Thursday, April 5, 2012
Pain Killer Sales Up In U.S Fueling Addicitions
NEW YORK (AP) —
Sales of the nation's two most popular prescription painkillers have
exploded in new parts of the country, an Associated Press analysis
shows, worrying experts who say the push to relieve patients' suffering
is spawning an addiction epidemic.
From New York's
Staten Island to Santa Fe, N.M., Drug Enforcement Administration
figures show dramatic rises between 2000 and 2010 in the distribution of
oxycodone, the key ingredient in OxyContin, Percocet and Percodan. Some places saw sales increase sixteenfold.
Meanwhile, the distribution of hydrocodone,
the key ingredient in Vicodin, Norco and Lortab, is rising in
Appalachia, the original epicenter of the painkiller epidemic, as well
as in the Midwest.
The increases have coincided with a wave of overdose deaths, pharmacy robberies and other problems in New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Florida
and other states. Opioid pain relievers, the category that includes
oxycodone and hydrocodone, caused 14,800 overdose deaths in 2008 alone,
and the death toll is rising, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention says.
Nationwide,
pharmacies received and ultimately dispensed the equivalent of 69 tons
of pure oxycodone and 42 tons of pure hydrocodone in 2010, the last year
for which statistics are available. That's enough to give 40 5-mg
Percocets and 24 5-mg Vicodins to every person in the United States. The
DEA data
records shipments from distributors to pharmacies, hospitals,
practitioners and teaching institutions. The drugs are eventually
dispensed and sold to patients, but the DEA does not keep track of how
much individual patients receive.
The increase is partly due to the aging U.S. population with pain issues and a greater willingness by doctors to treat pain, said Gregory Bunt, medical director at New York's Daytop Village chain of drug treatment clinics.
Sales are also being driven by addiction, as users become physically dependent on painkillers and begin "doctor shopping" to keep the prescriptions coming, he said.
"Prescription
medications can provide enormous health and quality-of-life benefits to
patients," Gil Kerlikowske, the U.S. drug czar, told Congress in March.
"However, we all now recognize that these drugs can be just as dangerous
and deadly as illicit substances when misused or abused."
Opioids
like hydrocodone and oxycodone can release intense feelings of
well-being. Some abusers swallow the pills; others crush them, then
smoke, snort or inject the powder.
Unlike
most street drugs, the problem has its roots in two disparate parts of
the country — Appalachia and affluent suburbs, said Pete Jackson,
president of Advocates for the Reform of Prescription Opioids.
"Now it's spreading from those two poles," Jackson said.
The
AP analysis used drug data collected quarterly by the DEA's Automation
of Reports and Consolidated Orders System. The DEA tracks shipments sent
from distributors to pharmacies, hospitals, practitioners and teaching
institutions and then compiles the data using three-digit ZIP codes.
Every ZIP code starting with 100-, for example, is lumped together into
one figure.
The AP combined this data with census figures to determine effective sales per capita.
A
few ZIP codes that include military bases or Veterans Affairs hospitals
have seen large increases in painkiller use because of soldier patients
injured in the Middle East, law enforcement officials say. In addition,
small areas around St. Louis, Indianapolis, Las Vegas and Newark, N.J.,
have seen their totals affected because mail-order pharmacies have
shipping centers there, said Carmen Catizone, executive director of the
National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.
Many of the sales trends stretch across bigger areas.
In
2000, oxycodone sales were centered in coal-mining areas of West
Virginia and eastern Kentucky — places with high concentrations of
people with back problems and other chronic pain.
But
by 2010, the strongest oxycodone sales had overtaken most of Tennessee
and Kentucky, stretching as far north as Columbus, Ohio and as far south
as Macon, Ga.
Per-capita oxycodone sales increased five- or six-fold in most of Tennessee during the decade.
"We've
got a problem. We've got to get a handle on it," said Tommy Farmer, a
counterdrug official with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Many
buyers began crossing into Tennessee to fill prescriptions after border
states began strengthening computer systems meant to monitor drug
sales, Farmer said.
