alcohol and drug abuse treatment

Iowa with its rolling hills of fertile black dirt producing acre after acre of prairie grass, corn and a host of other products consumed by the rest of America has something to be proud these days. Regrettably these same farmlands were a hotbed of clandestine meth lab activity just a few years ago. Now, Iowa, The American Heartland, has something to be proud of when it comes to drug abuse statistics.

Iowa has long been known for its struggles with methamphetamine. In 2005 methamphetamine abuse and addiction were running rampant with wild abandon. Meth lab incidents reached staggering amounts totaling 1437 that year but things have since changed dramatically. Since the enactment of the Federal Combating Methamphetamine Epidemic Act (CMEA) and similar state laws to control the sale of pseudoephedrine (PSE) went into action meth lab incidents in Iowa plummeted to just 181 in 2007. 181 meth labs are still far too many but you have to admit the impressive improvement.

Obviously very creative drug abusers, dealers and meth “cooks” will find new ways of obtaining the key ingredient and in 2007 a new method called “smurfing” came into play. As a result from 2007-2009 meth lab incidents jumped 48%. Still yet Iowa’s meth related incidents remain relatively low in comparison to just a few years ago. Nationwide meth lab incidents increased 76% during that same two-year period.

Overall Iowa’s decreasing drug abuse statistics stand out from the rest of the country. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) 8.02 % of American citizens abused an illicit drug in the past 30 days. This same report indicates just 4.08% of Iowa residents participated in past month drug abuse. Abuse of illicit drugs other than marijuana is also lower in Iowa as 1.81% of Iowa citizens are reported to have participated compared to the national average of 3.58%.

Prescription drug addiction is a major concern in the United States. To help combat the problem the Iowa Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PMP) went into effect in 2009. The new system enables physicians and pharmacists to access vital information concerning patient’s abuse and drug diversion of these controlled substances.

Iowa still has others areas of concern with marijuana being most widely abused drug and accounting for 7273 (26%) of the overall treatment admissions in 2009. Still yet these numbers compared to other states and the rest of the country as a whole are something to be proud of.

Minor in possession classes, or MIP classes as they are sometimes called, help troubled youths that really need a helping hand rather than a jail sentence. Most likely if your teen or youth is being required to take MIP classes it’s because they have been caught drinking or with alcohol in their system or been caught with alcohol in their possession.

Finding Minor in Possession Classes

You can go to your city hall information desk and request information on the next city backed MIP class. Most cities held classes are once per month, and classes can also be found online. If you are looking for an online option, one way to find a class, for example, would be to simply type in to Googe:”MIP Classes in New Jersey”

What’s Covered?

The MIP classes are split into 6, 8, 12 16, and some even 24 hours classes. The classes are self-paced and can be taken any time of day or night. If the class is being held at a community center then the single 6 to 8 hour class is what will be most likely be required and completed on a Saturday or Sunday.

The MIP classes ranging from 6-8 hours cover the specific drinking and drug laws of the that county and state. The class instructor will spend ample time speaking and educating the youth of the physiological effects of consuming alcohol and/or drugs as well as the risks and consequences of alcohol and/or drug use. After the youths understand the physical consequences, the instructor will teach them about the steps of addiction. How something can go from occasional use to complete dependency on a daily basis just to function. Alcohol is one of the last legal drugs on the planet, and without a proper education, the long-term failure into the abyss of addiction is very real possibility.

Self-Assessment

One of the biggest steps of taking a Minor in Possession class is to complete a self-assessment. You need to be able to identify if you have a dependency issue or if you are an occasional user. The only way to do this is to honestly and openly is by discussing your chemical use history. There will be no charges for this, no repercussions other than trying to get over your own history of use and getting back on the road of pride and honor.

Their Values

Finally, in a 6 to 8 hours class, there will be the values section. By the end of the class, the youth must decide and know, if their own values conflict with their illegal use of drugs and/or alcohol. The youth must learn to have values through the strength of honor and consequence, or in other words a good lesson in personal responsibility.

The Parents

It may seem like all the work has to be done by the youth, but the parents need to be prepared to throw in a little work in class in the Minor in Possession class as well. The parent parts of the classes are usually much shorter, ranging from 2 to 3 hour and covers the parents legal responsibilities when their youth’s use or have drugs and alcohol.

Want to know how to quit marijuana? You simply have to be ready to quit. You must psychologically be prepared to do what it takes to end the addiction. If you currently have a marijuana addiction, you have to learn two things: how to deal with the withdrawal symptoms, and what to do so that you are not tempted to go back to using.

The first step in ending marijuana dependency is in dealing with your body’s craving for the substance. When your body is addicted to a type of drug, you face physical symptoms when you stop using that addictive substance.For example: If you’re a smoker, you regularly use nicotine in order for you to feel “normal.”However, when you stop using nicotine, your body begins to feel deprived of the substance, and you experience certain symptoms from not using the drug, such as headaches, nausea, among others.

In the same manner, knowing how to quit marijuana involves understanding how marijuana works on your body and how to deal with any withdrawal symptoms. THC (TetraHydroCannabinol), the active ingredient in marijuana, affects your body chemistry, a withdrawal from the drug can have certain side effects such as sleeplessness, nausea, sore throat, and even vivid dreams. These side effects are the result of the THC that is stored in your body’s fatty adipose cells, which remain in your body for a long time.

Aside from these physical side effects, marijuana use has psychological effects as well. Those who are addicted to marijuana will feel that they must smoke: they fear not smoking or using, and believe that they cannot function unless they have their fix.

Getting out of this frame of mind is very difficult. This is why the best thing to do is to find a support system and a counselor whom you can confide with about your struggles. You’ll also need to get rid of anything in your possession that will lead you to smoke or use again, things like cannabis leaf symbols and merchandise. Counselors who advise you on knowing how to quit marijuana may suggest that you keep new company, especially if the people you currently associate with are the type who pressure or influence you negatively.

The key to ending marijuana dependence is personal determination, the determination to get the help you need and to make a lifestyle change that will influence you positively away from marijuana use. Remember: While you can detox, exercise to burn adipose cells, and drink lots of water to help ease withdrawal symptoms, learning how to quit marijuana is never a one man feat.