Overall Category for substance use disorder issues.

Understanding Addiction

Understanding Addiction: A Prosecutor’s Perspective

Over thirty years ago, I walked into a courtroom located in Eaton County, Michigan. I was a new assistant prosecuting attorney (APA) eager to start doing jury trials, to make my community a safer place. I became an APA because I believe that holding people accountable for their actions will make the world a better
Tagged under: , , ,
21-year-old drinking age law

How the 21-Year-Old Drinking Age Law Saves Lives

Over 30 years ago President Reagan signed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act (NMDAA) that requires states to make 21 as the minimum age for purchasing or public possessing alcohol. It is one of the most successful laws in traffic safety, and yet it seems like challenges keep coming up to take the age of
Tagged under: ,
Baby addict myth

The Baby Addict Myth: Debunking Misinformation About Neonatal Exposure

In the 1980s and 1990s it was “crack babies.” Now it’s babies born “addicted to opiates.” We’ve spent 30 years trying to debunk the baby addict myth; that newborns can be born “addicted.” However, the misinformation continues with current headlines like “Life begins with agony of withdrawal for opiate-addicted babies.” Over ten years ago 30
cannabis harm reduction

Cannabis Harm Reduction: A New Path in Addiction Treatment?

The topic of marijuana is of growing interest across the world.  At least 10 countries have seen or will see marijuana legalization either recreational or medical use: Spain, Netherlands, Canada, Mexico, Jamaica, Ecuador, Israel[1] and Australia.[2] As of 2015, Bangladesh, North Korea, Czech Republic, Portugal, Uruguay, the Netherlands, and the United States (Recreational-Washington, Colorado, Oregon, Alaska,
Tagged under:
Veterans Treatment Courts

Veterans Treatment Courts: Honoring Service with Justice

Today is Veterans Day in the United States.  This means we should think, not just about those veterans who have been killed or physically wounded over the last decade and a half  of the wars in the middle east but, also of those veterans who return from those wars suffering from invisible wounds in the form
Tagged under:
alcoholism among seniors

Alcoholism Among Seniors: Confronting a Hidden Epidemic

The American Medical Association called it a “hidden epidemic.” The National Institute of Health says it is “[o]ne of the fastest growing health problems facing” the United States. What is it? Alcoholism among seniors. There are more hospital admissions for alcohol related issues than for heart attacks among the elderly. Baby Boomers and Alcohol About
Tagged under:

Combating DWI: Are We Doing Enough to Prevent Impaired Driving?

May 14th, 1988 is a day that will long be remembered by many.  On that day, the deadliest impaired driving crash in U.S. history occurred on Interstate 71 in Carrollton, Kentucky.  An impaired driver in a pickup truck going the wrong way on the interstate hit a church activity bus with 67 passengers.  There were

Tough on Crime is Not Smart on Crime.

The shibboleth ‘tough on crime’ is one politicians find quite appealing. The problem is that being tough – without being smart and effective – makes the community less safe and also costs money better spent on other services that have been squeezed dry by the global financial crisis. California, for example, enacted the toughest ‘three
Tagged under: