Hard Drugs vs. Soft Drugs

Debunking Myths: The Reality Behind Hard Drugs vs. Soft Drugs

The concept of hard and soft drugs doesn’t necessarily have any real scientific basis. People may attempt to distinguish the two from one another, but the fact of the matter is that all drugs have the potential to cause severe physical and mental harm. Many people have to receive mental health treatment to recover from the effects of drug use. Substance abuse can lead to different ailments, especially addiction. People attempt to fabricate a hard drugs vs soft drugs debate to excuse drug abuse or make one form of it seem less dangerous than another. As a luxury drug and alcohol rehab in South Florida, we know that any form of substance abuse can cause serious physical and mental complications. Anyone struggling with an addiction should seek professional treatment immediately.

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Difference Between Hard and Soft Drugs

The line that divides hard and soft drugs is blurred and lacks substantial and clear information to support it. Hard drugs are considered to be more addictive, potent, and toxic than soft drugs. This has led to the concept that hard drugs are more dangerous and should be avoided, even if you use soft drugs. 

Some examples of hard drugs are:

These drugs are widely known to cause severe health problems within a short amount of time. For example, meth mouth is a common effect of methamphetamine addiction that causes severe tooth decay, tooth loss, and gum disease. 

Some examples of soft drugs are:

The last two are considered soft drugs because they can be used legally by adults and are widely socially acceptable compared to hard drugs. The term “soft drug” is also used interchangeably with the term “gateway drug,” which is often used to describe marijuana and nicotine. 

Although nicotine, marijuana, and alcohol are considered soft drugs, each of them can cause health issues like liver disease, lung disease, complications in brain function, and different forms of cancers.

At Seaside Palm Beach, we want to emphasize that substance abuse is not safe or healthy, no matter how often people try to categorize them as hard drugs vs soft drugs. We have witnessed firsthand the repercussions of alcohol and drug abuse, and that’s why we offer different types of luxury addiction treatment services in Palm Beach. Patients in our luxury rehab receive safe, comfortable, and effective treatment without sacrificing the comforts they’re accustomed to in their daily lives.

If you or a loved one are battling with addiction, call us now at (888) 997-3274 to find out more about our luxury addiction programs and services.

Tragic Tale of a Murdered Fire Captain and Drug Conspiracy

A Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue captain was fatally shot by an associate who helped him in the illegal distribution of prescription drugs. Jay Rind accidentally shot Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Capt. James Gilliard while showing him a gun. 

Upon further investigation, authorities discovered that the murdered fire captain was involved in a drug conspiracy in which he and his partner would sell prescription drugs for profit. Traces of the same prescription drugs were found in the assailant’s system, which contributed to his behavior. 

As a drug and alcohol rehab in South Florida, we know that the effects of drugs can cause a person to act out in horrible and dangerous ways. If a person’s drug abuse persists, they may require addiction treatment to recover and avoid causing more harm to themselves or others.

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Palm Beach County Fire Captain’s Involvement in A Drug Conspiracy

In the prescription drug conspiracy in Palm Beach County, Rind told authorities that he bought and sold jewelry and met Gilliard at a pawn shop the latter owned at the time. On the night of the incident, Rind showed Gilliard a gun he wanted to sell when it went off, causing a fatal wound in the fire captain’s abdomen.

While reviewing cell phone exchanges, authorities revealed that this covert drug exchange involved the gun as an additional part of the deal. Further text messages that were later discovered proved that most of Rind and Gilliard’s meetings involved buying, trading, or selling drugs.

After being arrested, Rind was formally charged with third-degree murder and improper exhibition of a firearm. However, the charges don’t end there. Prosecutors later added morphine trafficking charges and charges of conspiracy to sell prescription drugs, including oxycodone, amphetamines, and morphine. 

As authorities reported, Rind had an excessive amount of these drugs in his system. Any form of drug abuse could cause adverse effects and lead someone to behave in ways they wouldn’t if they were sober. Unfortunately, this isn’t the first incident involving drugs, and it likely won’t be the last.

Individuals who become dependent on drugs or alcohol can get help at our luxury residential rehab at Seaside Palm Beach. This program offers a safe and comfortable environment where patients can recover from their addiction. Our team prides itself on providing effective care to those who choose our rehabilitation center. To find out how we can help you or a loved one overcome substance abuse, call us now at (888)-997-3274 for more information.

Sources:

Palm Beach Post – Palm Beach County fire captain, friend who shot him, part of drug conspiracy, prosecutors say

 

Strategies to Combat Drug Cravings in Recovery

Addiction can be challenging to overcome because it is accompanied by changes in the brain that make your body dependent on drugs. Those struggling with addiction crave their abused drug of choice constantly, worsening their addiction. Treatment helps addicts stop abusing these substances, but during and even after a drug detox, these cravings do not just go away. 

Certain stimuli that can prompt a drug craving, also known as drug triggers, can be everywhere for someone in recovery and sometimes hard to ignore. Unfortunately, many recovering addicts are left to cope with drug cravings even years after getting sober.

How to Deal with Addiction Cravings

The good news is that it does get better. Addiction cravings in early recovery typically tend to be stronger and more frequent than those much later after initially getting sober. 

