Individuals who are cross-addicted are people who switch from one addiction to another

18:21 Individuals who are cross-addicted are people who switch from one addiction to another 0 Comments

 Suzanne stops drinking alcohol, then gains 40 pounds in three months, replacing booze with compulsive eating. People with co-occurring addictions struggle with multiple addictions at the same time—for instance, Eric smokes pot morning, noon, and night, and also plays video games for eight to ten hours each day.

Cross and co-occurring disorders are especially common with sex addicts. In one survey of male sex addicts, 87 percent of respondents reported that they regularly abused either addictive substances or other addictive behaviors. Considerable anecdotal evidence suggests that for a majority of sex addicts with a co-occurring addiction the secondary drug of choice is crystal methamphetamine. Sex addicts also use cocaine, crack cocaine, and almost any other stimulant—but crystal meth is usually cheaper and more readily available.

Consider Brad, a married, 38-year-old lawyer:

I grew up in a painful, empty, abusive middle-class home where work was a much bigger priority than home for my smart, funny, angry, alcoholic father. Whenever my brothers or I got in trouble, Dad would whip off his belt before asking questions, especially when he was drinking. And he drank a lot.

I learned early on how to look good, how to lie and manipulate my way out of trouble, and most of all how to stay under the radar. I left home as soon as I could and got into a good college, followed by law school. Law school is when I first tried meth, initially to help me stay awake and study. It worked, too, because I graduated cum laude. Immediately after law school I married Grace and took a job with a well-regarded firm.

What Grace and my new firm didn’t know (because no one did) was that I was living a double life. In early adolescence I would sneak booze from my Dad’s stash, and I spent most evenings alone in my room getting buzzed while perusing and masturbating to Playboy. This became a pattern I used to relax and sleep, and it continued into adult life.

By my twenties, Internet porn and “dating” websites replaced magazines and videos, and crystal meth became my substance of choice. By the time I made junior partner at 29 (the youngest ever at my firm) I had established an escalating pattern of telling Grace that I was “going out of town for work,” which really meant holing up in some hotel with a big baggie of meth, getting high, and masturbating to porn until the drugs ran out. Eventually I replaced the porn with prostitutes—especially those women willing to come to my room meth in hand.

Our son Jamie was about three years old when a routine medical exam revealed that Grace had a long-standing, undiscovered STD. That’s how she found out about my cheating. I convinced everyone around me that the problem was drugs (related to the past), that the sex only happened when I was high (mostly true), and didn’t happen very often (a total lie).

To appease Grace I entered a high-end drug and alcohol treatment center. In six weeks of intensive (and expensive) treatment no one ever asked about my lifelong pairing of substances and sexual acting out. And I never volunteered that information, either. I left there chemically sober, but without a clue about handling all the sexual problems and related secrets that I continued to keep.

I didn’t realize that I was a drug and sex addict until one of my inevitable meth relapses (all related to sex) landed me (along with my professional license) in jail for doing drugs with prostitutes. It was only when facing the loss of my marriage and career that I became willing to address both of my addictions.

What is Crystal Meth?

Crystal meth (crystalized methamphetamine) is a synthetic version of adrenaline, a naturally occurring hormone the body produces in small amounts when reacting to immediate stress. Adrenaline increases energy and alertness when we need a short burst to escape immediate danger.

The main difference between crystal meth and adrenaline is adrenaline clears out of our systems quickly, whereas methamphetamine sticks around for six to eight hours. Known on the street as meth, crystal, crank, tweak, speed, ice, ice cream, Tina, tweedy, etc., methamphetamine is sold legally (with a prescription) in tablet form as Desoxyn—FDA approved for the treatment of ADHD and obesity.

More often, though, it’s cooked in makeshift labs and sold illegally as a powder or rock. The powder form can be snorted, smoked, eaten, or dissolved and injected; the rock form is usually smoked. Meth binges are known as “tweaking.” When tweaked, addicts stay awake for days or even weeks at a time. Sometimes episodes don’t end until the user is arrested or hospitalized for psychotic behavior, or the user’s body is no longer able to function and “crashes” of its own accord.

Often called “the sex drug,” meth is the preferred “party favor” for anonymous Internet and smart-phone hookups. Like all stimulants, meth use evokes profound feelings of euphoria, intensity, and power in the user, along with the drive to obsessively do whatever activity that person wishes to engage in, including having sex.

