Good..or NOT SO GOOD??

After watching CNN for a couple of hours I noticed there was alot of news concerning teens and young adults from ages 18 to 26 finding new ways to get drunk. So this encouraged me to go and investigate.

I first went to google and typed in new ways to get drunk and strikingly enough I found over a hundred thousand answers. But then I saw an article that narrowed it down for me and said 11 Cheapest Ways To Get Super, Super Drunk I figured this would be 'SUPER' interesting. Suprisingly enough it was very interesting it basically talked about the different liquors would be best to get you drunk and the name brands you should try. Now this information is good for a 21 year old or older person who is looking for a good time, BUT what happens when a 12 year old decides to type in the same and finds the same informations??

This put a whole new thought in my head... Is Google Really Doing Good? Or is this another device started for the good but has gotten into not so good hands?? It's really a question to think about because there are many sides to the story, you have the responsible single adult(over 21) who thinks it is a great tool, the child who cant ask their parents these questions so why not ask the next best thing, and then you have the parents of these children who hope the school has these web sites blocked.

Well for those parents of the children who can get on these sites and learn things way beyond their years there is just one solution!!! Keep your children away from the internet!!!....(and good luck with that)

Seeking Treatment in the Midlands

In Columbia, South Carolina, it is no longer new news that there is a ban on synthetic pot and synthetic cocaine as the WIS reported in this article. However, Blake Rabon says that there are still places to buy it in the local area.  Recently his 10-20 grams of synthetic pot has begun to cause problems in his life. These problems include being paranoid and having suicidal thoughts.

Recently, he has begun asking for help. And viewers of WIS also say the want to know where to go for help, for their addictions to synthetic drugs, because they believe it is unlike alcohol and traditional drugs.

However,  Rabon issue became serious when he sent his cousin Christina a message say "If no one wants to help me, I'll help myself, I'll go out with a bang." This text is what led Rabon's family to go get him checked into rehab. Before rehab, the family had taken Rabon to ER and had a failed attempt to get into a treatment center.

Leslie Wilson, VP of another treatment center says that they have developed a treatment plan for these drugs. They do not see synthetic drugs needing a different treatment track than other drugs. The main issue of synthetic drugs is that people are using the drugs in the first place.

Rabon's family in this situation did the right thing, by taking him to a treatment center.  Christina ended her interview with a message that she thinks every one should know: "If you need help, don't stop and if doors are shut, call WIS, get someone to listen because it's not worth your life."

The most important thing to take away from this new article is not that someone wanted to commit suicide due to synthetic drugs. Rather instead the most important thing to take away is that if you are seeking treatment, if one person is not willing to help you, keep trying because someone is willing to help. Another key point from the article is the major issue with all drugs is using the drug in the first place.

Think if you never try a substance then you are will never have to deal with the side effects and treatment. Remember prevention is key in substance abuse problems. However, if you know someone in need, do not brush the issue off, help them seek treatment! This is especially important for people who want help. If they want help there is a higher chance that treatment will be effective.

Make it your goal this week to help someone in need. This can be as easy as informing a younger brother, sister, friend, and so on of the consequence of trying a substance.

For treatment centers in Columbia, South Carolina visit this link.

Freon Huffing

In Augusta, Georgia, a dangerous new fad is springing up; teens are huffing on Freon out of air conditioners to get high. Georgia poison control warns that “all kids need is a screwdriver, they can actually suck the Freon out of the vents to get high, a high that can kill them”.

In the YouTube video on the news article, two teens walk up to an air conditioner and start puffing away. Later in the video, a college student hugging Freon from a plastic bag falls over and has a hard time keeping his composure but only seconds later, he asks for another Freon fix.

Dr. Mark Lopez from GHSU Pediatric Emergency says that, “Freon itself is a hydrocarbon so it’s going to cause brain damage and that the high is due to your not getting enough oxygen to your brain and therefore that’s what gives you the high, so the dangers of doing it over and over again is that you’re killing off brain cells”.

Dr. Lopez went on to say that, “even one time doing this can cause some changes in the heart response of reaction and you can die instantly from that”.

Signs of huffing include frostbite, whiteness around the nose and slurring of speech. Dr. Lopez says this is a real threat for teens and suggests that all parents talk to their children about huffing.

Parental Illegal Substance Abuse/Child Abuse

In an article/news story, by Child Welfare Information Gateway, from childwelfare.gov, the idea of parental substance abuse being considered child abuse is discussed in different manners. To start off, my own thoughts on this particular subject is that no matter if it is while the mother is pregnant or if it is a situation where the parent is using illegal substances around the child, in my eyes it is still considered substance abuse. This particular article discusses different state laws.

According to the article/news story,
“Approximately 47 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and
the U.S. Virgin Islands have laws within their child protection
statutes that address the issue of substance abuse by parents.”

The First part discussed in the article/news story pertains to Prenatal Drug Exposure; within this part it discusses the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) and Child Protective Services (CPS) and Substance-Exposed Newborns (SENs). As stated in the article/news story, within the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act it states that states are required to have some kind of rule/policy stating how they go about notifying Child Protective Services and Substance-Exposed Newborns.

As of 2009, when this article/news story was posted, there were approximately 16 states (along with the District of Columbia) who reported having specific procedures set up for reporting infants that they feel were either: “show evidence at birth of having been exposed to drugs, alcohol, or other controlled substances. To go along with this, there were also approximately 12 states during this time (along with the District of Columbia) who reported including prenatal exposure within their definitions of child abuse or neglect. States that required (at this time during the year 2009) that the State agency develops a plan for the infant to have safe care are: Hawaii and Maine. States that required that the agency completes an assessment of the infant’s and infant’s family’s needs and make a referral to the appropriate services are: California, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, and Nevada, along with the District of Columbia. The States that required that mandated reporters report when they suspect that pregnant women are abusing illegal substances so that those women can be referred for proper treatment are: Illinois and Minnesota.

The Second part discussed in the article/news story pertains to Children Exposed to Illegal Drug Activity. According to this part of the article/news story, some examples of specific circumstances some states considered child abuse or neglect are: “manufacturing a controlled substance in the presence of a child or on premises occupied by a child”, “exposing a child to, or allowing a child to be present where, chemicals or equipment for the manufacture of controlled substances are used or stored”, “selling, distributing, or giving drugs or alcohol to a child”, “using a controlled substance that impairs the caregivers ability to adequately care for the child”, and “exposing a child to the criminal sale or distribution of drugs.”

According to the article/news story, when this was published in 2009, there were currently 25 states (and the U.S. Virgin Islands who address the issue of parents/guardians exposing children to illegal drug activity within their criminal statutes. In the year 2009, there were currently 14 states where either the manufacturing or possession of methamphetamine in the presence of a child is automatically considered a felony. Along with this information, it is also stated that as of 2009, there were four states where instead of just strictly methamphetamine, the manufacturing or possession of any controlled substance within a child’s presence results in a felony.

As of when this article/ news story was published in 2009, specific states that enhanced penalties for “any conviction for the manufacture of methamphetamine when a child was on the premises where the occurred” were: California, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Ohio, and Washington. To conclude my summary of the second part of the article/ news story, there are also the states during that time that currently considered the exposure of children to the manufacturing, possession, or distribution of illegal drugs/substances child endangerment. The states where the exposure of a child to drugs and or drug paraphernalia was considered a crime in these specific states: North Dakota, Utah, and the Virgin Islands. To conclude my summary of the second part of the article/ news story, along with those states, there were also: North Carolina and Wyoming who considered giving an illegal drug/substance to child by anyone a felony.

As I stated previously, this is a social problem where it isn’t necessarily children taking part in abusing illegal substances, but tying back to the views on issues such as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome that I presented my blog about a while back in the semester. It is clear that the social problem of parental illegal substance/drug abuse being considered child abuse is a very wide spread issue. Even though the article/ news story was written in 2009, it is still pretty recent statistics. Hopefully, I plan to look more into this particular social problems, the number of states has grown more and more. I have always had strong feelings against parental illegal substance/drug abuse and child abuse, and this article has definitely touched my heart and opened my eyes even more.

Be Skeptical of the Media

The media likes to make social issues out of instances that have happened once or twice. Sometimes these things aren't even mention until the media brings light to them. In an article by Jacob Sullum he shines like to the media's ridiculous claim that "vodka-soak tampons are 'everywhere.'" This statement was made CBS affiliate in the Phoenix area. A local school resource officer also stated that this no fad "is not isolated to any school, any city, any financial area." Apparently using a beer bong rectally is the same concept of soaking a tampon in vodka. Together both of these methods of getting alcohol to the blood stream quicker is referred to as "butt chugging."

