40 million in United States driving drunk or drugged

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As teens drink and drive, Texas only talks tough Dallas Morning News Substance abuse counselor John Patton says the first sentence for youthful alcoholoffenders 'should be harsh' to force them into treatment - something he ... See all stories on this topic » Dallas Morning News

Poll: Youth pot use on rise in NH The Union Leader At the same time, however, it appears alcohol abuse among New Hampshire teenagers has been on the decline. "Where actually alcohol use has dropped, ... See all stories on this topic »

Drug screening policies are a good idea for employers Delmarva Daily Times More than 50 percent of all accidents on the job are related to drug and alcohol abuse. Drug and alcohol abusers use as much as 10 times more health care ... See all stories on this topic »

Study finds age 16 "tipping point" of unhealthy lifestyle TheMedGuru According to researchers, although bad eating habits, alcohol abuse, and sedentary lifestyles take root between 19 to 26 years, they are all cultivated in ... See all stories on this topic » TheMedGuru

Paula Abdul Insists: "I've Never Had a Drinking Problem" OK! Magazine Paula Abdul's quirky personality can sometimes be misleading, as rumors have swirled that she has been under the influence of alcohol during live tapings of ... See all stories on this topic »

Children Of Alcoholics Far More Likely To Be Obese SmartAboutHealth ... University in St. Louis, Missouri and focused on seeing if there was a link between having a family history of alcohol abuse or alcoholism, and obesity. ... See all stories on this topic » SmartAboutHealth

Liquor in Kotzebue a guarded success Anchorage Daily News Police numbers show no major increase in many categories of alcohol-related offenses within the city. But some see evidence of more alcohol abuse. ... See all stories on this topic »

Serenity Lane quietly advances The Register-Guard By Winston Ross COBURG — Serenity Lane, which runs drug and alcohol abuse treatment programs, has cleared just about all the regulatory hoops necessary to ... See all stories on this topic »

40 million in United States driving drunk or drugged SalemNews.net A new survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) indicates that on average more than 13 percent of all persons 16 or ... See all stories on this topic »

2011 will usher in some lower Mass. tax rates Boston Herald The extra revenue was used to help fund substance abuse programs. Voters approved a ballot question in November eliminating the tax. See all stories on this topic »

Alcohol Abuse News & Articles Alert from Google

Drug Abuse Treatment Rates on the Rise: U.S. Report U.S. News & World Report 29 (HealthDay News) -- Admissions for alcohol abuse treatment have remained the same in parts of the Midwest and South while dropping elsewhere in the ... See all stories on this topic »

Students fight back on alcohol abuse MiamiHerald.com Everglades High School students have created an innovative campaign to get students thinking differently about alcohol use. The new "Stall Street Journal" ... See all stories on this topic » MiamiHerald.com

State survey: Binge drinking common Columbus Telegram COLUMBUS — Alcohol use and abuse continues to be an issue in the state, according to a recent survey by Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services ... See all stories on this topic »

Substance Use and Delinquent Behavior Among Serious Adolescent Offenders Youth Today ... drug or alcohol treatment at a community-based program; 56 percent of the Pathways' juveniles reported receiving substance abuse treatment while at a ... See all stories on this topic »

New Director Named to County Alcohol and Drug Board WYTV "The statistics keep on showing that it's not going down the issue and the problem around both alcohol and substance abuse is going up. ... See all stories on this topic »

P.M. Bay Area Buzz: Berkeley co-ops crack down on drug use; Chemical spill ... San Jose Mercury News Gibson's family criticized the co-op organization for what they said was a secretive environment that discouraged reporting substance abuse. ... See all stories on this topic »

Todd Bridges -- Lemme Tell Ya About Addiction ... TMZ.com "Diff'rent Strokes" star Todd Bridges isn't just collecting a check to be a spokesperson for a drug and alcohol counselor training program -- dude is ... See all stories on this topic » TMZ.com

What You Drink Impacts Your Diet, Part Ten: Alcohol Blogcritics.org (blog) ... a night of drunkenness, this beverage choice causes poor judgment, behavioral problems, and for millions it leads to alcohol abuse, and even death. ... See all stories on this topic » Blogcritics.org (blog)

New Year Resolve: How To Quit Drinking

‘To quit drinking’ must be on top of the New Year Resolution list for most alcoholics.  New Year always brings positive sentiments in an individual and everyone looks forward to improve their lives during the coming New Year.

So this New Year if your resolve is to stop drinking, you need to get equipped to make this drastic lifestyle change.  First of all one needs to have a very practical plan of action instead of attempting to quit in one day where you may fail most often than not.  So here is a plan of action to make your New Year Resolution a big success.

The first and foremost is the thought that you are attempting something very signicant that helps you, your family, society and the country.  What a great feeling in the New Year that you are going to contribute to a big social cause that helps so many people around you.

The next best thing is to find a support group that can constantly support and motivate you in your efforts.  Many such support groups start new plan for alcoholics in the New Year.  They advice you with the right knowledge that can help you quit gradually.  There are a number of programs ranging from treatment based programs to advice and motivation for heavy drinkers or binge drinkers.

The New Years resolution to quit drinking must be written out in a paper or card.  You need to constantly remind yourself that that this is the most important thing in your life.  For every days improvement reward yourself with a chocolate or a gift that can help you take your attention away from drinking.

Quit Gradually.  If you cut right away you may have withdrawal symptoms which may weaken your resolve.  You may also get tempted after a couple days and go on a binge drink.  The best thing is to cut your drinking by 50% right away and gradually progress to complete abstention within the month.  But for this you must have a day by day plan on paper which must be achieved without deviation.  This will give you major psychological boost and help you achieve your new years resolve.

To achieve your New Year resolution to quit drinking one major support is the power of prayer or affirmations.  You can memorize a prayer or repeat an affirmation.  The spiritual power of prayer can give you good mental solace and support in difficult time. 

Making the resolution in New Year 2009 to quit drinking is not only possible, it's do-able. Obstacles can be exciting and thrilling, or they can be turn-offs and excuses for failure. It's up to the individual.

You Can Read My Book "How To Make 2009 Your Your Most Powerful Year Ever" to help you in your journey to recovery.

The person most likely to succeed is the one who asks: Why not go for it? Why not saddle up and sit back for what could be a fascinating ride?

Srinivasan Gopal