Mexican Cartels Are Not Playing Around and They Will Stop At Nothin

Mexican cartels have been ravaging the pristine forests that cover the vast state of California. Unlike anything that has ever been seen, the size of the cartels marijuana fields dwarf any fields planted by the residents of California. As the medical marijuana movement sweeps across the country the cartels have found a way to exploit the relaxed marijuana laws. Plant numbers are of no concern to the cartels who smuggle illegal immigrants into the country to tend 70,000 plant crops on public lands, which end up yielding 35 to 75,000 pounds of marijuana in one harvest. At the end of the day it makes financial sense for the cartels to grow marijuana in the United States, having the product already on this side of the border saves millions in transportation costs. When the marijuana is harvested the cartels can easily move the drug to every major city in the United States. California is finding that it simply does not have the manpower to police these activities.

Brent Wood, a supervisor for the California Department of Justice's Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement, said to the AP; "just like the Mexicans took over the methamphetamine trade, they've gone to mega, monster gardens". Methamphetamine production shifted across the border into Mexico a few years back when the United States cracked down on the availability of Pseudoephedrine, the main ingredient in Meth. The meth labs created in Mexico were larger than any ever attempted before, reminiscent of the scale of the guerrilla marijuana operations taking place in the States. The cartels are not playing around and they will stop at nothing to get what they desire - billions of dollars.

On top of trashing public lands, the cartels have been holding people hostage on the farms to work the land. The cartels find out where their workers' families are back in Mexico and use their loved ones as leverage to keep them working. "Many of the plots are encircled with crude explosives and are patrolled by guards armed with AK-47s who survey the perimeter from the ground and from perches high in the trees", according to an AP report. How are local authorities supposed to combat this growing threat?

Patrick Kennedy Will Step Down

Congressman Patrick Kennedy with his late father, Senator Ted Kennedy

"Going forward I will continue many of the fights we waged together, particularly on behalf of those suffering from depression, addiction, autism and post-traumatic stress disorder," Kennedy said in a quote drawn from the video by AFP.

Patrick Kennedy, son of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, will step down and not seek a ninth term in the House of Representatives. Patrick Kennedy is an ambitious statesman who made the suffering his first priority; his work set the ball in motion for serious health care reform. Patrick struggled for years with drugs and alcohol as well as being diagnosed with a debilitating bipolar disorder. When Patrick found sobriety four years ago he made it his personal mission to completely reform health care in America. Kennedy thanked Rhode Island voters for their continued support despite his dealings with addiction. "When I made missteps or suffered setbacks, you responded not with contempt, but compassion. Thank you for all the times you lifted me up, pushed me forward and filled my heart with hope".

In 2008, Kennedy founded and heads up, the Congressional Addiction, Treatment and Recovery Caucus; he worked hand and hand with Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici in the creation of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. Kennedy, in short, has become the voice of the addiction community in a number of ways; he has battled to help the disenfranchised at every opportunity.

Retired Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-Minn.), commented on Kennedy's decision to step down, "a huge loss for people with mental illness and addiction, as Patrick Kennedy was their greatest champion in Washington". Ramstad co-sponsored the House version of the parity bill; he understands better than most the caliber of statesmen that Rhode Island and the whole nation will be losing. There are many United States citizens that suffer from the disease of addiction, in many ways, it takes an addict to understand an addict; there are not many politicians who have the back of the addicted and mentally disabled. During his career, Patrick Kennedy fought for reforms in: health care, juvenile justice, the parity bill, and he secured the channeling of more federal funding for addiction programs.

"Patrick's courageous admissions of his own struggles with bipolar disease and alcoholism have helped reduce the stigma of these diseases, and his personal recovery has been a great inspiration to many people. Were Patrick Kennedy's uncle, President Kennedy, still alive and were President Kennedy to write a sequel to Profiles in Courage, his nephew Patrick would occupy a full chapter", said Ramstad.