However, the report fails to mention that a Nexis search of "butt chugging"shows that there has been no earlier mention of this term - not even on the show South Park. This is just one example of the media attempting to make fictional information into a social problem. There are many others related to alcohol consumptions through tampons, here are a few:

• March 1991: Anti-drinking groups states that Finnish girls are using vodka tampons so you can't smell the booze on their breath.
• May 2003: Vic Chestnutt mentions in his song remembering a girl with vodka soak tampon in his science class.
• September 2009: Border protection informs in a forum that tampons can be soaked and inserted rectally.
• March 2011: Patriot News mentions vodka soaked tampons, as well as, "pouring alcohol into eyes" and "brushing teeth until bloody then drinking"

These are just a few of the many stories where the media plays a significant role in displaying information in a way to gain popularity. However, all of these way can lead to very harmful situations, including death. By the media shining light on the situation, they are potentially only making it worst, because now individuals are curious and may attempt these forms of consumption. 

Before reading anything related to drugs and substance consumption, please take note on who is writing the article. By doing this you can figure out their objectives and what they have to gain from the article. Also, this will help you understand any bias in the article. 

Overall, your best bet is to STAY AWAY FROM ALCOHOL AND OTHER SUBSTANCES!

Michael Jackson's Life Long Battle

There is a lot of controversy surrounding the death of Michael Jackson and his addiction to pain medication and his unyielding need for sleep aides, which ultimately led to his death. Understanding how Michael Jackson got so deep into drugs that it would lead to his death is a very complicated but started very innocently.

The first publicly known time that Michael Jackson began his drug use can be traced back to the commercial shoot for Pepsi in which a pyrotechnic malfunction that caused MJ’s hair to catch fire, leading to an extended stay in the hospital. The severe burns caused Michael to be in extreme pain and often required medication to help subdue the pain. It was at this moment in his life where it is believed that he began his addiction to prescription medications.

Because he began to grow tolerant of the drugs, Michael had to rely on increasingly stronger medications to fight his immunity to them. Over time, his brain became reliant on the medications to relax and to sleep. Demerol is reported to have become the drug of choice for Michael over the years.

During the 90’s, Michael’s life became more complicated as allegations and charges of child molestation arose. After being acquitted of the charges, Michaels’s reputation was shattered in the eyes of a vast majority of the public, leading to a downfall of his music career.

After his shocking death due to illegal ingestion of the powerful sleep agent, Propofol, stories form his personal assistance and bodyguards began to surface. These stories began to paint a picture of Michael that showed the King of Pop requiring a progression from one drug to the next, more powerful one, to sleep, which eventually led to his use of Propofol.

This tragic demise of the pop sensation is a clear example that drug abuse and death can reach anyone and everyone.

Are Parents At Just As Much Fault For Underage Drinking?

The article/news story I chose to talk about my ninth blog was written by Frank Hamilton and was printed in the Beaufort Gazette. Obviously Beaufort, South Carolina is very “close to home”. Even though it is so close, it is obvious that this is a social problem that is happening all over. This particular piece is titled, “Parents, don’t delude yourselves about drinking”. The first sentence of the article/news story is very straight to the point and I would say it pretty much sums up what the article/news story is trying to say.

The first sentence states,

“Prom and graduation parties are coming soon with the continuing problem of participants drinking alcohol and using other drugs.”

The main purpose of the article/news story is to discuss the fact of parents being ok with their teenagers drinking underage. Even though parents might not exactly look at themselves as contributing to this social problem, it is obvious that they do. An issue such as this is definitely considered a social problem, and I personally (unfortunately) have heard and experienced these types of situations. When I was in 6th grade there was a story in my hometown of Charleston, SC where a group of teenagers were arrested at a party for underage drinking, along with the parents being there as well.

Thankfully, along with the parents who tend to “support underage drinking habits” there are also groups out there that help with the situation; MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) is an example of one. The person who contributed to writing this, Franklin Hamilton, is actually the MADD Action Site Leader for Beaufort, SC. This particular article/news story actually discusses a situation in Beaufort, SC at Beaufort high school where there was a program called “Alive at 25”. This particular program was presented by the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Department. Along with MADD, other groups such as; Young Life, and the Beaufort YMCA also help with these presentations. When this article/news story was published in 2008: the three organizations held post-prom parties for the two local high schools: all three for Beaufort High school and only Young Life was involved with Battery Creek High school.

