Sober Sky

Food and Drug Administration and Federal Trade Commission are removing Alcohol with Caffeine from stores!

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The national push to get rid of caffeine out of some alcohol drinks is making big news across the Untied States. The Food and Drug Administration sent out letters to four companies, warning that, as used in their products, caffeine is an "unsafe food additive" under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

“Consumers might mistakenly assume that these beverages are safe because they are widely sold,” said David Vladeck, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.  “In fact, there is good reason to believe that these caffeinated alcohol drinks pose significant risks to consumer health and safety.  Consumers – particularly young, inexperienced drinkers – may not realize how much alcohol they have consumed because caffeine can mask the sense of intoxication.”
The FTC letters strongly urge the companies to review the way they are marketing their caffeinated alcohol drinks and to “take swift and appropriate steps to protect consumers.”  The FTC has instructed the companies to notify the agency within 15 days of the actions they have taken.

All four companies responded to the request and either have removed or in the process of removing products from the shelves. The Alcohol beverages are Joose, Four Loko,Core High Gravity, Core Spiked, and El Jefe carbonated malt beverages and  Moonshot. 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Sky Treatment Center Houston Texas!

Summer Sky Treatment Center attended the 2010 Spectrum Conference hosted by the Houston Chapter of the Texas Association of Addiction Professionals. This years conference was The Thirty Seventh Annual Conference on Addiction Studies. It is a honor to help support such a great organization and be apart of addiction professionals serving those with substance use disorders across the State of Texas. Summer Sky recently opened up the new Detox Now Program. The Detox now program is created for those who do not want a 30 day stay in treatment, but desire to have detox take place. It is really geared to those who have had previous treatment or have a history of relapse. Please take a look at there website at http://www.summersky.us or call them at 1-888-857-8857.    

New drug-resistant superbugs found in 3 states

By MARILYNN MARCHIONE (AP)

BOSTON — An infectious-disease nightmare is unfolding: Bacteria that have been made resistant to nearly all antibiotics by an alarming new gene have sickened people in three states and are popping up all over the world, health officials reported Monday.

The U.S. cases and two others in Canada all involve people who had recently received medical care in India, where the problem is widespread. A British medical journal revealed the risk last month in an article describing dozens of cases in Britain in people who had gone to India for medical procedures.

How many deaths the gene may have caused is unknown; there is no central tracking of such cases. So far, the gene has mostly been found in bacteria that cause gut or urinary infections.

Scientists have long feared this — a very adaptable gene that hitches onto many types of common germs and confers broad drug resistance, creating dangerous "superbugs."

"It's a great concern," because drug resistance has been rising and few new antibiotics are in development, said Dr. M. Lindsay Grayson, director of infectious diseases at the University of Melbourne in Australia. "It's just a matter of time" until the gene spreads more widely person-to-person, he said.

Grayson heads an American Society for Microbiology conference in Boston, which was buzzing with reports of the gene, called NDM-1 and named for New Delhi.

The U.S. cases occurred this year in people from California, Massachusetts and Illinois, said Brandi Limbago, a lab chief at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Three types of bacteria were involved, and three different mechanisms let the gene become part of them.

"We want physicians to look for it," especially in patients who have traveled recently to India or Pakistan, she said.

What can people do?

Don't add to the drug resistance problem, experts say. Don't pressure your doctors for antibiotics if they say they aren't needed, use the ones you are given properly, and try to avoid infections by washing your hands.

The gene is carried by bacteria that can spread hand-to-mouth, which makes good hygiene very important.

It's also why health officials are so concerned about where the threat is coming from, said Dr. Patrice Nordmann, a microbiology professor at South-Paris Medical School. India is an overpopulated country that overuses antibiotics and has widespread diarrheal disease and many people without clean water.

"The ingredients are there" for widespread transmission, he said. "It's going to spread by plane all over the world."

The U.S. patients were not related. The California woman needed hospital care after being in a car accident in India. The Illinois man had pre-existing medical problems and a urinary catheter, and is thought to have contracted an infection with the gene while traveling in India. The case from Massachusetts involved a woman from India who had surgery and chemotherapy for cancer there and then traveled to the U.S.

Lab tests showed their germs were not killed by the types of drugs normally used to treat drug-resistant infections, including "the last-resort class of antibiotics that physicians go to," Limbago said.

She did not know how the three patients were treated, but all survived.

Doctors have tried treating some of these cases with combinations of antibiotics, hoping that will be more effective than individual ones are. Some have resorted to using polymyxins — antibiotics used in the 1950s and '60s that were unpopular because they can harm the kidneys.

The two Canadian cases were treated with a combination of antibiotics, said Dr. Johann Pitout of the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. One case was in Alberta, the other in British Columbia.

Both patients had medical emergencies while traveling in India. They developed urinary infections that were discovered to have the resistance gene once they returned home to Canada, Pitout said.

The CDC advises any hospitals that find such cases to put the patient in medical isolation, check the patient's close contacts for possible infection, and look for more infections in the hospital.

Any case "should raise an alarm," Limbago said.

___

Online:

Conference: http://www.icaac.org

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

3-Year-Old Alesaundra Tafoya Saves Dad Frank Tafoya by Walking to Fire Station for Help

(Aug. 23) -- When her father collapsed in their living room, 3-year-old Alesaundra Tafoya knew what to do.

The Manteca, Calif., toddler walked two blocks to the fire station, where she told firefighters her father was "frozen" and needed help.

"I've been here over 20 years, it's the first time I've had a 3-year-old walk up to the fire station," Manteca Fire Department Capt. Robert Villalovoz told CBS 13. "She walked us down to her house and there her dad was, sitting in the living room, needing medical care."

According to the Manteca Bulletin, Alesaundra made it as far as the parking lot behind the fire department when members of an Alcoholics Anonymous support group meeting next door noticed that the toddler looked confused and helped her make it the rest of the way into the fire station.

CBS 13

Alesaundra Tafoya, 3, visits the fire station where she went to get help for her father.

Alesaundra may have saved her dad's life. Her father, Frank Tafoya, says he accidentally overdosed on prescription medication. "Took a mixture of medication I wasn't supposed to at the time, a bedtime dose, and I guess I collapsed," he said.

Her parents said they'd been pointing out the fire station as a place to go to get help in case of an emergency.

via www.aolnews.com

K2- Drug

Download Understanding the ‘Spice’ phenomenon

I hope this helps explain the K2- DRUG problem that is across the united states.

Topiramate helps with prevention of Migraines

Topiramate

(toe pyre' a mate)

Last revised: May 1, 2010.

U.S. National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health

Why is this medication prescribed?

Topiramate is used alone or with other medications to treat certain types of seizures in people who have epilepsy. Topiramate is also used with other medications to control seizures in people who have Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (a disorder that causes seizures and developmental delays). Topiramate is used to treat patients who continue to have seizures even when they take other anti-seizure medications. Topiramate is also used to prevent migraine headaches, but not to relieve the pain of migraine headaches when they occur. Topiramate is in a class of medications called anticonvulsants. It works by decreasing abnormal excitement in the brain.

How should this medicine be used?

Topiramate comes as a tablet and a sprinkle capsule (capsule that contains small beads of medication that can be sprinkled on food) to take by mouth. It is usually taken with or without food twice a day in the morning and evening. Take topiramate at around the same times every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take topiramate exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.

There is another medication with a name similar to the brand name for topiramate. You should be sure that you receive topiramate and not the similar medication each time you fill your prescription. Be sure that the prescription your doctor gives you is clear and easy to read. Talk to your pharmacist to be sure that you are given topiramate. After you receive your medication, compare the tablets to the pictures in the manufacturer's patient information sheet. If you think you were given the wrong medication, talk to your pharmacist. Do not take any medication unless you are certain it is the medication that your doctor prescribed.

Topiramate tablets have a bitter taste so you should swallow them whole. Do not split, chew, or crush them. It is especially important that you not take topiramate tablets that have been broken for any length of time because tablets that are broken may lose their effectiveness over time.

Your doctor will probably start you on a low dose of topiramate and gradually increase your dose, not more than once every week.

Topiramate may control your seizures or migraines, but will not cure your condition. Continue to take topiramate even if you feel well. Do not stop taking topiramate without talking to your doctor, even if you experience side effects such as unusual changes in behavior or mood. If you suddenly stop taking topiramate, you may have severe seizures, even if you have not had seizures in the past. Your doctor will probably decrease your dose gradually.

The sprinkle capsules may be swallowed whole or opened and poured over food. To take the sprinkle capsule with food, follow these steps:

• Prepare a teaspoonful of soft food such as applesauce, custard, ice cream, oatmeal, pudding, or yogurt.

• Hold the capsule upright over the food. You should be able to read the word 'TOP' on the capsule.

• Twist off the clear part of the capsule and pour the entire contents onto the spoonful of food.

• Swallow the entire mixture immediately without chewing.

• Drink fluids right after swallowing to wash down the mixture and to be sure that you swallow all of it.

Your doctor or pharmacist will give you the manufacturer's patient information sheet (Medication Guide) when you begin treatment with topiramate and each time you refill your prescription. Read the information carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. You can also visit the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website (http://www.fda.gov/Drugs) or the manufacturer's website to obtain the Medication Guide.

Other uses for this medicine

Topiramate is also used for the management of alcohol dependence. Talk to your doctor about the risks of using this medication for your condition.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

What special precautions should I follow?

Before taking topiramate,

• tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to topiramate or any other medications.

• tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention any of the following: acetazolamide (Diamox); amitriptyline; antidepressants; antihistamines; dichlorphenamide (Daranide); digoxin (Lanoxin, Digitek); hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide, Oretic); ipratropium (Atrovent); iron; isoniazid (INH, Nydrazid); lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid); medications for anxiety, irritable bowel disease, mental illness, motion sickness, Parkinson's disease, ulcers, or urinary problems; metformin (Glucophage); methazolamide; oral contraceptives (birth control pills); other medications for seizures such as carbamazepine (Tegretol) and phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek); pioglitazone (Actos); risperidone (Risperdal); salicylate pain relievers such as aspirin, choline magnesium trisalicylate (Trisalate), choline salicylate (Arthropan), diflunisal (Dolobid), magnesium salicylate (Doan's, others), and salsalate (Argesic, Disalcid, Salgesic); sedatives; sleeping pills; tranquilizers; valproic acid (Depakene, Depakote); and zonisamide (Zonegran). Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.

• tell your doctor if you or any family members have or have ever had kidney stones, if you drink or have ever drunk large amounts of alcohol, and if you have ever thought about killing yourself or tried to do so. Also tell your doctor if you have or have ever had metabolic acidosis (a disturbance in the body's acid-base balance that results in excessive acidity of the blood); osteopenia, osteomalacia, or osteoporosis (conditions in which the bones are soft or brittle and may break easily); diabetes; glaucoma (a type of eye disease); any disease that affects your breathing such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); depression or abnormal moods; a growth problem; or liver or kidney disease. Also tell your doctor if you have diarrhea or if you develop diarrhea during your treatment.

• tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking topiramate, call your doctor.

• if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking topiramate.

• you should know that topiramate may make you drowsy, dizzy, confused, or unable to concentrate. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you.

• if you are taking topiramate to control seizures, you should know that you may continue to have seizures during your treatment. You may need to avoid activities such as swimming, driving, and climbing so that you will not harm yourself or others if you lose consciousness during a seizure.

• ask your doctor about the safe use of alcoholic beverages while you are taking topiramate.

• if you are taking oral contraceptives (birth control pills), tell your doctor if unexpected bleeding or spotting occurs. Topiramate can decrease the effectiveness of oral contraceptives.

• you should know that topiramate can prevent you from sweating and make it harder for your body to cool down when it gets very hot. This happens most often in warm weather and to children who take topiramate. Avoid exposure to heat, drink plenty of fluids and tell your doctor if you have a fever, headache, muscle cramps, or an upset stomach, or if you are not sweating as usual.

• you should know that you may be more likely to develop a kidney stone while you are taking topiramate. Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water every day to prevent kidney stones from forming.

• you should know that your mental health may change in unexpected ways and you may become suicidal (thinking about harming or killing yourself or planning or trying to do so) while you are taking topiramate for the treatment of epilepsy, mental illness, or other conditions. A small number of adults and children 5 years of age and older (about 1 in 500 people) who took antiepileptics such as topiramate to treat various conditions during clinical studies became suicidal during their treatment. Some of these people developed suicidal thoughts and behavior as early as one week after they started taking the medication. There is a risk that you may experience changes in your mental health if you take an antiepileptic medication such as topiramate, but there may also be a risk that you will experience changes in your mental health if your condition is not treated. You and your doctor will decide whether the risks of taking an antiepileptic medication are greater than the risks of not taking the medication. You, your family, or your caregiver should call your doctor right away if you experience any of the following symptoms: panic attacks; agitation or restlessness; new or worsening irritability, anxiety, or depression; acting on dangerous impulses; difficulty falling or staying asleep; aggressive, angry, or violent behavior; mania (frenzied, abnormally excited mood); talking or thinking about wanting to hurt yourself or end your life; withdrawing from friends and family; preoccupation with death and dying; giving away prized possessions; or any other unusual changes in behavior or mood. Be sure that your family or caregiver knows which symptoms may be serious so they can call the doctor if you are unable to seek treatment on your own.

What special dietary instructions should I follow?

Talk to your doctor about increasing the amount of food you eat if you lose weight while you are taking topiramate.

Talk to your doctor before changing your diet or beginning any type of weight loss program. Do not follow a ketogenic diet (a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet used to control seizures) or any other high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet, such as the Atkins diet, while you are taking this medication.

What should I do if I forget a dose?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is less than 6 hours before you are scheduled to take your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.

What side effects can this medication cause?

Topiramate may cause other side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

• numbness, burning, or tingling in the hands or feet

• slowed reactions

• difficulty concentrating

• speech problems, especially difficulty thinking of specific words

• memory problems

• lack of coordination

• confusion

• nervousness

• aggressive behavior

• irritability

• mood swings

• depression

• headache

• drowsiness

• weakness

• excessive movement

• uncontrollable shaking of a part of the body

• uncontrollable eye movements

• extreme thirst

• weight loss

• constipation

• diarrhea

• gas

• heartburn

• change in ability to taste food

• swelling of the tongue

• overgrowth of the gums

• dry mouth

• increased saliva

• trouble swallowing

• nosebleed

• teary or dry eyes

• back, muscle, or bone pain

• missed menstrual periods

• excessive menstrual bleeding

• skin problems or changes in skin color

• dandruff

• hair loss

• growth of hair in unusual places

• ringing in the ears

• difficulty falling or staying asleep

• swelling of the hands, arms, feet, ankles, or lower legs

• difficulty urinating or pain when urinating

Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

• blurred vision

• double vision

• eye pain

• worsening of seizures

• slow heart rate

• pounding or irregular heartbeat

• chest pain

• trouble breathing

• fast, shallow breathing

• inability to respond to things around you

• excessive tiredness

• nausea

• vomiting

• stomach pain

• loss of appetite

• intense back or side pain

• bloody, cloudy, or foul-smelling urine

• constant need to urinate

• fever

• chills

Topiramate may cause osteoporosis (a condition in which bones can break more easily) in adults and rickets (abnormal, curved bone growth) in children. Topiramate may also slow the growth of children and may decrease the final height that children reach. Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking topiramate.

Topiramate may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.

If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [athttp://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].

What storage conditions are needed for this medicine?

Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Tablets should be stored at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom). Sprinkle capsules should be stored at or below 77 °F (25 °C). Never store broken tablets or mixtures of sprinkles and soft food. These should be used right away or discarded. Throw away any medication that is outdated or no longer needed. Talk to your pharmacist about the proper disposal of your medication.

In case of emergency/overdose

In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.

Symptoms of overdose may include:

• seizures

• drowsiness

• speech problems

• blurred vision

• double vision

• trouble thinking

• tiredness

• loss of coordination

• loss of consciousness

• dizziness

• stomach pain

• vomiting

• agitation

• depression

• loss of appetite

• pounding or irregular heartbeat

• fast, shallow breathing

What other information should I know?

Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor will order certain lab tests to check your body's response to topiramate.

Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.

It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.

Brand names

Topamax^®

Tobacco Companies No Longer Required to Reveal Nicotine or Tar in Products!

Did you know tobacco companies do not have to alert you to the amount of tar or nicotine in cigarettes? This is one of those rule changes that slipped by me. Cigarette companies do not have to  report the amounts in the products. To read the entire story from Philip Morris USA follow the link to see why this has taken place.

 

 

 

Obama Announces White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships

Washington (February 5, 2009) – President Barack Obama today signed an executive order establishing the new White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships will work on behalf of Americans committed to improving their communities, no matter their religious or political beliefs.