Measure To Legalize Pot May Be On California's November Ballot

California residents may find that they are casting their vote in November regarding the legalization of marijuana. The original consensus was that marijuana advocates would wait until 2012 to put it on the ballot, but, 680,000 people signed a petition in favor of legalization causing the timeline to speed up. Marijuana buzz is sweeping the country, as more and more states tarry with the idea of medical marijuana programs; it seems like with every passing month the snowball increases it size and moves faster towards all out legalization. These are big times in the United States, nothing like this has happened since Roosevelt's New Deal; when a country hits hard financial times then it is time to legalize something in order to bring in revenue. Or at least that has been the American way in the past, to make money on the addiction and suffering of others. On the surface it seems like California and America are heading in the right direction: smaller prison populations, less crime, generates tax revenue, pharmaceuticals, hemp, oil, paper, etc... The pros listed are certainly worth agreeing with, it is clear that marijuana does have benefits and could be utilized in number of ways. However, California may be heading down a slippery slope and could possibly bring the whole country with it.

Richard Lee, the measure's main proponent, said to the LA Times, "It was so easy to get them, People were so eager to sign". Richard Lee has already invested over a million into the campaign, he owns a dispensary and a marijuana college called Oaksterdam in Oakland, California. "The initiative would allow cities and counties to adopt laws to allow marijuana to be grown and sold, and to impose taxes on marijuana production and sales. It would make it legal for anyone who is at least 21 to possess an ounce of marijuana and grow plants in an area of no more than 25 square feet for personal use", according to the LA Times. Medical marijuana has completely shifted how we look at marijuana in the United States, opening the door to all out legalization talks such as this; it appears at this point that the pro-marijuana campaign is having more success than those against it.

We are still a year out from the polls and naturally a lot will take place between now and then. It is still anyone's guess! What we can be certain of is that money will end having the final say in this debate. As with most political battles, those who spend the most have the best chance of passing something - even if it is the worst possible thing. In many people's eyes marijuana is already legal because it is so easy to get a recommendation to use cannabis. If this trend keeps up, marijuana and alcohol will be in the same class. My only hope is that addiction is considered in the debates and the public is made aware of the implications of legalizing an illicit drug.

California Medical Marijuana Is Doping Our Youth

Marijuana is being used to help treat Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with children in California, has medical marijuana gone too far? This is one of those things that is a question of ethics and certainly needs to be addressed before there is a catastrophe. In 1999 California voters passed a law which allowed doctors to recommend cannabis for medical use, including minors. A seventeen year old with leukemia is a far cry from a twelve year old with ADHD. In California Marijuana can be recommended "for any ... illness for which marijuana provides relief". It has been known for a long time that marijuana inhibits focusing and motivation, how marijuana could be considered useful for ADHD is beyond me; the Washington Times reports, "ADHD is described as a neurological disorder that prevents children from focusing on a specific task. In essence, people with ADHD have difficulty with self-regulation and self-motivation, owing to problems with distractibility, organization and prioritization".

In the United States we are guilty of over-medicating our children and as a result our children suffer. With 14 million Adderall prescriptions last year it is obvious that we are too quick to medicate. Now we are drifting into the world of alternative medications like marijuana to fix our problems with out doing all the research. There needs to be a certain level of digression by doctors when recommending marijuana, otherwise we will be fueling addiction throughout our youth. "What they don't realize is that marijuana use during childhood and the early-teen years produces significantly different effects than marijuana use later in life. The behaviors exhibited by introducing tetrahydrocannabinol -- the active ingredient in marijuana -- to the brain are similar to those demonstrated by alcohol consumption", reports the Washington Times.

We need to start getting real with ourselves regarding the benefits of medical marijuana. Its uses are limited and do not apply to everyone, it has side-effects that have no place in a child's life. If marijuana is going to be legal it needs to be treated like every other prescription drug and be held up to the same scrutiny. We wouldn't give Oxycontin to a child for a hang nail!

Crack Inhalation Room Where Addicts Can Go To Smoke Their Cocaine

There is talk in British Columbia about an experimental new study that would help the government determine why HIV and AIDS rates among Crack smokers are rising. The plan on the drawing board is to set up a crack inhalation room where addicts can go to smoke their cocaine in a sterile environment in order to see if it stops the increase of HIV/AIDS numbers. "Researchers tracked 1,048 crack cocaine users over a nine-year period and found that 137 became HIV positive. The reason for the increase is not definitive. But researchers, which included the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, said disease transmission could be attributed to wounds produced around the mouth when smoking crack from a pipe", according to the Vancouver Courier. British Columbia is well aware that the war on drugs is not being handled properly and that drastic steps may be needed if the problem is going to be helped. Obviously, let's face it, there is a lot of hesitation regarding this subject matter; having a place where Crack smokers can get high just seems counter-intuitive.

