Monthly Archives: May 2009

Study Shows US workers Are Using Less Cocaine but More Amphetamines

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US Workers Cocaine Methamphetamine

Although a recent analysis by Quest Diagnostics showed that cocaine and methamphetamine use dropped amongst US workers in 2008, it also confirmed that use of amphetamines rose during that same period. The results came from 5.7 million urine samples Quest Diagnostics tested. The breakdown for drug use amongst US workers in 2008 was as follows: cocaine use fell by 29%; methamphetamine use dropped by 21%; and Amphetamine use rose from 5.3 percent in 2007 to a whopping 12.5 percent last year in 2008.

Quest Diagnostics’ urine tests are designed to check recent drug use, as in a 1-3 day period. The company disclosed that the US government and the medical field concurred that the spike in amphetamine use over the last year coincides with the data collected from hospitals for prescriptions given to treat ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Chemicals prescribed to treat ADHD, such as Ritalin, often contain amphetamines or “Speed” as it’s known on the street. Quest Diagnostics confirmed that according to their information, drug use amongst US workers has shown an overall decline since 1988.

NA Blog: Narcotics Anonymous Meetings Los Angeles

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Narcotics Anonymous meetings Los Angeles

As stated in the Narcotics Anonymous Basic Text, on page nine, “Narcotics Anonymous is a nonprofit Fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem. We are recovering addicts who meet regularly to help each other stay clean.”  Here at the NA Blog, we are dedicated to keeping anyone in the recovery community informed about Narcotics Anonymous meetings and events throughout the US.  This specific article focuses on Narcotics Anonymous Meetings in Los Angeles.

The NA 12 Steps tradition is embraced at all of the 31,000 weekly meetings held around the world in the 100+ countries that form the Narcotics Anonymous fellowship.  Luckily, there is now a resource one can access easily online for up to date NA meetings information.  That resource part is offered through In the Rooms and can be located at: meetings.intherooms.com.  Below, please find a listing of just a few Narcotics Anonymous meetings the NA Blog has filtered through to provide those area-specific to LA.  We hope it helps someone out there find recovery.  For the full listing, click here.

Narcotics Anonymous Meetings in Los Angeles:

AADAP
5318 South Crenshaw Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90043 Sunday 4:00PM

Agape Home Mission
2205 South Hobart Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90018 Saturday 7:30PM

AT Center
1773 Griffith Park Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90026 Wednesday 8:30PM

Avalon Carver Center
4920 South Avalon
Los Angeles, CA 90011 Wednesday 7:00PM

BHS Community Center
3421 East Olympic Blvd
Downstairs Wednesday 8:00PM

Cafe Tropical
2900 West Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90026
Silverlake Monday 12:00AM

California Building Plaza
5419 West Sunset Boulevard # 7
Los Angeles, CA 90027 Friday 5:00PM

Casa Mexicana
2900 Calle Pedro Infante
Los Angeles, CA 90063
enter at Calle Pedro Infante Thursday 8:00PM

Circle of Help Foundation
2120 West 8th Street Suite 330
Los Angeles, CA 90057
Third Floor Wednesday 4:30PM

Covenant House
1325 North Western Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Speaker on 1st Sunday of month only Sunday 7:00PM

NA Blog: Narcotics Anonymous Basic Text (Online)

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Narcotics Anonymous Basic Text

The NA Blog has recently discovered that the Narcotics Anonymous basic text is now available in its entirety online for viewing.  This a great opportunity for those that haven’t committed to going to Narcotics Anonymous meetings but are interested in learning more about the NA fellowship.

Although there are many additions of the Narcotics Anonymous book, the online version is the most current and up-to-date available by the NA fellowship.  Please check out the full version as a PDF at the official NA website: www.na.org.  To find it, look under the section titled “NA Literature.”  We here at the NA Blog hope that this post can reach everyone and anyone out there that’s still on the fence.  Please get help and remember “It works if you work it.”

The Narcotics Anonymous Basic Text includes the following chapters:

1. Who Is an addict?
2. What Is the Narcotics Anonymous Program?
3. Why Are We Here?
4. How It Works
5. What Can I Do?
6. The Twelve Traditions of Narcotics Anonymous
7. Recovery and Relapse
8. We Do Recover
9. Just For Today – Living the Program
10. More Will be Revealed

In the Rooms (intherooms.com) to have Charity Walk for National Recovery Month

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In the Rooms Charity Walk

News is starting to slowly crawl through the internet, right now as only little bits that have been confirmed, of a charity walk that is to take place in Miami’s Bicentennial Park in September as part of National Recovery Month.  Not yet “officially” released to the press, the charity walk is to be sponsored by the social networking site, In the Rooms (intherooms.com).  As of the latest update, a committee is being formed by In the Rooms to head up the project event.

So far, what we know is that the walk will begin in Miami’s Bicentennial Park and take course over the MacArthur Causeway, which is the bridge that leads to Miami Beach.  Then, the walk is to go back over the the MacArthur Causeway bridge to Bicentennial Park, where In the Rooms plans a day full of scheduled events that will include: food, music concerts and scheduled speakers.  For more information, check back often to the NA Blog (thenablog.com) for more information.

Obama Administration Aims to Equalize Crack and Cocaine Sentences

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crack and cocaine laws

On his 100th day in office, President Obama and his administration teamed with federal judges to call upon congress for fairer sentencing laws in the disparity that exist between cocaine powder and crack cocaine dealing penalties. Currently, someone must be convicted of dealing 100 times more cocaine powder, by weight, to receive the same mandatory minimum sentence, if they had been dealing crack. The example given at the meeting was that fifty grams of crack would trigger the cureent10 year mandatory minimum sentence, while it would take 5000 grams (five kilos) of powered cocaine to warrant the same penalty.

The original strict sentencing laws for crack as part of the Anti-Drug Abuse Acts were created in 1986 and 1988, at the peak of the crack epidemic that was sweeping the US. For years, people have argued that the discrepancy in sentencing was a racial issue as far more African-Americans are arrested for crack than cocaine powder, while the majority of people arrested for the powder form are Anglo. According to the Huffington Post, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported that “While two-thirds of crack cocaine users are white or Latino, more than 80 percent of those convicted in federal court for crack cocaine offenses in 2006 were African American.”

According to AP reports, one the federal judges officials on hand, Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer, urged the US Congress to overhaul the current law, by testifying that they should “completely eliminate the disparity,” and added, “A growing number of citizens view it as fundamentally unfair.” As it stands, the Justice Department is currently working on new sentencing laws, based on recommendations, which would be more equal in the punishments dealt.