list of America's Top 5 Addictions

10:51 list of America's Top 5 Addictions 0 Comments

Sex, drugs, booze. We're all familiar with the obvious addictions. But, here is a list of America's Top 5 Addictions according to best selling author of Addict Nation, Jane Velez-Mitchell:

1. Prescription Pill Addiction: There's a growing trend in America to try and solve all manner of discomfort, real or imagined, physical or emotional, with a pill. Pharmaceutical drugs like Vicodin, Oxycodone, Ambien, Xanax, Klonopin, and Valium fill our medicine cabinets and it's killing us. Nationwide, deaths from prescription drug overdoses are the second-leading cause of accidental death behind car accidents. In some states, prescription O.D.'s are the leading cause of accidental death.

2. Food Addiction: Millions of Americans have been self-medicating ourselves with fat and sugar for so long it has become a standard of living. As a result, our country is suffering from a mind-blowing obesity crisis. Two thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. It would be safe to say obesity is our nation's biggest health issue and reports show this epidemic impacts every facet of our lives from health care to global warming. We're fat! Our kids are fat! And, it's making us miserable, sick, unattractive and costing us a fortune.

3. Addiction to Crime and Punishment: What's surpassed baseball as our #1 national pastime? Crime. America's extreme fixation on violence and murder has reached epidemic proportions and it is hurting us emotionally and financially. Our justice system prefers to spend untold millions of tax dollars: sealing off the crime scene, forensics testing, offering rewards, arresting the suspect, holding news conferences, going to trial, and then locking up, feeding, clothing and guarding the convicted criminal... rather than spend a tiny sliver of that cost preventing his crime in the first place. This addictive mindset is a crime in itself.

4. Addiction to Shopping: While buying something that you actually need is not addictive shopping, American culture has played a shell game with us, creating all manner of artificial needs that are really not needs at all. New cars, tech gadgets, baby showers, and the ever-growing number of holidays are opportunities to enforce the rules of the cult. You need buy more. Shockingly, the United States accounts for about 5-percent of the world's population and almost one third of global consumption. As we shop our way into massive debt as a nation, the freight train of overconsumption is only accelerating.

5. Addiction to Technology: The book Addict Nation suggests Cyber addiction is perhaps the most complex societal contagion America is facing today because the nature of the Internet is all encompassing. There is email, texting, Twitter, Facebook, You Tube, Skype, Google, Yahoo, iTunes, and innumerable chat rooms. The Internet also acts as a porthole for other addictions like online gambling and porn, making it easy to score with a simple "click."

Will the American people "hit bottom" on these cultural addictions and change? Do we really want a nation filled with citizens who are overwhelmingly obese, drug addicted, hooked on sex, criminally minded or drowning in debt?

The choice is ours. Addict Nation tackles the issue of cultural addictions, and promises to shine a light on those who would profit off of our misery. The book promises a blueprint for change, but first we must see what is really going on. Addict Nation is an intervention!

About the bestselling author: Jane Velez-Mitchell is an award winning television journalist and author. She currently has her own show on HLN, "Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell." She is often seen commenting on high-profile cases for CNN, TruTV, E! and other national cable TV shows. Velez-Mitchell is an environmentalist, "out" lesbian, animal protection advocate, vegan, and recovering alcoholic with over 15 years of sobriety.

Sandra Mohr is the co-author of "Addict Nation-An Intervention for America" by Jane Velez-Mitchell. She also assisted Velez-Mitchell with her books "Secrets Can Be Murder" and "iWant" (New York Times Best Seller).

Understanding and treating a variety of addictions will be the topic of two days worth of workshops sponsored by the Central Nebraska Council on Alcoholism and Addictions

10:49 Understanding and treating a variety of addictions will be the topic of two days worth of workshops sponsored by the Central Nebraska Council on Alcoholism and Addictions 0 Comments

Understanding and treating a variety of addictions will be the topic of two days worth of workshops sponsored by the Central Nebraska Council on Alcoholism and Addictions next month in Grand Island.

The workshops, which serve as the council’s annual fundraiser, will be on April 7 and 8 at the Evangelical Free Church, 2609 S. Blaine St.

Dennis Daley will speak on “Treatment of Addiction: Evidenced-based Individual and Group Approaches” from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 7.


A number of evidence-based psychosocial clinical practices are available for both alcoholism and drug dependence. Research on these practices has led to the development of principles of treatment that help clinicians in their work with clients who have substance use disorders.