Proponents of the trial inhalation room like Dr. Evan Wood, who was behind the study that showed the spike in HIV/AIDS rates among Crack cocaine users, point to the United States as an a reason for trying out the controversial inhalation room. "He pointed to research in the United States that showed a high number of people incarcerated for cocaine offences who are not receiving treatment. He noted the so-called "war on drugs" in the United States and in Canada has done nothing to stem the flow of drugs. Wood suggested he could buy drugs in less than 10 minutes of walking outside the Carnegie Centre, the location of the press conference", reported the Vancouver Courier. Canada has always had a more relaxed view on drugs than the United States; it is not surprising that leaders would be interested in such a drastic experiment.

The inhalation rooms could be a place where councilors and doctors could have a chance to help addicts get into recovery. Ultimately, if drug use drops then it stands to reason that disease rates would too. It wouldn't be a bad thing to have an experiment to determine how the virus is being transmitted, but, it seems the number one objective should be getting the addicts off the streets by providing the option of treatment as much as possible. Prevention is always the best answer in a country where crack and methamphetamine use is rising.

Lesniak Cunningham Bill Amending The Drug Free School Zone Law

New Jersey made a huge move yesterday with the LESNIAK-CUNNINGHAM bill amending the New Jersey's drug-free school zone law, allowing judges more discretion when sentencing non-violent drug offenders. In a country with too many prisons housing primarily people with non-violent drug charges this is an amazing step towards more treatments and less prisons. New Jersey calculates that $48,000 is spent per person each year on imprisoning people that clearly would be better served in a drug treatment facility. The fact is that drug offenders who serve their time in prison, rather than treatment, have a much greater chance of winding up behind bars again. Unfortunately, New Jersey is not alone, the majority of all jails and prisons in the United States have more inmates convicted with drug related crimes than anything else.

It's pretty clear by now that America's approach on the drug war is failing, so much time and money is being spent imprisoning when we should be treating. The original drug-free school zone law is not doing what it was intended to do, as a result many people are being unfairly punished. The Star Ledger Reports, "The idea, hatched in the Legislature many years ago, was to protect children from drug dealers. But Hoffman's commission found that almost none of those charged under this law were on school grounds luring students. They were in nearby neighborhoods. And 96 percent of them were African-American or Latino". Inner-city kids are much more likely to get caught up with the law because just about everywhere you go in the city it is within a 1,000 feet of a school - in New Jersey and everywhere else in the country. Senator Cunningham believes that, "New Jersey needs to do a better job in getting violent offenders off the streets, whether it's drug offenses or criminal street gangs", according to the Politicker NJ. "However, we cannot and should not continue to turn a blind eye to the effects of mandatory minimum sentencing on nonviolent offenders, many of whom enter prison and are recruited into gangs or other violent criminal enterprises. Mandatory minimum sentencing has created more violence on our streets and a hamstrung judiciary, unable to direct nonviolent offenders to drug treatment programs".

We can only hope that other States will follow New Jerseys lead, just recently New York repealed the Rockefeller drug laws regarding cocaine which is another major step forward in the United States quest towards reducing prison populations as well as costs. I will be following these stories to see if these reforms are as successful as I hope they are. We encourage you to send us your thoughts on the subject.

Mary Bono Mack Will Take Drug Addiction Right To Washington D.C.

Health Care reform in America seems to be a heated debate these days. What to include, what not to include and just how do we go about real change in the health care system. California Representative Mary Bono Mack will give a speech on Saturday, October 17, 2009, at Riverside Community College District's Moreno Valley Campus. She will be discussing her son's struggle with drug addiction . Mack believes that addiction prevention should be one of the main topics in the health care debate. Unfortunately, her son Chesare, began abusing pain medication shortly after his father, Sonny Bono, died in a ski accident in 1998. What started as Oxycontin abuse, progressed as most opiate addicts do, to using harder opiates such as heroin. Chesare went to two drug treatment centers before the recovery process began to take hold. Mary Bono Mack will take drug addiction right to Washington D.C..

