Article by Donna Sparks

Alcoholism is one of the many forms of addiction that could affect both adult and adolescent alike. Sudden withdrawal from alcohol causes majority of the deaths connected with withdrawal syndromes. Unlike withdrawals from other drugs, alcohol withdrawal can be deadly. The withdrawal syndrome from alcohol can include seizures, delirium tremens, and may even lead to excito-neurotoxicity, or the process of damaging and killing the nerve cells by glutamate and similar substances. Because of this, several treatments and adolescent alcohol treatment have been formed to address alcoholism.

Treatments

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Article by Rod MacTaggart

The recent rash of celebrity drunk driving arrests has brought international attention to the problems of alcohol abuse among the rich and famous. And it’s created a new celebrity of sorts, a high-tech booze-sniffing ankle bracelet called SCRAM – meaning Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor – most recently attached to the well-turned ankle of movie star Lindsay Lohan. The actress volunteered to wear the alcohol monitor temporarily while awaiting a court hearing after spending 45 days in successful alcohol detox program and rehab.

SCRAM cannot be removed or cheated, according to its maker, Alcohol Monitoring Systems of Denver, CO. The bracelet samples an individual’s perspiration every hour and checks for alcohol consumption, using the same technology as the famed “Breathalyzer”. While SCRAM is usually used to monitor repeat, high-risk driving-under-the-influence (DUI) offenders, the system is also proving useful in managing domestic violence offenders and as a tool in family courts, says the company. It has also been helpful in tracking recovering alcoholics in various successful alcohol detox program and rehab settings.

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Article by Donna Sparks

Because of the growing problem of alcoholism, particularly with teenagers, psychiatrists and doctors have come up with several treatments to address alcoholism either by use of group therapies or by medication. One common teen alcohol treatment used today is the term they call Detoxification or simply detox. Alcohol detoxification or ‘detox’ for alcoholic involves an abrupt stop of alcohol intake by substituting it with medication that has similar effects to prevent alcohol withdrawal. Benzodiazepines are the most common family of drugs used for this, followed by barbiturates.

Benzodiazepines used to prevent an alcohol withdrawal include chlordiazepoxide (Librium), diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan) or oxazepam (Serax). Patterns are then followed in administering these drugs. These patterns are as follows:

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Article by Rod MacTaggart

Federal, state and local groups and agencies are celebrating a landmark victory this week with a ruling by the California State Board of Equalization to tax so-called “alcopop” drinks as distilled spirits, rather than at the lower beer rate. The reason for the celebration is not about increased state tax revenues, but because higher prices mean fewer kids will buy the drinks. It’s all about helping to reduce the numbers of underage drinkers who could wind up needing alcohol detox later in life.

Alcopop producers have been saying all along that their drinks are “brewed malt” categorized in most states as beer. But according to the California Youth and Alcopops Coalition, up to 90 percent of the alcohol contained in the soft-drink-like beverages is derived from distilled spirits. California agreed, and state law says a beverage with any detectable amount of distilled alcohol is not a beer product. California taxes beer at 20 cents per gallon, while distilled spirits are taxed at .30 per gallon. The result will be at least a 25% increase in the price of the drinks. Similar legislation is being considered in most other states.

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Article by Rod MacTaggart

Alaska’s primary drug and alcohol detox center, part of the Salvation Army’s Clitheroe Center in Anchorage, has closed due to lack of public funding. The loss to the local and statewide community is tragic, considering that Alaska has the highest percentage in the USA of people needing but not receiving treatment for substance abuse and dependence problems. And when one compares the cost of keeping the center open to the costs to the state of drug and alcohol abuse – 8 million in 2003 – it seems plainly short-sighted to sacrifice a drug and alcohol detox center.

Clitheroe Center is Alaska’s largest comprehensive substance abuse treatment facility. Because of a shortage of state funding over the past 14 years, Clitheroe’s drug and alcohol detox unit has shrunk from 20 beds, to 12, to eight – and now has reached zero. The center’s drug rehab and other services, operating in the community for 30 years, will continue to be available. The closure only affects the vital drug and alcohol detox center, which treats emergency and other tough cases for which no alternatives exist.

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Article by Randy Kimbrell

Alcohol detox medication is given in the first stages of the detoxification process. This is the time when the alcoholic is “weaned” from dependence on alcohol. A chronic alcoholic will almost always experience withdrawal symptoms, and medical treatment can make this time bearable. There is no hope of recovery without passing through the withdrawal phase, but the symptoms can be so uncomfortable that, without medical assistance, many patients would quit and go back to drinking.

The recovering alcoholic is also closely monitored by medical personnel during this time. Each alcoholic has developed his or her own tolerance for alcohol. This can be quite high in some cases, producing severe withdrawal symptoms. Someone who wants to quit drinking may think twice when facing the possibility of strong cravings, body shakes, insomnia, or even convulsions. And that’s where anti-withdrawal, or detox medications, come in.

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Article by Tom Jones

Learn more about alcohol detox programs treatment. It is true that alcohol detox is hard and you cannot escape from this fact. Like any other form of detox, alcohol detox is also difficult. Following a detox diet can be challenging, and is often compared to drug detox and alcohol detox. Therefore, people prefer to undergo an alcohol detox in the comfort of their home. This helps them to feel more comfortable and to endure the process with less difficulty.

That’s what essentially detox mean. Detox is about getting rid of all the toxins from the body which got accumulated due to excessive consumption of alcohol. You can do it yourself or you can get yourself treated in a rehab center. It is recommended that you consult your doctor first before you attempt to detox your body by yourself.

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Article by Allan Michael Taylor

There are different levels on which one may indulge in drinking alcohol. A person who ingest alcohol can be a social drinker, which refers that there is only rare drinking. Other than that, there is heavy drinking, problem drinking, and dependence drinking.

Whereas heavy drinking is harmful, problem drinking is somewhat dangerous and in dependence drinking, alcohol becomes the utmost priority. At the level of social drinking, alcohol is not much injurious unless you are driving or are on medication or working. The main thing when it comes to reduction of alcohol intake is to accept that you have a problem and realizing to yourself that you need help.

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