The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux tribe, which owns Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake, pays this man almost 80,000 per month. He owns multiple homes, arrives to court in a limousine with driver and yet he pleads “poverty” in court.
What was his crime? Instead of calling for rescue when a 16 year old girl was dying of a methamphetamine overdose, he decides to rape her and even keeps others from dialing 911so she died.
The girl died but he can not pay restitution to the family because “one of his homes is in foreclosure.” Hey, we all got problems. I suppose we should feel sorry for this “untouchable” career criminal. He almost went to jail, he owes everybody money, his terrible record of being an abuser and flouting the law now has another tarnish on it. Perhaps the family of the victim should just forget about it. I’m sure his conscience has suffered enough. [sarcasm]
Daniel Edwin Jones served four years in prison for having sex with a 16-year-old Coon Rapids girl 10 years ago as she lay dying from a methamphetamine overdose.
In 2008, he settled a wrongful death lawsuit with Brittany Powell’s mother for $2 million.
His debt to society has officially been paid. His financial debt to Brittany’s family remains outstanding.
“He did not abide by the agreement he signed,” said Brittany’s mother, Victoria Powell. “He’s shown up at certain legal events in his limousine, with his driver, and then in deposition pleads poverty.”
The settlement calls for Jones, 28, a member of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux tribe, which owns Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake, to pay the family $500,000 upfront, followed by monthly payments of $10,000 until the debt is paid.
“His income per year is over $900,000,” said Fred Soucie, an attorney for Victoria Powell.
Jones, who has never held a job but receives hefty checks twice monthly from his tribe, has made little progress toward paying the $2 million, Soucie said. Instead, he has claimed in court he is swimming in debt and unable to come up with more than $10,000 per month.
The unpaid legal judgment underscores any number of discussions about victims’ rights and a convicted felon’s obligations to the family of those he has harmed: How much is a human life worth, and when is it paid for in full?
The legal battle has also brought unwelcome attention
to the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux, a small but prosperous tribe whose members have made millions from casino revenues. For the Powell family, it’s drawn salt into a gruesome wound they are still struggling to come to terms with.
Jones did not return phone calls seeking comment, but his attorney, Sam McCloud, said his client hopes to negotiate a new payment plan in light of his debts.
“The bottom line is he has very little spendable money,” McCloud said. “… He’s got problems like anyone else. He’s got a house in foreclosure.”
CONSERVATOR HANDLING CASE
In November 2000, as Brittany overdosed on more than twice a lethal dose of meth, Jones took sexual advantage of her at a Burnsville trailer home. At trial, prosecutors alleged that when his cousin and a friend stopped by and found her in obvious distress, Jones prevented them from calling 911.
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Brittany, who had told her mother she planned to shake drugs by moving in with her older sister in Kentucky, was dead by the time the group arrived at Fairview Ridges Hospital in Burnsville. Jones, who was 18 at the time of the assault, was acquitted of her murder but convicted of two counts of criminal sexual assault and one count each of child neglect and child endangerment.
To date, Jones has paid the family roughly $150,000, McCloud said, and his complicated finances are now being handled by a conservator, a third party designated by the tribal council.
“I am very interested in what the tribal conservatorship does with this man’s debt to the family of his victim, and whether or not his debt is going to be honored,” said Soucie, Victoria Powell’s attorney. “It’s hard for me to envision a more heinous act than what this man did to this child.”
In a brief written statement, however, the tribal council denied any involvement in the civil case.
“The issue is a personal one to Mr. Jones. The tribal government is not a party in this matter,” they wrote. “The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community firmly believes that individual tribal members must be accountable for their personal acts; in this matter, Mr. Jones must satisfy his personal obligations to the plaintiffs as adjudicated by the courts.”
In August 2008, Dakota County District Judge Kathryn Messerich found that Jones had breached the settlement agreement reached in May that year by failing to give Powell’s family the $500,000 lump sum upfront. Messerich ordered him to pay by September 2008, which he did not do.
Soucie maintains that Jones has the resources to pay. In fact, he believes Jones has been flashing his deep pockets and disrespect for Brittany’s family by showing up to court in a black limousine and making snide remarks as he leaves the courtroom.
“Jones conveyed and continues to flaunt a ‘you can never touch me’ attitude with broken promises and ostentatious behavior,” Soucie wrote in a November 2009 court filing.
TWO DIFFERENT STORIES
Separate depositions of Jones and his wife, Fabiola Martinez, reveal the Mdewakanton tribe pays Jones roughly $38,000 every two weeks.
In addition to Mystic Lake, the tribe owns the smaller Little Six Casino, the Dakotah Meadows RV Park, several smaller business ventures and 2,800 acres of land in the Shakopee and Prior Lake area.
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Soucie said $2 million isn’t such a large sum relative to the $50 million Jones can expect to collect over the course of his lifetime. And he’s flouted legal rulings before.