Mack, according to The Press Enterprise, "began speaking out after she and her son, Chesare, went public in a People magazine story in February about his struggle with drug addiction and recovery". Since that article she has become, by default, a voice for the drug and alcohol community to help shed light on the disease of addiction. We can no longer keep the subject of addiction in the closet, we need to open the conversation so there can be a solution found in a health care system that does not currently understand addiction. "In Washington, D.C., Bono Mack is set to testify Thursday about narcotics trafficking during a House Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere meeting. She also said she's pushing for tighter Food and Drug Administration controls on Oxycontin", stated The Press Enterprise. Bono Mack has opened her ears to the countless families that have loved ones addicted to drugs, she feels that it is necessary to step up and speak out.

There needs to be more courageous people like Bono Mack who are willing to go as far as it takes to get the information out there regarding the dangers of prescription medications. The longer we ignore what drugs like Oxycontin do to people, the longer families will continue to be devastated. Prescription drugs are just as addictive as illegal drugs and have the ability to ruin just as many lives - if not more. "A lot of parents don't know prescription pills are a dangerous substance," she said. "They need to educate themselves about what's out there. It's a tough battle", reports The Press Enterprise.

If you are interested in participating in this discussion, here are the details:

Substance Abuse Conference
What: Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Palm Springs, as well as public and mental health officials will speak during the conference aimed at youths, young adults and parents.
When: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Riverside Community College District Moreno Valley campus, 16130 Lasselle St., in Student Services room 101
Cost: Free and no reservations needed
Information: 951-571-6100

The War on Drugs Conference is Leaning Towards Legalization

If the United States were to legalize marijuana it would cripple the Mexican drug cartels severely. At least that is the hope and belief of the panelists at the War on Drugs conference last Tuesday. This idea is not a new one, and there are a lot of people who concur that the legalization of marijuana would financially devastate the cartels. The conference lasted two days and was held in El Paso, Texas. El Paso has now become the front line in this war due to its close proximity to Juarez. They evaluated America's War on Drugs over the last four decades; the major topic of discussion was regarding the pros and cons of legalization. William Martin, a sociology professor at Rice University who studies drug abuse and government policy believes that if marijuana were sold legally, as a controlled product, it might keep smokers away from other harder drugs. "If you are not going to a dealer to buy marijuana, you are less likely to go after harder drugs," states Martin. The War on Drugs conference is leaning towards legalization.

There was a reoccurring theme throughout the entire conference, panelist after panelist stated that America was as much to blame for the violence in Juarez as the Mexican government. The war being fought is over keeping Mexican drugs out of the United States, but, the majority of blood being spilled is Mexico's. According to the El Paso Times, "now that Mexico is trying to rid itself of the drug cartels that have killed thousands of people in the past 20 months, the United States should have an honest debate about drug policies that have done nothing to lessen demand, panelists said". We cannot continue to pretend that the U.S. is in anyway stemming the tide. Many politicians do not even want to broach the subject of legalization for the fear of their voters who are against it.

Nevertheless, drastic action needs to be taken if the killings are going to stop. Maybe, legalization would help? Maybe not? The United States and Mexico have a common enemy. It will take a joint effort to defeat this monster; cartels have become too powerful for the Mexican government to tackle this problem - they have tried and failed at the cost of many lives. In the past eight years the United States has devoted itself to foreign affairs, perhaps it is time to do some work at home. Marijuana is an addictive drug with negative side effects, but, we have to ask ourselves if prohibition is doing more harm than good. The Mexican border is becoming like Chicago in the 1930's and that is unacceptable on so many levels. When the War on Drugs conference is saying "Legalize", perhaps they have figured out something that might work - nothing else has.

