Lets help put an end to all these needles everyday thousands of needles are spread through out the streets.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
Hello everybody its getting to be that time of a year already (Christmas) With that being said I hope everybody is keeping in mind that Christmas is not all about receiving but giving back, So lets all give a helping hand out to the homeless,battered woman,low income family's most of all the children.Drop by your local food bank woman's shelter homeless shelter etc and give a little donation any thing is good and every little bit helps. we are also have a donation bin at CDI college surrey campus on 92ND and king George feel free to drop off any warm clothing,towels,blankets,hygiene products etc thank you
Thursday, October 1, 2009
http://www.gratitudeweek.org/ Please check this out next week is homelessness week lets all pitch a helping hand every little bit helps do a good deed give a homeless person some fruit there are people from all walks of life's out there crying for help.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Drug testing
Nyssa Peake
Meconium testing
What is it.
Meconium is the earliest stools of an infant. Unlike later feces, meconium is composed of materials ingested during the time the infant spends in the uterus making it very usefull in detecting illicit drug use during pregancy meconium testing origianated from the hospital for sick children in toronto they came up with this idea with the efforts of keeping expectant mothers from hiding there drinking during pregancy this test is very effective in the sence that it doesnt only detect if the mother has been drinking during her pregancy but also shows how much the mother has been drinking during her pregancy they put meconium testing in effect to help in the early detection of fedal alchohol syndrome Meconium, the dark green viscous first stool of a newborn, is a collection of debris consisting of desquamated cells of the alimentary tract and skin, lanugo, fatty material from the vernix caseosa, amniotic fluid, and various intestinal secretions.The disposition of drug in meconium is not well understood. The proposed mechanism is that the fetus excretes drug into bile and amniotic fluid. Drug accumulates in meconium either by direct deposition from bile or through swallowing of amniotic fluid . Meconium appears to form in the second trimester; because it is not excreted, it contains drugs to which the fetus has been exposed. Therefore, the presence of drugs in meconium has been proposed to be indicative of in utero drug exposure in the month or more before birth, a longer historical measure than is possible by urinalysis
Who uses it ?
Motherisk Laboratory for Drug Exposure
What is the purpose of the test? Why is this test done?
The purpose of meconium testing is to detect the use of alcohol and any illict drug use during pregancy
Drug abuse during pregnancy is a major health problem since the associated perinatal complications are high. These include a high incidence of stillbirths, meconium stained fluid, premature rupture of the membranes, maternal hemorrhage and fetal distress. In the newborn infant, mortality and morbidity rates are high. The latter includes a high incidence of asphyxia, prematurity, low birth weight, aspiration pneumonia, congenital malformations, cerebral infarction, drug withdrawal and infection,including AIDS. Similarly, long term sequelae in the infants are not uncommon and include delays in physical growth and mental development, sudden infant death syndrome and learning disabilities.Because of these immediate and long-term problems, infants born to women who have abused drugs during pregnancy should be identified soon after birth so that appropriate intervention and follow up can be instituted. Accurate identification of the drug exposed neonate is important for other reasons such as epidemiologic surveys, to identify women who will need support and or to assess the effectiveness of programs designed to reduce the incidence of drug abuse among pregnant women.
Is the test reliable? What reliability scales are used?
Simple, non-invasive collection of a meconium sample eliminates the need to collect a blood or urine specimen from a newborn Proprietary meconium extraction process and meconium GC/MS analysis provides up to a 20-week gestational detection window from a newborn meconium. Meconium Drug Testing results in 48 hours or less for rapid healthcare treatment and planning for both mother and child. Meconium Drug Testing not only provides evidence of fetal drug exposure but can also provide documentation of fetal alcohol exposure by measuring meconium concentrations of fatty acid ethyl esters, the non oxidative metabolites formed from ethanol and fatty acids. Meconium testing has rapidly become the gold standard for diagnosing fetal alcohol and drug exposure. Available as a 5-,7-,9-, and 12- drug panel.
The analysis of meconium for cocaine and metabolites has proved to be a reliable method for the detection of fetal cocaine exposure. Better sensitivity and a larger gestational window of detection have been demonstrated for meconium testing as compared with neonatal urine testing. Cocaine and cocaine metabolites, including benzoylecgonine, ecgonine methyl ester, cocaethylene, norcocaine, benzoylnorecgonine, and m-hydroxybenzoylecgonine, have been identified in meconium. The origin of these metabolites, whether maternal or fetal, has not been established. This study was conducted to compare the disposition of cocaine and metabolites in meconium from fetuses exposed to cocaine with that of urine from cocaine abusers. Meconium specimens were obtained from six neonates of mothers positive for cocaine use by urinalysis or self-reporting or both during pregnancy. Urine specimens were obtained from 17 adult female and 17 adult male cocaine users enrolled in a treatment program. Specimens were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for cocaine and 12 related analytes. The following analytes were identified and measured in meconium and urine : anhydroecgonine methyl ester ; ecgonine methyl ester ; ecgonine ethyl ester ; cocaine ; cocaethylene ; benzoylecgonine ; norcocaine ; norcocaethylene ; benzoylnorecgonine ; m- and p-hydroxycocaine ; and m- and p-hydroxybenzoylecgonine. In addition, both m- and p-hydroxybenzoylecgonine were found to exhibit approximately equal cross-reactivity with benzoylecgonine in the EMIT and TDx assays. The presence of p-hydroxybenzoylecgonine in meconium suggested that this newly identified metabolite, like m-hydroxybenzoylecgonine, might serve as a valuable marker of fetal cocaine exposure during pregnancy. The presence of cocaine and anhydroecgonine methyl ester in meconium was attributed to transfer across the placenta from the mother. However, the origin of the hydrolytic and oxidative metabolites of cocaine could not be established because they were also identified in urine specimens of adult female cocaine users and could have arisen in meconium from either fetal or maternal metabolism.Some laboratories may find it easier to modify existing urine methodologies to perform at lower thresholds than to develop and confirm a new set of more difficult assays for meconium. It is recommended that laboratories contemplating meconium testing should consider first lowering the threshold of their urine assays before embarking on meconium testing because sensitivity of urine testing at lower urine thresholds has been reported to be comparable with that of meconium testing
What are the procedures used for the test?
Meconium samples are collected from the diaper of the newborn as soon as they have there first bowl movement they are then analyzed for the presence of alcohol and by-products called fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE). Minimal amounts of FAEE are found in the meconium of neonates who were not exposed to alcohol before birth. Significantly greater amounts of FAEE are found in the meconium of neonates who were exposed to alcohol before birth.