Daley has worked on many research studies funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism related to treatment of individuals with alcoholism, cocaine addiction, other substance disorders, depression, bipolar illness or other psychiatric disorders. He has written numerous workbooks, including “Depression Recovery,” “Recovery From Co-occurring Disorders” and “Adolescent Recovery.”

Daley also will speak about “Recovery 101” during a “Celebration of Recovery” the evening of April 7. It will begin at 5:30 with a buffet dinner.

The workshops will continue at the Evangelical Free Church from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 8, when Patrick Carnes will speak on the topic of “Addiction Interaction Disorder: Understanding Multiple Addictions.”

Only about 17 percent of alcohol/drug addicts have only one addiction, according to information from the Central Nebraska Council on Alcoholism and Addictions. Usually, addicts have a mix of addictions, compulsions and deprivations, and that creates a complex problem called addiction interaction disorder. Failure to recognize this in patients is one of the top three factors in relapse and inhibited recovery, according to the council.

Carnes is executive director of the Gentle Path Program at Pine Grove Behavioral Center in Hattiesburg, Miss. He is the primary architect of Gentle Path programs for the treatment of sexual and addictive disorders. He also pioneered the founding of the certified sex addiction therapist program.

Carnes is a nationally known speaker on addiction and recovery issues. He is author of “A Gentle Path Through the 12 Steps,” “Out of the Shadows: Understanding Sexual Addiction,” “Contrary to Love: Helping the Sexual Addict,” “The Betrayal Bond: Breaking Free of Exploitive Relationships,” “Open Hearts,” “Facing the Shadow,” “In the Shadows of the Net” and “The Clinical Management of Sex Addiction.”

Each daylong workshop has been approved for 6.0 continuing education credits for licensed alcohol and drug counselors, licensed mental health practitioners, social workers, marriage and family therapists, professional counselors and psychologists, and 6.0 criminogenic continuing education units. The daylong workshops cost $130 each or $225 for both.

Authorities in Mali have arrested four people after an aircraft loaded with 10 tonnes of cocaine crashed in the country in 2009

15:46 Authorities in Mali have arrested four people after an aircraft loaded with 10 tonnes of cocaine crashed in the country in 2009 0 Comments

Authorities in Mali have arrested four people after an aircraft loaded with 10 tonnes of cocaine crashed in the country in 2009, a source close to the probe said Thursday.

Malian authorities suspect the aircraft was part of a larger drugs trafficking network linked to Colombia.

French pilot Eric Vernay, whose company chartered the Boeing plane, was arrested last week. A CEO of a local company "Go Voyage," and two other people have been arrested since, also in connection with the so-called "Air Cocaine" probe.

"The investigation is progressing, due to good cooperation between security services of other countries, including Morocco. Four people are now under arrest, and are under investigation," the source told Reuters.

Authorities suspect a growing fleet of rogue aircraft are regularly crisscrossing the Atlantic Ocean with drugs from the cocaine-producing areas of South America, transiting through some of West Africa's most unstable countries into Europe.

, “I’m not gonna preach that I’m a role model. I’m a f—— musician!”Bruno Mars

15:44 Bruno Mars 0 Comments

Bruno Mars arrives for the Echo 2011 Awards at Palais am Funkturm on Thursday (March 24) in Berlin, Germany.

The 25-year-old singer and Paris Hilton were both prosecuted for cocaine possession by David Schubert, a deputy Clark County district attorney who was arrested on Friday for cocaine possession. The 47-year-old lawyer was pulled over around 5 p.m. and swallowed a crack rock as an undercover cop approached him.

Bruno plead guilty to felony drug possession in February after cops busted him with 2.6 grams at the Hard Rock Hotel Casino in September. He recently told GQ magazine, “I’m not gonna preach that I’m a role model. I’m a f—— musician!”

assortment of synthetic cocaine, commonly known as “bath salts,” includes brands such as Tranquility, White Girl and White Rush.

15:43 ” includes brands such as Tranquility , assortment of synthetic cocaine , commonly known as “bath salts , White Girl and White Rush. 0 Comments

But that doesn’t mean the responsibility to try to help youth goes away, particularly when it comes to potentially harmful and even life-threatening behavior.