The Policy in Mexico is to Stop the Flow of Illegal Drugs into the United States

The mass murders that happened at two rehab centers in Juarez may have been drug fronts. "Juarez is about to open its first city-operated drug treatment center in hopes of lowering the demand for drugs", according to Juarez Mayor Jose Reyes. Which, coupled with proper education in the schools could help to curb some of the drug problems in the city. Although, Reyes believes that it is time for the United States to step up and take charge with this growing epidemic. "Now it is the United States' turn to battle the drug cartels that have paralyzed Mexico for 20 months", Reyes said Monday at a War on Drugs conference. He claims that the archaic policies of the past 40 years in the U.S. had done nothing to lessen the demand for marijuana, cocaine and heroin. Good and innocent people all over Mexico are losing their lives trying to stem the drug flow into the U.S., it makes sense that America would put more effort into a war that is being fought to protect our soil. According to the El Paso Times, "the policy in Mexico is to stop the flow of illegal drugs into the United States, and that has caused a lot of people to be killed, Reyes said of the 3,200 homicides in Juarez since January 2008. From politicians to innocent people to police officers, they have all died trying to stop the flow of drugs into the United States".

Reyes brought up a very interesting point about the American view point on drugs, the contradictions that exist throughout our system raise some red flags. "On the same day a policeman in Mexico died in the line of fire, U.S. law officers declined to prosecute champion swimmer Michael Phelps for marijuana use", stated Reyes. "What is the message being sent?" Reyes asked. "That drug flow is not OK, but drug use is OK?" I cannot help but share Reyes sentiments on this subject, this is not to say that Phelps deserved punishment; however, if we have a no tolerance drug policy and loopholes exist in our system, how can we expect it to work? It can't! Many people believe that if we were to legalize some drugs like marijuana that it would enable our resources to be used more effectively towards the real criminals. Although, I understand Reyes, what do we tell the families of the victims of the war on drugs about their loss, when, we don't punish the people buying and using the drugs. The cop in Mexico died fighting to keep drugs out of the U.S., and we let people who use drugs off on the same day. The mixed messages are overwhelming, to say the least; the time for real policy change has arrived and we all need to do our part.

"We've had 40 years of failure with our policies, said Terry Nelson, a retired federal agent, now of a group called Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. Drug use does not cause crime. It is the prohibition of drugs that causes the crimes", reports the El Paso Times. U.S. law officers stop only 16 percent of the 2.1 million pounds of drugs that are shipped into the country each year, it is quite clear just who is winning the war on drugs. Nelson believes that when the killing stops in Juarez it means that there is a new cartel in charge, it is not a sign that law enforcement tactics are working - a stark realization. Both Reyes and Nelson have very good arguments and I cannot help but agree that America needs to reevaluate their role in this war and legalization of certain drugs needs to be considered if we are to have a fighting chance. If America is not going to make the investment towards education, then, it needs to lend its hand to all of Mexico; otherwise we will be fighting this battle forever.

More Killed At Another Drug Treatment Facility

At least 10 people, patients and therapists, were killed at another drug treatment facility in Ciudad Juarez. Armed men attacked a rehabilitation clinic for drug addicts in the violent border city for the second time in two weeks, authorities said Wednesday. The streets of Juarez are chaotic to say the least, but, this is the sixth drug treatment center attacked in the last 13 months. As we reported earlier this month 18 people were slain in the same way September 2. "Scores of treatment centers for people suffering from drug and alcohol abuse have sprung up in Mexican cities, reflecting the country's fast-growing addiction problem. Once just a pathway for drugs headed to the United States, Mexico has become a consumer nation; the government says the number of addicts increased by 51 percent from 2002 to 2008", the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Unfortunately, homes of recovery and rehabilitation have become hideouts for the very same people trafficking the drugs and the centers are used as recruiting grounds. This stark reality has led to the horrific executions by rival gangs where, sadly, innocent bystanders get caught in the mix.

"Despite a heavy military presence, Juarez is Mexico's most violent city in a raging drug war that has claimed more than 13,000 lives since December 2006", according to the SFC. Nobody is safe from the violence, Tuesday's attack at the Life Annex treatment left dead Dr. Iram Ortiz, the director, along with one female patient, seven male patients, and one other doctor. The Life Annex, whose name has become rather counter intuitive, is a center located in a working-class neighborhood of Juarez. "A survivor, who watched the massacre from a hiding place inside the clinic, told reporters that as many as eight men opened fire at random, shooting patients and anyone else in the building".

