Questions about Medications to Treat Adolescent Drug Use

Questions about Medications to Treat  Adolescent Drug Use

Reprinted from the National Institute of Drug Abuse by Tom Wilson Counseling Center offering online substance abuse education for adults and adolescents.

13. Are there medications to treat adolescent substance abuse?

Several medications are approved by the FDA to treat addiction to opioids, alcohol, and nicotine in individuals 18 and older. In most cases, little research has been conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of these medications for adolescents; however, some health care providers do use these medications “off-label,” especially in older adolescents.

14. Do girls and boys have different treatment needs?

Adolescent girls and boys may have different developmental and social issues that may call for different treatment strategies or emphases.

For example, girls with substance use disorders may be more likely to also have mood disorders such as depression or to have experienced physical or sexual abuse.

Boys with substance use disorders are more likely to also have conduct, behavioral, and learning problems, which may be very disruptive to their school, family, or community. Treatments should take into account the higher rate of internalizing and traumatic stress disorders among adolescent girls, the higher rate of externalizing disruptive disorders and juvenile justice problems among adolescent boys, and other gender differences that may play into adolescent substance use disorders.

Questions about Treating Adolescent Tobacco Use

Questions about Treating Adolescent Tobacco Use

Reprinted from the National Institute of Drug Abuse by Tom Wilson Counseling Center offering online substance abuse education for adults and adolescents.

12. Is adolescent tobacco use treated similarly to other drug use?  

Yes. People often don’t think of tobacco use as a kind of “drug abuse” that requires treatment, and motives for quitting smoking may be somewhat different than motives for quitting other drugs. But tobacco use has well-known health risks–– especially when begun in the teen years––and the highly addictive nicotine in tobacco can make treatment a necessity to help an adolescent quit. Laboratory research also suggests that nicotine may increase the rewarding and addictive effects of other drugs, making it a potential contributor to other substance use disorders.

Common treatment approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy are now being used to help adolescents quit smoking (and quit using other drugs) by helping them “train their brains” so they learn to recognize and control their cravings and better deal with life stress. Other therapies like Contingency Management and Motivational Enhancement use incentives and motivation techniques to help teens reduce or stop smoking.

Tobacco use often accompanies other drug use and needs to be addressed as part of other substance use disorder treatment. In a recent survey, nearly 55 percent of current adolescent cigarette smokers (ages 12 to 17) were also illicit drug users (by comparison, only about 6 percent of those who did not smoke used any illicit drugs). Also, cigarette smoking can be an indicator of other psychiatric disorders, which can be identified through comprehensive screening by a treatment provider.

Questions about the Role of Medical Professionals in Adolescent Drug Use

Questions about the Role of Medical Professionals in Addressing Adolescent Drug Use  

Reprinted from the National Institute of Drug Abuse by Tom Wilson Counseling Center offering online substance abuse education for adults and adolescents.

11. What role can medical professionals play in addressing substance abuse (including abuse of prescription drugs) among adolescents?

Medical professionals have an important role to play in screening their adolescent patients for drug use, providing brief interventions, referring them to substance abuse treatment if necessary, and providing ongoing monitoring and follow-up. Screening and brief interventions do not have to be time-consuming and can be integrated into general medical settings.

• Screening. Screening and brief assessment tools administered during annual routine medical checkups can detect drug use before it becomes a serious problem. The purpose of screening is to look for evidence of any use of alcohol, tobacco, or illicit drugs or abuse of prescription drugs and assess how severe the problem is. Results from such screens can indicate whether a more extensive assessment and possible treatment are necessary. Screening as a part of routine care also helps to reduce the stigma associated with being identified as having a drug problem

• Brief Intervention. Adolescents who report using drugs can be given a brief intervention to reduce their drug use and other risky behaviors. Specifically, they should be advised how continued drug use may harm their brains, general health, and other areas of their life, including family relationships and education. Adolescents reporting no substance use can be praised for staying away from drugs and re-screened during their next physical.

 • Referral. Adolescents with substance use disorders or those that appear to be developing a substance use disorder may need a referral to substance abuse treatment for more extensive assessment and care.

• Follow-up. For patients in treatment, medical professionals can offer ongoing support of treatment participation and abstinence from drugs during follow-up visits. Adolescent patients who relapse or show signs of continuing to use drugs may need to be referred back to treatment.

• Consider an Alternative Medication. Before prescribing medications that can potentially be abused, clinicians can assess patients for risk factors such as mental illness or a family history of substance abuse, consider an alternative medication with less abuse potential, more closely monitor patients at high risk, reduce the length of time between visits for refills so fewer pills are on hand, and educate both patients and their parents about appropriate use and potential risks of prescription medications, including the dangers of sharing them with others.

Questions about Adolescent Drug Use and Mental Health

Questions about Adolescent Drug Use and Mental Health 

Reprinted from the National Institute of Drug Abuse by Tom Wilson Counseling Center offering online substance abuse education for adults and adolescents.

7. How do other mental health conditions relate to substance use in adolescents? 

Drug use in adolescents frequently overlaps with other mental health problems. For example, a teen with a substance use disorder is more likely to have a mood, anxiety, learning, or behavioral disorder too. Sometimes drugs can make accurately diagnosing these other problems complicated.