Jones’ rap sheet includes convictions for fleeing police in a motor vehicle in 2004 and 2001, meth possession in 2003, drunken driving in 2004 and 2002 and underage alcohol consumption in 2004 and 2001.
In depositions, however, Jones has painted an entirely different picture of himself. He said he’s cash-strapped, overwhelmed by debt and demands from creditors and dependent on his wife’s family for basic necessities.
McCloud maintains the tribe plans to reduce his client’s income because the economic slowdown has taken a bite from its casino revenue.
He said the legal settlement has become a Catch-22 for Jones. The settlement, which was negotiated by a previous attorney, called for $500,000 upfront, which Jones had planned to borrow but said he was ultimately unable to do. When that money fell through, the Powell family began charging interest.
“He was making the monthly payments, but it turned out the monthly payments were doing him no good, because they were charging him interest,” McCloud said. “Every $10,000 payment that he made … wasn’t reducing the principal. That essentially means you pay $10,000 for the rest of your life.”
The conservator who now handles his money wants to renegotiate the terms of the settlement, McCloud said.
“(Daniel’s) not trying to run from it. He got bad legal advice that got him sucked into this. He’s not trying to avoid anything. He wants to pay them $2 million,” McCloud said. “If they would accept $10,000 a month until the $2 million is paid, we’d be done with it. The only reason we’re not in the position right now is because his prior lawyer made a deal to pay money upfront without having the money in place.”
TIME OFF FOR GOOD BEHAVIOR
Questioned before a Scott County District Court judge in Shakopee in March 2009, Jones said he was falling behind on mortgage and utility payments. His 20-year-old brother had died two months earlier, and he was paying for the funeral and shopping for a gravestone.
Among his creditors were the Internal Revenue Service, Dakota County, his mortgage lender, the tribe itself and Brittany Powell’s family. He was also paying child support and attorney’s fees related to a custody dispute.
“Lately, (I’m) borrowing money from family members and stuff, friends, when I can’t cover (my mortgage),” said Jones, who said he was having little success urging friends to buy one of his homes from him. “Right now, I’m just in a big slump.”
Jones, who said he had never held a job other than a brief stint with a youth-enrichment program as a kid, said he owned two homes, a Mercedes-Benz, a second car and a fishing boat, though one of the homes was in foreclosure. He planned to enroll in a chef’s school.
Jones has disputed aspects of the civil and criminal cases related to Brittany’s death.
In 2004, he maintained throughout his criminal trial in 2004 that he did, in fact, have sex with Brittany, but it was in the early afternoon, hours before she fell comatose from abusing meth. His attorney at the time said the reason he discouraged his cousin and another acquaintance from calling 911 after they noticed her in distress was because he felt it would be quicker to get her to a hospital by car.
A jury concluded he’d had sex with Powell when she was physically helpless but stopped short of agreeing he supplied the drugs that killed her.
Jones twice appealed his 8 1/2-year prison sentence, arguing it was two years longer than the term mandated by state guidelines. In February 2009, his term was reduced to six years and 10 months. He had already been released from prison in April 2008 after time off for good behavior.
Soucie hopes to convince Jones to pay Powell’s family at least $38,000 every two weeks. He said that if Jones does not increase his monthly payments, he could be held in contempt of court and jailed.
“At this point we have not had that order issued by the judge,” Soucie said.
Keep track of this scourge of society by visiting his personal page at the Minnesota Department Of Corrections HERE
Interesting to note that he was admitted to jail 2/24/2009 and was released 3/5/2009
Must be nice to have so much money. He’s been buying himself out of trouble his whole life, when will it stop, when he finally kills someone? oh wait…. too late.
COMMENTS:
_________________
SeaShark Eden Prairie, MN
DANIEL EDWIN JONES: A Career Criminal With No Conscience
Daniel Jones clearly has no intention of honoring the wrongful death civil lawsuit settlement he signed with advice of legal counsel, agreeing to pay Brittany Powell’s mother Victoria $2 million via a mutually agreed upon payment schedule.
Jones’ caustic, sneering, sarcastic comments deliberately uttered within earshot of Victoria during court appearances are designed to demean and hurt her; a snide and outrageous attempt to increase the pain and sorrow that Victoria endures as she grieves the tragic loss of her daughter.
Jones’ enthusiastic ally is criminal defense lawyer Sam McCloud, famous for admiring and defending drunk drivers but always willing to make excuses for any criminal who tries to avoid the consequences of his criminal conduct.
Jones should be found in contempt of court and sent to prison, and the court should order his conservator to immediately pay Victoria the $500,000 lump sum required by the settlement plus a minimum of $35,000 per month until the entire $2 million financial obligation is paid in full.
Career criminals like David Edwin Jones have no credibility and don’t deserve any favors from the criminal justice system. Jones’ excuses for failing to pay his debt to Brittany’s family are transparently false and ludicrous. Cry me a river, Mr. Jones.