Even though there are statistics (on places such as the MADD website) showing the negative effects youth drinking can have on teenagers, parents to this day are still contributing to these habits. While this article was written back in 2008, there is still sufficient evidence to show this social problem is still very important and taking place. After reading this article, I do believe that if enough people expressed concern there could definitely be a significant turnaround. Along with just personal opinions and parents changing, there definitely should be as many presentations possible from organizations such as MADD. I honestly do believe that with the effort the number of incidences with underage drinking can definitely be lowered, I say lowered because it is definitely high probability that this social problem, like others, very well may never go away completely.

Welfare Drug Testing - Florida

In this article, a federal judge blocked Florida’s new law that requires welfare applicants to pass a drug tests before receiving benefits. The block was placed because the law “may violate the Constitution’s ban on unreasonable searches and seizures”.

The judge, Mary Scriven, ruled this ban in response to a lawsuit filed on behalf of a 35-year-old Navy veteran who is also a single father. The veteran, Luis Lebron, sought benefits while finishing his college degree, but refused to take the drug test.

The drug test can reveal a host of private medical facts about the individual, Scriven wrote, adding that she found it "troubling" that the drug tests are not kept confidential like medical records. The results can also be shared with law enforcement officers and a drug abuse hotline. "This potential interception of positive drug tests by law enforcement implicates a `far more substantial' invasion of privacy than in ordinary civil drug testing cases," said Scriven.

Lebron, the sole caretaker of his 4-year-old son, said he is "happy that the judge stood up for me and my rights and said the state can't act without a reason or suspicion”.

More than two-dozen states have also proposed drug-testing recipients of welfare or other government assistance, but Florida was the first state to enact such a law in more than a decade. Should any of those states pass a law and face a court challenge, Scriven's ultimate ruling would likely serve as a legal precedent.

Nearly 1,600 applicants have refused to take the test since testing began in mid-July, but they aren't required to say why. Thirty-two applicants failed the test and more than 7,000 have passed, according to the Department of Children and Families. The majority of positives were for marijuana.

Supporters argue that many applicants skip the test because they know they will test positive for drugs. Applicants must pay $25 to $35 for the test and are reimbursed by the state if they pass. Those who test positive for drugs are ineligible for the cash assistance for one year, though passing a drug course can cut that period in half. If they fail a second time, they are ineligible for three years.

Teens should be screened for substance abuse

Leading pediatricians say teens should be educated on substance abuse as well as screened for abuse at every doctor visit, stated in an article by the Los Angeles Times published on October 31st 2011.

"In a statement published in the November issue of the journal Pediatrics, members of the American Academy of Pediatrics said doctors can use a variety of screening tools to inquire into a teen's use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs."


The pediatrician's agreed that though the experimentation with different forms of drugs are common among teenagers, doctors should educated teens on the consequences of those actions and not condone them.

This article, though published in Los Angeles, hold relevancy to teenagers across the country.  Substance abuse is a problem faced by teenagers across the country and it is important preventative measures are taken.

To read this article click here.

Alcohol is Suspected to be Cause of Clemson Student Death

Monday evening counselors are on hand for the death of a Clemson student, age 19. The student was found Saturday night "heavily intoxicated" as reported by the Sheriff's office. This is not the first death that alcohol is suspected to be the cause of death at the University. In 2007 a student died from attending a fraternity party.

However, because of these incidents and others the university had increased in alcohol awareness programs. The main group playing a role is Empower Clemson, which a educational program for the university students. Empower Clemson is responsible for having incoming freshmen complete an required alcohol survey. Even better they must also attend an awareness program taught by fellow students.

To remind students of consequence, especially the legal ones, the University is working closely with law enforcement. They currently have a "party registration," in which students can register their parties and are to have two "sober" monitors at the event. Then the police give them two "warnings" before showing up if complaints come in.

As far as the student's death from this weekend, we are still waiting on the toxicology results. For more information regarding this story please visit this link.

Alcohol and substance abuse, is a huge matter on several college campus, that is not taken light. Many students go into college believing everyone drinks, however that is far from the truth. However, college students do have more cases that the general population.

One thing, from the Empower Clemson, that could be used on all campuses is the peer group alcohol awareness programs. Students are more likely to listen when learning from their peers, however some worry about weather not knowledge is accurate. I am sure the students have to go through some form of training and  could offer real life experiences.