Adolescents may begin taking drugs to deal with depression or anxiety, for example; on the other hand, frequent drug use may also cause or precipitate those disorders. Adolescents entering drug abuse treatment should be given a comprehensive mental health screening to determine if other disorders are present.

Effectively treating a substance use disorder requires addressing drug abuse and other mental health problems simultaneously.

8. Does treatment of ADHD with stimulant medications like Ritalin® and Adderall® increase risk of substance abuse later in life? 

Prescription stimulants are effective at treating attention disorders in children and adolescents, but concerns have been raised that they could make a young person more vulnerable to developing later substance use disorders. On balance, the studies conducted so far have found no differences in later substance use for ADHD-affected children who received treatment versus those that did not.

This suggests that treatment with ADHD medication does not affect (either negatively or positively) an individual’s risk for developing a substance use disorder.

Questions about Adolescent Prescription Drug Use

Questions about Adolescent Prescription Drug Use

Reprinted from the National Institute of Drug Abuse by Tom Wilson Counseling Center offering online substance abuse education for adults and adolescents.

5. Is abuse of prescription medications as dangerous as other forms of illegal drug use?

Psychoactive prescription drugs, which include opioid pain relievers, stimulants prescribed for ADHD, and central nervous system depressants prescribed to treat anxiety or sleep disorders, are all effective and safe when taken as prescribed by a doctor for the conditions they are intended to treat. However, they are frequently abused— that is, taken in other ways, in other quantities, or by people for whom they weren’t prescribed— and this can have devastating consequences.

In the case of opioid pain relievers such as Vicodin® or OxyContin®, there is a great risk of addiction and death from overdose associated with such abuse. Especially when pills are crushed and injected or snorted, these medications affect the brain and body very much like heroin, including euphoric effects and a hazardous suppression of breathing (the reason for death in cases of fatal opioid overdose).

In fact, some young people who develop prescription opioid addictions shift to heroin because it may be cheaper to obtain. ADHD medications such as Adderall® (which contains the stimulant amphetamine) are increasingly popular among young people who take them believing it will improve their school performance. This too is a dangerous trend. Prescription stimulants act in the brain similarly to cocaine or illegal amphetamines, raising heart rate and blood pressure, as well as producing an addictive euphoria.

Other than promoting wakefulness, it is unclear that such medications actually provide much or any cognitive benefit, however, beyond the benefits they provide when taken as prescribed to those with ADHD.

6. Are steroids addictive and can steroid abuse be treated? 

Some adolescents—mostly male—abuse anabolic-androgenic steroids in order to improve their athletic performance and/or improve their appearance by helping build muscles. Steroid abuse may lead to serious, even irreversible, health problems including kidney impairment, liver damage, and cardiovascular problems that raise the risk of stroke and heart attack (even in young people). An undetermined percentage of steroid abusers may also become addicted to the drugs—that is, continuing to use them despite physical problems and negative effects on social relations—but the mechanisms causing this addiction are more complex than those for other drugs of abuse.

Steroids are not generally considered intoxicating, but animal studies have shown that chronic steroid use alters the same dopamine reward pathways in the brain that are affected by other substances. Other factors such as underlying body image problems also contribute to steroid abuse.

Moreover, when people stop using steroids, they can experience withdrawal symptoms such as hormonal changes that produce fatigue, loss of muscle mass and sex drive, and other unpleasant physical changes. One of the more dangerous withdrawal symptoms is depression, which has led to suicide in some people discontinuing steroids. Steroid abuse is also frequently complicated by abuse of other substances taken either as part of a performance-enhancing regimen (such as stimulants) or to help manage pain-, sleep-, or mood-related side effects (such as opioids, cannabis, and alcohol).

Because of this complicated mix of issues, treatment for steroid abuse necessarily involves addressing all related mental and physical health issues and substance use disorders simultaneously. This may involve behavioral treatments as well as medications to help normalize the hormonal system and treat any depression or pain issues that may be present. If symptoms are severe or prolonged, hospitalization may be needed.

Questions about Adolescent Drug Use and Addiction

Questions about Adolescent Drug Use and Addiction

Reprinted from the National Institute of Drug Abuse by Tom Wilson Counseling Center offering online substance abuse education for adults and adolescents.

3. How do adolescents become addicted to drugs, and which factors increase risk? 

Addiction occurs when repeated use of drugs changes how a person’s brain functions over time. The transition from voluntary to compulsive drug use reflects changes in the brain’s natural inhibition and reward centers that keep a person from exerting control over the impulse to use drugs even when there are negative consequences—the defining characteristic of addiction.

Some people are more vulnerable to this process than others, due to a range of possible risk factors. Stressful early life experiences such as being abused or suffering other forms of trauma are one important risk factor. Adolescents with a history of physical and/or sexual abuse are more likely to be diagnosed with substance use disorders.

Many other risk factors, including genetic vulnerability, prenatal exposure to alcohol or other drugs, lack of parental supervision or monitoring, and association with drug-using peers also play an important role.

At the same time, a wide range of genetic and environmental influences that promote strong psychosocial development and resilience may work to balance or counteract risk factors, making it ultimately hard to predict which individuals will develop substance use disorders and which won’t.

4. Is it possible for teens to become addicted to marijuana? 

Yes. Contrary to common belief, marijuana is addictive. Estimates from research suggest that about 9 percent of users become addicted to marijuana; this number increases among those who start young (to about 17 percent, or 1 in 6) and among daily users (to 25–50 percent).

