"Hope for Addicts" - from Jason Schwartz @ Addiction & Recovery News

Here are a few highlights from the new WhiteHouse.gov website regarding President Obama's policies on civil rights, sentencing disparities, and reducing recidivism. As posted on January 20, 2009 by Jason Schwartz of the Addiction & Recovery News blog, "It's a start."

Dr. Jeffrey Junig takes on the Suboxone-haters

In order to best serve the people I work with, I am always trying to learn as much as I can about addiction and treatment options for addicts. A site that I frequent for such information is from Dr. Jeffrey Junig, a psychiatrist and recovering opiate-addict from Wisconsin who blogs at suboxonetalkzone.com

Dr. Junig's no-nonsense approach, experience, and honesty offer professionals, addicts, and the general public clear answers to their questions about addiction and Suboxone. This week, Dr. Junig posted a YouTube video response to the ever-present anti-Suboxone question, "Isn't it just trading one drug for another?" Dr. Junig's well-thought out and informative video-reply simply addresses the question, "Why do you care so much about people using Suboxone?"

Listen to Dr. Junig's detailed explanation about Suboxone on YouTube

Getting Connected without Getting Overwhelmed

The January issue of the Overdose Prevention Project's e-newsletter will be going out soon and based upon my ever-growing appreciation for blogging and info-sharing, I'm dedicating an entire section on how to use RSS feeds, subscribe to blogs, etc. I've had a lot of fun with this realm and am looking forward to keeping folks informed. Once the e-newsletter has gone out, it will then be archived on our webpage and I will also make it available on this blog.

I look forward to keeping everyone informed about our ongoing prevention efforts and community collaborations. Have a wonderful, fun-filled 2009!

~Amanda

Visit Our Archives!

Want to know what our coalitions have been up to for the past three years? By clicking this link, you will have access to all of the unique, colorful and info-packed newsletters which also include our special editions that have highlighted:

• Incarcerated women,
  
• Community alerts,
  
• National Recovery Month,
  
• Reconnecting Youth and
  
• MORE!

If you are looking for more resources and/or information about our efforts or partners, please visit our website: www.substanceabuse.portlandmaine.gov

Time to Text

I love this one!

"Do you text your teens? If not, you may be missing out on everyday opportunities to connect with the teens you care about, especially on tough issues like drugs and alcohol. New research from the Partnership and MetLife Foundation shows that when it comes to communication, today's generation of teens is far more likely to rely on text messaging (63%) than social networking sites like Facebook (38%) And teens don't only want to hear from their friends-a majority of teens-67 percent-were open to receiving texts from their parents after school-a time when teens are most likely to be unsupervised, a factor that increases the likelihood of risky behaviors.

While nothing takes the place of a face-to-face conversation, texting can help start a conversation with a reluctant teen or reinforce talks you've already had. Plus, it's a great way to keep in touch with kids when they're away from home at college, camp or anytime. Need help getting started?" Check out the Partnership for a Drug-Free America's TIME TO TEXT Guide

Moving Forward...

A ton of information is listed on our website - from resources to treatment facilities to partner listings - so from here on out, we'll be posting only NEW information relevant to our work as substance abuse prevention providers.

We are an asset-building based organization that believes in respect for all as we work to prevent substance abuse while providing education to our partners and communities.

Welcome!

Welcome to our Substance Abuse Prevention blog!

While we feel our webpage is quite comprehensive and accessible, it's sometimes hard to stay updated and maintain connections so we've started this blog to filter relevant info regarding our 3 programs:
The One Maine One Portland Coalition
Portland's Overdose Prevention Project &
The Portland Women's Taskforce.

Posts will include updates from our various partners, national list-servs and other forms of communication. We hope you find useful information on our site and we are always accessible via email: aedgar (at) portlandmaine (dot) gov

Happy blogging!