How to submit a sample for testing
Step 1: Collect a minimum of 1 gram of meconium in a urine collection bottle. Keep the sample refrigerated. If the sample is collected on the weekend, keep it refrigerated and send it to us on Monday morning. If it will take more than 48 hours to get to our Lab, freeze the sample at -20°C and ship it on dry ice.
Step 2: Include a letter with the sample that states:
Why alcohol use is suspected
Where to send results
Where to send our invoice
Step 3: Send the sample by courier to Motherisk , The Hospital for Sick Children, Elm Wing, 10th Floor, Room 10142, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8
What are the advantages and the disadvantages of using this test?
Meconium is much more sensitive then new born hair for detection of cacaine and cannabis Possiably because it can detect drugs being used over a period of 4 to 5 months where as a new borns hair can only dectect drugs being used in the third trimester as the new borns hair does not grow until the final trimester of pregancy. Results show that though meconium is more sensitive showing drug use over a 4 to 5 month period of pregancy it is only available for 1 to 2 days where as the new borns hair can be used for up to 3months after birth.
Most docters preferred over urine for drug testing because it is easier to get and has a larger detection window.
Meconium can detect multiple drug use over an extended period of time.
Urine testing can only detect drug use over the last 1-10 days depending on the drug.
Meconium is easier to get a hold of.
What are the controversies of using this test?
Meconium is easier to collect than urine, and the amount collected is usually sufficient for complete analysis, including confirmation.
Meconium testing does have some limitations. Meconium is usually passed by full-term newborns within 24 to 48 h, after which transition from blackish-green color to yellow color indicates beginning of passing of neonatal stool. Infants with low birth weight (1000 g) have been shown to pass their first meconium at a median age of 3 days. Thus, meconium collection can be missed because of delayed passage and also may not be available soon after birth for early detection of illicit drug use testing. In fact, in a large-scale study, only 77.6% of 3879 newborns had meconium available for analysis.
In the clinical laboratory, meconium is an unfamiliar test, being a sticky material that is more difficult to work with than urine. Furthermore, processing of meconium for analysis requires weighing and extraction steps that are not needed for urine. An accurately weighed 0.1 to 1 g of meconium is generally used, and drug analyte has to be extracted from meconium into a medium that is compatible with the initial immunoassays. Extraction has been achieved by acidified water or saline, methanol, or acetonitrile. Improved assay sensitivity can be attained by evaporating the extract solvent either to dryness or a lower volume. A variety of immunoassays has been used for the initial testing of meconium extracts: EIA, RIA, FPIA, and kinetic interaction of microparticles in solution (KIMS)To improve sensitivity, thresholds for the extract should be set as low as possible and certainly lower than the workplace drug-testing thresholds. All urine drugs-of-abuse assays, if they are used with meconium extracts, must be investigated for possible effect of matrix on accuracy, precision, and assay linearity.
Most reports in the literature describe the detection of cocaine in meconium, but studies in which meconium was also analyzed for other drugs of abuse demonstrated that cocaine was detected at a much higher rate than marijuana, amphetamines, or opiates Several studies reported that some infants whose urines were negative for cocaine had positive meconium, suggesting that meconium testing is more sensitive than urine testing However, part of the improved detection rate relates to the method of analysis— rather than the type of specimen (urine vs meconium). When more sensitive urine analytical methods and lower cut offs were used, infant urine and meconium analyses yielded equivalent results for identifying newborns who have been exposed to cocaine in utero.
Are there any legal implications of this test and if so, what are they?
What are the ethical issues around this test?
The impact of illegal substance abuse on the developing fetus and newborn infant is devastating. The effects are manifested in increased risk of mortality and morbidity along with associated behavioral and developmental concerns. Thus, an ethical question arises for nursing staff concerning the decision to initiate legal intervention subsequent to or in conjunction with positive toxicology screening. Should newborns be taken from their mother when they test positive for illicit substances?
Perinatal substance abuse can cause a wide range of serious medical complications for an infant, including drug withdrawal, physical and neurological deficits, fetal alcohol syndrome, growth retardation, and cardiovascular abnormalities. One of the most well-known syndromes attributable to substance involvement is fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Michaelis (1994) suggests the following characteristics of low birthweight; a pattern of malformation affecting the head, face, heart, and urinary tract; and abnormalities within the brain that lead to various intellectual and behavioral problems early in childhood.
There is no clear cut solution in dealing with these families. Taking the infants from their biological mothers means revictimizing the infants, as vital bonding with that parent is missed. However, leaving the infants with their substance-abusing mothers does not ensure the bonding process, and may serve to reinforce the cycle of addiction and continued psychological, physical, and spiritual harm to the child. There are several possible options or courses of action in response to the problem, however, they range from supportive services to punitive judgmental treatment.
Foster Care
Some would argue that the best course of action in the best interest of the infant in the situation of perinatal drug abuse would be foster care. It makes logical sense: if the baby is not safe, separate the baby from the mother and place him or her in a safer situation. But it is not that simple. The option of foster care usually imposes an additional burden on the child. Children placed in foster homes generally move from home to home, which exacerbates the problems of parent-infant bonding, sense of continuity and stability, and object constancy. DeBettencourt (1990), in a study of 13 children in Los Angeles, California exposed to illicit drugs in utero, found the children had experienced 35 foster homes before the age of 3.
Adoption
For some mothers faced with the realization that they cannot care for their child the way he or she needs and deserves, adoption provides an alternative for care. Adults willing and able to take on the responsibilities of parenting can offer an atmosphere of security and well-being that may have otherwise been lacking.
While adoption is another viable option of intervention, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (1990) report states, "few crack babies have been adopted, as the process is generally long, difficult and expensive. The termination of parental rights is often contested and can take 3 years or more. These older children are less likely to be adopted" (p. 1). Another long-standing barrier, according to the report, is the bias against interracial adoptions. Black foster parents and homes for infants with special needs are in short supply. The reason for shortages are services (such as child care and respite care) and agency restriction (DHHS, 1990). Agency policy restrictions include not allowing white families to adopt black children based on cultural differences. Thus, while adoption is one measure of intervention, it possesses many conflicts, challenges, and obstacles for both child and adopting parent.
Use as many references as possible and try to use B.C. examples etc. if possible.
www.motherrisk.org
mectestcorporation.litserv.com
wikpidea
alcoholisim.about.com
whatismeconiumtesting.bc
www.faslink.org
how valuable is meconium testing
cat.inist.fr
ben stenson
fn.bmjournals.com
fastlink.org
www.arupconsult.com/
allnurses.com
clinicalchemistry.com
babiedrugtesting.com
www.clinichem.org
findarticals.com
Meconium testing
What is it.