Thus, many of the nearly 7 percent of high school seniors who (according to annual survey data) report smoking marijuana daily or almost daily are well on their way to addiction, if not already addicted, and may be functioning at a sub-optimal level in their schoolwork and in other areas of their lives.
Long-term marijuana users who try to quit report withdrawal symptoms including irritability, sleeplessness, decreased appetite, anxiety, and drug craving, all of which can make it difficult to stay off the drug. Behavioral interventions, including Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Contingency Management (providing tangible incentives to patients who remain drug-free) have proven to be effective in treating marijuana addiction.

Although no medications are currently available to treat marijuana addiction, it is possible that medications to ease marijuana withdrawal, block its intoxicating effects, and prevent relapse may emerge from recent discoveries about the workings of the endocannabinoid system, a signaling system in the body and brain that uses chemicals related to the active ingredients in marijuana.

Legalization of marijuana for adult recreational use and for medicinal purposes is currently the subject of much public debate. Whatever the outcome, public health experts are worried about use increasing among adolescents, since marijuana use as a teen may harm the developing brain, lower IQ, and seriously impair the ability to drive safely, especially when combined with alcohol.

Parents seeking more information about the effects of marijuana on teens are encouraged to see information offered on NIDA’s Web site: http://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/ marijuana.

Questions about Adolescent Drug Use

Frequently Asked Questions About Adolescent Drug Use

Reprinted from the National Institute of Drug Abuse by Tom Wilson Counseling Center offering online substance abuse education for adults and adolescents.

1. Why do adolescents take drugs?

Adolescents experiment with drugs or continue taking them for several reasons, including:

• To fit in: Many teens use drugs “because others are doing it”—or they think others are doing it—and they fear not being accepted in a social circle that includes drug-using peers.

• To feel good: Abused drugs interact with the neurochemistry of the brain to produce feelings of pleasure. The intensity of this euphoria differs by the type of drug and how it is used.

• To feel better: Some adolescents suffer from depression, social anxiety, stress-related disorders, and physical pain. Using drugs may be an attempt to lessen these feelings of distress. Stress especially plays a significant role in starting and continuing drug use as well as returning to drug use (relapsing) for those recovering from an addiction.

• To do better: Ours is a very competitive society, in which the pressure to perform athletically and academically can be intense. Some adolescents may turn to certain drugs like illegal or prescription stimulants because they think those substances will enhance or improve their performance.

• To experiment: Adolescents are often motivated to seek new experiences, particularly those they perceive as thrilling or daring.

2. What drugs are most frequently used by adolescents?

Alcohol and tobacco are the drugs most commonly abused by adolescents, followed by marijuana. The next most popular substances differ between age groups. Young adolescents tend to favor inhalant substances (such as breathing the fumes of household cleaners,glues, or pens; see “The Dangers of Inhalants,” page 15), whereas older teens are more likely to use synthetic marijuana (“K2” or “Spice”) and prescription medications—particularly opioid pain relievers like Vicodin® and stimulants like Adderall®.

 In fact, the Monitoring the Future survey of adolescent drug use and attitudes shows that prescription and over-the-counter medications account for a majority of the drugs most commonly abused by high-school seniors.

The Most Commonly Abused Drugs by High School Seniors (Other than Tobacco and Alcohol)

1. Marijuana
2. Amphetamines (Adderall)
3. Prescription Painkillers (Vicodin, Oxycontin)
4. Cough Medicine
5. Tranquilizers
6. Hallucinogens
7. Sedatives
8. MDMA (Ecstasy)
9. Salvia

Attorney app for court ordered classes online

Alcohol Classes Online at Tom Wilson Counseling Center with Mobile APP

We have developed a simple app for attorneys to quickly refer clients to online classes for court.  Be sure to have court approval for online classes before enrolling.  Each state has different requirements.  You can check state requirements by visiting www.tomwilsoncounseling.com.

Good solution for those unable to attend live classes, rural communities, out-of-state offenses, deployed military personnel, employees working abroad, foreign exchange students.

Visit http://m.twccsolutions.com.mobapp.at to download the app.

DUI, DWI, OUI, MIP, MIC, Alcohol, Drug, Substance, Theft, Shoplifting, Anger, Conflict, Thinking Errors, Cognitive Self Change, Relapse

Online Alcohol Classes for Court Ordered Requirements

Tom Wilson Counseling and TeleHealth Center Online Classes for Court Requirements

DUI Classes and other terms for a DUI and Alcohol, Drug, Substance Offenses

APC (Actual Physical Control)
BUI (Boating Under the Influence)
BWI (Boating While Intoxicated)
DUI (Driving Under the Influence, Impaired Driver, Intoxicated Driver)
DUID (Driving under the Influence of Drugs)
DUII (Driving while Under the Influence of Intoxicants)
DWAI (Driving While Ability Impaired, Driving While Alcohol Impaired)
DWI (Driving While Impaired, Driving While Intoxicated)
OUI (Operating Under the Influence, Operating While Under the Influence of alcohol or other drugs)
OUIL (Operating Under the Influence of Liquor)
OVI (Operating a Vehicle Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drugs)
OVUII (Operating a Vehicle Under the Influence of an Intoxicant)
OVWI (Operating a Vessel While Intoxicated)
OWI (Operating While Intoxicated, Operating While Impaired, Operating While Under the Influence)
MIP (Minor in Possession)
MIC (Minor in Consumption)
Zero Tolerance Laws apply to persons under 21 who consume, purchase, or attempt or conspire to purchase alcohol even if they are not caught driving while intoxicated.