In 2006,
only 20 states had prescription drug monitoring programs aimed at
tracking patients. Now 40 do, but many aren't linked together, so
abusers can simply go to another state when they're flagged in one
state's system. There is no federal monitoring of prescription drugs at
the patient level.
In Florida,
the AP analysis underscores the difficulty of the state's decade-long
battle against "pill mills," unscrupulous doctors who churn out dozens
of prescriptions a day.
In 2000, Florida's oxycodone sales were centered around West Palm Beach. By 2010, oxycodone was flowing to nearly every part of the state.
While
still not as high as in Appalachia or Florida, oxycodone sales also
increased dramatically in New York City and its suburbs. The borough of
Staten Island saw sales leap 1,200 percent.
Tornado Blows Check 170 Miles From Indiana To Ohio
GROVE CITY, Ohio - A woman walking her dog made an unusual discovery when she looked down at the sidewalk, 10TV News reported Tuesday.
Donna Stevens said that she found a check from Henryville, Ind. dated 1982.
“A light switch went off in my head – horrible tornadoes.”
March tornadoes wiped out much of Henryville, including the town’s high school, middle school, buses and almost every home in the city.
The E-F 4 tornado had winds of 175 miles per hour, 10TV News reported.
The check, made out to cash and signed by Patricia Walden, is clearly legible.
Stevens said that her cousin did a Web search, and the family discovered something interesting.
“When she read the people’s names exactly as it is on the check that I’ve got, I knew then that I had something that had traveled a long distance to Grove City,” Stevens said.
Two other Ohio families had found items belonging to the Walden’s – one in Jamestown, Ohio from 1980 and one outside Cincinnati dated 1984.
Stevens said that she was still trying to find the couple.
“I was hoping maybe somehow that maybe someone would see a story or something and know something about this or have found other items from this family that we can return things to them,” Stevens said.
Read More From 10 TV
Donna Stevens said that she found a check from Henryville, Ind. dated 1982.
“A light switch went off in my head – horrible tornadoes.”
March tornadoes wiped out much of Henryville, including the town’s high school, middle school, buses and almost every home in the city.
The E-F 4 tornado had winds of 175 miles per hour, 10TV News reported.
The check, made out to cash and signed by Patricia Walden, is clearly legible.
Stevens said that her cousin did a Web search, and the family discovered something interesting.
“When she read the people’s names exactly as it is on the check that I’ve got, I knew then that I had something that had traveled a long distance to Grove City,” Stevens said.
Two other Ohio families had found items belonging to the Walden’s – one in Jamestown, Ohio from 1980 and one outside Cincinnati dated 1984.
Stevens said that she was still trying to find the couple.
“I was hoping maybe somehow that maybe someone would see a story or something and know something about this or have found other items from this family that we can return things to them,” Stevens said.
Read More From 10 TV
Churches Sign Goes Viral Saying "God Prefers Kind Atheists Over Hateful Christians"
Image Credit: UM Portal
Christians and atheists are typically at odds, at least when it comes to theology. So when a church posted a sign that praised “kind atheists” over “hateful Christians,” it’s no surprise the message gained a great deal of attention. While some were offended, many more were supportive of the sentiment the church was attempting to spread.
The United Methodist Church is reporting that Rev. Tom Tate of Rose City Park United Methodist Church in Portland, Oregon, chose to make the bold statement about the state of Christian character and the need for believers to be nice and loving to those around them. The church sign, which reads, “God Prefers Kind Atheists Over Hateful Christians,” has been spreading wildly via social media, prompting hundreds of calls to the church from across the nation and the globe.
While the message may be a tough pill to swallow for some Christians who believe that non-belief is a tragic societal occurrence — even more tragic than Christians behaving badly — Kay Pettygrove, an administrator at the church, says that positivity has been the predominate sentiment. Pettygrove claims that there has been 30 positive comments for each negative one and says that the church is “flabbergasted” over the response.
