and drug abuse are common crutches today. Many people who feel tongue-tied or awkward at social events find a few cocktails or beers “give them a lift” turning them from introvert to extrovert. There are many people who drink to feel better about themselves, even to the point of abuse or addiction,” Lori Prokop said.

“Alcohol abuse, drug abuse and any other addiction are serious forms of personal loss. The people, who depend on any exterior addiction or abuse rather than improving their perceived weaknesses and healing their pains, are beaten from the start,”

“Club drugs” are a group of psychoactive compounds that tend to be abused by teens and young adults at a nightclub, bar, rave, or trance scene.

Gamma hydroxybutyrate, also known as GHB, Rohypnol, and ketamine are some of the drugs in this group:

- GHB (Xyrem) is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2002 for use in the treatment of narcolepsy (a sleep disorder). This approval came with severe restrictions, including its use only for the treatment of narcolepsy, and the requirement for a patient registry monitored by the FDA. GHB is also a metabolite of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA); thus, it is found naturally in the brain, but at concentrations much lower than doses that are abused.
- Rohypnol (flunitrazepam) started appearing in the United States in the early 1990s. It is a benzodiazepine (chemically similar to Valium or Xanax), but it is not approved for medical use in this country, and its importation is banned.
- Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic, mostly used in veterinary practice.

Raves and trance events are generally night-long dances, often held in warehouses. Many who attend raves and trances do not use club drugs, but those who do may be attracted to their generally low cost and the intoxicating highs that are said to deepen the rave or trance experience.

- Rohypnol is usually taken orally, although there are reports that it can be ground up and snorted.
- GHB and Rohypnol have both been used to facilitate date rape (also known as “drug rape,” “acquaintance rape,” or “drug-assisted” assault). They can be colorless, tasteless, and odorless, and can be added to beverages and ingested unbeknownst to the victim. When mixed with alcohol, Rohypnol can incapacitate victims and prevent them from resisting sexual assault.
- GHB also has anabolic effects (it stimulates protein synthesis) and has been sought by bodybuilders to aid in fat reduction and muscle building.
- Ketamine is usually snorted or injected intramuscularly.

Mary Christine’s “One Sober Alcoholic” blog, is an intriguingly honest, first-person look at the day-to-day life of a member of Alcoholics Anonymous. Mary Christine’s tag line reads, “I want to be able to talk about being a sober member of Alcoholics Anonymous without anonymity concerns…”

One Sober Alcoholic has been around since late 2005 and Mary Christine’s dedication to her blog is obvious in its constant updates and sometimes shockingly personal accounts of her life.

“My ‘trouble’ daughter, who I love with all of my heart, is sober. She has a homegroup – on the other side of town where I got sober.” Writes Mary Christine while giving an update on her daughters. “She is attending meetings every day with a man who is sober 36 years and was my boyfriend for 10 years.  She tells me about the people she sees who tell her to say hi to me. Because they have been around that long. Oh thank God! She refuses to count how many days or months because she has done this so many times.   (She had over 2 years of clean and sober time at one time, and has had years of time off meth when she drank like an uncontrolled maniac – which on her is actually worse.” 

Mary Christine goes on to write, “It always cracked me up when people would say ‘at least she isn’t using drugs,’ it indicated to me that they had never seen alcoholism up close and personal.)  I hope that some day she will get some faith in the process and claim her time, but she is not there yet.” 

Want to read more of Mary Christine’s blog? Visit One Sober Alcoholic at http://marychristineg.blogspot.com/.

Hazelden is one of the most respected national nonprofit organizations dedicated to helping people reclaim their lives from the disease of addiction. In a recent survey, Hazelden revealed that stigma still remains toward people who are addicted to alcohol and other drugs.

Although 78 percent of Americans recognize that addiction is a chronic disease rather than a moral failing, the words used by those surveyed when asked to describe people who have problems with drugs or alcohol included: “sinner,” “irresponsible,” “selfish,” “stupid,” “uncaring,” “loser,” “undisciplined,” “pitiful,” “pathetic,” “weak,” “criminal,” “derelict,” “washed up” and “crazy.” The single highest negative consequence reported of having a family member with a drug problem was “embarrassment/social stigma.”

“What Hazelden’s new survey brought home to me is that Americans understand addiction is a disease, yet much more work must be done to explain how effective treatment can be for addicts and to bring an end to the stigma that prevents addicts from pursuing treatment,” says William Cope Moyers, executive director of Hazelden’s Center for Public Advocacy. “We also learned that 58 percent would like more of this discussion about addiction to be done in public.” Accordingly, Moyers says the “Attitudes Toward Addiction Survey” has become the catalyst for a 2009 public advocacy campaign that Hazelden will soon launch in Washington, D.C., and across the country.

“Hazelden’s Center for Public Advocacy is dedicated to changing public perceptions about addiction and promoting public policy that puts recovery within reach of all who need it,” said Mark Mishek, president and CEO of Hazelden. “The good news is – effective treatment for addiction exists, people in recovery lead useful lives and insurance could, and should, cover addiction treatment. Let’s work together to help improve public understanding of America’s No. 1 health problem – addiction to alcohol and other drugs.”

It seems that all along, addiction recovery has been centered around three simple components: physiological, emotional, and spiritual needs.

Online resource DrugRehabProgram.net has announced these three components as the center of their programs that have helped so many. In addition, the company is quoted as stating using the “most effective holistic therapies available today.”

The programs offered that are centered around the three components have helped many, regardless of skeptics and those who are doubtful of the service. In effect, a strong and tight-knit community has formed around the new service being offered to all who desire it.

To find out more about the impressive three step program, a number and email contact has been put on the DrugRehabProgram.net homepage – giving anyone with a phone or Internet connection a direct way to achieve help via professionals.