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Bob the Bilderberg Saint Paul, MN
While there is some legal evidence that those who claim to be the rightful tribal owners of that land are frauds (their surname of Crooks is a delicious irony), it’s also true that the tribes in the dakotas are insanely jealous of the Shakopee Sioux who lucked into their obscene wealth while the Indians in the Dakotas still don’t have a pot to piss in.
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RACINO Dodge Center, MN
Share the wealth! RACINO… This guy is a loser.He gets paid $1,000,000 and what does he do for society? I’d rather have that money go to schools, roads, natural resources or with, a stadium!
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East German Pride Inver Grove Heights, MN
I say Hang him, confiscate his non earned money, revoke tribal rights, as half these clowns have German last names or English last names, aka fakers. Thanks for helping the real natives in South and North Dakota you White Indians
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Tim Burr Prior Lake, MN
This is the first generation from this tribe. The next one is even worse.
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neocon junta Minneapolis, MN
“Your casino wrote:Your casino dollars hard at work. Anyone gambling there is supporting people like this”
So are the people who bought cars from Denny just like him, what about the people who shopped at Petters. Gambling is never a good ideal but your statement is wacko.
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Not a dime Savage, MN
I can only suggest that NO ONE set foot in that Casino until the band causes this member of the tribe to honor the agreement that he made with the family of the girl that he assaulted and allowed to die.
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neocon junta Minneapolis, MN
Affula wrote: “if the tribe is actually that rich that they can not care about paying its felon tribal members $80,000 a month to blow however they feel, then I got one thing to say: LEGALIZE GAMBLING IN THIS STATE! NOW!”
Your comment is crazy. Well Petters is rich and Enron was run by white males so should all white men over 5O have to pay people back who lost money? Those that won court judgments.
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merks Saint Paul, MN
they are a sovereign nation which mean our laws do not apply to them and our rights are forfeited the second we put one foot on their soil. which begs the question. why isn’t a passport required for them to either leave the reservation or for us to go there?
Cut off all federal aid and state aid and charge a fee every time they leave the reservation.
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Its Fair Minneapolis, MN
He should not have to pay to money to a white victim. This is how we will make up for injustices committed hundreds of years ago on the ancestors of Mr. Jones. Leave Mr. Jones alone. GoBama!
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Mn resident Minneapolis, MN
The tribe members do pay federal taxes on there income which is like 35% of what they get. Maybe instead of racino, mn should get what they pay into federal taxes. just a thought. Again this is a individual matter so we cant blame the parents or a tribe for mistakes made by people.
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Telling it like it is Minneapolis, MN
Not one living indian today had ANYTHING stolen from them by a the white man. Why do the indians continue to recieve special treatment today? The only thing preventing them from being productive citizens of this country is the fact that they all seek refuge on their reservation and chose not to go forward and be fruitful. Anyone spending any money in the indian casinoes is just further enabling these people to be the lazy people that stereotypes (somewhat accurately) portray.
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East German Pride Inver Grove Heights, MN
Take away the Tribe’s casino rights ASAP, then place this lazy person in prison to do hard labor until his debt is paid!!!! Prison should be hard labor no TVs and murder inside should be punishable by mandatory hanging. MN should have non-Indian casinos as competition, also why aren’t they giving a good majority of their earnings to South and North Dakota tribes, ones that actually resisted the US Army for them? Answer that Shakopee!
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taxpayer too Detroit Lakes, MN
perhaps they should have taught thier daughter not to take or use drugs in the first place. How much did she contribute to society before her death? did she have job? Perhaps the united states should be sued for all the Indians that have died due to the army of the u.s. attacking them, man wouldn’t they owe the tribes and families a lot of money. get real greed greed and more greed
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your casino San Francisco, CA
Your casino dollars hard at work. Anyone gambling there is supporting people like this.
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what an idiot Forest Lake, MN
seriously? this just goes to show that if you are handed everything on a silver platter and never made to work for anything in your life you just aren’t functional. One more reason why the state of MN should get their hands in on the abundant revenues apparently being paid out to the Indians. See no reason why they should have the monopoly on something just because of what was done to their great ancestors who most of them probably can’t even trace back. If that is the case, why aren’t the ancestors of slaves being given $900,000 a year too. Jeesh- He makes more in one month than I do in a year and he can’t pay his bills? maybe they should garnish it from the tribe. Oh wait – they have their own tribal laws and council so they can’t. stupid!
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Affula Saint Paul, MN
oh you don’t like paying interest? tell that to the millions of Americans crippled by credit card debt… not to mention what you are in debt for!!! what a scumbag! why is this guy not in jail?
i guess i don’t know how Indian tribes work but: a) why do they seem to have this guy’s back, and b) who decides to keep paying a felon $80,000 a month to do nothing simply because he’s a member of the tribe?
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ForReal Saint Paul, MN
$2,000,000 judgment
-$500,000 upfront
-$120,00 (12 payments @$10,000 each)
Balance =$1,380,000
That is 69 payments of $20,000. I’m thinking monthly. He would seem to have the income to support that.