Meconium is the earliest stools of an infant. Unlike later feces, meconium is composed of materials ingested during the time the infant spends in the uterus making it very usefull in detecting illicit drug use during pregancy meconium testing origianated from the hospital for sick children in toronto they came up with this idea with the efforts of keeping expectant mothers from hiding there drinking during pregancy this test is very effective in the sence that it doesnt only detect if the mother has been drinking during her pregancy but also shows how much the mother has been drinking during her pregancy they put meconium testing in effect to help in the early detection of fedal alchohol syndrome Meconium, the dark green viscous first stool of a newborn, is a collection of debris consisting of desquamated cells of the alimentary tract and skin, lanugo, fatty material from the vernix caseosa, amniotic fluid, and various intestinal secretions.The disposition of drug in meconium is not well understood. The proposed mechanism is that the fetus excretes drug into bile and amniotic fluid. Drug accumulates in meconium either by direct deposition from bile or through swallowing of amniotic fluid . Meconium appears to form in the second trimester; because it is not excreted, it contains drugs to which the fetus has been exposed. Therefore, the presence of drugs in meconium has been proposed to be indicative of in utero drug exposure in the month or more before birth, a longer historical measure than is possible by urinalysis
Who uses it ?
Motherisk Laboratory for Drug Exposure
What is the purpose of the test? Why is this test done?
The purpose of meconium testing is to detect the use of alcohol and any illict drug use during pregancy
Drug abuse during pregnancy is a major health problem since the associated perinatal complications are high. These include a high incidence of stillbirths, meconium stained fluid, premature rupture of the membranes, maternal hemorrhage and fetal distress. In the newborn infant, mortality and morbidity rates are high. The latter includes a high incidence of asphyxia, prematurity, low birth weight, aspiration pneumonia, congenital malformations, cerebral infarction, drug withdrawal and infection,including AIDS. Similarly, long term sequelae in the infants are not uncommon and include delays in physical growth and mental development, sudden infant death syndrome and learning disabilities.Because of these immediate and long-term problems, infants born to women who have abused drugs during pregnancy should be identified soon after birth so that appropriate intervention and follow up can be instituted. Accurate identification of the drug exposed neonate is important for other reasons such as epidemiologic surveys, to identify women who will need support and or to assess the effectiveness of programs designed to reduce the incidence of drug abuse among pregnant women.
Is the test reliable? What reliability scales are used?
Simple, non-invasive collection of a meconium sample eliminates the need to collect a blood or urine specimen from a newborn Proprietary meconium extraction process and meconium GC/MS analysis provides up to a 20-week gestational detection window from a newborn meconium. Meconium Drug Testing results in 48 hours or less for rapid healthcare treatment and planning for both mother and child. Meconium Drug Testing not only provides evidence of fetal drug exposure but can also provide documentation of fetal alcohol exposure by measuring meconium concentrations of fatty acid ethyl esters, the non oxidative metabolites formed from ethanol and fatty acids. Meconium testing has rapidly become the gold standard for diagnosing fetal alcohol and drug exposure. Available as a 5-,7-,9-, and 12- drug panel.
The analysis of meconium for cocaine and metabolites has proved to be a reliable method for the detection of fetal cocaine exposure. Better sensitivity and a larger gestational window of detection have been demonstrated for meconium testing as compared with neonatal urine testing. Cocaine and cocaine metabolites, including benzoylecgonine, ecgonine methyl ester, cocaethylene, norcocaine, benzoylnorecgonine, and m-hydroxybenzoylecgonine, have been identified in meconium. The origin of these metabolites, whether maternal or fetal, has not been established. This study was conducted to compare the disposition of cocaine and metabolites in meconium from fetuses exposed to cocaine with that of urine from cocaine abusers. Meconium specimens were obtained from six neonates of mothers positive for cocaine use by urinalysis or self-reporting or both during pregnancy. Urine specimens were obtained from 17 adult female and 17 adult male cocaine users enrolled in a treatment program. Specimens were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for cocaine and 12 related analytes. The following analytes were identified and measured in meconium and urine : anhydroecgonine methyl ester ; ecgonine methyl ester ; ecgonine ethyl ester ; cocaine ; cocaethylene ; benzoylecgonine ; norcocaine ; norcocaethylene ; benzoylnorecgonine ; m- and p-hydroxycocaine ; and m- and p-hydroxybenzoylecgonine. In addition, both m- and p-hydroxybenzoylecgonine were found to exhibit approximately equal cross-reactivity with benzoylecgonine in the EMIT and TDx assays. The presence of p-hydroxybenzoylecgonine in meconium suggested that this newly identified metabolite, like m-hydroxybenzoylecgonine, might serve as a valuable marker of fetal cocaine exposure during pregnancy. The presence of cocaine and anhydroecgonine methyl ester in meconium was attributed to transfer across the placenta from the mother. However, the origin of the hydrolytic and oxidative metabolites of cocaine could not be established because they were also identified in urine specimens of adult female cocaine users and could have arisen in meconium from either fetal or maternal metabolism.Some laboratories may find it easier to modify existing urine methodologies to perform at lower thresholds than to develop and confirm a new set of more difficult assays for meconium. It is recommended that laboratories contemplating meconium testing should consider first lowering the threshold of their urine assays before embarking on meconium testing because sensitivity of urine testing at lower urine thresholds has been reported to be comparable with that of meconium testing
What are the procedures used for the test?
Meconium samples are collected from the diaper of the newborn as soon as they have there first bowl movement they are then analyzed for the presence of alcohol and by-products called fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE). Minimal amounts of FAEE are found in the meconium of neonates who were not exposed to alcohol before birth. Significantly greater amounts of FAEE are found in the meconium of neonates who were exposed to alcohol before birth.
How to submit a sample for testing
Step 1: Collect a minimum of 1 gram of meconium in a urine collection bottle. Keep the sample refrigerated. If the sample is collected on the weekend, keep it refrigerated and send it to us on Monday morning. If it will take more than 48 hours to get to our Lab, freeze the sample at -20°C and ship it on dry ice.
Step 2: Include a letter with the sample that states:
Why alcohol use is suspected
Where to send results
Where to send our invoice
Step 3: Send the sample by courier to Motherisk , The Hospital for Sick Children, Elm Wing, 10th Floor, Room 10142, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8
What are the advantages and the disadvantages of using this test?