“I got an email from a young Mormon man saying, ‘Thank you so much. It made me rethink how I treat people,’” she explains. “Many atheists have said, ‘If there were more churches like yours, we would probably reconsider.’”
Rev. Tate, whose church has 385 members, claims that the sign shows “radical hospitality” to those who feel alienated from faith systems.
“It has touched a reservoir for people in a way that is very surprising for me,” Tate proclaimed.
Read More From The Blaze
School Removes "God Bless" From Lee Greenwood Song "God Bless The U.S.A."
UPDATE:
An elementary school in Massachusetts has told kids not to say the word “God” in the Lee Greenwood song “God Bless the USA” during a recent assembly. Instead, they wanted students to say, “We love the USA.”
Many parents were not happy with this move, but some agreed that the principal did the right thing. The school decided that they would pull the song from the assembly all together instead of continuing a debate about it.
Michael Graham, a conservative radio talk show host with WTKK in Massachusetts, joined Martha MacCallum on America’s Newsroom to discuss the matter. Graham disputes the point that there was a debate at all. “No one came to the elementary school in Bellingham, which is 15 minutes from my house and said, ‘We’re offended by God Bless the USA’ … What happens is these bureaucrats inside government get so afraid that someone might be offended that they preemptively censor themselves. This is censorship, this is good old fashioned government limiting speech.”
Lee Greenwood weighed in on the matter issuing this statement: “We can’t take God out of the song, we can’t take God out of the The Pledge of Allegiance, we can’t take God off of the American currency … The phrase God Bless the USA has a very important meaning for those in the military and their families, as well as new citizens coming to our country.”
Read More From Fox Insider
An elementary school in Massachusetts has told kids not to say the word “God” in the Lee Greenwood song “God Bless the USA” during a recent assembly. Instead, they wanted students to say, “We love the USA.”
Many parents were not happy with this move, but some agreed that the principal did the right thing. The school decided that they would pull the song from the assembly all together instead of continuing a debate about it.
Michael Graham, a conservative radio talk show host with WTKK in Massachusetts, joined Martha MacCallum on America’s Newsroom to discuss the matter. Graham disputes the point that there was a debate at all. “No one came to the elementary school in Bellingham, which is 15 minutes from my house and said, ‘We’re offended by God Bless the USA’ … What happens is these bureaucrats inside government get so afraid that someone might be offended that they preemptively censor themselves. This is censorship, this is good old fashioned government limiting speech.”
Lee Greenwood weighed in on the matter issuing this statement: “We can’t take God out of the song, we can’t take God out of the The Pledge of Allegiance, we can’t take God off of the American currency … The phrase God Bless the USA has a very important meaning for those in the military and their families, as well as new citizens coming to our country.”
Read More From Fox Insider
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
CHURCH SIGN: God Prefers Kind Atheists Over Hateful Christians
Christians and atheists are typically at odds, at least when it comes
to theology. So when a church posted a sign that praised “kind
atheists” over “hateful Christians,” it’s no surprise the message gained
a great deal of attention. While some were offended, many more were
supportive of the sentiment the church was attempting to spread.
The United Methodist Church is reporting that Rev. Tom Tate of Rose City Park United Methodist Church in Portland, Oregon, chose to make the bold statement about the state of Christian character and the need for believers to be nice and loving to those around them. The church sign, which reads, “God Prefers Kind Atheists Over Hateful Christians,” has been spreading wildly via social media, prompting hundreds of calls to the church from across the nation and the globe.
While the message may be a tough pill to swallow for some Christians
who believe that non-belief is a tragic societal occurrence — even more
tragic than Christians behaving badly — Kay Pettygrove, an administrator
at the church, says that positivity has been the predominate sentiment.
Pettygrove claims that there has been 30 positive comments for each negative one and says that the church is “flabbergasted” over the response.