Affula Saint Paul, MN
if the tribe is actually that rich that they can not care about paying its felon tribal members $80,000 a month to blow however they feel, then I got one thing to say: LEGALIZE GAMBLING IN THIS STATE! NOW!
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Quinn Saint Paul, MN
Another reason to vote for racino. If this tribe can give 38,000 every two weeks to noncontributing members then the tribe has made more than enough and the monopoly should end.
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Indian Tears Saint Paul, MN
Unfortunately this is one area where stereotypes do fit. The problem of young people with huge incomes from casino profits getting into trouble with drugs, the law, etc. is repeated at every Indian casino. Tribes do nothing to alleviate the problem. The general attitude among tribes and their members seems to be, “Give me the money and f*%$ you! You can’t touch me. The laws of society do no apply to us.”
This behavior is enabled by all tribe members.
The Last Straw Saint Paul, MN
I was aware that tribe members received “a lot” from the casinos, but no idea it was this much. The fact that these casinos contribute next to nothing back to the state is the last piece of info I needed … I’ll never again step foot into a MN casino. Too many restaurants, etc. in the cities that need our support …
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Get a Grip Saint Paul, MN
What short sighted moron ever thought up the idea of Indian Gaming. It didn’t empower them, it created garbage like this.
We pay our debt to Indian Tribes by showering them with money and keeping them completely incapable of surviving a modern day existence.
No offense intended, but I’m thinking that in 2010 Indians would not now be following the great herds of buffalo in a peaceful existence the way they had done for centuries whether the white man showed up or not?
Eventually they would have had to modernize like all other native peoples all over earth have done.
You’re better than that folks……
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I heard something once about if you are caught swearing, they had a way to cover all the offensive language but the one I remember is FUCK…. What if you accidently blurt out FUCK in a public place?
Lets give the example of church; if you are in church, pta, anywhere that language of that nature should be avoided, and you forget to avoid it for an instance, you can add "eddabout it" to the end.
as an example, the paster tells you that your son just dropped a dog turd in the holy water, and you grab your son and start to yell FUCK… and then swiftly add the following “eddabout it" (fuckeddabout it) You may sound a little like an old style Italian mafioso, but you successfully managed to cover your vulgar Faux Pas
funny stuff! lol
Here is another example of getting yourself out of the trouble your big mouth causes: This one brought to my attention by my good friend Tim the dentist in Des Moines IA.
A man in a Florida supermarket tries to buy half a head of lettuce.
The young produce assistant tells him that they sell only whole heads of lettuce and there is no way of selling just “half”.
The man is persistent though and insists that the manager should be spoken too.
The boy says fine and proceeds down the hall to the manager’s office where upon walking in he exclaims: “Some asshole wants to 
buy half a head of lettuce.’ As he finished his sentence, he turns to find the man standing right behind him, so he quickly added, ‘And this gentleman has kindly offered to buy the other half.’
The manager approved the deal, and the man went on his way with his half of a lettuce head..
Later the manager said to the boy, ‘I was impressed with the way you got yourself out of that situation earlier. We like people who think on their feet here. Where are you from, son?’
‘Canada, sir,’ the boy replied.
‘Well, why did you leave Canada?’ the manager asked.
The boy said, ‘Sir, there’s nothing but whores and hockey players in Canada.’
‘Oh Really?’ said the manager as he leans close to the boy. ‘Well my WIFE is from Canada.’
To which the boy immediately replied: ‘Really? that’s awesome sir, which team did she play for?
The moral of this story is, ummm, errr…. I guess it’s “you can get yourself out of anything if you are clever enough”
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December 1, 2009
No comment
Although considered the first step in recovery, is detox always necessary? Not always so, but in some cases withdrawing off of a drug can be fatal without a medically supervised detox. We have provided the following to help you to understand a little more about the detox process.
Alcohol Addiction and Binge Drinking
There are two different types of alcohol abusers, the binge drinker and the acute daily drinker. Both of which may be late stage alcoholics, just with different patterns of abuse.
Beer is the binge-drinker’s beverage of choice. Beer benders cause the most accidents and health problems. Beer drinkers are also the most likely to drink and drive. (Binge-drinking is many times defined as having five or more drinks in row.)
A binge drinker is someone who can go days, weeks or months without having a drink, but when he/she does drink it is usually in great excess, sometimes consuming near lethal amounts. This type of alcoholic does require a medical detox if immediately after a binge. If however, it has been over a week since his last drink, detox may not be necessary.
The acute daily drinker is someone who drinks on a daily basis. This type of alcohol absolutely requires a medically supervised detox or else may develop delusions, shaking, seizures or even death.
Detox for alcohol usually involves prescribed benzodiazipene’s (Klonopin, Xanax, Valium, etc) to help counter the seizures and anxiety; and high blood pressure medication such as Catapres.
Opiate Addiction
Opiates include Heroin, Vicodin, Methadone, and Oxycontin. If the opiate abuser has reached the point where they are a daily (or near daily) user, then a detox is usually required. Although most opiate addicts are not usually in any medical danger during the detox or withdrawal process, a detox setting is recommended because most opiate addicts simply cannot withdraw on their own.