"Over the past few days and weeks, there has been much talk about what our government’s role should be during this period of economic emergency. That is as it should be – because there is much that government can and must do to help people in need," said President Obama. "But no matter how much money we invest or how sensibly we design our policies, the change that Americans are looking for will not come from government alone. There is a force for good greater than government. It is an expression of faith, this yearning to give back, this hungering for a purpose larger than our own, that reveals itself not simply in places of worship, but in senior centers and shelters, schools and hospitals, and any place an American decides."

The White House Office for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships will be a resource for nonprofits and community organizations, both secular and faith based, looking for ways to make a bigger impact in their communities, learn their obligations under the law, cut through red tape, and make the most of what the federal government has to offer.

President Obama appointed Joshua DuBois, a former associate pastor and advisor to the President in his U.S. Senate office and campaign Director of Religious Affairs, to lead this office. "Joshua understands the issues at stake, knows the people involved, and will be able to bring everyone together – from both the secular and faith-based communities, from academia and politics – around our common goals," said President Obama.

The Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships will focus on four key priorities, to be carried out by working closely with the President’s Cabinet Secretaries and each of the eleven agency offices for faith-based and neighborhood partnerships:

• The Office’s top priority will be making community groups an integral part of our economic recovery and poverty a burden fewer have to bear when recovery is complete.
• It will be one voice among several in the administration that will look at how we support women and children, address teenage pregnancy, and reduce the need for abortion.
• The Office will strive to support fathers who stand by their families, which involves working to get young men off the streets and into well-paying jobs, and encouraging responsible fatherhood.
• Finally, beyond American shores this Office will work with the National Security Council to foster interfaith dialogue with leaders and scholars around the world. 

As the priorities of this Office are carried out, it will be done in a way that upholds the Constitution – by ensuring that both existing programs and new proposals are consistent with American laws and values. The separation of church and state is a principle President Obama supports firmly – not only because it protects our democracy, but also because it protects the plurality of America’s religious and civic life. The Executive Order President Obama will sign today strengthens this by adding a new mechanism for the Executive Director of the Office to work through the White House Counsel to seek the advice of the Attorney General on difficult legal and constitutional issues.

The Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships will include a new President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, composed of religious and secular leaders and scholars from different backgrounds. There will be 25 members of the Council, appointed to 1-year terms.

Members of the Council include:

Judith N. Vredenburgh, President and Chief Executive Officer, Big Brothers / Big Sisters of America
Philadelphia, PA

Rabbi David N. Saperstein, Director & Counsel, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, and noted church/state expert
Washington, DC

Dr. Frank S. Page, President emeritus, Southern Baptist Convention
Taylors, SC

Father Larry J. Snyder, President, Catholic Charities USA
Alexandria, VA

Rev. Otis Moss, Jr., Pastor emeritus, Olivet Institutional Baptist Church
Cleveland, OH

Eboo S. Patel, Founder & Executive Director, Interfaith Youth Corps
Chicago, IL

Fred Davie, President, Public / Private Ventures, a secular non-profit intermediary 
New York, NY

Dr. William J. Shaw, President, National Baptist Convention, USA
Philadelphia, PA

Melissa Rogers, Director, Wake Forest School of Divinity Center for Religion and Public Affairs and expert on church/state issues
Winston-Salem, NC

Pastor Joel C. Hunter, Senior Pastor, Northland, a Church Distributed
Lakeland, FL

Dr. Arturo Chavez, Ph.D., President & CEO, Mexican American Cultural Center
San Antonio, TX

Rev. Jim Wallis, President & Executive Director, Sojourners
Washington, DC

Bishop Vashti M. McKenzie, Presiding Bishop, 13th Episcopal District, African Methodist Episcopal Church
Knoxville, TN

Diane Baillargeon, President & CEO, Seedco, a secular national operating intermediary
New York, NY

Richard Stearns, President, World Vision
Bellevue, WA

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Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs) WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE MERCURY!

I been really getting into the save energy and bring my electric bill down. Therefore, I went out on my journey to find the cost saving light bulb. I figured that would be a good place to begin my cost saving. I finally narrowed it down to a (CFL) light bulb. Therefore, I was curious to what happens when you break a CFL bulb. How do you clean up the mercury inside the bulbs? This sent me out on the internet searching for the exact answer. I found in my State of Texas a site dedicated to explaining what I needed to know in the case of a broken bulb. Therefore, I thought I would share the sites that I found with my consumer friends. I hope it can help you.http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/assistance/hhw/compact_fluorescent_lights.html