With the “spring party season’’ upon us — like it or not, that’s the reality — youths in this region would be well advised to heed health and safety warnings about a product called “bath salts,’’ an assortment of synthetic cocaine that is for sale at several downtown State College stores. Because it’s marked “not for human consumption,’’ it can be legally sold, as reported last Sunday in the Centre Daily Times.

Paranoia, anxiety and hallucinations are among the symptoms of users who have been showing up in the emergency room of Mount Nittany Medical Center. So far, those have been the most serious cases reported by Centre County authorities since bath salts, which go by such names as White Rush, White Girl and Blizzard, first began appearing locally last fall.

That is not the case in neighboring Blair County, where at least one death has been attributed to a bath salts overdose. In another case in Blair, two friends high on the product reportedly fought and stabbed each other during a dispute over a container of bath salts.

This clearly is a ticking time bomb. And so as not to paint with a broad brush, retailers selling bath salts note that some customers are middle-aged and sales cut across all demographics.

Incidentally, retailers defend the sales, saying the product is popular, and that any individual store that decides to remove bath salts from its shelves risks losing significant business to competitors.

While we would hope appeals to individual abstention and retailers’ consciences would make a major dent in curtailing, if not eliminating, the product, experience with other legally synthetic knock-offs of common street drugs shows that is unlikely to happen.

So we support the recent move by state Rep. Jerry Stern, R-Blair, to add the chemicals in bath salts to the Schedule I list of controlled substance: Methylone, MDPV and mephedrone.

Stern’s bill has been merged with two other bills aimed at banning chemicals in synthetic marijuana and salvia, a psychoactive plant. We also support congressional efforts led by U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N. Y., for a federal ban on bath salts chemicals.

But as these efforts work through the legislative pipeline, the existing availability of bath salts and other legally synthetic products on stores shelves in downtown business districts raises concerns that the problem will worsen before it gets solved. This is one of those matters that should get fast-tracked by the General Assembly.

In the meantime, anyone tempted to try bath salts — perhaps under peer pressure — should stop and think. A trip to the emergency room may not only await, it might be a best-case scenario.

Montebello Police investigators discovered nearly 70 pounds of cocaine, about $100,000 and a shotgun

14:37 000 and a shotgun , about $100 , Montebello Police investigators discovered nearly 70 pounds of cocaine 0 Comments

Montebello Police investigators discovered nearly 70 pounds of cocaine, about $100,000 and a shotgun when they served a search warrant at a home in Hesperia on Tuesday.

Sgt. Boris Zeissig of the Montebello police narcotics unit said investigators also arrested four men, whose identities were not released.

Zeissig could not provide any further details of the investigation, which he said is ongoing.

Smack, horse, H, boy, dope. Heroin is on the rise in Waukesha County,

14:36 Is it in your neighborhood 0 Comments

 officials say, leaving a trail of broken lives, broken dreams and tragedy.

The highly addictive drug is frequently associated with the 1960s, with hippies and yippies and ending the lives of such rock stars as Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin.

But this drug has been making inroads into the area, into middle class families.

A serious problem
"We do have a crisis, it seems," said Claudia Roska of the Addiction Resource Council in the City of Pewaukee.

"We have an ongoing, very serious problem with alcohol and drug use," she said. "Alcohol is the No. 1 problem."

Abuse of alcohol cannot be understated. The dangers of heroin, though, cannot be overstated.

"Heroin is the scourge of our society," said Village of Pewaukee Police Chief Ed Baumann, whose department played a role in a major 2008 drug bust involving heroin trafficking. Baumann, who was also a member of the county's drug unit in the 1990s, said village police have been seeing numerous incidents involving heroin.

Heroin use on rise
Capt. Charles Wood of the Waukesha County Metro Drug Unit said there has been a "meteoric rise" in the amount of heroin seized by the department.

From 1985 to 2004 the unit did not seize any heroin, Wood said. In 2005, the unit seized 1.7 grams; in 2008, 6 grams; in 2007, 7 grams and in 2010, 115 grams.

For those not into the metric system, roughly 29 grams equals 1 ounce. Thus last year about 4 ounces were seized, he said. While an ounce might not seem like much to the layperson, Wood said "an ounce of heroin is a like a U-Haul truck full of pot. It's the economy of scale in reverse."

Wood said a typical "hit" would be three-tenths to one-half a gram, so 1 gram of heroin equals multiple doses, Wood said. The drug also offers a huge profit margin for dealers. Wood said a dealer could pay about $10,000 for an ounce; when it is broken down into smaller portions and sold on the street, the net worth of that ounce could be $40,000, he said.