DrugRehabProgram.net hopes to continue their great service to the communities it helps, and welcomes any questions or further comments on their critically acclaimed service.

Yes. Most smokers use tobacco regularly because they are addicted to nicotine Addiction is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, even in the face of negative health consequences. This video from HowToQuitCigarrettes.com claims to have the ability to help you beat nicotine addiction in just one day.

It is well documented that most smokers identify tobacco use as harmful and express a desire to reduce or stop using it, and nearly 35 million of them want to quit each year. Unfortunately, only about 6 percent of people who try to quit are successful for more than a month.

Research has shown how nicotine acts on the brain to produce a number of effects. Of primary importance to its addictive nature are findings that nicotine activates reward pathways—the brain circuitry that regulates feelings of pleasure. A key brain chemical involved in mediating the desire to consume drugs is the neurotransmitter dopamine, and research has shown that nicotine increases levels of dopamine in the reward circuits. This reaction is similar to that seen with other drugs of abuse, and is thought to underlie the pleasurable sensations experienced by many smokers.

Nicotine’s pharmacokinetic properties also enhance its abuse potential. Cigarette smoking produces a rapid distribution of nicotine to the brain, with drug levels peaking within 10 seconds of inhalation.

However, the acute effects of nicotine dissipate in a few minutes, as do the associated feelings of reward, which causes the smoker to continue dosing to maintain the drug’s pleasurable effects and prevent withdrawal.

Methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system. Although most of the methamphetamine used in this country comes from foreign or domestic superlabs, the drug is also easily made in small clandestine laboratories, with relatively inexpensive over-the-counter ingredients. These factors combine to make methamphetamine a drug with high potential for widespread abuse.

Methamphetamine is commonly known as “speed,” “meth,” and “chalk.” In its smoked form, it is often referred to as “ice,” “crystal,” “crank,” and “glass.”  According to other sites that focus on Crystal Meth Facts,  “Speed, Quartz, Crystalz, Crank, Tweak, Crystal tea, Go-Fast and Tina” are among other names for the drug. It is a white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that easily dissolves in water or alcohol.  The drug was developed early last century from its parent drug, amphetamine, and was used originally in nasal decongestants and bronchial inhalers.

Like amphetamine, methamphetamine causes increased activity and talkativeness, decreased appetite, and a general sense of well-being. However, methamphetamine differs from amphetamine in that at comparable doses, much higher levels of methamphetamine get into the brain, making it a more potent stimulant drug. It also has longer lasting and more harmful effects on the central nervous system.

Methamphetamine is a Schedule II stimulant, which means it has a high potential for abuse and is available only through a prescription. It is indicated for the treatment of narcolepsy (a sleep disorder) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; but these medical uses are limited, and the doses are much lower than those typically abused.  Crystal Meth Facts

Facing the problem of addiction is never an easy task. If that wasn’t tough enough, there are so many choices in drug rehabilitation that making the right choice can seem impossible.

Now a new booklet from StopAddiction.com reveals the three barriers that stand between an addict and lifetime sobriety. With this knowledge, anyone trying to help a person addicted to drugs or alcohol will have a greater understanding of the causes of the problem with which to make decisions. The route to sobriety for the addicted person can seem more accessible.

StopAddiction.com’s new booklet, The Life Cycle and Mechanics of Addiction, is available to anyone. The booklet was written out of the thirty years of experience of Gary W. Smith, the Executive Director of Narconon Arrowhead, one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation and education centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma.

“Without an understanding of the true causes of addiction, some people may never be able to make a full and lasting recovery,” stated Ryan Thorpe, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead. “Here at Narconon, we see that more people make a lasting recovery with a rehab program like ours that addresses each of the three barriers thoroughly.”

To obtain free copies of The Life Cycle and Mechanics of Addiction, call 1-800-468-6933 today or log on to www.stopaddiction.com

Effective rehabilitation and education has been the business of the Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation and education network for more than forty years. For information on Narconon’s successful drug treatment and educational program and materials, contact Narconon Arrowhead at 1-800-468-6933 or visit the website at www.stopaddiction.com.

MDMA is an illegal drug that acts as both a stimulant and psychedelic, producing an energizing effect, as well as distortions in time and perception and enhanced enjoyment from tactile experiences.1,2 Typically, MDMA (an acronym for its chemical name 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is taken orally, usually in a tablet or capsule, and its effects last approximately 3 to 6 hours.

The average reported dose is one to two tablets, with each tablet typically containing between 60 and 120 milligrams of MDMA.1 It is not uncommon for users to take a second dose of the drug as the effects of the first dose begin to fade.

MDMA can affect the brain by altering the activity of chemical messengers, or neurotransmitters, which enable nerve cells in the brain to communicate with one another. Research in animals has shown that MDMA in moderate to high doses can be toxic to nerve cells that contain serotonin and can cause long-lasting damage to them.1,3 Furthermore, MDMA raises body temperature.

On rare but largely unpredictable occasions, this has led to severe medical consequences, including death.3,4 Also, MDMA causes the release of another neurotransmitter, norepinephrine, which is likely the cause of the increase in heart rate and blood pressure that often accompanies MDMA use.5,6

Although MDMA is known universally among users as ecstasy, researchers have determined that many ecstasy tablets contain not only MDMA but also a number of other drugs or drug combinations that can be harmful as well. Adulterants found in MDMA tablets purchased on the street include methamphetamine, caffeine, the over-the-counter cough suppressant dextromethorphan, the diet drug ephedrine, and cocaine.7,8.

Also, as with many other drugs of abuse, MDMA is rarely used alone. It is not uncommon for users to mix MDMA with other substances, such as alcohol and marijuana.