Holidays & Substance Abuse

Emergency room visits are five times more likely to occur on Halloween than on a “regular” weekend night. - The Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) Halloween is tomorrow, and like many other holidays it is a day often marked by celebrations, which to varying degrees, involve alcohol or other illicit substances. more...

The 4th of July is considered the deadliest day of the year. This is because holidays, like Independence Day, have forged a tight bond with drug and alcohol abuse. This summer holiday is known for beach parties, barbecues and fireworks; but it’s also known for its staggering statistics in drinking and driving fata more...

The holidays can be the worst time of year for anyone suffering from substance abuse. Overcoming addiction isn’t something you can do alone, no matter what your drug of choice. The holidays are a severe time of loneliness if you don’t get treatment. Addicts have often burned a lot of bridges with family and friends more...

New Year’s has always been a time for looking back to the past, but more importantly, looking forward to the coming year. It’s a time for resolutions—a time during which people make the effort to rid their lives of unwanted indulgences, such as bad habits or something more life-altering, like an alcohol or drug a more...

Seventeen years old, about to start his last semester of high school and embark on the rest of his life, John spent a December evening studying with friends. Lost in the books, it had gotten incredibly late when he packed his things and started walking home. Not even a block down the road a drunk driver took an incredi more...

The 4th of July is this coming Monday, meaning an abundance of pool parties, beach trips, barbeques... and booze. Yes booze. As per what seems to be the new norm, holidays and alcohol abuse have forged a tight bond, where there is a holiday there will be booze. From sipping a beer at your backyard barbeque or family ga more...

April Fool’s! Unfortunately Charlie Sheen is still heavy on his reign of terror unlike Joaquin Phoenix’s hoax brought to light back in September of 2010. It doesn’t seem like the biggest hoax of our time was over six months ago, but here we are in April of 2011. April 1st is commonly known as April Fool’s d more...

Here we are in what has come to be called “No Year”—that shady side of Christmas and sunny side of the New Year.  Around the globe the resolutions are humming into full gear:  weight, work, you name it, everyone has that inevitable pre-promise list of changes started. Maybe you have just one thing on the lis more...

The holiday season is upon us yet again, and it can be a tough time for families dealing with a loved one suffering from alcohol or drug addiction. I've been there and lived through it, and I know it's no picnic. One of the biggest struggles faced this time of year is what to do about a family member currently in tr more...

Once every 50 minutes.  A fact. At this moment, less than an hour from now, someone will be receiving a phone call that will change every other minute for the rest of their lives.  The call with the news that someone they love has died in a car accident involving alcohol—or the call telling them that someone the more...