Being informed is a very important step in helping to prevent substance abuse problems. Don't be scared to ask for help or knowledge.

Drug Testing Your Teenager

The article/news story I chose to talk about for my eight blog was written by Lindsay Lyon of US News. This particular piece is titled, “5 Ways Teens Might Cheat on Drug Tests—and How to Catch them”. Along with this article/new story there are other stories regarding the same situation of teenagers and drug abuse, including, “7 Reasons Parents Should Not Test Kids for Drug Use”. All of these articles are obviously useful to parents when it comes to their children/teenagers/loved ones, etc.

As stated by the article/ news story,

“Google "beat drug test," and the search engine spits out page upon page of ploys and products that can make incriminating urine seem drug free. All it takes is a computer-savvy teen to access them.”

The main point of the article is obviously discussing the 5 main different ways children my cheat on drug test. The five main ways are; tampering, water-loading, switching drugs, popping vitamins, and swapping urine samples. In my eyes, it is just so sad that it has come to teenagers having to think and do these sorts of things to pass a drug test. Just from personal experience of course, as a teenager I could never imagine such things even going through my mind. It just goes to show you how big of a social problem this really is.

To add on this particular social problem discussed in the article/news story. Even though two of the sources they gathered information were from places such as Washington DC and Texas, this social problem is obviously something that exist all over our country as well. Also, it was written in 2008 but clearly still a social problem to this day. Some of examples of sources the article/ news story used were; president of the Institute for Behavior and Health Inc./former director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Robert DuPont and a toxicologist of the University of Texas-Houston medical school, Amitava Dasgupta. A week before this article/ news story was published, the American Association for Clinical Chemistry's annual meeting was held in Washington, D.C. Throughout the meeting they discussed how adults had all these different ways of cheating on their drug tests for work, and therefore it enabled teenagers even more to try and do the same things.

In conclusion, even though I was aware drug testing with teenagers was a significant social problem, this article helped me realize even more. To do our best to solve these issues, I think the first step would definitely have to be talking to our children/future children and drug related issues more and more. In my eyes, I feel is always best to have the parent/child relationship where the child feels safe talking to their mother/father about just about anything and everything. After reading this article and seeing even more the significance of this social problem, I definitely have made a pledge to myself to take any steps I can to help prevent these types of issues.

HIV and Drug Abuse

What are HIV and AIDS?

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is the virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). AIDS is a disease of the immune system that has no cure. It has treatment options that can make having AIDS easier to live with but at the present time, there is no known cure. HIV is a blood-borne virus which means it is spread by blood or bodily fluids of someone who is infected comes in contact with the blood, mucous membranes, or broken skin of an uninfected person. Sharing needles or other tools used for drug use or engaging in risky sexual behaviors are the two main ways HIV is spread. Mothers with HIV can pass it to their babies during pregnancy, delivery, and breastfeeding.

HIV destroys certain cells (CD4+) in the immune system. Without these cells, the body cant fight of germs and diseases. Because of their weakened immune system, people with AIDS often develop infections of the lungs, brain, eyes, and other organs, and many suffer dangerous weight loss, diarrhea, and a type of cancer called Kaposi's sarcoma.

How Are Drug Abuse and HIV Related?

Drug abuse and addiction have been closely linked with HIV/AIDS since the beginning of the epidemic. Although injection drug use is well known in this regard, the role that non-injection drug abuse plays more generally in the spread of HIV is less recognized.

Injection drug use. People typically associate drug abuse and HIV/AIDS with injection drug use and needle sharing. When injection drug users share “equipment” (needles, syringes), HIV can be transmitted between users. Other infections, such as hepatitis C, can also be spread this way. Hepatitis C can cause liver disease and permanent liver damage.

Poor judgment and risky behavior. Drug abuse by any method can put a person at risk for contracting HIV. Drug and alcohol intoxication affect the way a person makes decisions and can lead to unsafe sexual practices, which puts them at risk for getting HIV or transmitting it to someone else.

Biological effects of drugs. Drug abuse and addiction can worsen the progression of HIV and its consequences, especially in the brain. Research has shown that HIV causes more harm to nerve cells in the brain and greater cognitive damage among people who abuse methamphetamine than among people with HIV who do not abuse drugs. In animal studies, methamphetamine has been shown to increase the amount of HIV in brain cells.

