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Citizens caught driving drunk in 15 US states may face the issuance of a vehicle interlock system as part of their penalty, effective Jan. 1. On the first of January, Connecticut became the 15th state to require the interlock system for all drivers – even first time offenders – who are convicted of driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) above the legal limit.

Other states also participate in the interlock program, to a lesser degree; 24 other states require that repeat offenders or highly drunk drivers (those with a BAC above 0.15) have the interlock system installed in their cars after conviction.

The interlock system is a device that is installed into the ignition of the car. When installed, the car cannot be started until the driver cleanly blows into a breathalyzer. A sober driver may drive; a driver influenced by alcohol may not.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the group that has most heavily pushed for the state-mandated interlock system, believes that the device can save lives. If a driver who is under the influence of alcohol tries to start his car, he will not be able to until he sobers up, meaning that fewer drunk drivers will be on the road to cause harm.

As more and more states join the current 15 who immediately issue interlock systems for any driver convicted of driving while drunk, more people speculate that other states will join the less lenient program – or even require the system be installed in all cars, regardless of a drunk driving conviction.

The interlock system is only one step to keeping drunk drivers off the roads. Helping alcoholics recover at a substance abuse treatment center is also integral to minimizing drunk driving. Substance abuse treatment centers can help alcoholics realize how much harm drunk driving can cause.

For more information about alcohol rehab, please call Vista Taos Renewal Center, a premier substance abuse treatment center located in New Mexico, one of the first states to require the interlock devices for drunk driving offenders.

Singer Amy Winehouse died at home on July 23, 2011, and for a while, the cause of her death was not clear. Drugs and alcohol were suspected causes at first, and then reports that the singer had attempted to detoxify from alcohol abuse on her own surfaced.

Finally, we know the reason for her death. Winehouse suffered from alcohol poisoning. Her blood alcohol level was five times the legal limit for driving, but there were no illegal drugs in her system. Additionally, the autopsy found that there were not large amounts of prescription drugs in her system that would cause or contribute to her death.

In the days leading up to her death, the singer had resumed drinking again. Winehouse’s doctor, Dr. Christina Romete, was following her progress and head even prescribed her the drug Libirium, which helps lessen the effects of withdrawal during alcohol addiction recovery. According to the coroner, Libirium played no role in her death.

Even though Winehouse was cleared of the suspected self-detoxifying, it is important to note that self-detox is not advised for those suffering from alcohol addiction. Often, it takes a team of doctors and specialists to address the needs that arise from alcohol addiction recovery.

At Vista Taos Renewal Center in New Mexico, teams are available to assist alcoholics in their recovery efforts. Here, the focus of recovery is individualized, and root causes of addictive behavior are identified and treated. Recovery can safely be achieved with assistance; without the help of a recovery center, the struggle to recover from alcohol addiction may be more difficult.

Doctors have possibly been prescribing the wrong medicines for the wrong conditions, including drug and alcohol abuse. Those seeking treatment for drug and alcohol abuse from general psychiatrists rather than specialists in rehabilitation centers like Vista Taos have often been prescribed antipsychotic drugs.

These antipsychotics have been used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder with satisfactory results. However, when the drugs containing risperidone (which include the brand names Risperdal, Abilify, Zyprexa and Seroquel) are prescribed for drug and alcohol abuse, they do not effectively treat the patients.

In fact, the side effects of risperidone-based drugs include stroke, tremors, weight gain and fatigue. When the drug is not effectively treating drug and alcohol abuse and is producing unwanted side effects, it is a wonder that psychiatrists would prescribe it to those whom it does not benefit.

Unfortunately, psychiatrists may just be grasping at straws when they prescribe these antipsychotic drugs to addicts. Those unfamiliar with drug and alcohol abuse treatment can sometimes prescribe medications as a trial and error, which can prove to be very difficult for addicts hoping to recover.

Rehabilitation centers like Vista Taos of New Mexico, however, are well-versed in drug and alcohol abuse treatments that work well. At Vista Taos Renewal Clinic, for example, the rehabilitation center focuses on treating the whole person, including any underlying issues. Treatments include individualized counseling, family counseling and after care services. 

When weighing your options in alcohol and drug abuse treatment, you may wish to consider rehabilitation centers over general psychiatric help. Those trained to treat drug and alcohol addictions can often better treat your addictions.

Addiction treatment might be experiencing a change in how to treat it. Dr. Kim Janda, a San Diego-based chemist, has spent the last 25 years working on a vaccine that will help to eliminate addictions such as smoking cigarettes or using cocaine. This would basically mean that when a person consumed his or her drug of choice, that they would feel nothing from the experience, thus eliminating the urge to use again.

Dr. Janda claims the vaccines are not imminent but are well on their way to being developed to help those struggling with addiction. He explained that the vaccine would be administered after someone finds themselves addicted to a substance that they cannot let go of, and that it would be designed to make the immune system create antibodies that would shut down the narcotic before it was able to take control of the body or brain.

Dr. Janda has already run trials with cocaine addicts who have been injected with one of his vaccines and then snorted cocaine. The participants said the coke tasted “dirty” and they did not get the high they would usually get from using this drug. Dr. Janda feels that attitudes have changed toward addiction treatment and that doctors are becoming more willing to promote medical solutions to drug problems in the United States. While the thought of such a vaccine coming onto the market might sound great, it might not be the solution for everyone.

Struggling with an addiction can be life-draining and the help for addicts needs to be provided quickly in order to help save their lives and get them back on the right track to leading a sober life.  If you or a loved one is struggling with an addiction, contact Vista Taos today for answers on how this struggle can become a distant memory. Medical-based treatment is a good option, but it may not be enough. New Mexico’s Vista Taos Clinic focuses on more ways to cope with addiction, not just western medicine. Learn how holistic care can be the solution to tread substance abuse.

Xanax, a very powerful benzodiazepine used to treat anxiety and panic disorders, has seen a significant rise in use both legally and illegally in recent years. The drug has become one of the top ten medications sought by patients in the United States and has spurred addiction abuse throughout the country. That’s why it comes as no surprise that Seven Counties, a healthcare provider in Kentucky, chose to get its doctors to stop writing new prescriptions for Xanax and its generic version, alprazolam, this past April. Not only that, but they also plan to have doctors wean their patients off it completely by the end of this year.

Seven Counties plans to carefully watch how this experiment takes off and are hoping to see less people with an addiction abuse to Xanax. Many people have overdosed from the use and misuse of this medication and the abuse of it has to stop before more lives are claimed. Many states have focused their primary concern on pain medications such as hydrocodone and other narcotic painkillers, but recently states are becoming increasingly more aware that benzodiazepines are just as dangerous and just as addictive.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an 89 percent increase in emergency room visits nationwide was, sadly, related to non-medical benzodiazepine use between 2004 and 2008. In Kentucky alone, they have seen an increase in addiction abuse mainly with people combining Xanax and opiate painkillers and often with deadly consequences. Seven Counties is not the first provider to cut off prescriptions for controlled substances and will most likely not be the last.

What makes Xanax particularly dangerous is that it poses a much bigger risk for addiction abuse and causes significant withdrawal symptoms. The drug’s effects can be felt almost immediately after consumption but only last a few hours and then leave those using the medication wanting more. It is a dangerous medication with a high level of abuse. If you or a loved one is suffering from addiction abuse, please contact Vista Taos today to find out more information on how to lead a healthy drug-free life.