Check your state for court ordered requirements.

Register for online class by clicking the hours needed below.

DUI / DWI / OUI   8 Hours 10 Hours 12 Hours 16 Hours 18 Hours 20 Hours 22 Hours 24 Hours 32 Hours 36 Hours 45 Hours 48 Hours 60 Hours 78 Hours CALIFORNIA Non-Resident 12 Hours / SB 1176 Program 32 Hours / AB 541 Program 45 Hours / AB 762 Program 60 Hours / AB 1353 Program 78 Hours / SB 38 Program

Nevada Licensed School
  8 Hours
24 Hours

VICTIMS IMPACT PANEL

60 Minute Victim Panel

RELAPSE PREVENTION

  8 Hours
16 Hours

Alcohol / Drug / Substance

  8 Hours
12 Hours
16 Hours
20 Hours
24 Hours

DRUG DIVERSION
24 Hours

CALIFORNIA PC 1000
26 Hours - Deferred Entry of Judgment

Minor in Possession (MIP) / Minor in Consumption (MIC)

  4 Hours
  8 Hours
12 Hours
16 Hours
20 Hours
24 Hours

MICHIGAN MIP
Minor in Possession Class

 

TROPICANA HOUSING
Alcohol and Drug Awareness

ORGAN TRANSPLANT
Drug and Alcohol Abstinence Enhancement and Relapse Prevention Workshop

Anger Management

  4 Hours
  8 Hours
12 Hours
16 Hours
32 Hours

Cognitive Self-Change

  8 Hours
16 Hours
32 Hours

Domestic Violence Offense

24 Hours
26 Hours
32 Hours
36 Hours
52 Hours

DUI, Alcohol, Substance Evaluations

DUI / DWI Evaluation
Substance Abuse Evaluation
License Restoration

Petty Theft / Shoplifting

  4 Hours
  8 Hours
12 Hours
16 Hours

Thinking Errors

  8 Hours
16 Hours
32 Hours

Idaho Traffic Safety

IDAHO DMV APPROVED
Idaho Defensive Driving & Traffic Safety: $60.00

Parenting

FLORIDA
Florida Parent Education & Stabilization Course: $34.95

TEXAS
Texas Parent Education & Stabilization Course: $34.95

Other States
Parenting Apart: A Parenting Divorce Class: $34.95

Web Based Interventions Produce Good Results in Treating Substance Abuse

A new study in the American Journal Of Psychiatry (Volume 171, Issue 6, June 2014) shows that incorporating a web-based educational intervention in the treatment of drug abuse can not only help people stop using drugs, but can also keep them in treatment longer.

TES is a web-based version of the Community Reinforcement Approach plus Contingency Management, a packaged approach with demonstrated efficacy.  The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the NIH, funded this study.

TES consists of 62 interactive modules that teach patients how to achieve and maintain abstinence from drug use and includes prize-based motivational incentives to encourage adherence to treatment.  Patients given TES were less likely to drop out of treatment than those in the control group.  Also, the web-based intervention helped patients stay abstinent from drug use, even those who were not abstinent at the beginning of the study.  With such findings, web-based interventions like TES are promising additions to drug abuse treatment.

This approach, which combines skills-oriented counseling and contingency management in an Internet-delivered behavioral intervention, produced high rates of abstinence from drugs and heavy drinking among patients with a good prognosis (those who entered the study with positive urine drug or breath alcohol screen) but doubled the likelihood of abstinence among patients with an otherwise poor prognosis.

Computer-delivered interventions have the potential to improve access to quality addiction treatment care. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Therapeutic Education System (TES), an Internet-delivered behavioral intervention that includes motivational incentives, as a clinician-extender in the treatment of substance use disorders.

Adult men and women (N=507) entering 10 outpatient addiction treatment programs were randomly assigned to receive 12 weeks of either treatment as usual (N=252) or treatment as usual plus TES, with the intervention substituting for about 2 hours of standard care per week (N=255).

TES consists of 62 computerized interactive modules covering skills for achieving and maintaining abstinence, plus prize-based motivational incentives contingent on abstinence and treatment adherence. Treatment as usual consisted of individual and group counseling at the participating programs. The primary outcome measures were abstinence from drugs and heavy drinking (measured by twice-weekly urine drug screens and self-report) and time to dropout from treatment.

Compared with patients in the treatment-as-usual group, those in the TES group had a lower dropout rate and a greater abstinence rate. This effect was more pronounced among patients who had a positive urine drug or breath alcohol screen at study entry (N=228).

Internet-delivered interventions such as TES have the potential to expand access and improve addiction treatment outcomes. Additional research is needed to assess effectiveness in non-specialty clinical settings and to differentiate the effects of the community reinforcement approach and contingency management components of TES.

Tom Wilson Counseling Online Alcohol Classes currently uses similar evidenced based practices inclusing cognitive behavioral techniques, motivational enhancement therapy and stages of change theory.

Taking Alcohol Classes Online Can Help Complete Pretrial Diversion Requirements

Understanding Pretrial Diversion

A criminal conviction for an alcohol or drug offense, whether misdemeanor or felony, can create an avalanche of unintended consequences that often ends with individuals becoming further enmeshed in the legal system which can prevent them from being a productive member of the community. Tom Wilson Counseling Center specializes in online alcohol and drug abuse education for low to medium risk participants who have qualified for a pretrial diversion program in any state.

Pretrial diversion programs afford individuals an opportunity to address their behavior without resulting in a criminal conviction. These diversion programs may occur as early as street-level law enforcement intervention, or as late as court involvement, but the distinguishing characteristic is that there will not be a conviction recorded in an individual’s record.

Many pretrial diversion defendants are referred for alcohol and substance abuse intervention, with low risk offenders sent to less intensive programs while higher risk offenders are sent to more intensive programs, such as outpatient treatment. Since most programs are administered by prosecuting Attorneys, community probation supervision personnel are often tasked with identifying the higher risk offenders (who will need more intensive intervention). Most participants in the pretrial diversion program are low risk or medium risk offenders, and have the highest completion rate of their online alcohol drug education classes, and their diversion requirements.

Out-of-state offenders in pretrial diversion programs are usually referred to online alcohol drug education programs that  meet court requirements and provide the quickest way to help them avoid a black mark on their legal record.  

Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

Summers are hot - for DUI's.  Many cities set up DUI Checkpoints at various locations and randomly pull over people to check for alcohol or drug consumption.

Plan ahead and have a designated driver, a cab service or a friend or family member that will agree to pick you up if you plan on celebrating the summer with alcohol or drugs.  Don't take a chance by drinking or using while driving or you could end up making life much more complicated for yourself.

Did you know that a DUI offense can cost thousands of dollars, many hours of your time and will probably affect your work and personal life more than you think?  Not to mention the embarrassment!

www.onlineduiclass.com - We would LOVE to have your business but would rather have you be safe and not put others at risk.  DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE.

Use our online BAC Calculator to estimate your Blood Alcohol Content at http://www.tomwilsoncounseling.com/bac-calculation.html.  If you are still unsure - don't risk it!  

This notice has been sponsored by Tom Wilson Counseling Center.  The first and best solution for online dui, alcohol, drug, relapse, theft, anger, self-change, parenting and traffic safety classes.

Benefits of Tom Wilson Counseling Center Online Classes:

• Money Back Guarantee. If you have court approval for online classes we guarantee our classes will be accepted. Check the state where you received your DUI for requirements.

• Confidential. Your personal information and class participation is NEVER shared with anyone unless you specifically request it.

• Secure. Our shopping cart and classroom are both secured by an SSL Certificate so your personal information is safe with us.

• Simple and Convenient. Complete your class with an internet connection at any time in the privacy of your home, office, or library.

• Mobile Access. Registration and class can be completed using your mobile phone or tablet.

• LIVE Telephone Support. Monday - Friday, 9am-5pm, Mountain Standard Time 1.877.368.9909

• Email Information for general questions about what class to take and certification.

• Email Support for technical issues during registration or class participation.

Prices Reduced for Online DUI Classes

At Tom Wilson Counseling Center, we are constantly looking for new ways to improve our customer value and satisfaction. This includes periodically reviewing our expenses and price lists.

I am pleased to share that we have decided to reduce our price for online DUI classes that are 32 hours in length or longer. As of 4/1/2014, the price will drop from $18.75 per class hour to $15.00 per hour. For example, our old price for a 32 hour online AB541 DUI class for non- residents of California was $600.00, and the new price is $480.00. We will continue to offer no-interest payment plans. We believe that this new price not only gives customers a great value, but it also reflects our commitment to customer satisfaction.

To see new prices, visit this link: http://www.tomwilsoncounseling.com/onlinedui.html

DUI Checkpoints on 4th of July

Independence Day - 4th of July is one of the biggest holidays for DUI's.  Many cities set up DUI Checkpoints at various locations and randomly pull over people to check for alcohol or drug consumption. Because the 4th falls on a Wednesday this year, many police departments are setting up checkpoints this weekend to catch "before the holiday" travelers off guard.

Plan ahead and have a designated driver, a cab service or a friend or family member that will agree to pick you up if you plan on celebrating the holiday with alcohol or drugs.  Don't take a chance by drinking or using while driving or you could end up making life much more complicated for yourself.

Did you know that a DUI offense can cost thousands of dollars, many hours of your time and will probably affect your work and personal life more than you think?  Not to mention the embarrassment!

www.onlineduiclass.com - We would LOVE to have your business but would rather have you be safe and not put others at risk.  DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE.

Use our online BAC Calculator to estimate your Blood Alcohol Content at http://www.tomwilsoncounseling.com/bac-calculation.html.  If you are still unsure - don't risk it!

This notice has been sponsored by Tom Wilson Counseling Center.  The first and best solution for online dui, alcohol, drug, relapse, theft, anger, self-change, parenting and traffic safety classes.

Benefits of Tom Wilson Counseling Center Online Classes:

• Money Back Guarantee. If you have court approval for online classes we guarantee our classes will be accepted. Check the state where you received your DUI for requirements.

• Confidential. Your personal information and class participation is NEVER shared with anyone unless you specifically request it.

• Secure. Our shopping cart and classroom are both secured by an SSL Certificate so your personal information is safe with us.

• Simple and Convenient. Complete your class with an internet connection at any time in the privacy of your home, office, or library.

• Mobile Access. Registration and class can be completed using your mobile phone or tablet.

• LIVE Telephone Support. Monday - Friday, 9am-5pm, Mountain Standard Time 1.877.368.9909

• Email Information for general questions about what class to take and certification.

• Email Support for technical issues during registration or class participation.

Underage and College drinking-What are the Risks?

Underage and College Drinking- What are the Risks

Alcohol is widely available and aggressively promoted throughout society.  It is the most commonly used and abused drug among youth in the United States -- more than tobacco and illicit drugs -- and although drinking by persons under the age of 21 is illegal, people aged 12 to 20 drink 11% of all alcohol consumed in the United States.

But, early use of alcohol can draw young people into a host of problems and aggravate existing ones.  Each year, approximately 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking.  This includes about 1,900 deaths from motor vehicle crashes, 1,600 as a result of homicides, 300 from suicide, and hundreds from other injuries such as falls, burns, and drownings.

And, approximately 600,000 college students are unintentionally injured while under the influence of alcohol.  Approximately 700,000 students are assaulted by other students who have been drinking and about 100,000 students are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape.

Yet over 11,000 teens in the United States try using alcohol for the first time every day and more than four million drink alcohol in any given month.

Why do some young people drink alcohol?

Young people, like adults, drink alcohol for many different reasons.  Some of the reasons may seem obvious, but understanding the feelings behind these reasons--as well as how everyday teen life comes into play--can be difficult.

• Young people often drink to check out from family problems or issues with school/grades
• Loneliness, low self–esteem, depression, anxiety disorder and other mental health issues lead many young people to drink alcohol
• Young people turn to alcohol to deal with the pressures of everyday social situations
• Young people may drink to change their image or to fit in when moving to a new school or town
• Young people may drink to gain confidence or lose inhibitions

Young people are more likely to start experimenting with alcohol if they have parents who drink and if their parents don't give them clear messages about not drinking. 

What are the Risks?

Whatever it is that leads adolescents to begin drinking, once they start they face a number of potential health and safety risks.  Young people who drink are more likely to be sexually active and to have unsafe, unprotected sex; are more likely to be involved in a fight, commit violent crimes, fail at school, use other drugs, and experience verbal, physical, or sexual violence.  And those who start drinking before age 15 are five times more likely to develop alcoholism later in life than those who begin drinking at age 21

Tom Wilson is a Certified Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist who develops online self-help alcohol awareness classes for at risk individuals to reduce their risks of developing problems from their use.   

Top Ten Tips for Parents for Preventing Drug Abuse in their Kids

Before reviewing the Ten Tips for Parents, there are two important points to be aware of:

1. Why is there so much focus on keeping kids alcohol and drug free?
Recent scientific research has found that the longer an individual postpones the onset (first use) of alcohol, tobacco or other drug use, the less likely the individual is to develop an addiction or other lifelong problems, including depression.

2. The Power of Parents: Believe it or not, parents are the most powerful influence on their kids when it comes to drugs. Recent research has found that 2 out of 3 kids ages 13-17 say that losing their parents’ respect is one of the main reasons they don’t drink alcohol, smoke marijuana or use other drugs.
So then, as a parent, what can I do use my influence to encourage or promote prevention efforts with my children? Here are Ten Tips for Parents:

1) Don’t Be Afraid to be the “Bad” Parent: Sometimes, our fear of negative reaction from our kids keeps us from doing what is right. When it comes to alcohol and drugs, taking a tough stand can help our children to say no….“my mom or my dad would kill me if I drank or used.” Our decisions and our rules allow our child to use us as “the reason” for not using alcohol or drugs.

2) Connect With Your Child’s Friends: Pay attention to who your child is hanging out with, who’s coming to the house and get to know them. Encourage your child’s friends to come to your home, invite them for dinner and make them feel welcomed. Encourage your child to invite friends over to the house.

3) Make Connections With Other Parents Too: As you get to know your kids friends, take the opportunity to introduce yourself to his/her parents. It’s a great way to build mutual support and share your rules about alcohol and drugs. And, it will make it easier for you to call if your son/daughter is going to a party at their house to make sure that there will be responsible parental supervision.

4) Promote Healthy Activities: Help your kids, and their friends, learn how to have fun, and fight off the dreaded “I’m bored.” Physical games, activities and exercise are extremely important because of the positive physical and mental benefits. Encourage kids to become engaged in other school and community activities such as music, sports, arts or a part-time job. The more your children are active, the less time they have to get caught up in the pressure from peers to drink alcohol and use drugs.

5) Establish Clear Family Rules About Alcohol and Drugs: Setting specific, clear rules is the foundation for parental efforts in prevention, some ideas:

• Kids under 21 will not drink alcohol
• Kids will not ride in a car with someone who has been drinking or using drugs
• Older brothers and sisters will not encourage younger kids to drink or use drugs
• Kids under 21 will not host parties at our home without parental supervision
• Kids will not stay at a kid’s party where alcohol or drugs are present.
• Consistent enforcement of the rules, with consequences, if needed is essential. Without consequences the rules have no value and will not work.

6) Get Educated About Alcohol and Drugs: You cannot rely on your own personal experiences or common sense to carry you through. Your ability to provide family leadership in prevention requires you to be better educated. Share what you are learning with your spouse and your kids.

7) Be a Role Model and Set a Positive Example: Bottom line…. from a kid’s perspective, what you do is more important than what you say! Research studies show that parents who drink alcohol or use drugs are more likely to have kids who drink or use. If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation; if you use medication, use only as directed, and do not use illegal drugs. If you host a party, always serve alternative non-alcoholic beverages and do not let anyone drink and drive.

8) Keep Track of Your Child’s Activities: Asking questions, keeping track, checking in are all important. Research has found that young people who are not regularly monitored by their parents are four times more likely to use alcohol or drugs. Make the time to know what is happening in your child’s life – especially in families where both parents work outside of the home, life is busy but you must find time for your children – know what they are up to!

9) Keep Track of Alcohol and Prescription Drugs: For kids, the most common source of alcohol and prescription drugs is parents. Make sure that your home is not a source of alcohol or prescription drugs for your kids or their friends.

10) Get Help! If at any point you suspect that your child is having a problem with alcohol and/or drugs (What to Look For), get help. Don’t wait. You are not alone.

Tom Wilson is a Certified Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist who develops online self-help substance abuse prevention classes to reduce the risk for substance abuse in at-risk persons.

Victim Impact Panel Online for Court

Online DUI Victims Impact Panel

Did you get a court order to attend a victim impact panel but can't find one locally?

Complete our victim panel for court online and receive a FREE Certificate of Completion.

Victim Impact Panels are commonly required by a judge to assist DUI offenders in changing their driving behavior patterns. A Victims Impact Panel is designed to modify driver behavior through educating and introducing the driver to the realities of how irresponsible driving impacts the community, victims and their families, and the driver's own family.

This Victim Impact Panel is also included FREE for those who enroll in any of our DUI, Alcohol Drug Awareness, Minor in Possession, or Relapse Prevention classes online. Our online classes have been accepted by most states, courts, judges, attorneys, probation, parole, employers, colleges and universities to meet court, agency, employment and student requirements for a DUI, Alcohol Drug Awareness, Minor in Possession, or Drug charges, as well as meeting requirements for education for employment or college and university enrollment. Please check state or court requirements before enrolling.

Tom Wilson Counseling Center and TeleHealth has been providing approved classes online since 2004 for DUI, Alcohol, Drug, Anger Management, Conflict Management, Petty Theft Shoplifting, Traffic Safety, Parent Education, Thinking Errors, Cognitive Self Change, and DUI, Alcohol, Drug Evaluations. Instructor credentials can be viewed here: www.tomwilsoncounseling.com.

Contact us at support@twccsolutions.com or call Toll Free 1.877.368.9909 during office hours; Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm MDT/MST with questions. If you call before or after our regular office hours, please leave a message and we will return your call as soon as possible.

www.tomwilsoncounseling.com

Alcohol Drug Awareness Education for Students

Tom Wilson Counseling Center provides TeleHealth Education for Teens and Young Adults returning to School

www.mipclass.com was developed by Tom Wilson, a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and Certified Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist and Evaluator to meet court, employment and education requirements for Alcohol, Drug and Substance Abuse Awareness and Education. 

The classes offer education regarding patterns of use and abuse, health consequences and risks, information on underage drinking, costs of alcohol and drug related automobile accidents, how alcohol and drugs affect the brain, alcohol use in different cultures, relapse prevention strategies, steps for change and reducing risks.

There is also a helpful assessment included in the DUI, Alcohol and Drug Awareness classes that provides personal feedback based on answers to questions about use. The assessment provides feedback regarding BAC (Blood Alcohol Concentration) effects and risks for driving under the influence.  It also outlines the costs, calories and risks for aggression associated with alcohol use with an emphasis on teen and young adults and situations they are commonly exposed to in high school, college or universities.

BUY NOW by clicking on a link below :

4 Hour Minor in Possession (MIP) or Minor in Consumption (MIC) Online Class : $75.00

Level 1 Class:

8 Hour Alcohol Drug Awareness Online Class : $150.00

Level 2 Classes:

12 Hour Alcohol Drug Awareness Online Class : $225.00

16 Hour Alcohol Drug Awareness Online Class : $300.00

Level 3 Classes:

20 Hour Alcohol Drug Awareness Online Class : $375.00

24 Hour Alcohol Drug Awareness Online Class : $250.00

Drug Diversion:

24 Hour Drug Diversion and Awareness Online Class : $450.00

This 24 Hour Online Drug Diversion and Awareness class is a program that allows eligible defendants to be diverted out of the criminal court system and into a drug rehabilitation program. This class was developed by a Certified Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist, for first time drug offenders, such as possession of marijuana and/or paraphernalia. If a first offense drug defendant has an otherwise clean criminal record, judges generally will find a defendant eligible for the drug diversion program without requiring a formal eligibility evaluation. Get court approval before enrolling.

Budget cuts cause DUI hearing and trial delays in California

Recent budget cuts in the California court system have resulted in closed courts, fewer staff and many delays in civil cases, but also in criminal cases such as DUI and drug arrest trials and hearings.

An LA Times article states that the California courts have lost about 65% of their state support in the last 5 years and affects from those cuts are continuing to increase. These cuts are causing delays in hearings and trials, causing records to go unprocessed for many months, and reducing the number of services at public windows.

What does this mean for those arrested for a DUI?