Meconium is much more sensitive then new born hair for detection of cacaine and cannabis Possiably because it can detect drugs being used over a period of 4 to 5 months where as a new borns hair can only dectect drugs being used in the third trimester as the new borns hair does not grow until the final trimester of pregancy. Results show that though meconium is more sensitive showing drug use over a 4 to 5 month period of pregancy it is only available for 1 to 2 days where as the new borns hair can be used for up to 3months after birth.
Most docters preferred over urine for drug testing because it is easier to get and has a larger detection window.
Meconium can detect multiple drug use over an extended period of time.
Urine testing can only detect drug use over the last 1-10 days depending on the drug.
Meconium is easier to get a hold of.
What are the controversies of using this test?
Meconium is easier to collect than urine, and the amount collected is usually sufficient for complete analysis, including confirmation.
Meconium testing does have some limitations. Meconium is usually passed by full-term newborns within 24 to 48 h, after which transition from blackish-green color to yellow color indicates beginning of passing of neonatal stool. Infants with low birth weight (1000 g) have been shown to pass their first meconium at a median age of 3 days. Thus, meconium collection can be missed because of delayed passage and also may not be available soon after birth for early detection of illicit drug use testing. In fact, in a large-scale study, only 77.6% of 3879 newborns had meconium available for analysis.
In the clinical laboratory, meconium is an unfamiliar test, being a sticky material that is more difficult to work with than urine. Furthermore, processing of meconium for analysis requires weighing and extraction steps that are not needed for urine. An accurately weighed 0.1 to 1 g of meconium is generally used, and drug analyte has to be extracted from meconium into a medium that is compatible with the initial immunoassays. Extraction has been achieved by acidified water or saline, methanol, or acetonitrile. Improved assay sensitivity can be attained by evaporating the extract solvent either to dryness or a lower volume. A variety of immunoassays has been used for the initial testing of meconium extracts: EIA, RIA, FPIA, and kinetic interaction of microparticles in solution (KIMS)To improve sensitivity, thresholds for the extract should be set as low as possible and certainly lower than the workplace drug-testing thresholds. All urine drugs-of-abuse assays, if they are used with meconium extracts, must be investigated for possible effect of matrix on accuracy, precision, and assay linearity.
Most reports in the literature describe the detection of cocaine in meconium, but studies in which meconium was also analyzed for other drugs of abuse demonstrated that cocaine was detected at a much higher rate than marijuana, amphetamines, or opiates Several studies reported that some infants whose urines were negative for cocaine had positive meconium, suggesting that meconium testing is more sensitive than urine testing However, part of the improved detection rate relates to the method of analysis— rather than the type of specimen (urine vs meconium). When more sensitive urine analytical methods and lower cut offs were used, infant urine and meconium analyses yielded equivalent results for identifying newborns who have been exposed to cocaine in utero.
Are there any legal implications of this test and if so, what are they?
What are the ethical issues around this test?
The impact of illegal substance abuse on the developing fetus and newborn infant is devastating. The effects are manifested in increased risk of mortality and morbidity along with associated behavioral and developmental concerns. Thus, an ethical question arises for nursing staff concerning the decision to initiate legal intervention subsequent to or in conjunction with positive toxicology screening. Should newborns be taken from their mother when they test positive for illicit substances?
Perinatal substance abuse can cause a wide range of serious medical complications for an infant, including drug withdrawal, physical and neurological deficits, fetal alcohol syndrome, growth retardation, and cardiovascular abnormalities. One of the most well-known syndromes attributable to substance involvement is fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Michaelis (1994) suggests the following characteristics of low birthweight; a pattern of malformation affecting the head, face, heart, and urinary tract; and abnormalities within the brain that lead to various intellectual and behavioral problems early in childhood.
There is no clear cut solution in dealing with these families. Taking the infants from their biological mothers means revictimizing the infants, as vital bonding with that parent is missed. However, leaving the infants with their substance-abusing mothers does not ensure the bonding process, and may serve to reinforce the cycle of addiction and continued psychological, physical, and spiritual harm to the child. There are several possible options or courses of action in response to the problem, however, they range from supportive services to punitive judgmental treatment.
Foster Care
Some would argue that the best course of action in the best interest of the infant in the situation of perinatal drug abuse would be foster care. It makes logical sense: if the baby is not safe, separate the baby from the mother and place him or her in a safer situation. But it is not that simple. The option of foster care usually imposes an additional burden on the child. Children placed in foster homes generally move from home to home, which exacerbates the problems of parent-infant bonding, sense of continuity and stability, and object constancy. DeBettencourt (1990), in a study of 13 children in Los Angeles, California exposed to illicit drugs in utero, found the children had experienced 35 foster homes before the age of 3.
Adoption
For some mothers faced with the realization that they cannot care for their child the way he or she needs and deserves, adoption provides an alternative for care. Adults willing and able to take on the responsibilities of parenting can offer an atmosphere of security and well-being that may have otherwise been lacking.
While adoption is another viable option of intervention, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (1990) report states, "few crack babies have been adopted, as the process is generally long, difficult and expensive. The termination of parental rights is often contested and can take 3 years or more. These older children are less likely to be adopted" (p. 1). Another long-standing barrier, according to the report, is the bias against interracial adoptions. Black foster parents and homes for infants with special needs are in short supply. The reason for shortages are services (such as child care and respite care) and agency restriction (DHHS, 1990). Agency policy restrictions include not allowing white families to adopt black children based on cultural differences. Thus, while adoption is one measure of intervention, it possesses many conflicts, challenges, and obstacles for both child and adopting parent.
Use as many references as possible and try to use B.C. examples etc. if possible.
www.motherrisk.org
mectestcorporation.litserv.com
wikpidea
alcoholisim.about.com
whatismeconiumtesting.bc
www.faslink.org
how valuable is meconium testing
cat.inist.fr
ben stenson
fn.bmjournals.com
fastlink.org
www.arupconsult.com/
allnurses.com
clinicalchemistry.com
babiedrugtesting.com
www.clinichem.org
findarticals.com
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Streets are no fun but keep your head up
Stepping Stones
Every stone and rock in my life. Has been a painful experience, but an outcome of strife. Every problem to which I found no solution. Has been cause to try harder and find absolution. Every single failure and every single fall. Has been my inspiration to always give my all. Every obstacle that seemed too high. I gave it all effort and gave it a try. Even now that all seems lost, I never give up no matter the cost. Every day is a chance to do better, So I start a new chapter letter by letter. Mistakes will be made but I won’t be discouraged, But find more strength to keep me encouraged.