How Many People Have HIV/AIDS?

Today’s estimates indicate that more than 1 million people in the United States are living with HIV or AIDS. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that close to one-quarter of the people in the United States who are infected with HIV do not know they are infected.

You cannot tell by looking at them if someone is infected with HIV. A person can be infected with HIV for many years, and the virus may or may not progress to the disease of AIDS. A medical test is the only way to know if a person has HIV or has developed AIDS.

How Are Teens Affected?

Young people are at risk for contracting HIV and developing AIDS. According to CDC, more than 50,000 young people age 13 to 24 in the United States had been diagnosed with AIDS by the end of 2009.

How Can Teens Protect Themselves?

The best way to protect yourself is to stay healthy and think clearly. Choose not to use drugs. Know that drug use can change the way the brain functions, thereby affecting the way people make decisions and weigh risks. Another way to insure your safety and the safety of your partner is to always wear protection when you have sex.

What Do You Do and When?

One problem parents face once they think their child is abusing drugs is they dontknow how to approach their child. With the article I chose it helps the parents of addicted children once they see some signs.

A Guide to Action for Parents talks about the science of why children using drugs is harmful.to their still developing bodies. In one study done if a child that starts to drink before the age of fifteen they had a forty percent chance of alcoholism intheir adult future. one very strikingthing i read about the way adults may think today is even though their child may have tested with drugs such as marajuana some parents will say it's just experimentation because they once did it their selves. But in fact marajuana of today is much stronger than in the past and much more easy to get addicted to especially with the strong acceptance among teens of the drug.

There was also a very helpful sign and symptoms list on What parents should look for listed which were:
1.Negative changes in schoolwork or missing school and declining grades.
2.Increased secrecy about about possesions or activities.
3.Use of incense, room deodorant or perfume to hide smoke or chemical odors.
4.Subtle changes in conversations with friends (code words)
5.New friends
6.Clothing changes
7.Increase of borrowing money
8.Evidence of pipes or rolling papers.
9.Bottles of eye drops
10.New use of breath mints or mouthwash to cover up smell of alcohol.
11.Missing prescription drugs-especially narcotics and mood stabilizers

These are just a few of many more signs parents should look for in their children and when they do notice these signs parents should then know what to do and when. First things first for parents is to get as educated as possible on drug abuse and alcohol abuse. The next best thing you can do to help the child sit down and talk to them when all parties are calm and collected. The most important way to make sure you don't push your child away is to let them know you aren't angry but are there to help. Being the parent though you must make sure that the child knows there are rules in the house and they will be enforced if necessary. Always remember though that this is not a one time conversation but may need to have multiple attemps but make sure not to give up on your child.

Myrtle Beach Zoning Plans

WMBF News discusses the issue of zoning of nightclubs in local neighborhoods. In the article two nightclubs, Club Congo and Groove Ultra Lounge, to be "crime magnets" due to the loud music and drug deals. Both the loud music and drug deals have been known to be going on for years. Some, local neighbors, refer to Club Congo as the danger zone.

The reason that they refer to these two night clubs as the crime magnet is many incidents reports in the past few years. Within the past six years Club Congo has had 600 reported incidents, which include  15 drug and alcohol-related crimes. However, at Groove Ultra Lounge has had 200 incidents, 6 of which were drug and alcohol-related crimes.

One reason that it is important to rezone Club Congo is because it is located next to daycare. Also, these clubs are located near peoples homes, a place where a person should feel safe. However it is hard to feel safe when there are shootings happening often.

Both clubs are current vacant, however there is rumors that a new nightclub plans may come take their places. Everyone around the area means that the violence will come back as well. Currently there is a ordinance that is pending making it  illegal for a nightclub to be located in this local neighborhood.

The one good thing that the local authorities have done correctly is make a record of all calls and reports that have received. By doing this it adds backing to getting a ordinance for the neighborhood.

It is important to understand the correlation between drug and alcohol in relation to crime. That is not to say drugs and alcohol cause violence, however there is a positive relationship.

This article also make one wondering if zoning is the right thing to do or if it is even fair. However, as any social movement, the strength of getting the zoning ordinance passed is based on political power, its appeal to cultural values, and the strength of the opposition.

Drug Facts: Steroids

Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids

Anabolic refers to a steroid’s ability to help build muscle. Androgenic refers to their role in promoting the development of male sexual characteristics. Other types of steroids, like cortisol, estrogen, and progesterone do not build muscle, are not anabolic, and do not have the same harmful effects.