Although the detox process for opiates can be over within a week, generally speaking, normal sleep patterns sometimes do not return for months.
Methadone Addiction
Although Methadone is considered an opiate, most clinics are reluctant to admit clients addicted to methadone because of the length of detox as well as the difficulty of the clients.
Benzo Addiction
Addiction to benzodiazipene’s can be very dangerous if not detoxed in a supervised medical setting. Rapid withdrawal from benzo’s can lead to delusions, anxiety, seizures and even death. For this reason, it is imperative that anyone considering withdrawing from benzo’s seek out professional guidance.
Cocaine Addiction
The withdraw from cocaine or crack is usually not medically dangerous and doesn’t require a detox. Someone withdrawing from cocaine or crack can expect long sleep periods, lethargy, lowered blood pressure, heart rate and respiration.
Methamphetamine Addiction
Withdrawing from meth doesn’t usually require a detox, however many clients exhibit acute psychotic symptoms as a result of their using and sometimes are admitted to a dual diagnosis or psychiatric facility to handle the delusions and paranoia. Although most meth users can safely detox on their own, some do require anti-psychotic medications because of the drug use.
Meth addicts show the horrors of addiction: faces that seem to have had the life sucked out of them, sunken eyes that indicate days or weeks without sleep, wasting bodies from malnutrition resulting from a total lack of appetite, mouths riddled with sores and rotted or missing teeth, skin that’s been scratched or cut and incessantly picked at.
And that’s only what’s happening on the surface.
Inside, methamphetamines ravage the kidneys, liver, lungs, heart and even the brain. Long-term use can result in permanent psychological damage, stroke and failure of other organs. Addicts hear voices and see people and things that no one else sees or hears.
Women who are pregnant give birth to “crack babies” with cardiac problems, cleft palates and other birth defects, who suffer the consequences of withdrawal as soon as they’re b
orn.
Many people believe that crystal meth is a drug used by only the most far gone of drug addicts. It’s true that chronic meth users look like that, but they didn’t start out that way.
The facts are, meth is used by teenagers who just want a little extra edge when studying for a test. It’s used by young girls who want to control their weight and it’s used by guys who want a little extra out of a sexual experience. Meth users (also called tweakers) can be students, professionals, city folk or urban dwellers, dirt poor or celebrity rich, and members of any ethnic background.
If you have been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in Des Moines, IA and you have been ordered to take the IA state ordered Drug or Alcohol Assessment or State Required DUI Course and State Required 12 Hour or 48 Hour OWI Programs then you should consider the ALPP Institute in Des Moines, IA.
The ALPP Institute of Des Moines, IA offers many classes and services to help get your life back on track, to help get your drivers license back, to help you get back to work, etc.
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Alcohol and substance abuse evaluation as required by Iowa Code Chapter 32IJ.22 (Operating While Intoxicated) for reinstatement of a driver’s license.
Driving Under the Influence (DUI) 12-Hour Classes
ALPP Institute offers the 12-Hour program approved by the Department of Education for Driving Under the Influence classes for persons charged and convicted of driving while under the influence of alcohol. This program shares the philosophies and techniques of both the out-patient and residential programs teaching the Life Process Program©.
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December 1, 2009
No comment
A new study on mice has suggested that long-term changes in the brain’s dopamine-releasing machinery may explain why methamphetamine addiction is so strong.
Dopamine is one of the brain’s major neurotransmitters.
The research team, led by 
Nigel Bamford, of the University of Washington, Seattle, treated mice with methamphetamine and examined how prolonged exposure to the drug affected dopamine levels.
The researchers focused on the dopamine machinery in the brain’s corticostriatal region of the brain, which is believed to have the "habit" circuitry that plays a major role in the compulsive drug seeking seen in people addicted to methamphetamine and amphetamine.
The results showed that extended exposure to methamphetamine caused a depression of the synaptic dopamine machinery in the corticostriatal region that lasted for months after the mice were no longer given the drug.
However, a dose of methamphetamine reversed the depressive effects on the synaptic dopamine machinery, they discovered.
The researchers also found that the drug produced its long-term effect by altering specific types of receptors for dopamine and another neurotransmitter called acetylcholine.
The team concluded that the mechanism they identified "might provide a synaptic basis that underlies addiction and habit learning and their long-term maintenance."
Although other teams have revealed aspects of this puzzle previously, Bamford says this is the first time the pieces have been pulled together into a single study.
"It definitely does tie everything together," said Stephanie Borgland of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.
Although methamphetamine seems to be particularly addictive, Bamford expects the same basic mechanism to apply to other addictive stimulants, including cocaine.
Bamford is now planning further studies of the interneurons.
"That’s really where the [addiction] ’switch’ is," he said.
The study is published in the April 10 issue of the journal Neuron. (ANI)
August 14, 2009
No comment
A medicine regularly taken by millions of hyperactive children has similar properties to cocaine and could encourage drug abuse in later life, New Scientist magazine said Thursday.