Another signal of the rise in use of the drug comes from the AIDS Resource Council, which distributes syringes. This worldwide organization provides clean needles and supplies to users to combat the spread of blood borne disease."They have seen a growing customer base," Woods said.

Deaths from heroin overdoses have remained stable, except for one year. According to the Waukesha County Medical Examiner's Office, heroin was listed as cause of death in two cases in 2005, three in 2006, one in 2007, seven in 2008, three in 2009 and three in 2010. Last year's number might grow, as a few cases are still pending test results, a spokesperson said.

The disturbing trend of heroin use in the county truly came to light in July 2008, when 27 people were arrested in a major drug bust called Operation Lake Effect.

In federal documents, those involved were responsible for 11 overdoses, five of them fatal. Eleven of those arrested had ties to the Village of Pewaukee.

In January and February 2009, nine people, most from the Oconomowoc and Hartland areas, were arrested and subsequently convicted of either possessing or selling heroin.

"Heroin cases are perpetually on the uptick," said Waukesha County District Attorney Brad Schimel.

Pills are gateway
Getting hooked on heroin is generally a journey. While alcohol and marijuana are gateway drugs, prescription drugs open the door to heroin.

Prescription drugs appear safe, and teens at parties are "quick to exchange these pills," Wood said. Reaction to the pills varies. Some, he said, will simply fall asleep while others "will go on a trip."

Those who fall asleep are likely not interested in experimenting anymore. But those who get high might want to try it again, he said.

The prescription drugs that lead to heroin use are the opiates, such as oxycodone (brand name OxyContin) and hydrocodone.

While the pills are time released, drug users will crush and then snort the powder or heat it with a fluid and then inject it, Baumann said. "That's the easiest way to get high," he said.

However, those drugs are expensive, with one pill going for as much as $100, Wood said. Baumann said a 60mg pill will go for $60, an 80mg pill for $80.

"Compare that with a dime bag ($10) or a $20 bag of heroin. And get the same high," Baumann said.

Wood said the increased use of pharmaceuticals has led "to an uptick in heroin."

A 2009 study by the Wisconsin Department of Health shows the "misuse and abuse of pharmaceutical drugs appears to be a growing problem nationally and in Wisconsin."

The extent is not known, as "there is a lack of data concerning the prevalence and burden associated with their misuse and abuse," said the study.

In 2009, 34 percent of high school teens said they used marijuana and 2 percent said they used heroin. For those age 12 to 17, though, 15 percent said they used pain relievers, according to the study.

The State Council on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse established a subcommittee that is examining drug use and is expected to issue a report in June highlighting Wisconsin's prevalence in the abuse and misuse of pharmaceutical drugs. The report will include recommendations on how to reduce its use and prevention.

Chasing the high
"The first high is the best, and then it becomes chasing the high," Baumann said. "But they never achieve it. They never get that first big high."

According to the State Council on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse, heroin works on the central nervous system and lowers the heartbeat and breathing, which may cause users to lose consciousness.

"Any of these effects can be fatal if the dose is too high," according to the report.

"With street heroin, there is no absolutely safe dosage. It depends on the abuser's tolerance, the amount taken and purity taken," the report said.

"It's never safe to use heroin," Roska said. The addiction leads to a change in lifestyle, she said. Suburban teens drive to dangerous neighborhoods in the inner city to buy the drug.

"We still have a good grip on drug trafficking in Waukesha County," Schimel said, noting users still go to Milwaukee to purchase the drug.

Addiction leads to crime
However, those addictions are being felt in Waukesha County through such criminal activity as thefts, burglaries and prostitution.

In recent weeks, numerous criminal complaints have been filed in Waukesha County Circuit Court for crimes related to drug use. A sampling of those complaints include:

• Richard Sulla, 23, of Ashippun, charged with a rash of burglaries in Lake Country. Sulla told police he committed the burglaries to pay for his drug addiction to "oxy."

• Leon Thomas, 49, of Waukesha, charged with first-degree reckless homicide, for allegedly supplying drugs to Holly Reidy, 20, who died Feb. 18, 2010. An autopsy showed the cause of death was opiate and ethanol intoxication due to ingesting hydrocodone, fentanyl and ethanol. The woman was also a reported heroin user.

• Michael D. Howell, 27, of the Town of Genesee, charged with 19 counts, including burglary and forgery, all in an apparent attempt to support his drug habit.