“I got an email from a young Mormon man saying, ‘Thank you so much. It made me rethink how I treat people,’” she explains. “Many atheists have said, ‘If there were more churches like yours, we would probably reconsider.’”
READ MORE at the Blaze
The United Methodist Church is reporting that Rev. Tom Tate of Rose City Park United Methodist Church in Portland, Oregon, chose to make the bold statement about the state of Christian character and the need for believers to be nice and loving to those around them. The church sign, which reads, “God Prefers Kind Atheists Over Hateful Christians,” has been spreading wildly via social media, prompting hundreds of calls to the church from across the nation and the globe.
Image Credit: UM Portal
“I got an email from a young Mormon man saying, ‘Thank you so much. It made me rethink how I treat people,’” she explains. “Many atheists have said, ‘If there were more churches like yours, we would probably reconsider.’”
READ MORE at the Blaze
Word's Oldest Practicing Doctor Dies At Age 114
ATLANTA - Family members say Dr. Leila Denmark, who was the world's
oldest practicing physician when she retired at age 103, has died in
Georgia. She was 114.
Denmark died Sunday in Athens. A funeral is planned for 1 p.m. Thursday at First United Methodist Church in Athens.
Her grandson, Steven Hutcherson of Atlanta, says she became the first resident of Henrietta Egleston Hospital for Children when it opened in Atlanta in 1928. She also admitted the first patient at the hospital, now part of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.
Denmark began her pediatrics practice in her home in Atlanta in 1931 and continued until her retirement in 2001.
Robert Young, senior consultant for gerontology for Guinness World Records, said Denmark was the world's fourth-oldest living person when she died.
Read More From My Fox Atlanta
Denmark died Sunday in Athens. A funeral is planned for 1 p.m. Thursday at First United Methodist Church in Athens.
Her grandson, Steven Hutcherson of Atlanta, says she became the first resident of Henrietta Egleston Hospital for Children when it opened in Atlanta in 1928. She also admitted the first patient at the hospital, now part of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.
Denmark began her pediatrics practice in her home in Atlanta in 1931 and continued until her retirement in 2001.
Robert Young, senior consultant for gerontology for Guinness World Records, said Denmark was the world's fourth-oldest living person when she died.
Read More From My Fox Atlanta
Egypts Ban On Pornographic Websites Is Being Met With Resistance
CAIRO -- An Egyptian court has ordered the government to ban
pornographic Internet websites in order to protect society and its
values.
The decision and a similar initiative in parliament has fed into fears by liberal and secular Egyptians that their country is moving down the path to fundamentalist Islam, following a sweeping victory by Islamists in parliamentary elections.
The ruling Wednesday came from a lower court and can be appealed. Three years ago a court made a similar ruling, but it was not enforced because at the time, officials argued filtering systems were not effective.
Human rights activists criticized the latest ruling and warned it was a violation of freedom of information in an already conservative society.
The pornographic website issue recently underlined the Islamist domination of parliament, when an ultraconservative lawmaker presented a query asking the government to ban pornographic websites because they endangered the morality of the country's youth. The lawmaker asked the government to introduce legislation banning sites that promote corruption and immorality.
Internet specialists said trying to ban pornography with a court ruling or legislation is ineffective. The use of parental controls is considered a more common way to curb access of minors to offensive content.
"It is very hard to implement and is ... a waste of resources," said lawyer Soha Abdel-Attie of the Egyptian Initiative for Human Rights. She said it was not clear if the new court order builds on the previous case or was a new ban.
Others said the ban is a violation of freedom of expression and information and could be followed by other steps to censor dissidents.
Read More From Huffington Post
The decision and a similar initiative in parliament has fed into fears by liberal and secular Egyptians that their country is moving down the path to fundamentalist Islam, following a sweeping victory by Islamists in parliamentary elections.
