GOV. ROBERT F. McDONNELL of Virginia has proposed to reduce funding for services for at-risk children and teenagers. Those affected would include youths with mental health, emotional and behavioral problems, or with autism; and young people living with specially trained foster parents. The cuts would save a relative pittance: $12.5 million in the context of the state's $16 billion general fund budget for the fiscal year starting this July. The potential cost - to children, families, communities and the state - is great. » More

Study Found Use of Opioids Four Times Greater than General Population
By Robert Preidt (HealthDay News); Source - Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis
Retired professional football players use opioid painkiller drugs four times more than people in the general U.S. population, a new study shows. Researchers asked 644 former NFL players who retired between 1979 and 2006 about their overall health, level of pain, history of injuries and concussions, and use of prescription pain drugs. » More

NYU Local; By Willis Plummer
The semester just started, and you’re probably in your dorm-room pre-gaming for a concert with that last Four-Loko from your stockpile. You’re having a great time, and you know that concert is going to be awesome, but NYU has some news for you: “There are ways to have fun in New York City without alcohol.” I don’t know about you, but they just blew my mind. » More

Asphyxia, one of the major side effects produced by opioids is presumably caused by severe under-breathing and ‘respiratory arrest.’ Well, the commonly-used drug naloxone can possibly help tackle asphyxiation. Experts from the University of Toronto claim that rescuing a brain region, which controls breathing with the help of naloxone can treat asphyxiation triggered by opioid poisoning. » More

If you can’t take care of yourself, it’s difficult to be of help to anyone else.
Treatment Talk; This is a guest post by Carole Bennett, MA author of, “Reclaim Your Life: You and the Alcoholic/Addict,”
Dealing with the alcoholic or addict in your life (whether in recovery or not) can be an emotional, physical and financial drain. You can find yourself exhausted before you even get out of bed in the morning. So, here are some suggestions that I have used and passed on to my clients as they deal, day in and day out, with their loved ones’ substance abuse issues. These might be just the balance you need to find a healthier, personal lifestyle just for you. » More