• Alexander J. Katrichis, 25, of Mukwonago, was recently sentenced to six months in jail for dealing heroin.

• Richard P. DeBack, 64, of West Allis, charge with stealing eight vehicles from Waukesha dealerships in order to support his heroin habit, which he has had for years. DeBack sold brand-new cars at extremely low prices to buy heroin, according to the criminal complaint.

Is it in your neighborhood?

dramatic seizure of the heroin haul valued at Sh500 million and arrest of suspects at an apartment in Shanzu area,

14:34 heroin had originated Afghanistan and was to be repackaged in the house before being redistributed. 0 Comments

dramatic seizure of the heroin haul valued at Sh500 million and arrest of suspects at an apartment in Shanzu area, Mombasa came as a result of a two-week wait by police who had been tipped the 196 kilogrammes narcotics were on the high seas.

The arrival of the suspects in Nairobi’s Wilson Airport yesterday by police helicopter was also dramatic as a vehicle full of heavily armed General Service Unit sped to the runway before the officers from the elite unit took strategic positions on the runway.

Police revealed the traffickers had arrived with the narcotics on the high seas of Mtwapa area in Mombasa and were waiting for the ground to clear.

The officers who conducted the sting operation trailed two vehicles to a jetty in Shanzu area on Thursday at around 8 pm. The team that was laying in wait had been dispatched from Nairobi two weeks ago.

The Commissioner of Police Matthew Iteere said the traffickers were using a GPRS phone to communicate with their contacts on the high seas for direction before they could deliver their cargo.

And come Thursday night, the narcotics that had been packaged and labeled as dog food were removed from a speedboat and loaded onto two cars before they headed to an apartment in Shanzu.

Drugs camouflaged

The drug was camouflaged as dog food under the brand name Science Plan: Veterinary formulated Canine Senior for older dogs, New improved taste. The drug was concealed in nylon papers.

The consignment was found in a secluded apartment on the third row lane from the pristine beach in the North Coast. It was labeled Canine food for senior dogs.

The well-packaged wrappings clearly branded would easily pass for ordinary dog food.

"It was a long wait that has borne fruits and we hope to get to the bottom of this issue and arrest and prosecute the real owners," said Iteere.

Police recovered pistols

Police also recovered two cars — a Nissan saloon car and a Toyota Rav4, two pistols that had 59 bullets and a GPRS phone. Other tenants at the apartments were shocked to learn that such a huge haul had been recovered in the compound.

A tenant, who did not want to be identified, said she had never seen any of the suspects.

One of the suspects identified as Joash Omondi had according to Iteere rented the posh apartment two days before the arrival of the "dog food" (drug). Omondi introduced his other accomplices as investors who wanted to rent the house, the police boss said.

Iteere said police know the owner of the apartment and they are trying to establish if he has any link to the narcotics. He termed as speculation, reports that the house belongs to a Nairobi political activist.

"You can see the kind of investors they are for now," said Iteere

The six suspects linked to the heroin were flown to Nairobi amid tight security by paramilitary police. They were paraded before the media where some of them confessed they had been to the city on several occasions.

Apart from Omondi the other Kenyans were Hassan Ibrahim and Yusuf Hassan and the Iranians were identified as Ali Mohamed and Abduk Baseet while there was also Khan Mohamed, a Pakistani national.

They disembarked the police chopper while handcuffed in pairs before they were driven in a Land Rover to the High Court under armed escort.

The six were driven to the Nairobi Law Courts at precisely 4.28pm under tight security. With sirens blaring and guns cocked, their arrival immediately attracted the attention of curious onlookers.

Originated in Afghanistan

However, they did not plead to the charges because two of them do not understand English and need an interpreter.

It is believed the heroin had originated Afghanistan and was to be repackaged in the house before being redistributed.

The seizure is the biggest since the 2004 find of cocaine that was valued at Sh2.6 billion days after it had arrived from South America.

Kenya is increasingly being used as a transit point for the drugs but no major arrest has been made over the same.

Ironically, the seizure was made hours after Iteere told Parliament the current Penal Code, court procedures, and fines are not adequate to sustain war on drug trafficking.

When he testified to parliamentary Committee on Administration of National Security on Thursday, Iteere praised the Anti-Narcotics Police Unit and disclosed that that a probe on MPs who were mentioned in connection to drug trafficking was not yet complete.