The ruling Wednesday came from a lower court and can be appealed. Three years ago a court made a similar ruling, but it was not enforced because at the time, officials argued filtering systems were not effective.
Human rights activists criticized the latest ruling and warned it was a violation of freedom of information in an already conservative society.
The pornographic website issue recently underlined the Islamist domination of parliament, when an ultraconservative lawmaker presented a query asking the government to ban pornographic websites because they endangered the morality of the country's youth. The lawmaker asked the government to introduce legislation banning sites that promote corruption and immorality.
Internet specialists said trying to ban pornography with a court ruling or legislation is ineffective. The use of parental controls is considered a more common way to curb access of minors to offensive content.
"It is very hard to implement and is ... a waste of resources," said lawyer Soha Abdel-Attie of the Egyptian Initiative for Human Rights. She said it was not clear if the new court order builds on the previous case or was a new ban.
Others said the ban is a violation of freedom of expression and information and could be followed by other steps to censor dissidents.
Read More From Huffington Post
Atheists Offer Porn To Students In Exchange For Bibles
Annual "Smut for Smut" event on Texas campus attracts little attention this year
A small group of students at the University of Texas at San Antonio
spent two days last week sitting in the middle of campus next to bright
red signs covered in large black letters. One said "Free Porn." The
other offered "Smut for Smut."
The students, all members of Atheist Agenda, hoped to entice their
classmates to turn in their Bibles in exchange for pornographic
magazines - a provocative offer designed to shock and attract attention.
"The point is not to hand out porn, but rather the primary purpose is
to get people to come talk to us so we can get our message out," Kyle
Bush, the group's president, said. "We want to spread atheism and bring
it more to the spotlight. We offer another alternative to people who
might not fit in anywhere else."
The event caused an uproar on campus in 2008 and made headlines around
the world. But this year, few students took notice. During the four
hours Atheist Agenda members spent next to their signs each day, only
about 30 people stopped by to get information about the club or start a
debate.
In addition to Bibles, the group offered to collect other religious
texts, including the Quran, and any books written by prominent pastors,
including Joel Osteen and Rick Warren. During the event, Atheist Agenda
collected five Bibles, one Encyclopedia of Islam, and one Quran. The
group plans to donate the books to a local library.
Despite the event's ability in previous years to attract attention for
atheism, Bush said the group didn't have any financial backers outside
its student members. The group raised all of the money needed to put on
the event themselves, he said. One of the group's fundraisers included
selling popsicles.
"A lot of the money comes from members," Bush said. "Like if we need posters, somebody will go and buy posters."
The group purchased 140 pounds of pornographic magazines for $30 from a seller on Craigslist.
Students who passed by the group's tables without stopping had mixed
reactions. Mark Martinez said he wouldn't trade in his Bible but
supported Atheist Agenda's right to hold the event: "It's their belief."
About 30 yards away from the tables, a small group of students stood
in a circle, holding hands, heads bowed. The students, members of the
campus vocal club Victory and Praise Choir, quietly sang worship songs
between prayers.
The singers first gathered to protest the atheist event last year,
Assistant Choir Director Tarvia Demerson said. They hope to show people
walking by that the atheists aren't the only ones willing to make a
bold, public statement about their beliefs.
Michelle Obama Tells Children "Convince Your Grandparents To Vote For My Husband"
Michelle Obama, who has quickly become the Obama campaign’s tip of the spear when it comes to fundraising and vote-getting, is now stumping for children to convince their “great-grandparents” to vote for her husband. At an event at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park – for which tickets cost at least $500 – Michelle said:
I
mean, I can’t tell you in the last election how many grandparents I ran
into who said, I wasn’t going to vote for Barack Obama until my
grandson talked to me, until my great-grandson talked to me, and talked
about the future he wanted for this country.
You can get out there with your parents.
You guys can knock on doors. I had one young lady who brought me a
petition — she’s already working. You can convince wrong people.
Sometimes we don’t listen to ourselves, but we will listen to our
children.
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