The Coco Bongo nightclub in Juarez was attacked, Wednesday, as customers were celebrating Mexican Independence Day. This shooting left five people dead and there is no doubt that this attack was drug cartel related. Once again it seems very clear that there is no safe place for anyone along the border cities; hospitals, treatment centers, and even night clubs. What will it take for Mexico to take control of its country again? The "wild west" has clearly moved south into what has become the lawless lands of beautiful, yet dangerous, Mexico. My heart goes out to all the innocent people caught in the middle of this greed driven war to supply drugs into the United States. What will it take to cure the human epidemic?

Prison System Falls Short In Treating Drug Addiction

The United States is literally sick with the disease of addiction. Every day countless numbers of people are sentenced to jail when they belong in drug treatment facilities. The U.S. prison system does not appropriately address the needs of people withdrawing from drugs and people are put through what could only be described as a form of torture. It is estimated that a quarter of a million people that are addicted to heroin are imprisoned each year in the United States. That number is only a fraction of all the people incarcerated that are addicted to various narcotics. Sadly, very few state run prisons offer, let alone provide, any form of detoxification or any type of treatment. A recent Science Daily article addressed this problem and had many interesting facts worth noting. Simply, the U.S. prison system falls short in treating drug addiction.

The Miriam Hospital at Brown University and their affiliated Center for Prisoner Health and Human Rights did a study and their findings are almost hard to believe. "Just half of all federal and state prison systems offer ORT (opiate replacement therapy) with the medications methadone and buprenorphine, and only in very limited circumstances. Similarly, only twenty-three states provide referrals for some inmates to treatment upon release from prison. These policies are counter to guidelines issued by both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which say prisoners should be offered ORT for treatment of opiate dependence". There is no doubt that providing inmates with the option of ORT and referring prisoners to drug treatment centers, upon release, would dramatically decrease recidivism and ultimately would give people a chance at starting a new life. In turn this would make the streets safer for everyone and this would reduce the taxpayers' burden by keeping addicts from returning to jail over and over.

"Opiate addiction, like all forms of addiction, causes long-term changes to the structure and functioning of the brain, which is why it is classified as a disease. Addiction requires treatment just as other chronic diseases, like diabetes and cancer, do. Unfortunately, there is a large gap between the number of prisoners who require addiction treatment and those who actually receive it," added senior author Josiah Rich, MD, MPH, co-director of the Center for Prisoner Health and Human Rights at The Miriam Hospital and Alpert Medical School. If an inmate were diagnosed with cancer they would receive proper medical treatment for the disease and the same goes with any illness. Why, then, is the disease of addiction overlooked and thrown under the bus time and time again? The science is clear and the facts have been posted on the wall, but, nobody wants to read them - let alone believe them.

"In spite of overwhelming scientific evidence demonstrating that pharmacological treatment for addiction has greater health and social benefits than abstinence-only policies, many prison directors are philosophically opposed to treating substance use. Most prisons also do not provide referrals for substance use treatment for prisoners upon release. These trends contribute to high re-incarceration rates and have detrimental impacts on community health. Our interviews with prison medical directors suggest that changing these policies may require an enormous cultural shift within correctional systems", stated Amy Nunn, ScD, the studies lead author and an assistant professor of medicine (research) at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. It is hard not to see Amy Nunn's point, real change and the destruction of the social stigmas that come along with addiction are ever so important. If prisons continue to view the disease of addiction as a question of willpower of weak moral fiber, then there will always be hundreds of thousands of people returning to prison as repeat offenders. Over 10 million people go to jail in America every year, most of which have or have had a substance abuse problem. The tools are available for curbing those numbers; however, we are failing to utilize them.

Seventeen Patients Killed in Drug Rehabilitation Center Shooting

Nobody is safe on the front line in the war on drugs in Mexico, nor in the United States. Tensions still run high despite the recent legalization of drugs in Mexico, on September 3rd, 17 patients were killed and two others were wounded in a drug rehabilitation center shooting in northern Mexico. Ciudad Juarez, a city in northern Mexico, has been the epicenter of the drug war, whose death toll has been literally "through the roof". It's a tragedy when people who are trying to better their lives by checking themselves into drug treatment centers find themselves still caught in the middle of this conflict. What will it take for people to be rid of the tyranny in Mexico? How long can the killings continue before the people of Mexico become tired and can't take it anymore demanding real change?