Every stone and rock in my life. Has been a painful experience, but an outcome of strife. Every problem to which I found no solution. Has been cause to try harder and find absolution. Every single failure and every single fall. Has been my inspiration to always give my all. Every obstacle that seemed too high. I gave it all effort and gave it a try. Even now that all seems lost, I never give up no matter the cost. Every day is a chance to do better, So I start a new chapter letter by letter. Mistakes will be made but I won’t be discouraged, But find more strength to keep me encouraged.
Monday, July 20, 2009
A Ghetto Addict: Cocaine Dealer Supporting His Habbit by Dealing
Here is a qoute out of one of my books by David E. Smith and Richard B. Seymour
He's getting too old for this and in moments of lucidity he knows it. It was all new and exciting when he started dealing at 11. By 14 he was still living with his grandmother in the projects. His mother was doing hard time in the state penitentiary. His father? Who knows? Then, the expensive sports shoes and his athletic jacket were his pride and joy. Both are now gone, gone into the pipe. It's a new century and the crack buyers who supported his habbit have drifted away to other, more aggressive dealers and to other drugs. But for him, the pipe is everything and he is getting too old for this. Next week will be his 17th birthday.
He's getting too old for this and in moments of lucidity he knows it. It was all new and exciting when he started dealing at 11. By 14 he was still living with his grandmother in the projects. His mother was doing hard time in the state penitentiary. His father? Who knows? Then, the expensive sports shoes and his athletic jacket were his pride and joy. Both are now gone, gone into the pipe. It's a new century and the crack buyers who supported his habbit have drifted away to other, more aggressive dealers and to other drugs. But for him, the pipe is everything and he is getting too old for this. Next week will be his 17th birthday.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
I am Meth
(This was written by a young Indian girl who was in jail for drug charges, and was addicted to meth. She wrote this while in jail. As you will soon read, she fully grasped the horrors of the drug, as she tells in this simple, yet profound poem. She was released from jail, but, true to her story, the drug owned her. They found her dead not long after, with the needle still in her arm.)
Please keep praying for our Children, Teens, and Young adults. Understand, this thing is worse than any of us realize...
My Name: "Is Meth"
I destroy homes, I tear families apart, I take your children, and that's just the start.
I'm more costly than diamonds, more precious than gold, The sorrow I bring is a sight to behold.
If you need me, remember I'm easily found, I live all around you - in schools and in town.
I live with the rich; I live with the poor, I live down the street, and maybe next door.
I'm made in a lab, but not like you think, I can be made under the kitchen sink.
In your child's closet, and even in the woods, If this scares you to death, well it certainly should.
I have many names, but there's one you know best, I'm sure you've heard of me, my name is crystal meth.
My power is awesome; try me you'll see, But if you do, you may never break free.
Just try me once and I might let you go, But try me twice, and I'll own your soul.
When I possess you, you'll steal and you'll lie, You do what you have to -- just to get high.
The crimes you'll commit for my narcotic charms, Will be worth the pleasure you'll feel in your arms, your lungs your nose.
You'll lie to your mother; you'll steal from your dad, When you see their tears, you should feel sad.
But you'll forget your morals and how you were raised, I'll be your conscience, I'll teach you my ways.
I take kids from parents, and parents from kids, I turn people from God, and separate friends.
I'll take everything from you, your looks and your pride, I'll be with you always -- right by your side.
You'll give up everything - your family, your home, Your friends, your money, then you'll be alone.
I'll take and take, till you have nothing more to give, When I'm finished with you, you'll be lucky to live.
If you try me be warned - this is no game, If given the chance, I'll drive you insane.
I'll ravish your body, I'll control your mind, I'll own you completely! , your soul will be mine.
The nightmares I'll give you while lying in bed, The voices you'll hear, from inside your head.
The sweats, the shakes, the visions you'll see, I want you to know, these are all gifts from me.
But then it's too late, and you'll know in your heart, That you are mine, and we shall not part.
You'll regret that you tried me, they always do, But you came to me, not I to you.
You knew this would happen, many times you were told, But you challenged my power, and chose to be bold.
You could have said no, and just walked away, If you could live that day over, now what would you say?
I'll be your master, you will be my slave, I'll even go with you, when you go to your grave.
Now that you have met me, what will you do? Will you try me or not? It's all up to you.
I can bring you more misery than words can tell, Come take my hand, let me lead you to hell.
If you care enough, please copy, paste and send this profound poem to all your friends; and share the deadly outcome of this drug that is killing our young people & even our old.
(This was written by a young Indian girl who was in jail for drug charges, and was addicted to meth. She wrote this while in jail. As you will soon read, she fully grasped the horrors of the drug, as she tells in this simple, yet profound poem. She was released from jail, but, true to her story, the drug owned her. They found her dead not long after, with the needle still in her arm.)
Please keep praying for our Children, Teens, and Young adults. Understand, this thing is worse than any of us realize...
My Name: "Is Meth"
I destroy homes, I tear families apart, I take your children, and that's just the start.
I'm more costly than diamonds, more precious than gold, The sorrow I bring is a sight to behold.
If you need me, remember I'm easily found, I live all around you - in schools and in town.
I live with the rich; I live with the poor, I live down the street, and maybe next door.
I'm made in a lab, but not like you think, I can be made under the kitchen sink.
In your child's closet, and even in the woods, If this scares you to death, well it certainly should.
I have many names, but there's one you know best, I'm sure you've heard of me, my name is crystal meth.
My power is awesome; try me you'll see, But if you do, you may never break free.
Just try me once and I might let you go, But try me twice, and I'll own your soul.
When I possess you, you'll steal and you'll lie, You do what you have to -- just to get high.
The crimes you'll commit for my narcotic charms, Will be worth the pleasure you'll feel in your arms, your lungs your nose.
You'll lie to your mother; you'll steal from your dad, When you see their tears, you should feel sad.
But you'll forget your morals and how you were raised, I'll be your conscience, I'll teach you my ways.
I take kids from parents, and parents from kids, I turn people from God, and separate friends.
I'll take everything from you, your looks and your pride, I'll be with you always -- right by your side.
You'll give up everything - your family, your home, Your friends, your money, then you'll be alone.
I'll take and take, till you have nothing more to give, When I'm finished with you, you'll be lucky to live.
If you try me be warned - this is no game, If given the chance, I'll drive you insane.
I'll ravish your body, I'll control your mind, I'll own you completely! , your soul will be mine.
The nightmares I'll give you while lying in bed, The voices you'll hear, from inside your head.
The sweats, the shakes, the visions you'll see, I want you to know, these are all gifts from me.
But then it's too late, and you'll know in your heart, That you are mine, and we shall not part.