One of the most damaging results of a DUI is the temporary loss of your driver’s license.  Normally, the California DMV will automatically suspend your driver’s license unless you request a DMV hearing within ten days of your arrest.  This delays suspension until the outcome of the hearing is determined.  If you win your hearing, no suspension occurs.  But, how will this affect you if the court delays your hearing due to recent budget cuts? When you do finally have a hearing and the hearing officer decides that the officer reasonably believes that you were driving under the influence, you were lawfully arrested and you had a BAC of 0.08% or higher, then your license will be suspended at that time. With the California court budget cuts, this could mean that the first hearing is delayed by weeks or months and the amount of time without your driver’s license could be devastating to your work and personal life. 

What happens if you get a DUI arrest in California but live in another state?

If you are arrested for a DUI in the State of California but live in another state, the arresting officer will give you notice that your driving privileges in California will be suspended in 30 days. The California DMV is notified and you have 10 days from your arrest to challenge the suspension by requesting a hearing. As mentioned above, the license suspension is delayed until the outcome of the hearing. But with recent budget cuts, does this hearing still take place as quickly as before?  Probably not.  And if you lose the hearing, your driving privileges in California will be suspended for up to 4 months for first offenses and longer for those with previous DUI convictions. 

Other Consequences of a DUI arrest in California for Out-of-State Residents

Suspended driving privileges in California will most likely affect your driver’s license in your home state as well. All but 5 states in the U.S. belong to the Interstate Drivers License Compact (IDLC), which means that your home state will get notified of any driving arrests and will most likely take additional action against your driver’s license and record. The only states that do not belong to the IDLC are Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Tennessee and Wisconsin.  

Even if you don’t live in California or don’t request a hearing you will be involved in a DUI criminal court proceeding in the State of California. The California Superior Court takes actions that are separate from the California DMV.  These proceedings can be costly and time consuming. It is in your best interest to hire a California DUI attorney to assist you thru the process, especially if you are unable to attend all the court appearances because you live out of state. 

There are a number of hearings and court appearances that may result in reduced or dismissed charges and the case may or may not go to trial.  In either case, the process is going to take much longer with the delays occurring from the California court budget cuts.  

In many cases, your DUI attorney or the judge will recommend court approved online DUI Alcohol Programs as part of your sentence. Tom Wilson Counseling Center provides online DUI classes specifically designed for out-of-state residents that received a DUI in the State of California.

Register online for the following online classes.  We accept VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express, as well as debit cards.  If you need to arrange to make payments, please call our office directly at 1.877.368.9909, Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm MST.

Benefits of Online Classes:

• 100% online and available 24/7
• Secure registration and payment
• Convenient and Confidential

Classes Available for California Non-Residents:

• 12 Hour Wet Reckless SB1176 Alcohol Program : $225.00
• 32 Hour First Offender AB541 Alcohol Program : $600.00
• 45 Hour First Offender AB762 Alcohol Program : $845.00
• 60 Hour First Offender AB1353 Alcohol Program : $1125.00
• 78 Hour Second Offender SB38 Alcohol Program : $1463.00
• 26 Hour Deferred Entry of Judgment PC1000 Drug Diversion Program : $450.00

Visit www.californiaonlineduiclass.com  to register for online classes.

Sources: 


http://articles.latimes.com/2013/apr/09/local/la-me-court-cutbacks-20130410

http://www.shouselaw.com/DUI-process.html

http://www.shouselaw.com/out-of-state-dui.html

Online Alcohol Drug Awareness, Minor in Possession, Minor in Consumption for Court Requirements

Online Alcohol Drug Awareness, Minor in Possession, Minor in Consumption and Drug Diversion Classes

Did you get a DUI, MIP, Alcohol or Drug charge / arrest and need to complete a court ordered Minor in Possession or Alcohol Drug Awareness Class?
 

Our online classes have been accepted by most states, courts, judges, attornies, probation, parole, employers, colleges and universities to meet court, agency, employment and student requirements for a DUI, Alcohol Drug Awareness, Minor in Possession, Minor in Consumption, or Drug charge, as well as meeting requirements for education for employment or college and university enrollment. Please get court or agency approval before enrolling. 

4 hour online Minor in Possession class : $75.00
8 hour online Alcohol Drug Awareness class : $150.00
12 hour online Alcohol Drug Awareness class : $225.00
16 hour online Alcohol Drug Awareness class : $300.00
20 hour online Alcohol Drug Awareness class : $375.00
24 hour online Alcohol Drug Awareness class : $225.00

Drug Diversion Programs:
 

24 hour online Drug Diversion class : $450.00

Complete DUI, Alcohol Awareness, Minor in Possession, Drug Diversion Programs Online for court with Certified Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist. Includes FREE 60 minute Victim Impact Panel for Court Requirements. 

Tom Wilson Counseling Center has been providing approved classes online since 2004 for DUI, Alcohol, Drug, Anger Management, Conflict Management, Petty Theft Shoplifting, Traffic Safety, Parent Education, Thinking Errors, Cognitive Self Change, and DUI, Alcohol, Drug Evaluations. Instructor credentials can be viewed here: www.tomwilsoncounseling.com

.

Contact us at support@twccsolutions.com or call Toll Free 1.877.368.9909 during office hours; Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm MDT/MST with questions. If you call before or after our regular office hours, please leave a message and we will return your call as soon as possible.

www.MIPClass.com