In fact, users say the drug allows them to be sexual for an entire day with or without orgasm—even two or three days—without sleeping, eating, or coming down, especially when Viagra or Cialis is along for the ride.

One recovering meth and sex addict in treatment at the Sexual Recovery Institute in Los Angeles stated, “When I do crystal meth, the sex just goes on forever.”

Another noted, “There’s no love, no caring, no emotion involved. I don’t care who they are, or even what their names are. I just want sex, sex and more sex.”

Crack May Be Whack, but Meth…

Crystal meth is undoubtedly among the most troublesome illicit drugs currently en vogue, and for sex addicts the dangers extend beyond the usual problems associated with crystal meth abuse. First and foremost, when a user is intoxicated and disinhibited by a stimulant as powerful as meth, safe sex practices are out the window—especially for individuals accustomed to having multiple anonymous partners for hours at a time.

Because of this, the risk of contracting or transmitting HIV, hepatitis, and other STDs increases significantly. Moreover, meth use combined with sex often leads to abuse of other drugs—for instance, to counteract “crystal dick” (meth induced impotence) many men take Viagra, Cialis, or another erectile dysfunction treatment. And meth users of both genders often rely on sleeping pills, nighttime cold medicines, pot, and other “downers” to come off their high and get some sleep because meth can keep users awake for days—long after the enjoyable effects have worn off.

Furthermore, ingesting meth (or any other stimulant) causes the user’s brain to release large amounts of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with feelings of pleasure. Over time, repeated meth use (especially when that use is bolstered by the “natural” high of sex) both depletes the body’s stores of dopamine and destroys the wiring of dopamine receptors.

Eventually meth addicts are unable to experience any simple human pleasure without being high—a condition known as anhedonia. Not surprisingly, sex-meth addicts often report having a very difficult time enjoying healthy intimacy and healthy sexual activity once sober. For these individuals it can take a year or more for the brain’s dopamine levels to normalize. Occasionally, this sexual/intimacy-related anhedonia can be semi-permanent.

And of course sex-meth addicts also experience the usual problems associated directly with meth addiction. Anhedonia, described above, results in an ever deepening cycle of use and depression, and an increasing unwillingness to participate in life. Relationships disintegrate, jobs are lost. Children of crashing meth addicts are left to fend for themselves for days on end. When tweaking, meth addicts generally exhibit poor judgment and engage in dangerous, hyperactive behavior. Many commit petty or violent crimes.

Long-time users often develop symptoms of psychosis including paranoia, aggression, hallucinations and delusions. Meth addicts may experience serious physical health problems such as anorexia, convulsions, stroke, and cardiac collapse, any of which can be fatal. They may also develop “meth mouth,” a condition of severe tooth decay and tooth loss caused by the constant dry mouth and teeth grinding associated with stimulant drug use.

Meth dries out the skin as well, leading many addicts to believe they are infested with “meth lice,” causing them to frantically scratch their face, arms, and legs with their fingernails—a behavior known as “picking.” Picking sometimes results in serious self-inflicted wounds and infection.

Treatment for Cross or Co-Occurring Meth and Sex Addiction

Drug and alcohol addictions are critical problems which nearly always have to be eliminated before the issues underlying behavioral and fantasy-based addictions such as sex can be addressed. After all, drugs and alcohol are disinhibiting. They weaken a person’s judgment to the point where that person cannot remain committed to other boundaries he or she may have previously set, such as not having certain kinds of sex.

Unless the individual abusing drugs and/or alcohol gets sober from those substances, it is unlikely that he or she will be able to eliminate problematic sexual behavior for very long. It is also important that treatment specialists help sex-meth addicts understand that sex in the future will not be nearly as intense or exciting as what they’re used to. The sex-meth addict will need adjust his or her expectations regarding the “rewards” of sexual activity, otherwise that person is likely to be disappointed and return to the addictive behaviors, both chemical and sexual, in an attempt to recreate past pleasures.

An exception to the rule of “getting chemically sober first” applies to sex-meth addicts who have so fused drug and sex addiction that they cannot remain chemically sober because of their sexual acting out, and they cannot remain sexually sober because of their substance abuse. For these individuals, relapse with one addiction nearly always leads to quick relapse with the other. In such cases, substance abuse and sexual acting out need to be dealt with at the same time in order to stay sober on either front.

Prison Service 'must target drugs' One solicitor has claimed the high security jail was awash with narcotics.