Methylphenidate, better known as Ritalin, is the leading treatment for a neurological condition known as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which prevents children from concentrating on a task for more than a few seconds.
New Scientist said growing concerns over the long-time effects of the drug, a stimulant that works by making the neurotransmitter dopamine more available in the brain, have put it on the agenda for the U.S. National Institutes of Health conference on ADHD, scheduled for November.
A 1995 study by Nora Volkow, director of nuclear medicine at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York, found that Ritalin’s properties were very similar to cocaine. Volkow said there was no evidence of a link between Ritalin and cocaine abuse but added 10 to 30 percent of cocaine addicts take it because they have ADHD.
"When we give them Ritalin, the cocaine problem is resolved," she told New Scientist. Another study by Susan Schenk, a psychopharmacologist at Texas A&M University in College Station, and Nadine Lambert, a developmental psychologist at the University of California at Berkeley, followed the progress of 5,000 children with ADHD from adolescence into early adulthood.
In a paper to be published in October, Lambert argues that children on Ritalin are more likely to smoke as adults. Other data presented by Schenk suggested that they are three times more likely to develop a taste for cocaine. Other experts were skeptical. Alan Zametkin, a psychiatrist at the National Institute of Mental Health near Washington D.C., said he believed stimulants actually reduce the risk of drug addiction.
"My theory is that stimulant use allows kids to be more successful and therefore they develop fewer antisocial behaviors," Zametkin told New Scientist. "So it’s less likely they’ll become drug addicts."
If you liked this article, you might also like ALTERNATIVES TO RITALIN
Please, if you or a loved one are suffering from a chemical dependence in Des Moines Iowa, Drug addiction or alcoholism anywhere in Iowa, take a moment and watch this short video about addictions. We can help you right now, don’t wait. CLICK FOR VIDEO
Obama Blows His Presidency — Top Ten Health Care Reforms He Won’t Do
For the first time in memory, Bill O’Reilly, arch Fox conservative, and Chris Matthews, arch MSNBC liberal, reacted the same to an event — both found that Barack Obama failed entirely to explain his plans for health care reform in his televised press conference.
And virtually all commentators noted the same flaw in the Obama presentation and explanation — he’s afraid to tell Americans that — well, remember that old sign: "You can have it cheaper, better, and more of it — but not all at the same time"?
I watched the sacrificial Democrat (you know, the one labeled "Democratic strategist" sandwiched between two nuts like the host himself on one of those Hannity panels) who intoned: "Health care reform will maintain current coverages, give access to everyone, and save money." You can see why Hannity selected her — to make the nuts look reasonable!
But Obama, David Axelrod, Rahm Emanuel — and the entire Republican leadership — are just as bad. Ask them what will have to be sacrificed, and they (the Dems) indicate "Nothing — just a few millionaires will pay more taxes." And, oh, there is one health care player Obama is willing to punish — insurers (even pharmaceutical manufacturers escape his opprobrium).
Republicans, as usual, are living in some other time and place. Their claim? "American health care is the best in the world. We’ll reduce the costs with tort reform, and give everyone greater access by incentivizing (a popular Obama term) private coverage."
Oh, and both sides will eliminate waste, duplication, and fraud. That should save a trillion or two right there!
Here are the top ten health care reforms neither side will propose:
- Means test Social Security and Medicare
- Pay only for effective treatments
Channel patients to providers who accept a prix-fixe pay schedule- "Incentivize" individual care choices (i.e., make people pay for more of what they use)
- Tax employer health care benefits as income
- Make managed care de rigeur
- Mandate that every American must have health care coverage
- Favor treatment for the young and fixable over the old and incurable
- Eliminate private insurance
- Put Obama’s birth certificate on the back of the one dollar bill (oops, wrong post!)
Failing to do these things will not produce better care for more people at lower prices. Rather, it will mean a diminishing group will receive unlimited (but but not necessarily effective) treatment costing everyone more.
And Barack Obama is just too nice a guy, too good a politician, and too reluctant to give people bad news to blow the whistle on this three-card monte — or, better, Ponzi — scheme. You know, the kind of deal where you collect more and more money for an unsustainable and unproductive enterprise until the entire house of cards collapses?
Get this and other drug rehab and addiction information from http://www.stgregorycrt.com if you or a loved one is suffering from chemical addiction, my heart goes out to you. PLEASE take a moment to watch this short video, it just might save a life. http://www.stgregoryctr.com/help.php
(non 12 step, alternative to 12 step programs, non religious treatment center)
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Get this and other drug rehab and addiction information from http://www.stgregorycrt.com if you or a loved one is suffering from chemical addiction, my heart goes out to you. PLEASE take a moment to watch this short video, it just might save a life. http://www.stgregoryctr.com/help.php
(non 12 step, alternative to 12 step programs, non religious treatment center)
The Cycle of Addiction
No one intends to become a drug addict or alcoholic. Our experiences show that the drug addict or alcoholic was usually an intelligent and often creative person with much hope for the future.