Preliminary investigation

Last month, a preliminary investigation by the unit indicated that no actionable evidence had been found on Mr William Kabogo (Juja), Mr Gidion Mbuvi (Makadara), Mr Harun Mwau (Kilome) and Mr Hassan Joho (Kisauni) and a coast businessman Ali Punjani.

"The investigation is still going on. Let no one tell you that we have absolved anybody. The investigation will also involve the Drug Enforcement Agency of the US," said Iteere after testifying to House committee."

Erie County Sheriff's office is investigating the death of a 19-year-old Grand Island man.

14:31 Police are investigating at least two other deaths in the area linked to a dangerous form of heroin. 0 Comments

Police found his body Thursday inside his apartment on Ransom Road. Investigators believe he died of a drug overdose that may be linked to a dangerous form of heroin that appears to be making its way through the area.

Capt. Gregory Savage of the Erie County Sheriff's office said, "Some of the unused heroin that we covered from the scene is going to be tested at the central police services laboratory. They may be able to make a determination as to why this is happening, whether it's because the heroin itself isn't cut enough, it's too strong, or whether there is some cutting agent involved that may be poisoning these people."

Police are investigating at least two other deaths in the area linked to a dangerous form of heroin.

Two people have been charged with drug offences after a £100,000 cannabis farm was discovered on Teesside.

13:46 000 cannabis farm was discovered on Teesside. , Two people have been charged with drug offences after a £100 0 Comments

Two people have been charged with drug offences after a £100,000 cannabis farm was discovered on Teesside. [22 March 2011]

When police raided Beverley Road house, they found over 450 suspected cannabis plants with an estimated minimum street value of £100,000.

A 49 year old woman and a 41 year old man were arrested on suspicion of cultivation of cannabis.

NEDL were also contacted due to concerns over the electricity supply which appeared to have been tampered with.

Drugs Unit Sergeant Nigel McCartney said: “I would urge the community to be aware of residential cultivation of cannabis – it is certainly becoming more common.  Anyone who sees what they believe to be suspicious activity should report it to police or to the charity Crimestoppers and we will act upon that information.”

Cops raided Charlie Sheen's home

08:47 Cops raided Charlie Sheen's home 0 Comments

Cops raided Charlie Sheen's home on Thursday night (10Mar11) after they received a call claiming the star had violated a court order by allegedly keeping a gun in the house.
Los Angeles Police Department (Lapd) officers showed up at the troubled actor's Los Angeles property with a search warrant in an attempt to locate any firearms or ammunition, according to Tmz.com.
Police have been probing reports of possible criminal activity linked to drugs or weapons, as the restraining order granted to Sheen's estranged wife Brooke Mueller earlier this month (Mar11) prevents him from possessing weapons.
Officers discovered an antique rifle from the 1800s and "a few bullets", according to Sheen's lawyer Mark Gross - but no other weapons were found. Gross also confirmed cops were reacting to a complaint from an unknown person who had made a statement about a gun.
The former Two And A Half Men actor was not arrested following the raid and was reportedly co-operative with officials.
As reports of the bust emerged online and on U.S. news channels, Sheen took to his Twitter.com page to play down the drama, writing, "All good here on homefront. All reports are false. I'll explain more very soon..."
He later added, "The Lapd were Awesome. Absolute pros! They can protect and serve this Warlock anytime!"

MUSIC legend Eric Clapton has raised £1.3million for his rehab clinic

00:34 MUSIC legend Eric Clapton has raised £1.3million for his rehab clinic 0 Comments

MUSIC legend Eric Clapton has raised £1.3million for his rehab clinic by selling off part of his guitar collection.

He auctioned more than 130 lots – which included amps and stage suits – with a 1948 Gibson going for £51,000 and a mahogany Zemaitis for £47,000.

The money will be go to the Crossroads Centre in Antigua, which Clapton founded in 1998 and for which he has held two other auctions.

A spokesman for Bonhams of New York said yesterday: “It has been a privilege to hold this remarkable auction.”

The death of ex-Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr raised a number of questions for his fans

21:06 The death of ex-Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr raised a number of questions for his fans 0 Comments

The death of ex-Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr raised a number of questions for his fans, as the loss of anyone who publicly struggled with drugs or alcohol often does. Why wasn't his treatment, documented on VH1's "Celebrity Rehab" and "Sober House," a success? Why can't someone like Starr just stop using drugs?