22:20 Prison Service 'must target drugs' 0 Comments

 The Northern Ireland Prison Service must be "cannier" in targeting illicit drugs, the new director general has said. Sue McAllister said the service needs to build up its intelligence about illegal substances through better relations between warders and inmates. Prison Ombudsman Pauline McCabe has urged the authorities to do more to tackle the problem after the death of Aaron Hogg, 21, who hanged himself in his Maghaberry Prison cell in May last year after taking a cocktail of drugs. One solicitor has claimed the high security jail was awash with narcotics. Ms McAllister said: "With finite resources we need to be a bit cannier about where we target. "There is a place for random testing and it is a good deterrent but equally we probably should get better at building a rich picture of intelligence trends through knowing what is going on in our jails so that we can target areas for testing." The 51-year-old mother of two is the first woman to hold the most senior position in the Northern Ireland Prison Service. She took up post at the beginning of this month and will be paid an annual salary of £100,000, replacing Colin McConnell, who left to become head of the Scottish Prison Service. Mrs McAllister's last posting was at Onley Prison in Northamptonshire, where she worked on public sector bids to run prisons operated by the private sector. She retired just under a year ago but decided to return to Northern Ireland. She has 25 years` experience in the prison service, including as a governor of a prison and a young offenders' centre. She was part of a review team which produced a highly critical report on the Northern Ireland Prison Service after the suicide of Colin Bell. Mr Bell killed himself in Maghaberry in July 2008 while on suicide watch.

Hans Kristian Rausing's wife Eva 'found in sealed bin bags'

22:18 Hans Kristian Rausing's wife Eva 'found in sealed bin bags' 0 Comments

Hans Kristian Rausing arrives at court having been charged with preventing the lawful and decent burial of his wife Eva (Picture: PA)

The 49-year-old, whose family were behind £4.5billion packaging empire Tetra Pak until 1995, appeared briefly at West London Magistrates’ Court speaking only to confirm his name, age and address.

He was charged with preventing the lawful burial of his wife and granted conditional bail to appear again at Isleworth Crown Court on July 26.

District judge James Henderson told him: 'I grant you bail on two conditions. 

'The first is that you must reside at the Capio Nightingale Hospital and that you live there and sleep there overnight, and you do not leave that hospital unless you are accompanied by a member of hospital staff.'

Mr Rausing was pulled over by police on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, with a search of the couple's Chelsea home later finding his wife's remains underneath layers of clothes and bin bags, the court was told.

Eva Rausing, seen here on her wedding day, died of a suspected overdose (Picture: PA)

Mrs Rausing’s family recently spoke of the ‘beautiful and generous’ daughter they had lost. 

Her father Tom Kemeny said her death was a ‘stark reminder that the illness of addiction knows no social class or gender’.

He revealed that before she died her main concern was for her husband.

She had returned to London to try convince him to return with her to California, where she had been undergoing treatment for her drug addiction. 

Mr Kemeny said they were a ‘devoted and loving couple’ during their 21-year relationship.

Mr Rausing allegedly lived with his dead wife for more than a week (Picture: Reuters)

He added: ‘They bravely battled their demons and supported each other. Eva will be a devastating loss to our beloved “son” Hans Kristian, whom we love unconditionally with all our hearts.’ 

Mr Kemeny believed his daughter started experimenting with drugs in her late teens but later became involved with charities that helped addicts. 

‘Eva played a pivotal part in her life-long vocation in helping those with drug addiction,' he added. 

A post-mortem examination last week failed to establish a formal cause of death.

Portugal Decriminalized All Drugs Eleven Years Ago And The Results Are Staggering

09:42 Portugal Decriminalized All Drugs Eleven Years Ago And The Results Are Staggering 0 Comments