What Are They?

Anabolic-androgenic steroids are usually synthetic substances similar to testosterone. Doctors prescribe them to help people with certain kinds of anemia and men who don't produce enough testosterone on their own. Without a prescription from a doctor, anabolic steroids are illegal.

Common Street Names

Most just use the term steroids to refer to these but they could also be called roids or juice.

How Are They Used?

Some people who abuse steroids pop pills. Others use hypodermic needles to inject steroids directly into muscles.

What Are The Effects

A major health consequence from abusing anabolic steroids can include prematurely stunted growth through early skeletal maturation and accelerated puberty changes. This means that teens risk remaining short for the remainder of their lives if they take anabolic steroids before they stop growing. Other effects include jaundice (yellowish coloring of skin, tissues, and body fluids), fluid retention, high blood pressure, increases in LDL (bad cholesterol), decreases in HDL (good cholesterol), severe acne, trembling, and in very rare cases liver and kidney tumors. In addition, there are some gender-specific side effects:

• For guys—shrinking of the testicles, reduced sperm count, infertility, baldness, development of breasts, and increased risk for prostate cancer

• For girls—growth of facial hair, male-pattern baldness, changes in or cessation of the menstrual cycle, enlargement of the clitoris, and a permanently deepened voice

Steroid abuse can also have an effect on behavior or mood, such as feelings of depression or irritability. Research shows that users may suffer from jealousy, paranoia, extreme irritability, delusions, and impaired judgment stemming from feelings of invincibility.

Can Steroid Abuse Be Fatal?

Yes. Steroids affect the heart just as it does other muscles. In some cases, steroid abuse can make the heart susceptible to heart attacks and strokes, which can be fatal. Steroids can also weaken the immune system and any form of drug that is injected runs the risk of spreading life-threatening viral infections such as HIV/AIDS or hepatitis.

Protect Privacy or Save the Child?

The article/news story I chose to talk about for my seventh blog was written by Geraldine Sealey of ABC News. This particular piece is titled, “Drug Testing Pregnant Women Nixed”. A particular example they use to describe the social problem in more detail is, when women were being arrested in hospital beds at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC in Charleston, SC). The argument is that the process of drug testing pregnant women and then arresting her for it coming back positive is an unreasonable search.

As stated in the article,

“In a 6-3 ruling, the court said drug testing by a public hospital in Charleston, S.C., violated the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution — which bars unreasonable search and seizure — even though the hospital was trying to prevent women from harming their fetuses by using crack cocaine.”

According to the article/news story, is stated in the constitution that, “Under the Constitution, if women don't agree to the tests, a warrant is necessary, the court ruled. The justices asked a lower court to determine whether the patients actually consented to the tests.” To me, this is honestly what I believe should take place, with some different situations available. Obviously, this is my own personal opinion, but I do hope that many people would agree.

As stated by congressman Justice John Paul Steven, while writing for the court, “While the ultimate goal of the program may well have been to get the women in question into substance abuse treatment and off of drugs, the immediate objective of the searches was to generate evidence for law enforcement purposes in order to reach that goal." Along with this it was addressed within the article/news story that the hospitals have the obligation while collecting this evidence to make sure that women were made aware of their constitutional rights. The opinions of Justice Stevens’ were “backed up” by author officials such as; Justices Sandra Day O’Connor, David H. Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Stephen G. Breyer. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy on the othe hand says that these drug tests were unconstitutional.

The issue of the women in South Carolina, like I said before, took place at MUSC (The Medical University of South Carolina located in Charleston, SC). The issue was about the policy they had where woman had been arrested (while in their hospital bed) for testing positive to drugs. They were given the choice to receive treatment or be arrested. This all is said to have been under the “states’ child –endangerment law”. The testing at MUSC in particular began taking place in the fall of 1989. In the year of 1993, 10 of the women who tested positive for cocaine filed suit within the U.S. District Court in attempt to claim that their rights to the Fourth Amendment had been violated. In the fall of 1989, MUSC began testing the urine of pregnant women suspected of cocaine use and, in some cases, reporting the results to law enforcement officials. Later, the policy was amended so those patients who tested positive were given a choice between being arrested and receiving drug treatment.

According to the article/news story, The Supreme Court in the past had allowed drug tests without a warrant or “individual suspicion” as long as the government could state and demonstrate a valid “special need”. This meaning that it had to be proven by the state that the policy was not established to help with law enforcement and that the people being searched have “a lower expectation of privacy”. According to today’s ruling though, even if drug testing of the woman is protect the unborn, if it is without the woman’s consent it can no longer be considered a “special need.” With this particular statement, it helps me realize even more how big of a social problem this is shaping out to be.

During the same day this article/news story was published, it was stated that there was a conference call that took place with one of the women who filed a claim against MUSC. She made the argument that she wasn’t aware of any other U.S. jurisdiction in where there are doctors who are, as stated by the article/news story; “working with police to obtain drug-abuse evidence on pregnant women.” The argument from city officials is that it was by no means meant to discriminate and/or violate in constitutional rights.

As I have stated before, I agree with the fact that drug-tests for pregnant women should be allowed, and that if the results come back positive they should have the options of: adoption, drug treatment, or jail. Even though the positive drug test results may help police case, like Scalia stated, I do believe it should always be primarily done for the well being of the mother and child. This is a social problem that has affected our world as a whole, even though this particular example took place in a hospital in South Carolina, it is clearly world-wide.

Pregnant and Addicted

I looked at multiple articles on this toppic and the two I chose to blog about are Pregnancy and Addiction and The Endowment for Human Development. These articles are very sad to read and even think about especially since the amount of mothers who are pregnant that are addicted to different substances have doubled in the last five years.

To think about these newborns who basically already have the first few years of life planned out in hospitals, due to the fact that they will have withdrawls or death when they are born into this world are unfortunate events that could be prevented. Mothers don't realize that their addictions pass on to their little ones in their wombs and some don't even care. Some women are so addicted to drugs that having a child is not even relevant to their life. I was reading in an article the other day of a judge who had taken away 14 children from the same woman because she was so addicted to drugs she had no care in the world she was reproducing. Stories like these are so heart breaking but happen every single day.

There are multiple drugs that affect a fetus duing pregnancy,

1.Cocaine- causes the placenta to prematurely detach, growth defects in the unborn baby, and abnormalities in the intestines.

2.Methamphetamine- causes painful withdrawal symptoms; such as, sleeping difficulties, tremors, and feeding difficulties

3.Heroin- can cause unborn baby to be stillborn, prematurely born, low birth weight, bleeding in the brain, low blood sugar, and may die from SIDS(Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).

4.Prescription Medications- even if prescribed by a doctor baby can still have growth problems in the womb and may receive less oxygen, or could speed the babies heart rate up or down.

5.Alcohol- can cause lifelong disabilities that will affect the baby’s behavior, learning capabilities, physical makeup, and FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome).

These are just some of the affects babies can be born with while having addicted mothers. This was a very close topic to me because I currently have a good friend of mine who is actually getting help now because she is an addicted mother and only 3 months into the pregnancy. It is very sad to see something like this occur to women but very reoccuring. There has even been some states that women who are firm addicts be given government money to be sterilized, I don't believe that this is a good step forward because it feels as if it is taking away from a person's rights and just because they may be an addict now does not exactly say they will be one forever. So ask yourself would you want yourself or your loved ones to be forcibly sterilized?

Columbia moves to outlaw fake pot and bath salts: UPDATE

The controversial drugs K2 and bath salts are now illegal to sell or possess after a unanimous vote by the Department of Health and Environmental Control.  Earlier this month Richland and Columbia country began making moves to make the two drugs illegal.


K2, sometimes referred to as spice, is a synthetic forms of marijuana.  Bath salts are also chemically produced and mimic the affects of cocaine and were named bath salts in order to get it past law enforcements.


Counties began working to ban the drugs after users were experiencing serious side affects from the substances.  This past month a 17-year-old in Lexington County was hospitalized after becoming unresponsive from smoking K2.  Local emergency rooms also have reported treating patients on bath salts who are so agitated that they have to be restrained for 72 hours.

“Once the dhec board as expected makes its reclassification and designates these substances as schedule one controlled substances then state and local law enforcement agents around south carolina will be able to do the same, they'll be able to make arrests and issue charges related to these substances,” Adam Myrick from the Department of Health and Environmental Control said.

South Carolina is now the 38th state to ban K2 and bath salts.  To read more information about the banning of bath salts and or view a video of the report, click here.