However, they were unable to deal effectively with life’s problems and turned to drugs or alcohol as a means of dealing with unwanted situations.
The person usually takes drugs because they attempt to compensate for some personal deficiency or life situation. They may be depressed, in pain or incapable of dealing with a loss of a loved one or extreme circumstance. It could also be as simple as a need to fit in and make friends, or a way to lose weight. Regardless of the reason, the person begins to seek "help" in the form of drugs or alcohol.
Drugs are essentially a pain-killer. They lessen emotional and physical pain and provide the user with a temporary escape from problems. When a person is unable to cope with something in life and take drugs as a result, they feel they have found a way to deal with the problem.
The more a person uses drugs or excessive alcohol, the worse the problem becomes. So they continue the “solution” for their problems, more drugs. Soon new problems are created by drug use. The person feels the need to use consistently, and will do anything to get high.
They are now addicted. They become difficult to communicate with, withdrawn and begin to exhibit the strange behavior associated with being on drugs. The more the person uses to try to counter this effect, the more desperate he becomes.
Their use begins to affect their personal relationships, their job, their bank account, and anything of previous value to the addict. Now the person’s entire focus becomes centered on using drugs and getting more drugs, regardless of the cost. They sacrifice everything to avoid the pain of withdrawal, the guilt of what they have done and the problems they have been running from.
At this point, the average drug user does one of three things:
- Continues using drugs and becomes more and more lost, unhealthy and degraded until he eventually becomes homeless or dead.
- Gets arrested for some drug-related activity and goes to jail or prison.
- Attempt to quit drugs in any one of a variety of ways. He may try to stop on his own, or go to a drug addiction treatment center or program. Sadly, the success rate of traditional treatment is not high and most addicts continue to relapse. This destroys the addict’s confidence and leads him to feel he will remain a slave to drugs forever.
HOWEVER, there is a way out…..
Once you have made the decision to get help for you or a loved ones addiction, please 
contact us at http://www.stgregoryctr.com/help.php for FAST, Confidential drug rehabilitation.
Please remember, 12 step programs do not work, they never have, by their own admission they have a 0% recovery rate because they believe every alcoholic is an alcoholic for the rest of their lives, how is THAT recovery?
St. Gregory’s is a NON 12 step program and we are one of the only drug & alcohol treatment center that continues to contact EVERY member even after they have left our clinics, this is one reason for our fantastic success rate in treating alcohol and drug addictions!
Think drug rehab is just for movie stars and politicians? think again, we offer competitive rates, we accept most insurance, female only and male only treatment centers, onsite and offsite locations and a confidential safe environment with highly trained, confidential staff members.
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In medical terminology, an addiction is a chronic neurobiologic disorder that has genetic, psychosocial, and environmental dimensions and is characterized by one of the following: the continued use of a substance despite its detrimental effects, impaired control over the use of a drug (compulsive behavior), and preocupation with a drug’s use for non-therapeutic purposes (i.e. craving the drug). Addiction is often accompanied the presence of deviant behaviors (for instance stealing money and forging prescriptions) that are used to obtain a drug.
Tolerance to a drug and physical dependence are not defining characteristics of addiction, although they typically accompany addiction to certain drugs. Tolerance is a pharmacologic phenomenon where the dose of a medication needs to be continually increase in order to 
maintain its desired effects. For instance, individuals with severe chronic pain taking opiate medications (like morphine) will need to continually increase the dose in order to maintain the drug’s analgesic (pain-relieving) effects. Physical dependence is also a pharmacologic property and means that if a certain drug is abruptly discontinued, an individual will experience certain characteristic withdrawal signs and symptoms. Many drugs used for therapeutic purposes produce withdrawal symptoms when abruptly stopped, for instance oral steroids, certain antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and opiates.
However, common usage of the term addiction has spread to include psychological dependence. In this context, the term is used in drug addiction and substance abuse problems, but also refers to behaviors that are not generally recognized by the medical community as problems of addiction, such as compulsive overeating.
The term addiction is also sometimes applied to compulsions that are not substance-related, such as problem gambling and computer addiction. In these kinds of common usages, the term addiction is used to describe a recurring compulsion by an individual to engage in some specific activity, despite harmful consequences, as deemed by the user himself to his or her
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by Mathea Falco, J.D.
Drug Treatment for Adolescents
Most American youth try drugs and alcohol when they are teenagers; some will develop serious substance use problems.
But treatment for teens is scarce and often hard to find: although more than one million teens need drug treatment, only one in ten actually receive help. Why is adolescent treatment so scarce? Lack of state and federal funding for treatment programs as well as shrinking insurance benefits for drug treatment are two major reasons. Without adequate insurance, many parents simply cannot afford to get the kind of help their children need.