On July 1st, 2001, Portugal decriminalized every imaginable drug, from marijuana, to cocaine, to heroin. Some thought Lisbon would become a drug tourist haven, others predicted usage rates among youths to surge. Eleven years later, it turns out they were both wrong. Over a decade has passed since Portugal changed its philosophy from labeling drug users as criminals to labeling them as people affected by a disease. This time lapse has allowed statistics to develop and in time, has made Portugal an example to follow.  First, some clarification. Portugal's move to decriminalize does not mean people can carry around, use, and sell drugs free from police interference. That would be legalization. Rather, all drugs are "decriminalized," meaning drug possession, distribution, and use is still illegal. While distribution and trafficking is still a criminal offense, possession and use is moved out of criminal courts and into a special court where each offender's unique  situation is judged by legal experts, psychologists, and social workers. Treatment and further action is decided in these courts, where addicts and drug use is treated as a public health service rather than referring it to the justice system (like the U.S.), reports Fox News. The resulting effect: a drastic reduction in addicts, with Portuguese officials and reports highlighting that this number, at 100,000 before the new policy was enacted, has been halved in the following ten years. Portugal's drug usage rates are now among the lowest of EU member states, according to the same report.  One more outcome: a lot less sick people. Drug related diseases including STDs and overdoses have been reduced even more than usage rates, which experts believe is the result of the government offering treatment with no threat of legal ramifications to addicts. While this policy is by no means news, the statistics and figures, which take years to develop and subsequently depict the effects of the change, seem to be worth noting. In a country like America, which may take the philosophy of criminalization a bit far (more than half of America's federal inmates are in prison on drug convictions), other alternatives must, and to a small degree, are being discussed. For policymakers or people simply interested in this topic, cases like Portugal are a great place to start.

Executives with Europe's biggest bank, HSBC, were subjected to a humiliating onslaught from US senators on Tuesday over revelations that staff at its global subsidiaries laundered billions of dollars for drug cartels, terrorists and pariah states.

09:25 HSBC apologised 0 Comments

HSBC apologised for its lapses, said reforms had been put in place, and admitted it was 'horrified' by what it found. Photograph: Gary Cameron/Reuters

Drinking even "moderate" amounts of alcohol increases dementia risk

09:22 Drinking alcohol , even in moderation 0 Comments

How riches attract elite drug dealers

00:50 drug dealers 0 Comments

When she stood on the doorstep of her Belgravia townhouse shortly after her arrest for carrying a cocktail of Class A drugs into the US embassy in her handbag, Eva Rausing appeared dishevelled but contrite. In a statement, she said: "I have made a serious mistake, which I very much regret... I hope in due course to get back on track and become the person I truly want to be." It was a brave and doubtless heartfelt declaration of intent in a life already, by 2008, punctuated by narcotics binges and visits to rehabilitation centres for the then 44-year-old socialite who sought to give purpose and structure to a life of conspicuous privilege and bottomless wealth by philanthropy. Together with her Tetra Pak heir husband, Mrs Rausing, who had four children, regained a veneer of if not respectability then at least understanding in the four years after being charged with drug offences as they attended glittering parties, fundraising balls and provided multi-million pound patronage to addiction charities. While figures including Prince Charles argued that Eva should be given a "second chance", others were less impressed. Sir Ian Blair, the former Metropolitan Police Commissioner, made it known that he saw the decision to drop charges against the couple after £2,000 of crack cocaine was found at their home in return for a conditional caution, as amounting to one law for the rich and another for those who aren't. Yesterday the extent to which the public persona of the recovering and repentant addict was the flip side of a still-tarnished coin was becoming clear as police continued to investigate Mrs Rausing's death and pieced together the events that preceded the arrest on Monday of her husband, Hans K Rausing, driving erratically in south London while his wife's body lay in their home. Friends of the couple said that their attempts to leave behind their drug abuse were hampered by the coterie of "elite" dealers who continued to surround them even as they checked out of rehab clinics and recovered some of the strength required to overcome addiction. Pictures of the pair taken in recent weeks underlined the extent to which the warning bells were once more ringing. Her hair long and unkempt and carrying a bottle of mouthwash used to treat gum disease, Mrs Rausing looked far from the woman pictured in a emerald necklace next to her clean-shaven husband at a society ball in 2004. Mr Rausing, stooped and unshaven in an ill-fitting jacket, has been seen walking along the streets of Chelsea clutching a pouch of rolling tobacco, a shadow of the glossy-haired figure of a few years ago who stands to inherit a share of his father's £4bn fortune.The role played by crack, cocaine and heroin – all found in the couple's home in 2008 – in the events of this week remains to be ascertained. But in the past it seems the Rausings had access to a "closed market" of drugs, a network of high-end dealers offering the sort of discretion required by super-wealthy users at the sort of prices that the super-wealthy are willing to pay. The Independent understands that central London and other monied corners of the country are serviced by a number of well-connected dealers, often considered friends as much as pushers, who source high-purity drugs, delivered in a manner guaranteed not to attract unwarranted interest. The grim arabesque of addiction and cure that followed Mrs Rausing in the final years of her life belied deeper issues and inter-dependency with her husband. Mr Rausing reportedly once refused to enter a rehab clinic in Thailand because it meant he could not be with his wife, whom he had met during addiction treatment in the 1980s. In 2010, Mrs Rausing turned her paranoia on his family – his father Hans, who lives frugally on the family estate in Sussex with his wife Marita, and his sisters, Lisbet, a scientist, and Sigrid, owner of the literary magazine Granta. She wrote in an email: "I feel his family has acted dishonourably towards him." The Rausings and Eva's own family, whose efforts to help the couple turn around their lives are known to have been extensive and unceasing, have only been able to look on in despair.

Tetra Pak heir Hans Kristian Rausing is being treated in hospital as police wait to question him in connection with the death of his wife Eva.

19:01 Tetra Pak heir Hans Kristian Rausing is being treated in hospital as police wait to question him in connection with the death of his wife Eva. 0 Comments

Mr Rausing, a member of the family behind the Tetra Pak packaging empire, had initially been arrested after the 48-year-old's body was found at their mansion in south west London.

However police said he was transferred from custody to a 'medical facility' on Tuesday, and that his bail has been suspended while he receives treatment. 

Reports have suggested that Mr Rausing - who was earlier held on suspicion of possessing drugs - has yet to be questioned over his wife's death. 

The body of 48-year-old Mrs Rausing was found by police on Monday in a bedroom at the couple’s townhouse in Cadogan Place, one of the country’s most expensive addresses.

A post-mortem yesterday failed to determine the cause of her death, with investigators saying they were awaiting the results of further toxicology tests on her body.

Drug struggles: Eva Rausing, whose body was found at the couple’s home (Picture: WireImage)

A statement from Mrs Rausing's parents Tom and Nancy Kemeny said they were 'deeply saddened by the death of their beloved daughter'.

'Eva was a devoted wife for 20 years and mother of four much-loved and wonderful children,' the statement read. 

'During her short lifetime she made a huge philanthropic impact, supporting a large number of charitable causes, not only financially, but using her own personal experiences. 

'She bravely fought her health issues for many years. The family is devastated at her death and asks to be given privacy at this difficult time.'

The couple, whose four children are aged between 11 and 17, have both battled addiction and in 2008 were arrested after Mrs Rausing was caught with drugs as she tried to enter the US embassy in London.

Following her 2008 arrest, court documents revealed Mrs Rausing was carrying crack cocaine, heroin and diethylpropion, a banned stimulant. She said she was ‘ashamed’ of her actions.

Mrs Rausing's body was found at the couple's five-story mansion in Belgravia, south-west London (Picture: PA)

Mr Rausing, 49, stands to inherit a £5billion fortune after his father, also called Hans, built the business which revolutionised the packaging of products such as milk and juice.

Despite their troubles Hans and Eva Rausing were well-known and respected philanthropists, who supported a number of charities working in sport, the arts and addiction.

Mrs Rausing was a patron of one such charity, The Mentor Foundation, which gives support to young people struggling with substance abuse.

Billionaire Tetra Pak heir Hans Kristian Rausing may have lived with the body of his wife Eva for a week

18:59 Billionaire Tetra Pak heir Hans Kristian Rausing may have lived with the body of his wife Eva for a week 0 Comments

Hans Kristian Rausing may have lived with the body of his wife for more than a week in their £50 million Belgravia home. The London Evening Standard reported that Eva Rausing is believed to have died at least a week before her body was discovered by police and that investigators were now examining CCTV to establish comings and goings at the couple’s six story mansion in Cadogan Place. Police are waiting to question Mr Rausing in connection with concealing Eva’s body but the heir to the £4.5 billion TetraPak food packaging fortune, and one of Britain’s richest men, remains in a secure hospital after being admitted for treatment last night. The body of 48-year-old Eva, a friend of Prince Charles, was discovered in an upstairs bedroom when police went to search the couple’s home after Mr. Rausing was arrested on suspicion of possession of Class A drugs on Monday. A post-mortem failed to establish a formal cause of death and police await the result of toxicology tests, although it is believed Mrs Rausing died of a drugs overdose. Although Mr Rausing stands to inherit a multi-billion pound fortune from his 86-year-old father Hans, the couple are reported to have lived in “a twilight world of addiction”. Mr Rausing was initially stopped for driving erratically in south London on Monday and subsequently arrested on suspicion of possession of Class A drugs. Scotland Yard confirmed Mr Rausing remained under arrest but said he had been transferred to hospital for treatment. His condition is not thought to be life-threatening and is believed to be related to drugs. Mrs Rausing is the daughter of wealthy Pepsi executive Tom Kemeny. In 2008 she was arrested after trying to smuggle crack cocaine and heroin into a party at the US Embassy in London. More drugs were found in her Renault Clio car and at the couple’s home, but prosecutors later dropped charges in favour of conditional cautions. The Standard reported that the couple were seen walking the streets around their home in May, but neighbours said they were reclusive. Mr Rausing was often seen wearing a baseball hat and clutching a pack of tobacco. One insider told the Standard: “It appears they lived chaotic lifestyles, people did not hear from them from one week to the next.”