According to CNN, "Mayor Jose Reyes Ferriz said authorities believe a rival drug gang attacked the men at the El Aviane rehab facility. At the very least, it was one organized crime group thinking that another group was operating in that place," Reyes told CNN. Juarez this year has had a staggering number of murders with a death toll of more than 1,420 people. This number will only increase before the year's end and most likely surpass last year's count of 1600 people. According to a Mexican Civic Group, Ciudad Juarez has had more murders per capita than any other city in the world. With a population of roughly 1.5 million people, that's 130 killings per 100,000 people was seen in a report released last week by the Mexican Citizens Council for Public Security; compared to New Orleans, which had more killings than any other city in the United States, who had 64 killings to every 100,000 people in 2008.

The constant war to control drug trade routes into the United States between the two major cartels in Mexico has brought about such a high murder rate. However, control of the trafficking routes is not the only cause for the spike in murders. "An unprecedented wave of violence has washed over Mexico since Calderon declared war on drug cartels shortly after coming into office in December 2006. More than 11,000 people have since died, about 1,000 of them police", said CNN. Many of the recent murders have been in retaliation to the "so-called" offensive, which sadly has been quite ineffective. The La Familia Michoacana drug cartel and its rival Sinaloa cartel are believed to be responsible for most of the violence seen in the last few years in northern Mexico.

We are very fortunate that drug treatment facilities in the U.S. are safe places to begin the journey into recovery. Nevertheless, America is a large part of the equation regarding the extensive murders in Mexico. Mexico fuels our insatiable need for drugs, it can not be stressed enough how crucial the United States is to finding a solution to the drug war in Mexico. If we are not part of the solution then we are part of the problem and it is clear that we have been part of the latter for too long. As it is, right now, the cartels are clearly in control and that is unacceptable; the time has come for better days, we cannot sit by and watch this massacre continue.

Afghanistan has become Riddled with Drug Addicts

War torn and covered by a blanket of despair, the country of Afghanistan has become riddled with drug addicts. A staggering number of addicts estimated to be 1.5 million, 120,000 of which are females (according to the Ministry of Narcotics) can be seen across the country. The Opium crop in Afghanistan is believed to be the main ingredient in 93 percent of the world's Heroin; despite that fact, there are many advocates attempting to legalize Opium crops throughout the country. The International Council on Security and Development (ICOS) has been promoting the legal cultivation of opium for many years. ICOS claims to have no affiliation with global drug companies trying to get a hold on the market for morphine. "Yet ICOS is no longer welcomed by the Afghan government. And, despite ICOS claims, the International Narcotics Control Board counters there is no worldwide shortage of heroin for medical purposes. Nineteen countries legally produce it; only India exports it." according to The Toronto Star.

In the last eight years both the United States and Great Britain have set out to eradicate the Opium fields in Afghanistan; however, despite their best efforts it has done little to curtail the enormous market. "Washington last month announced it was pulling out of the eradication scheme" despite the fact that 18 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces are believed to be Opium-free. Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, has said eradication "didn't reduce the amount of money the Taliban got by one dollar. It is almost as if the United States is given up the fight against Opium cultivation and this can only do more harm than good on a global scale.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan's domestic drug problem continues out of control while people continue to prosper off the drug. There are very few drug treatment facilities in Afghanistan and entire families are hooked on the drug in one form or another. "These men – and the addicted women shuttered inside their houses, routinely given opium during childbirth, even blowing heroin fumes into the mouths of colicky babies – can see no further than their next fix". Mothers and fathers try and get their children into treatment despite being addicted themselves. Heroin is a much more potent refined form of a Opium which has caused an epidemic in Afghanistan and many other countries as well.

Fortunately for those who suffer from addiction in America the option for treatment is readily available for those who want it. Please share your thoughts with us regarding this subject...