That being said, dealing with drug cravings at any point in your recovery can be difficult and lead to relapse if not properly managed. Instead of letting these cravings derail your progress, our luxury dual diagnosis treatment center offers insight on how to fight addiction cravings.

Focusing on the big picture of your sobriety can help you undermine your temporary addiction cravings. Even if you know how to fight addiction cravings, it is still possible to slip up. Relapse is a part of the recovery process for many, but it is important to ensure it ends after that one mistake.

At Seaside Palm Beach, we not only work with patients on overcoming their addiction but also educate them on relapse prevention techniques like SMART recovery to help them stay on track. If you or a loved one recently relapsed or have yet to take the first step to recovery, let us help. To learn more about our facility or to get started, call us today at (888) 997-3274.

 

Drug Use Continues to Rise Despite Increased Government Spending

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Studies have determined that despite billions of dollars being spent by the federal government to combat drug abuse, addiction numbers continue to rise across the United States. President Barack Obama appointed Michael Botticelli, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), also known as the Drug Czar. A former alcoholic himself, Botticelli’s role is to oversee substance abuse problems within the country and legislation around it.

An article written by the Wall Street Journal states that the ONDCP recently performed an analysis revealing a funding increase of 48 percent over 10 years to combat the war on drugs. Much of the program’s funding will continue to go towards prevention and treatment resources, particularly in the wake of the administration’s policy shift. This will focus more on treatment than enforcement. These new policies are critical due to the drug epidemic across the country.

In 2010, The White House enacted its inaugural National Drug Control Strategy (NDCS). This new strategy was created in an effort to reduce illicit drug use in the United States. Its goal within the next five years was to reduce the rate of drug use by 15 percent. Requests for $25.6 billion in 2013 to aid the NDCS budget demonstrate its commitment to these goals. To support these countrywide policies, the government is also enacting new state regulations.

Although a variety of substances are being abused across the United States, one that is making the most headlines in the nation is heroin. US News reported that for Americans ages 26 and older, heroin usage increased by 58 percent. It also reported in 2015 that the government would allocate approximately $15 million to combating the trafficking and abuse of heroin. 

This plan was a direct result of information that has been dispersed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which forewarned the government and public of an imminent surge in heroin usage.

US News also reported that heroin, which was once primarily used in urban areas by lower-class males, reached a new demographic due to its accessibility and low cost. Now a dominant presence in almost every neighborhood in every state, white suburban mothers are some of the highest users of heroin in the United States.

Although The White House has created and is implementing a variety of policies against illicit drugs in the United States, heroin has become the primary focus due to the high number of users, increasing rate of usage, and steady rise of abuse. 

The Heroin Response Strategy focuses on treating addicts rather than punishing them and targeting high-level suppliers for arrest. Also in 2015, the government announced a new strategy to tackle the heroin explosion in a collection of the states that are most affected by the issue.

Many researchers and policymakers also attribute the spike in heroin use to the rise in prescription painkiller abuse. More people are becoming addicted to natural and synthetic opioids due to possibly being prescribed them for an injury. Once dependence on these is created, and a prescription is no longer valid, many users turn to heroin as an easier, less expensive, and more accessible substance to abuse. 

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote an article reporting that Botticelli stated that the new plan would address the heroin and opioid epidemics as both “a public health and a public safety issue.” The article also reported that under the Heroin Response Strategy plan, approximately $2.5 million out of $13 million of new funding to counteract the war on drugs will target the regions where heroin abuse is most prevalent. These regions are Appalachia, New York, New England, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Baltimore.

Drug Addiction Treatment Solutions In the United States

The CDC also chose 16 states to participate in a new plan to combat drug abuse in September 2015. Some of these states were California, Illinois, Kentucky, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Oklahoma. Participating states would execute and evaluate prevention strategies to improve safe prescribing practices and prevent prescription drug overuse, abuse, misuse, and overdose. 

The program would also evaluate the states’ program activities. The program would monitor performance, demonstrate effectiveness, and record success stories. The results of this project would affect and determine whether the program would continue and whether other states would be added to it to aid in the effort to thwart substance abuse and overdose.

The government also enacted a National Synthetic Drugs Action Plan. This plan compiled a variety of tactics to lessen the prevalence and use of synthetic drugs. It would develop an early warning program to alert the government and aid them in detecting new drugs and their trends.

 

  1. Enhancing State Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs)
  2. Implementing Community or Insurer/Health Systems Interventions
  3. Conducting Policy Evaluations

 

The plan would establish an educational outreach program. This was designed to educate the public, specifically the youth, on harmful side effects and common signs of drug addiction. It would develop practices to aid children whose parents abuse substances or are in a situation where they could be prone to substance abuse.

The Obama Administration committed to expanding and increasing community-based efforts to deter drug abuse that leads to addiction. President Obama created plans to increase access to treatment, which aimed to lead to fewer people being afflicted with addiction and supported the millions of American citizens on their paths to sobriety.

Luxury Drug Treatment at Seaside Palm Beach

Seaside Palm Beach is a luxury all-inclusive recovery facility whose main goal is to educate our patients with tools to deal with their addiction, helping them achieve long-term sobriety. Patients can choose from a variety of unique programs available. Our facility believes in an all-encompassing holistic approach to treatment where the body, mind, and spirit are all addressed and treated. For more information on Seaside Palm Beach and how you can achieve sobriety, please call (888) 997-3274.

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