for about seven years, nothing mattered to Taylor but his addiction to sex, alcohol, parties and drugs. He became withdrawn from his family and spent his earnings feeding his addictions.

13:58 Alcohol , for about seven years , nothing mattered to Taylor but his addiction to sex , parties and drugs. He became withdrawn from his family and spent his earnings feeding his addictions. 0 Comments

COLIN Taylor was a successful young man in his 30's with a first degree in culinary management and a second degree in hotel and restaurant management. He had a beautiful wife, was in a comfortable job in the hotel industry and was taking home big bucks each month.

But, for about seven years, nothing mattered to Taylor but his addiction to sex, alcohol, parties and drugs. He became withdrawn from his family and spent his earnings feeding his addictions.

Executive director of Teen Challenge Anthony Richards accepts a brand new computer on behalf of the Jamaica National (JN) Advisory Council from JN senior branch manager for St Ann Ransford Davidson. Looking on at left are members of the JN Advisory Council Pixley Irons and Pat Bentt. At right are Richards’ wife Barbara and director of programmes at Teen Challenge John Spence.  1/3

"I am a chef by trade, and what I would do on a regular basis is that I would work and all the money that I would earn from work went directly towards my party lifestyle, sex, drugs and alcohol," he told the Jamaica Observer North East.

He explained further, "I was married, I got divorced because of it, I was excommunicated from my family, my brothers, my mother, and my relationship with all the people in my life that mattered just deteriorated."

The now 41-year-old was heading straight for the 'dungeon' until two years ago, after much pleading from his family to get his life back on track, he finally decided to get help.

"I suppose one could call it an epiphany, but I was just tried. I was with a group of people and I felt alone, there was an emptiness inside me that still had not been filled regardless of all the sex, the alcohol, the drugs that I used, and I was tired of living that life."

With the assistance of his ex-wife and mother, Taylor checked into Teen Challenge, a non- profit organisation which helps Individual's suffering from drug and alcohol addiction, where he underwent a year-long transformation programme.

Today, he is an administrator at the facility in Ocho Rios and is passionate about helping others like himself.

Teen Challenge, he said, has changed his life dramatically, and in retrospect, Taylor explained that had he not made that decision he probably would have already died.

Like Taylor, the Executive Director of Teen Challenge, Anthony Richards, himself a graduate of the programme, sees the organisation as that place that offers hope to many men who have lost their way.

"It has helped me, and I know no matter how you see a person on the street, cracked out, dirty, smelly, there is still hope, because I was the same way ... we do not discriminate, anyone that wants change can come here," said Richards, who has been working at the facility for 12 years.

"I came through the programme and was one of the earlier graduates. "I was a policeman and I migrated, got hooked on drugs and became enrolled," he recounted. After much mentoring and coaching work at the facility, he was appointed to the top post five years ago.

Richards' work and leadership continue to transform the lives of men who pass through the 30-bed facility at Shaw Park in Ocho Rios. Last month, he was recognised by the St. Ann Chamber of Commerce and awarded the prestigious Citizen's Award.

"People are recognising the ministry," he said of the faith-based programme where a lot of emphasis is placed on Christian principles, although persons from any religion can be enrolled.

Richards said Teen Challenge boasts an impressive success rate of over 70 per cent, which he attributes to the Christian principles and other values that are instilled in the students during their 12 to 18-months' recovery period.

"A person living in addiction for 10 or so years, and for 12 months they experienced a new life, they really wouldn't want to go back to it and most do not go back," Richards.

He explained that the centre is recognised as a facility based organisation and the participants are trained through HEART/NTA and certified in food preparation and business administration. Plans are afoot to expand carpentry which is now taught in a limited extent at the facility.

