VistaTaos

February 4th, 2012, proved to be a successful day for the Santa Fe Police DWI Task Force. The force, which is part of Operation Descansos, arrested four individuals in Santa Fe County who held outstanding DWI warrants for their arrest.

Although 42 individuals were listed in the warrant roundup, successfully arresting four individuals made a sizable dent in the list because warrant individuals are often difficult to track and arrest. Often, officers must target those on the warrant list early in the morning to catch them before they leave home for the day.

Operation Descansos began on September 26th, 2010. The operation targets outstanding warrants for DWI-related incidents, and it has been very successful. As of press, 898 warrants have been cleared.

New Mexico drunk driving has been a problem for years. In fact, New Mexico is one of the highest-incident states in the United States. The Descansos operation aims to impact the problem of drunk driving by targeting people who have warrants; getting these individuals off the streets and into alcohol treatment programs may heavily impact the numbers of drunk driving related deaths, injuries and accidents.

Alcohol treatment consists of detoxification and therapy, with a particular focus on the underlying causes for alcohol abuse. Centers like New Mexico’s own Vista Taos Renewal Center can help these individuals participate in an alcohol treatment program that could impact them for life, all in a positive way.

If you or someone you love is in need of alcohol treatment, contact New Mexico’s finest in alcohol treatment centers: Vista Taos Renewal Center. If you suffer from alcohol addiction and have yet to find out just how much a DWI arrest can change your life for the worse, get started on sobriety now, before you become a statistic in the Descansos operation.

Santa Fe, New Mexico, police officers entered an apartment building on Friday, February 10th, in response to a call about a strong smell coming from a small apartment, never suspecting that they would encounter dangerous chemicals from a potential meth lab.

As soon as the officers walked in the apartment building’s front door, they were assaulted by the smell and chemical effects. Forced to withdraw because they were not properly equipped, the officers left the scene quickly. However, the withdrawal wasn’t quick enough; all of the responding officers felt the effects of the chemicals, which included headaches, dizziness, and nausea. Two of those officers had to be taken to the hospital for treatment.

A hazmat team was called in, and the police department and fire department have been carefully decontaminating the building. They now await a warrant to enter the small apartment, but two individuals have been arrested in connection with the case.

The entire neighborhood has been evacuated, including a total of four apartment buildings, numerous homes, and a teen center. The evacuation was ordered both because of the chemicals’ known dangers to citizen health and because of the increased potential for a fire.

Unfortunately, meth addiction is a serious problem in the United States, and it makes meth labs such as these a more commonplace danger to the general public. Thankfully, meth addiction can be overcome with the proper treatment, such as is available at Vista Taos Renewal Center; the center is located just 85 miles north of Santa Fe, where this took place.

If you or someone you love suffers from meth addiction, please let Vista Taos help them with tried and true 12 step inpatient programs and complimentary therapies.  

The “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” keeps its fans on their toes, but the drama hit home hard for Kim Richards. The 47-year old long-time costar of the reality series has battled alcohol addiction for seasons upon seasons, but she has never admitted to an alcohol problem. Until  now.

Richards recently admitted to alcoholism in a reunion show that aired in a three part series on January 30, February 6 and February 13. The Bravo show recounts the star’s struggles in a face-to-face interview with host Andy Cohen.

Cohen bluntly asks Richards, “Can you tell us what you sought treatment for?” Richards answers with some difficulty, “Yeah, I’m an alcoholic. I’m an alcoholic.”

Thankfully, Richards has received the initial alcohol treatment she needed, and as costar Adrienne Maloof said, she is now one step closer to resolving her difficulties with alcoholism. Richards’ sister Kyle may also become one of her biggest recovery supporters, since Kyle has made comments in the past about Richards’ excessive drinking.

As stars begin to seek alcohol treatment, there is hope that fans who may also suffer from alcoholism will be inspired to seek alcohol treatment themselves. Richards’ very public admittance to alcoholism could be a turning point in the lives of fans as well.

For those living in New Mexico, Vista Taos Renewal Center can be the saving grace in alcohol treatment that these fans need. There, alcoholics can receive caring support from an understanding staff along with treatment for underlying issues that may have contributed to alcoholism in the first place.    

When the safety of his baby was at stake, one Oklahoma City man didn’t hesitate to drive while under the influence of alcohol. The man, 25-year old Ramiro Patino, was pulled over at 11 a.m. on Friday, February 17 in the 8100 block of SW 44. He was caught with a partially-drank six pack of beer.

Police received a call from a concerned citizen, who cited that Patino was spotted drinking a beer while driving with an infant in the back seat. Patino was reportedly swerving at the time.

