Back again, like so many Mondays before, to tell you all about addiction research, news, and more from around the world wide web.
New York and Texas tough on DUI offenders
Everything Addiction– If you find yourself convicted of a DUI in New York State, you’ll have to install one of those ignition interlocks that verify you’re sober (by showing a BAC of zero) every time you get behind the wheel. So says a new law passed in that state trying to combat the problem of driving under the influence of alcohol. The law will take effect on August 15th and is known as Leandra’s Law. Another part of the law makes it a automatic felony if a person is driving under the influence and has a child under the age of 16 in the car.
ABC News– A man in Texas has been sentenced to life in prison after being caught driving with blood alcohol content (BAC) level of .32. But it wasn’t the high BAC that got him in that endless trouble, it was the fact that is was his NINTH DUI offense. I think there’s little doubt that getting that guy off the road is a good idea, but I’m pretty sure he’s an alcoholic, so hopefully they’ve tried treatment a few times before throwing him in prison forever.
Alcohol Taxes as a mild form of addiction treatment
Los Angeles Times– A study by the National Center for Health Statistics looked at the relationship between taxes on alcohol and the number of deaths that were associated with drinking. It was found that as the taxes increased on alcohol products the number of deaths decreased. As the taxes got lowered the number of alcohol related deaths rose. This study indicates that taxes may not be such a bad thing when it comes to alcohol as alcohol taxes may end up saving lives in the long run.
Underage Drinking can be scary
Drugs Information Online– Read some alarming statistics about underage drinking in the U.S. The article takes the viewpoint that Alcohol is thought to be a symbol of adulthood by teens who want to take on adult role. This seems to jive well with the Moffitt article we’ve cited here before.
Addiction Treatment Hell around the globe
Addiction Inbox– When an individual thinks about addiction treatment they think of people at addiction facilities who are engaging and willing to give their all to help the “addicts” that are in need. While this notion might be true in the U.S. and some other western countries, In China, Cambodia, and Vietnam addiction treatment looks very different. From Chinese labor camps to Cambodian detentions, read Dirk Hanson’s great account of treatment horrors in the rest of the world.