New Antiviral Drug Cures Hepatitis C

Many people who used drugs may have contracted Hepatitis C and not know it. It is a silent killer, frequently without symptoms. If you ever used IV drugs, you should be tested, even if it was over 30 years ago. Here is the latest development with Hepatitis C:


What's the Latest Development?

"Roughly 80 percent of patients with the most common strain of hepatitis C and who had either never undergone treatment before or had suffered a relapse were cured when they took the antiviral Incivek in addition to the standard drugs, according to one study led by researchers at California Pacific Medical Center and published in the New England Journal of Medicine. That is a marked improvement over the previous treatment, which cured less than half of those patients. Most patients in the study were able to stop treatment after 24 weeks instead of the standard 48 weeks—a significant change, because the drugs can have brutal side effects."

LINK

The Burden is Light Eugenia Price

This does not have anything to do with addiction except tangentially. This is a Christian Testimony book that was published in 1971 (at least my copy). I haven't read it all but I have read the section where Eugenia describes her Born Again experience.

I suspect I would disagree a little bit with her theology but I liked reading her testimony for what is worth.

Another update on the newcomer "Gabriella"

I am off to the Orange County Jail to visit the newcomer I am calling "Gabriella" (not her real name).

I am still hopeful about this young lady. I see something good in her. But she has tons of resentment towards her mother that needs to be dealt with. The truth is her mom hated her when she was little and it has destroyed her whole life. And her mom realizes it.

She has also resented me for really no good reason (see my previous posts on the mattter)but I think she is over it now.

Anyhow, its off to jail again but I will be coming home this time. Stay tuned for details.

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Update to the update: Back from the Orange County Jail. Sad to say, I am not hopeful. This young lady has too many negative influences in her life. In my opinion, she needs to get away from south Orange County to have a chance. But she is unwilling to do that. I could be wrong but I see unhappiness in her future and a probable return to drugs. In her case, that probably means a stint in State Prison.

Skid Row Shelter Charges Fee

link to article

Excerpt from article:

"Two months ago, Union Rescue started charging $7 for an overnight stay, and cut its three free meals a day to one.
The move was driven by budget woes caused by the pinch of plummeting funding and soaring demand. But Andy Bales, the mission's chief executive, said he had been trying to institute fees for several years under a philosophy that homeless people should learn self-sufficiency. Faced with similar crunches, more shelters are taking that view.
"We've increased our sustainability, but we really think people are feeling better about themselves if they're not just taking handouts," Bales said."

I have mixed feelings about this. I know how desperate some of these people are. One time I dragged a guy out from underneath a car where he was sleeping.He had been using drugs for years. I called one of his relatives who wanted nothing to do with him. Finally, I ended up taking him down to the Union Rescue Mission as a last resort.He didn't have $7.

I do note that "Mothers with children do not have to pay and can eat all meals for free".

I wonder what you all think of this?

Global group calls for end to drug war

I picked up a copy of the LA Times today and, on the front page, was an article entitled "Global group calls for end to drug war". Some high profile people including Kofi Annan (former UN Secretary General), Paul Volker (former Fed Chairman), and Richard Branson (founder of Virgin Group).

You can read a version of the article here: Global group calls for end to drug war

All I can say is that these influential people are sadly mistaken. I know from my own personal experience that one of the best things you can do for a drug addict is to lock them up for their own good. If it was not for the drug laws, I am certain I would probably be dead or at least a living zombie on Methadone. Do not let these misguide people make you doubt that laws against drug use and possession are bad. They are basically advocating legalization and there is nowhere that they can point to as an example of legalization improving a society.

I am no fan of the Obama administration but they got it right on this issue. From the article:

"Making drugs more available, as this report suggests, will make it harder to keep our communities healthy and safe," said Rafael Lemaitre, spokesman for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy"

God forbid Annan, Volker, and Branson get their way.