Baby Boomers Abuse of Drugs and Alcohol

The rate of illicit drug use is going up in the 50-59 age group; this group includes America's Baby Boomers, the generation born between 1946 and 1964. The Baby Boomers' abuse of drugs(both legal and illegal) and alcohol has been increasing in the United States. This becomes more apparent as people in this age bracket need to see doctors for other ailments and request pain medication. Woodstock may have ended 40 years ago but the party has stayed the same for many who were young adults at that time. "The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported Wednesday that rates of illegal drug use by the older generation have doubled in recent years." Statistics are showing that people age 50 to 59 who admit to using illicit drugs in the past year nearly doubled from 5.1% in 2002 to 9.4% in 2007 while rates among all other age groups are the same or decreasing. The use of drugs and alcohol by people at that age will no doubt add to increased hospitalization in the coming years. "These findings show that many in the Woodstock generation continue to use illicit drugs as they age," said SAMHSA Acting Administrator Eric Broderick. "This continued use poses medical risks to these individuals and is likely to put further strains on the nation's health care system, highlighting the value of preventing drug use from ever starting."

The information used in the study came from various surveys including 16,656 men and women participating in the 2002 through 2007 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health. On top of illegal drugs there are many who use pharmaceuticals as well; the CDC states that "of 2.4 billion drugs mentioned in patients' medical records in 2005, 118 million were antidepressants. High blood pressure drugs followed, with 113 million and arthritis or headache drugs were mentioned in 110 million." I find those numbers to be staggering and a good indication that there are just as many Baby Boomers addicted to legal drugs as illegal - if not more! There are some serious issues that need to be addressed regarding this with respect to the solution. How to go about stopping a generation of people who have been using drugs in one way or another for over 40 years is not an answer that we can come to easily.

I will say that many Baby Boomers do end up recognizing the problem and check themselves into drug an alcohol treatment facilities. But drug and alcohol treatment programs typically need to be fine tuned to deal with the additional health problems that can affect the Baby Boomers age group. These problems might include hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and chronic lung problems. I am curious how you feel about this study.

People tend to start having health problems in the age group and there is no telling what effects the use of illegal drugs will have. I encourage you to watch a video called Woodstock Generation Still Getting High.

Whole Family has become Addicted to Opium

In war torn Afghanistan Opium is about the only drug that people can get their hands on. Opium is used for medicine in Afghanistan, after decades of struggle between the Russians in the 80's and the United States beginning in 2001 the country is left in the dark when it comes to medical aid. What was once used for medicine has now become an epidemic much like China in the 18th and 19th centuries, where whole villages have become hooked to Opium. National Geographic just interviewed the Beg family in the village of Sarab which has a population of fewer than 2,000, and half are already addicts. "I started taking a smoke until I got addicted to this (opium). I lost my property, I lost my strength, my bravery and now I am laying here with an empty stomach", says Islam Beg age 65. His whole family has become addicted to Opium and his one-year old grandson has already started taking the drug, the family's argument is that there is no other medicine - all they have is Opium.

Islam Beg once was the owner of much of the land in his village along with many animals, but now, he has nothing other than the pipe, as he and his family sold everything in order to keep it filled. Islam Beg is ashamed of the person that he has become and there is not much help out there for people in his position. The country of Afghanistan has few drug treatment facilities available, with less than 200 beds for drug rehab nationwide it is not surprising there is such a staggering number of addicts. Afghanistan's chief export happens to be Opium which is sold to pharmaceutical companies around the world for pain medication; and the opium that is not exported legally to pharmaceutical companies is exported illegally as the raw ingredient for heroin. Millions of dollars pour into Afghanistan, purchasing the drug for use in nations around the world. The United States in 2004 gave 4.4 billion dollars in aid for infrastructure, which I highly doubt much or any of that money went to heath care in a nation that has an estimated 150,000 opium addicts and a further 50,000 heroin addicts. Without support directed towards the addiction problem, many people will have little choice but to die an addict.

Islam Beg is "hopeful that his grandchildren will escape his fate, he believes they're not yet addicted", but, when you start using Opium at the age of one it is hard to see any other path. People will give up anything for the drug and without drug education and medical alternatives it is not surprising. Corporations make billions of dollars at the hands of a country in the grips of addiction. Villages in Afghanistan are in desperate need of relief in the way of drug treatment facilities; without foreign aid I do not see how children have any other fate away from the Opium pipe. "Decades of war and poverty have instilled a sense of hopelessness in many people here, making narcotics an easy destructive way to deal with an often grim reality."

Your thoughts?

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