You'll regret that you tried me, they always do, But you came to me, not I to you.
You knew this would happen, many times you were told, But you challenged my power, and chose to be bold.
You could have said no, and just walked away, If you could live that day over, now what would you say?
I'll be your master, you will be my slave, I'll even go with you, when you go to your grave.
Now that you have met me, what will you do? Will you try me or not? It's all up to you.
I can bring you more misery than words can tell, Come take my hand, let me lead you to hell.
If you care enough, please copy, paste and send this profound poem to all your friends; and share the deadly outcome of this drug that is killing our young people & even our old.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Dunn K, Pedrin-Gizoni M, Williams N
Issue: Homeless people with HIV/AIDS live without shelter and medical care as well as have little opportunity to increase their feelings of self worth by making a productive contribution to mainstream society. Project: This project involves not only traditional HIV/AIDS outreach and case management for homeless people but also focuses on placing homeless people with HIV/AIDS in paid and volunteer jobs in AIDS service organizations. Results: During the 4 years of operation of this project, over 300 homeless people with AIDS have received help getting housing, food, and social service benefits. In addition, 20 of these people have entered into longterm drug/alcohol recovery and have taken positions of responsibility in the AIDS service community as drug/alcohol counselors, outreach workers to other homeless people with HIV/AIDS, or AIDS activists. Lessons Learned: For many homeless people with HIV/AIDS, entry into the "AIDS community" gives them an opportunity to take positions of responsibility and make a productive contribution to others. For many people, this entry into an accepting community environment is a key element in ending lifelong drug/alcohol use as well as criminal behavior.
Issue: Homeless people with HIV/AIDS live without shelter and medical care as well as have little opportunity to increase their feelings of self worth by making a productive contribution to mainstream society. Project: This project involves not only traditional HIV/AIDS outreach and case management for homeless people but also focuses on placing homeless people with HIV/AIDS in paid and volunteer jobs in AIDS service organizations. Results: During the 4 years of operation of this project, over 300 homeless people with AIDS have received help getting housing, food, and social service benefits. In addition, 20 of these people have entered into longterm drug/alcohol recovery and have taken positions of responsibility in the AIDS service community as drug/alcohol counselors, outreach workers to other homeless people with HIV/AIDS, or AIDS activists. Lessons Learned: For many homeless people with HIV/AIDS, entry into the "AIDS community" gives them an opportunity to take positions of responsibility and make a productive contribution to others. For many people, this entry into an accepting community environment is a key element in ending lifelong drug/alcohol use as well as criminal behavior.
Monday, June 8, 2009
David's Story
David Pirtle grew up in a middle-class family in Champaign, Illinois. He graduated from Parkland College, moved to Phoenix, Arizona, and worked as a restaurant manager for 15 years. But then, everything changed. David developed schizophrenia, a brain disorder that can cause people to see hallucinations and hear voices. Once he began showing symptoms of his illness, David lost his job, and then his home. He began hitchhiking his way across the country, eventually ending up in Washington, D.C.
For nearly two years, David slept on steam grates, park benches—wherever he could avoid getting picked up by the police. He was assaulted five times, mostly by teenagers. They threw rocks at him, beat him with a bat, urinated on him, and even covered him with spray paint— just for living on the street.
Eventually David was caught shoplifting, and his probation officer told him that if he was to avoid jail time, he had to take medication for his schizophrenia and stay in a shelter. Today, David works with the non-profit agency Until We’re Home , which fights for the rights of homeless people in Washington, D.C. Author unknown
How do people become homeless?
It’s hard to imagine how someone can go from having a home one day to being out on the street the next. Many homeless people start out with jobs and stable residences, but then social and economic factors intervene, causing a rapid change in their living situation.
The two biggest factors driving homelessness are poverty and the lack of affordable housing. In 2004, 37 million people, or 12.7 percent of the American population was living in poverty, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless. Many of these people live from paycheck to paycheck with nothing saved in the bank. The loss of a job, an illness, or another catastrophic event can quickly lead to missed rent or mortgage payments and ultimately, to eviction or foreclosure.
Losing a job happens much more readily today than it did a few decades ago, when most people worked for the same company until retirement. The decline in manufacturing jobs, outsourcing of jobs to other countries, and an increase in temporary and part-time employment has nicked away at the foundations of what was once a more stable job market.
Jobs today are not only far less secure than they were in the past, but many also pay less when considering the rate of inflation. In the late 1960s, a minimum-wage job could sustain a family of three above the poverty line. That isn’t the case today. In May 2007, Congress passed the first minimum wage increase in nearly a decade, from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour (by 2009). Say someone works 40 hours per week every week for the entire year at $7.25 per hour. That person will earn $15,080 per year— an income well below the $17,170 needed for a family of three to reach the poverty line. It’s certainly not enough to afford even the smallest apartment in one of America’s biggest cities. For example, consider New York— a recent report finds that an average one-room studio apartment costs $2,000 a month, or $24,000 a year. So, someone making minimum wage, working 40 hours every week— taking no vacation or sick time— misses the mark by almost $9,000! Although an estimated 15 percent of homeless people do have jobs, they simply don’t earn enough to afford housing.
To meet the federal definition for affordable housing, rent for a one- or two-bedroom apartment must not cost more than 30 percent of a person’s income. Yet in every state, more than the minimum wage is required to afford an apartment by these criteria, according to a report by the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimates that 5 million U.S. households either pay more than half of their income in rent, or live in severely substandard housing.
Although the government offers some low-income housing, the numbers of reasonably priced dwellings have been dwindling over the years. Government support for low-income housing fell by half between 1980 and 2003, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless. In the same period of time, more than 2 million low-rent units vanished from the market, either demolished or converted into higher-rent apartments. One million single room occupancy (SRO) housing units also vanished from the market. These units often are used to house people with mental illness or substance abuse problems. People today can wait an average of three years for housing vouchers. Often, they wait in shelters or on the streets.by Stephanie Watson
The two biggest factors driving homelessness are poverty and the lack of affordable housing. In 2004, 37 million people, or 12.7 percent of the American population was living in poverty, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless. Many of these people live from paycheck to paycheck with nothing saved in the bank. The loss of a job, an illness, or another catastrophic event can quickly lead to missed rent or mortgage payments and ultimately, to eviction or foreclosure.
Losing a job happens much more readily today than it did a few decades ago, when most people worked for the same company until retirement. The decline in manufacturing jobs, outsourcing of jobs to other countries, and an increase in temporary and part-time employment has nicked away at the foundations of what was once a more stable job market.