When parents realize their children have drug problems and must find treatment, they frequently do not know where to turn. The family is often in a crisis situation, when decisions must be made quickly. Yet very little information is available about what parents should look for in choosing a program. Most parents are concerned about cost: do their employee benefits cover drug treatment? If so, for how long? If their coverage is limited, will they be able to pay to get the best possible treatment for their teenager? What kind of treatment will work? Should their teen be sent away to a residential program or can he or she be treated in his or her own community while still living at home? How long will treatment take – a few weeks, months or even years? Parents face bewildering questions they don’t know how to answer, or even how to find answers. They may also feel frightened or ashamed that their teen has substance use problems. And they may also recognize that their own alcohol and drug use problems have contributed to the problems their child is experiencing.
In order to help parents and other concerned adults find help for their teens, Drug Strategies, a nonprofit research institute, developed Treating Teens: A Guide to Adolescent Drug Programs. This guide describes nine key elements that are important in successful teen drug treatment and provides reliable information on 144 adolescent drug programs. Treating Teens gives hotline telephone numbers to find treatment in each state; definitions of frequently used treatment terms, and 10 important questions parents should ask when selecting a program for their teen.
FIVE QUESTIONS PARENTS SHOULD ASK A TREATMENT PROGRAM
1. Is your program specifically designed for teens? If so, how?
Most treatment programs are designed for adults, not teens. Even if programs say they treat teens, they may in fact just be including them in adult programs that have a few activities for younger people. Adolescents have unique challenges, such as relating to their families, dealing with peer groups, getting an education, finding a job. They also are different developmentally than adults. Effective adolescent programs should address not only drug use problems but also the many aspects of a teen’s life.
2. What questions do your staff members ask to determine the seriousness of the teen’s substance use problem and whether the teen will benefit from this particular program?
Good programs usually ask a brief set of initial questions to explore the severity of the youth’s drug use. How long has the teen been using? Is he or she addicted? What other kinds of problems does the teen have? Is he or she involved in delinquent behavior? Answers to these questions will help a program decide if they can provide the kind of help needed. Once the teen is admitted to the program, the teen’s problems will be examined in much greater depth. This kind of assessment should include a physical exam to determine if there are any medical conditions related to the substance use problem; a psychiatric exam to determine if there are mental health problems, such as depression, that must also be treated; a review of the teen’s educational progress, and a review of the teen’s relationships with his peers. Does he have friends? Are they involved in drugs? The program may also ask in-depth questions of the family about how well family members communicate, whether there are discipline problems, whether there is a history of substance use within the family. The program will develop as complete as possible a picture of the adolescent’s problems so that the counselors can design a treatment plan to address them successfully.
3. How does the program involve the family in the teen’s treatment?
Family involvement in the teen’s treatment is critically important. Regardless of how well or badly the teen and the family relate to each other, parents are the dominant reality in the lives of most teens. Parents are also the major source of financial support, including medical insurance, if any. Most teens live at home, and their recovery will depend on how supportive the home environment will be in helping them build new lives free of alcohol and drug use.
Recent studies of adolescents who stop using drugs report that parental involvement, new friends and motivation are keys to success. Programs should encourage parents (or other caregivers) to participate in counseling, group meetings, drug education and other activities offered by the program. Occasional telephone calls between the parents and the program counselors are not enough. Families should also be asked to examine their own alcohol and drug use and to get treatment themselves when necessary. Programs should teach the family how to be more effective parents, including how to discipline children reasonably. The more the family is involved in the treatment process, the more likely the teen will succeed in treatment.
4. How does the program provide continuing care after treatment is completed?
The period after treatment is vitally important: most adolescents relapse in the first three months after treatment. However, continuing care services can greatly increase the likelihood of sustained recovery. Developing follow-up plans while the teen is still in treatment is important in providing a structure for the teen and his family, so that treatment gains continue. These plans may include relapse prevention training, referrals to community resources and periodic check-ups by the program with the adolescent and his family. Twelve-step meetings can also be helpful for some teens in recovery, although finding 12-step meetings specifically for teens can be difficult in some communities. Unfortunately, many programs do not provide continuing care, and parents must try to support the teen’s recovery as fully as possible. Parents can identify services within their community that will help the teen live without drugs, including well supervised recreational programs, counseling, and community service. Parents should stay in close touch with their children every step of the way. Parents who believe that their children can overcome their problems and be successful in school make a powerful difference even when faced with difficult circumstances. (In Treating Teens: A Guide to Adolescent Drug Treatment the help hotline numbers can provide referrals to resources in each state.)
5. What evidence do you have that your program is effective?
Very few programs have formal, scientific evaluations that m
easure their treatment success. However, even without such evaluations, other information can be helpful. For example, completing the entire course of treatment is closely related to success. Retention rate is an important indicator of whether a program is effective. How many teens drop out? How long do they stay in treatment? How many actually complete treatment? Other useful things to ask about are whether teens in the program show improvements in school performance (better attendance and grades) and family relationships (better communications, less aggressive behavior). How does the program monitor drug use among teens in treatment? Do they conduct drug tests? If so, how often do they test? What are the results? Good programs should have test results that show that teens in treatment are staying clean.