"[The addiction] literally hijacks the person's brain and takes over," Robert J. Lindsey, president and CEO of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, told MTV News on Wednesday (March 9). "For somebody who has become physically and emotionally addicted, stopping and staying stopped is the hardest thing in the world to do.


"The first thing to understand about alcoholism and addiction is that it's similar to other chronic illnesses, like heart disease or diabetes. It's chronic, it's progressive and it's fatal if it's untreated," he added. "Some people, despite the best efforts on their part and others, will die from their addiction. It's our hope that Mike's death will serve for many as the opportunity for them to either seek help for themselves, a friend or family member."

The NCADD estimates that there are more than 23 million people in the United States who are addicted to alcohol and other drugs. "That's almost 10 percent of the population," Lindsey pointed out. And while Starr's death made headlines, as the seemingly endless relapses of other celebrities do as well, he's quick to illustrate the growing picture of treatment. "It's equally important to highlight the fact that we estimate that maybe 20 million individuals and family members are living lives in recovery today."

The history of Alice in Chains is unfortunately tied to drugs, specifically heroin, in many ways. The group wrote several songs about it and regularly disappeared from the limelight while singer Layne Staley battled his demons. He eventually died of an overdose of heroin and cocaine in 2002 while living as a virtual recluse. Starr had been gone from the group for nearly two decades already, reportedly fired for his inability to manage his own drug habits.

In more recent years, he seemed to be doing well on "Celebrity Rehab" and "Sober House." He was living in Salt Lake City, Utah, and reportedly making music with Days of the New when he was arrested on suspicion of drug possession during a traffic stop last month. TMZ reported on Wednesday that Starr had been mixing methadone and anxiety medication just hours before his death, according to his roommate. The report maintains that Starr was using the drugs as part of his effort to stay clean and had been "doing a pretty good job."

The average of all the ages [of people starting to smoke] came out as nine.

21:02 The average of all the ages [of people starting to smoke] came out as nine. 0 Comments

true scale of the challenge to stop children smoking emerged today as it was revealed nine-year-olds are becoming addicted to tobacco.

Nurses in Merthyr Tydfil spoke of how the average age for children to pick up the habit is now nine in the deprived borough.

But health promotion experts told the Western Mail, Merthyr is by no means unique in Wales.

ASH Wales today described smoking as an addiction of childhood, as the Assembly Government said it was committed to adopting tough new measures on tobacco displays in shops.


Tracey Bowen, clinical nurse specialist at Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr, said: “The average of all the ages [of people starting to smoke] came out as nine. Unfortunately it is realistic.

“We have lots of good campaigns going on in schools, educational campaigns, but it does not seem to be stopping children trying smoking or starting to smoke.

“I had a patient who did start when he was between two and three – his grandparents gave him cigarettes because they thought it was funny and amusing.”

Carol Owen, principal health promotion specialist and manager of the anti- smoking programme Assist, which works with year eight pupils, said: “There will be nine-year-olds smoking in Merthyr as there will be across the country.

“There are always some children who will start smoking younger than others.”

A survey of child smokers by ASH Wales in 2008 found the average age they started was 11.2 years, although some children said they began to smoke at just seven.

The average number of cigarettes smoked a week was 45, although some children told the charity they smoked up to 200 – almost 30 a day.

A more recent survey among teenage girls, also by ASH Wales, put the average age they started smoking at 12.

One in five said they spent up to £20 a week on cigarettes and almost half said staying slim was important to them.

Tanya Buchanan, chief executive of ASH Wales, said: “We know the vast majority of smokers take up smoking as adolescents and often become life-long addicts of a truly deadly product.

“That is why smoking is an addiction of childhood, not an adult choice.

“While the latest statistics show a decline in smoking prevalence rates among 15 years – 9% of boys, 14% of girls – these rates are still too high.

“We know that the younger people start to smoke the greater their risk of developing chronic illnesses such as heart disease, cancer and respiratory diseases.

“That’s why it is so important that we put tobacco products out of sight of children and ban the sale of tobacco from vending machines.

Is Charlie Sheen Worth More as a Trainwreck Than a TV Star? - E! Online

13:16 Charlie Sheen Worth More as a Trainwreck 0 Comments

Student denies smuggling heroin into jail

11:07 Student denies smuggling heroin into jail 0 Comments

Charlie Sheen's bizarre rooftop antics after axe

10:57 Charlie Sheen's bizarre rooftop antics after axe 0 Comments