Jobs today are not only far less secure than they were in the past, but many also pay less when considering the rate of inflation. In the late 1960s, a minimum-wage job could sustain a family of three above the poverty line. That isn’t the case today. In May 2007, Congress passed the first minimum wage increase in nearly a decade, from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour (by 2009). Say someone works 40 hours per week every week for the entire year at $7.25 per hour. That person will earn $15,080 per year— an income well below the $17,170 needed for a family of three to reach the poverty line. It’s certainly not enough to afford even the smallest apartment in one of America’s biggest cities. For example, consider New York— a recent report finds that an average one-room studio apartment costs $2,000 a month, or $24,000 a year. So, someone making minimum wage, working 40 hours every week— taking no vacation or sick time— misses the mark by almost $9,000! Although an estimated 15 percent of homeless people do have jobs, they simply don’t earn enough to afford housing.
To meet the federal definition for affordable housing, rent for a one- or two-bedroom apartment must not cost more than 30 percent of a person’s income. Yet in every state, more than the minimum wage is required to afford an apartment by these criteria, according to a report by the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimates that 5 million U.S. households either pay more than half of their income in rent, or live in severely substandard housing.
Although the government offers some low-income housing, the numbers of reasonably priced dwellings have been dwindling over the years. Government support for low-income housing fell by half between 1980 and 2003, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless. In the same period of time, more than 2 million low-rent units vanished from the market, either demolished or converted into higher-rent apartments. One million single room occupancy (SRO) housing units also vanished from the market. These units often are used to house people with mental illness or substance abuse problems. People today can wait an average of three years for housing vouchers. Often, they wait in shelters or on the streets.by Stephanie Watson
Friday, June 5, 2009
Metro Vancouver homeless count hides many
By Carlito Pablo
As a volunteer in this year’s homeless count, Michelle Patterson didn’t expect to find a lot in her assigned section in Vancouver’s West End. But she found four homeless men.
Patterson, a researcher and an adjunct professor at SFU’s faculty of health sciences, said that what struck her later was that she and her buddy almost missed seeing any of these people. According to her, they were tucked away in hidden spaces like small passageways in underground garages. When interviewed by Patterson, the men claimed that there are several other homeless people in the West End, and more living in Stanley Park.
Patterson spoke to the Georgia Straight on April 8, the same day the Metro Vancouver regional steering committee on homelessness released preliminary figures from the 2008 homeless count. The results show that 2,592 individuals were found homeless by volunteers in a 24-hour count from March 10 to 11, representing a 19-percent increase from the last count in 2005. Count organizers themselves stressed that this new figure, as were the previous ones in 2005 and 2002, is an undercount.
“Homeless people find these little nooks or crannies where they’re not going to be interrupted and asked to leave,” Patterson said by phone. “There’s no accepted or consistent methodology for estimating the scope of the problem.”
In February, the Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addiction at SFU released a study principally written by Patterson on housing issues facing those with addictions and mental-health problems.
Drawing from various existing data sources, the authors of Housing and Support for Adults With Severe Addictions and/or Mental Illness in British Columbia stated that there could be up to a total of 10,500 people in the province who are “absolutely homeless”. These are “people who live on the streets, [and] cycle through shelters and rooming houses”, according to the report.
But even that estimate of 10,500 homeless people throughout the province may be a low-ball figure. “Given that homeless counts are considered to grossly undercount the homeless population, we would expect this figure to be a low-end estimate,” the same report said.
The document also noted that about 75 percent of the estimated “absolutely homeless” people have “problems related to mental illness and/or addiction”.
The 2008 homeless count by subregion
> Vancouver: 1,547
> Surrey: 386
> New Westminster: 124
> North Shore: 113
> Tri-Cities: 95
> Maple Ridge: 90
> Burnaby: 86
> Langley: 80
> Richmond: 54
> Delta: 17
Source: Regional Steering Committee on Homelessness
In her phone conversation with the Straight, Patterson said that using the same assumptions from the study, Metro Vancouver may have up to 8,000 homeless people.
Vancouver-Kensington MLA David Chudnovsky has his own estimate of the homeless population in the province, and his figure doesn’t differ that much from that of the Patterson-led study. Also drawing from various sources, including the now-outdated 2005 homeless count by the regional steering committee on homelessness, Chudnovsky calculated that there are 10,580 homeless people across B.C.
The provincial NDP’s critic on homelessness, Chudnovsky released these figures in November last year before he started his provincewide consultation with various communities regarding this concern.
Rebecca Siggner works at the Vancouver-based Social Planning and Research Council of British Columbia, and she did research for the 2008 homeless count.
“We did find 398 people unable to participate [in the count] and we didn’t include them,” Siggner told the Straight. “That is an indicator of the undercount—the fact that we found almost 400 who aren’t included in the overall number.”
Also not included were mostly young couch surfers who didn’t access social services during the time the count was made.
Siggner noted that the number of homeless people staying in shelters didn’t change substantially because of the fixed supply of shelter units available. However, the 2008 count showed that the number of people staying on the streets rose to 1,547, representing more than a third of an increase from the 2005 figure of 1,127.
The count results also showed that the largest increases in the number of street homeless people occurred in Vancouver, the Tri-Cities, and the North Shore. The number of homeless on the streets more than doubled in the North Shore, Tri-Cities, Burnaby, and Delta.
By Carlito Pablo
As a volunteer in this year’s homeless count, Michelle Patterson didn’t expect to find a lot in her assigned section in Vancouver’s West End. But she found four homeless men.
Patterson, a researcher and an adjunct professor at SFU’s faculty of health sciences, said that what struck her later was that she and her buddy almost missed seeing any of these people. According to her, they were tucked away in hidden spaces like small passageways in underground garages. When interviewed by Patterson, the men claimed that there are several other homeless people in the West End, and more living in Stanley Park.
Patterson spoke to the Georgia Straight on April 8, the same day the Metro Vancouver regional steering committee on homelessness released preliminary figures from the 2008 homeless count. The results show that 2,592 individuals were found homeless by volunteers in a 24-hour count from March 10 to 11, representing a 19-percent increase from the last count in 2005. Count organizers themselves stressed that this new figure, as were the previous ones in 2005 and 2002, is an undercount.
“Homeless people find these little nooks or crannies where they’re not going to be interrupted and asked to leave,” Patterson said by phone. “There’s no accepted or consistent methodology for estimating the scope of the problem.”
In February, the Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addiction at SFU released a study principally written by Patterson on housing issues facing those with addictions and mental-health problems.
