DUI's High Over Memorial Day Weekend | The Fix

This is a repost from The Fix, an excellent online recovery journal.

DUI's High Over Memorial Day Weekend | The Fix:

'via Blog this'

Have A Good Time, But Remember....

Nobody likes fun more than me. That's a fact. Ask anyone who knows me.

I'm one of those freaks, the party actually started after I stopped drinking!

Which explains why it is hard for me to write about some concerns that parents should rightfully have about their children during the hazy, lazy days. I mean, who wants to be Debbie Downer, right?

But the reality is that in the summer when the school year is over and the rules are relaxed, the time is right for fighting, and dancing in the streets, usually fueled by alcohol.

Swimming, boating and car accidents related to alcohol increase exponentially. As do DUI arrests. And don't get me started on pot and pot busts. Let's just say that the wrong people (usually kids) smoke the most pot during the summer and get arrested   more than anyone else. No fun.

So like the old song said, have a good time but remember.

Crazy, Mixed-Up Pot Laws

Copyright Delaware County Daily Times

A guy gets busted for growing pot in Darby, the town next-door to mine. It's a funny story, almost.

His house got robbed, the police were called. Investigating the robbery they discover a bunch of pot plants and a seriously decent growing system. The guy goes to jail. You can read the whole story here: Delaware County Daily Times.

It is kind of funny, in a Harold & Kumar way. Robbers become the allies of the cops, the guy who got arrested described himself as a "retired horticulturalist."  One of the cops was amused that he had a shrine to the Blessed Mother in his basement. "Maybe he was praying for a good grow," the cop said.

Where it's not funny, is that the reputed owner of the plants and the growing operation is looking at charges of possession and possession with intent to deliver. Both are felonies, and with the reported volume of marijuana, big felonies. In Pennsylvania, that is.

In 14 other states, it would have been perfectly legal. Well, maybe not perfectly legal, in some there would have been a fine if he exceeded the number of plants he was allowed.

In our neighbor state, New Jersey, there is a determined effort led by Governor Christie to move drug crimes out of the prisons and into the treatment and recovery community, provided they don't involve another more significant crime.

Personally, I believe that victimless drug crimes do not belong in jail to begin with. And I believe that home-grow entrepreneurial types should be regulated and taxed, and there should be serious consequences  if their product ended up in the wrong hands. Specifically the hands of someone under 21 years of age.

I am sure that there would still be enough profit for a budding horticulturalist of the ethical variety make a living while playing by the rules.

One that prays to the Blessed Mother, perhaps.

Loving An Addict.

Psych Central is one of those wonderful online clearinghouses filled with information on many mental health issues. This video by Daniel J. Tomasulo and Marie Hartwell-Walker gives some good and practical advice on Helping Someone With Drug Or Alcohol Problems:

Please let me know if this information was helpful, either by leaving a comment, or contacting me confidentially at KenWilliamsRecovery@gmail.com.
Thanks,
Ken

Welcome, Delaware County Times Readers

I am happy to join the family of bloggers linked to the biggest daily news source in Delaware County. The Daily Times is the "go-to" page for finding out what is happening in our corner of the world.

Unfortunately, many times the news is not good. We read stories about crime, about problems in our schools, about the economy and joblessness.

And many times we read stories about drugs.

And addiction.

And alcoholism.

What we don't read about often enough is Recovery.

Yes, people do recover from addiction and alcoholism; from gambling and other forms as well. A national survey estimates as many as 10% of the total population identifies as being in recovery.

In Delaware County, that adds up to about 60,000 people.

60,000 clean, sober individuals.

In this blog I have written about many facets of addiction and recovery for the past few years. I will continue to do so, and invite you to join the dialog.

Welcome aboard, Delco!