When arrested, Patino shared with the officer that he did not have a license. He was taken to jail, where he called his sister to pick up the baby girl.

It is not clear if Patino was legally drunk at the time of arrest, but it does appear that the man was in fact drinking while driving and putting his daughter at risk.

These signs of alcohol abuse point to a potential alcohol addiction. Patino’s inability to put the safety of his daughter, himself and other drivers in front of his need for alcohol may be a huge indication of alcohol addiction. In addition, other factors may point to addiction.

In general, alcohol addiction is classified as: being unable to control the urge to drink or an inability to control drinking; an inability to stop or refrain from drinking; spending huge amounts of focus and energy on alcohol; and losing interest in other social activities.

Although not a lot is known about Patino’s extenuating circumstances, he could very well suffer from alcohol addiction. However, there is hope: rehabilitation centers like Vista Taos could help him—or anyone else who suffers from alcohol addiction – overcome alcoholism. For more information about Oklahoma alcohol treatment and inpatient treatment programs, please contact Vista Taos in New Mexico to learn about the many paths you can take to sobriety.

When she collapsed and was hospitalized on January 23rd, 2012, the first reports of Demi Moore’s health indicated that the actress suffered from exhaustion. As the weeks went by, though, it became clear that Moore, 49, suffered from drug abuse and an eating disorder.

Moore sought help for both at a residential treatment center. She checked in to the center two weeks after being hospitalized.

At the January 23rd party that led to her hospitalization, Moore overindulged in nitrous oxide, also known by the street name: whip-its. She also reportedly smoked a substance similar to incense. Party attendees called 911, and Moore was immediately hospitalized.

Since late 2011, the actress has become more emaciated as well; she has battled an eating disorder since she announced her plans to divorce her unfaithful husband, Ashton Kutcher, in November 2011. The couple had been married six years and when Moore discovered Kutcher’s unfaithful behavior, she announced, "[T]here are certain values and vows that I hold sacred."  

As Moore now struggles to regain her footing in life, the residential treatment center will hopefully help her battle the addiction to drugs and her eating disorder.

Residential treatment centers work with individuals to identify underlying causes to addiction and to disorders. Treatment for the underlying causes coupled with detox and therapy can all help people suffering from many forms of addiction overcome the holds of drugs, alcohol, prescription medications and other addictions. Vista Taos Renewal Center is a residential treatment program located in Taos, New Mexico; it’s just 85 miles north of Santa Fe. Catering to many in need from big cities like Dallas, Austin, Denver, Albuquerque and more, their inpatient treatment program can bring hope and change to those who have lost themselves within addiction. Please seek help today; don’t let addiction ruin your life.

Neighbors phoned the police about a parking dispute with residents of an Albuquerque 55th Avenue home. What they found next surprised them.

Ten adults were living in the home without heat, running water, or natural gas. The squatters had hacked in to the electrical box with a hacksaw to steal electricity, but without other services available, the house quickly dropped to deplorable conditions. Everyone in the home was under the influence of one drug or another.

According to Albuquerque Police Officer Joe Martinez, “(There was) no water to even flush a toilet or wash your hands with -- and you've got 10 adult people (at the residence)."

To add insult to injury, the squatters were heavy heroin users. When police entered the house, they discovered the home was overrun with used needles and with needles still loaded with black tar heroin. The conditions were so terrible that investigators had a difficult time investigating the crime scene; the dangerous needles, many uncapped, impeded their progress.

Three squatters were arrested on outstanding warrants when the police arrived, and the owner of the home has been contacted to perform a clean-up of his property.

Unfortunately, the heroin addiction that led these ten squatters to live in such deplorable conditions is all too common. Heroin addiction can be extremely difficult to break, but it is possible. With the help of drug treatment centers like Vista Taos in New Mexico, addicts can break free of their heroin addiction. Hopefully, with the help of a treatment center, the ten individuals found squatting at this residence can receive the necessary assistance to transcend heroin addiction.

When using needles to inject drugs, the user runs so many risks, not just the possibility of overdosing on the heroin. There is a chance that injection sites can become infected; this can be so bad that it results in amputation of the limb. Dirty needles and needle sharing is also how many users end up with auto-immune diseases like HIV/AIDs and Hepatitis C.

Heroin is a deadly drug, quite possibly the most dangerous drug being used at this moment. Please seek help immediately if you or a loved one needs assistance with heroin treatment. Inpatient treatment can save your life. Contact Vista Taos to learn more about the detox and treatment options for heroin.