Additionally, students are involved in farming and other micro businesses. A new facility which is being constructed at Hadden in the parish, Richards said, should see participants becoming more involved in farming.

"Our main goal is to do greenhouse farming, we are in the process of exploring ways in which we can develop other industries, and we intend to do pig farming, chicken farming, bee-keeping and other things in the short term," he explained.

The facility is not funded by Government, and Richards wants to make the facility self-sufficient.

"We believe that with able-bodied men, Teen Challenge should not depend on an offering from a church or depend on people to give or to invest in the ministry," he said, adding that the skills acquired by the participants should help them to tre-integrate into society.

Meanwhile, plans are in place to expand the Teen Challenge Women's Programme which was reintroduced last September.

Richards' wife Barbara, who oversees the programme, said the six female students currently enrolled, and who are fighting various addictions, are taught basic math and English, computer, sewing and jewellery making, in addition to the faith-based programme.

"HEART Trust/NTA is on board with us as well, so we do administration and food preparation as well," she said.

She explained that in the medium to long term the programme will be able to accommodate more girls when it relocates to facilities at Shaw Park in that town.

Meanwhile, the Richards want more people to support the facility's vision of facilitating life transformations for people with life-controlling problems, one person at a time.

"When an addict leaves the street and their live is transformed, it does well for government; for example, the tourist industry will have one less person harassing them, the police will have one less person looking for when person's homes are broken into, so we really are helping the entire country by transforming one life at a time," Richards said.

 

Sweden warns heroin users after anthrax death

13:55 Sweden warns heroin users after anthrax death 0 Comments

The death of a drug user in Denmark from what is believed to be a batch ofheroin contaminated by anthrax has prompted a warning from Swedish health authorities to the country's heroin users.

Ted Nugent's drummer flees police in golf cart

00:44 Ted Nugent's drummer flees police in golf cart 0 Comments

Bangor Police Department

Mick Brown's mug shot.

People are always fleeing police, but usually it's in a vehicle where they have a chance to get away. That wasn't the case for Mick Brown, drummer for Ted Nugent, who tried to make his escape in a golf cart, according to the Bangor, Maine police department.

According to the police department, Brown, 55, reportedly stole a golf cart after a Bangor concert featuring Nugent, Styx and REO Speedwagon at Bangor's waterfront pavilion.

Brown, who was reportedly intoxicated, evaded several people who tried to stop him and somehow picked up two women along the way, the department says on its Facebook page.

"As (officers) attempted to stop Brown, he accelerated past them, past a third officer and when a security officer got close enough to stop him, Brown allegedly shoved the officer," the police reported. "At that point two other security officers physically removed Brown from the cart and placed him on the ground."

Brown was arrested and later released on $4,000 bail, and faces a court date of Aug. 15 for charges of operating under the influence of alcohol, driving to endanger, theft, and assault.

But perhaps the best line from the police report reads, "No damage was reported to the cart although two traffic cones were damaged, one still under the cart, significantly so."

Ted Nugent himself has been in the news lately for his political opinions, most recently for suggesting that the South should have won the Civil War.

Wes Scantlin will avoid jail time from his January arrest

19:55 Wes Scantlin will avoid jail time from his January arrest 0 Comments

Chelsea Lauren/WireImage

Scantlin received 18 months deferred judgment and must attend a drug counseling program. He is not required to appear in court, but must show proof of enrollment in the counseling program by August 8th. Upon completion, Scantlin's possession charge could be dropped.Puddle of Mudd frontman Wes Scantlin has entered a guilty plea for his felony cocaine possession charge, reports E!. Scantlin was arrested in January and charged in April, but now will avoid any jail time by pleading guilty. He also will escape two misdemeanor charges, being under the influence of a controlled substance and driving without a license, in exchange for the plea.

Alcohol fuels rise in British arrests abroad

14:49 Alcohol fuels rise in British arrests abroad 0 Comments

Between April 2011 and March 2012, there were 6015 arrests involving British nationals, compared to 5,700 in the previous year. There were 1909 arrests in Spain, more than in any other country. The next highest number occurred in the US, where authorities reported 1305 arrests of British nationals. The Foreign Office said many of the incidents were due to high alcohol consumption in popular holiday destinations such as the Canary Islands, Majorca, Ibiza and the Costa del Sol. Spain and the US also saw the highest number of drug-related cases, although proportionally this problem was more significant in Jamaica, Serbia, Peru and Brazil, where more than 70 per cent of arrests were drug related.