Drawing from various existing data sources, the authors of Housing and Support for Adults With Severe Addictions and/or Mental Illness in British Columbia stated that there could be up to a total of 10,500 people in the province who are “absolutely homeless”. These are “people who live on the streets, [and] cycle through shelters and rooming houses”, according to the report.
But even that estimate of 10,500 homeless people throughout the province may be a low-ball figure. “Given that homeless counts are considered to grossly undercount the homeless population, we would expect this figure to be a low-end estimate,” the same report said.
The document also noted that about 75 percent of the estimated “absolutely homeless” people have “problems related to mental illness and/or addiction”.
The 2008 homeless count by subregion
> Vancouver: 1,547
> Surrey: 386
> New Westminster: 124
> North Shore: 113
> Tri-Cities: 95
> Maple Ridge: 90
> Burnaby: 86
> Langley: 80
> Richmond: 54
> Delta: 17
Source: Regional Steering Committee on Homelessness
In her phone conversation with the Straight, Patterson said that using the same assumptions from the study, Metro Vancouver may have up to 8,000 homeless people.
Vancouver-Kensington MLA David Chudnovsky has his own estimate of the homeless population in the province, and his figure doesn’t differ that much from that of the Patterson-led study. Also drawing from various sources, including the now-outdated 2005 homeless count by the regional steering committee on homelessness, Chudnovsky calculated that there are 10,580 homeless people across B.C.
The provincial NDP’s critic on homelessness, Chudnovsky released these figures in November last year before he started his provincewide consultation with various communities regarding this concern.
Rebecca Siggner works at the Vancouver-based Social Planning and Research Council of British Columbia, and she did research for the 2008 homeless count.
“We did find 398 people unable to participate [in the count] and we didn’t include them,” Siggner told the Straight. “That is an indicator of the undercount—the fact that we found almost 400 who aren’t included in the overall number.”
Also not included were mostly young couch surfers who didn’t access social services during the time the count was made.
Siggner noted that the number of homeless people staying in shelters didn’t change substantially because of the fixed supply of shelter units available. However, the 2008 count showed that the number of people staying on the streets rose to 1,547, representing more than a third of an increase from the 2005 figure of 1,127.
The count results also showed that the largest increases in the number of street homeless people occurred in Vancouver, the Tri-Cities, and the North Shore. The number of homeless on the streets more than doubled in the North Shore, Tri-Cities, Burnaby, and Delta.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
May 26 2009
Today I went out and talked to another homeless person, Her name is Sue she is 36 years old and has been homeless for the last five years. I asked her if drugs had anything to with her being homeless her answer was a very loud and clear no. We started talking about what brought her to where she is today Sues answer was that yes drugs did help her get where she is today, But she no longer uses. Heroin was her drug of choice she couldn't give me a straight answer on how long she used but stated that she did use for a very long time and decided to stop using when she lost her spouse to the vicious cycle of drugs. After her spouse past away she lost everything because there was no signed will everything was taken from her she has now been clean off of all drugs for 12 years and says she can not get a job because of the were and tear the drugs have caused on her body she has no teeth she has no clean clothes and she does not want to be on welfare. But has asked welfare if they would help her out with getting some false teeth, And if there was a job wave program she could attend with out being on welfare they have turned her down time and time again Sues story has really got to me here is someone who is crying out for help, Not money but anything to help her fit in to the public working world she does not enjoy living on the streets and having to pan handle on a daily basis for food we need to change this vicious cycle and help people that are out there looking for help but cant get it and don't have any ware to turn.
Today I went out and talked to another homeless person, Her name is Sue she is 36 years old and has been homeless for the last five years. I asked her if drugs had anything to with her being homeless her answer was a very loud and clear no. We started talking about what brought her to where she is today Sues answer was that yes drugs did help her get where she is today, But she no longer uses. Heroin was her drug of choice she couldn't give me a straight answer on how long she used but stated that she did use for a very long time and decided to stop using when she lost her spouse to the vicious cycle of drugs. After her spouse past away she lost everything because there was no signed will everything was taken from her she has now been clean off of all drugs for 12 years and says she can not get a job because of the were and tear the drugs have caused on her body she has no teeth she has no clean clothes and she does not want to be on welfare. But has asked welfare if they would help her out with getting some false teeth, And if there was a job wave program she could attend with out being on welfare they have turned her down time and time again Sues story has really got to me here is someone who is crying out for help, Not money but anything to help her fit in to the public working world she does not enjoy living on the streets and having to pan handle on a daily basis for food we need to change this vicious cycle and help people that are out there looking for help but cant get it and don't have any ware to turn.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Addiction
Hello my name is Nyssa, I am currently enrolled at CDI College in the Addictions Counsellor program over the next 9 months I will be going out and talking to homeless people and drug addicts to see what brought them to be were they are today and if all homeless people are drug addicts.
March 14,2009
I did my first interview today it was interesting but cut short so hopefully I will be able to talk to this person again and get some more of my questions answered I was asked not to add the persons name.
He is 40 years old and has been in active addiction since the age of 10 Has his own place to live that he rents with some of his friends he has been living there for about a year When asked what the cause of his drug use was he said it was a way for him to make money as a child being forced out of his house at a very young age and over the years his drug use has become a habit and a everyday need in his life to keep him going I asked him if he seen himself getting help to be clean and a real part of socity he said I dont belive in recovery,Treatment,na,aa or any of that junk if i really wanna quit doing drugs i can with will power He supports his drug habbit not by stealing or being on welfare but collecting bottles,scrap metle,striping wire and working on peoples bikes.
March 14,2009
I did my first interview today it was interesting but cut short so hopefully I will be able to talk to this person again and get some more of my questions answered I was asked not to add the persons name.
He is 40 years old and has been in active addiction since the age of 10 Has his own place to live that he rents with some of his friends he has been living there for about a year When asked what the cause of his drug use was he said it was a way for him to make money as a child being forced out of his house at a very young age and over the years his drug use has become a habit and a everyday need in his life to keep him going I asked him if he seen himself getting help to be clean and a real part of socity he said I dont belive in recovery,Treatment,na,aa or any of that junk if i really wanna quit doing drugs i can with will power He supports his drug habbit not by stealing or being on welfare but collecting bottles,scrap metle,striping wire and working on peoples bikes.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Are all homeless people Drug addicts?. That's a big question ?.I have being wondering ,so I have decided to go out there and find out the answer for my self. In the next couple of months I will be going out and interviewing Homeless people. Some of the things I will be asking them is where they were twenty years ago and how they got were they are today, if drugs had anything to do with where they are today, And if the way the economy is , now is effecting them at all
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