Celebrating National Drug Court Month - We All Have A Story
It’s true…. we all have a story. Hi, my name is Julie Seymore and I am the Treatment Court Administrator for the 11th Judicial Circuit Treatment Court in St. Charles County, Missouri. My story has a couple of stories within the story and they all revolve around tragedies that occurred because of alcohol. [Learn More]
Drug Courts Work
Averhealth is committed to helping individuals overcome substance use disorder. Through our Platinum Partnership with the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, we
look forward to advancing the care and treatment of all individuals in drug court programs. For more information about the success of drug courts, please click the button below to view a NADCP fact sheet that celebrates the positive impact of drug courts.
In honor of National Drug Court Month, Averhealth’s employees shared their testimonies about their work with drug courts. Here are a few:
Andrew Stolz
Business Development Manager - Western Region
Jacquie Sheehey
Director of Marketing & Partner Relations
Justin Manni
Director of Business Development
What is Delta-8 THC
Officer Jermaine Galloway, better known as "The Tall Cop," is an ongoing featured contributor to the Averhealth Digest on drug trends —providing you with highlights of street drug trends your clients may be using. If you are testing for the same drugs day after day, you are probably missing the drugs being used! Learn how to stay current on the most recent drug trends and how your drug testing program plays an integral role in your clients' recovery process. This month, Officer Galloway discusses the rise of Delta-8 THC.
As a national trainer, I commonly receive drug-related questions from across the country. Every year, those questions may vary from vapes to CBD to the newest opioid that is trending. But in 2021 without a doubt, the #1 drug-related question that I get, is about Delta-8 THC. This bulletin will highlight some Delta-8 street-level drug trends, use, sales outlets, and more. I will also review some of the early feedback from youth and adult cannabis users of Delta-8.
Delta-8 THC is a compound from the cannabis plant. Many users of Delta-8 feel that it gives them about half the high of traditional weed (Delta-9). Users also report that the high also doesn’t last “nearly as long” as Delta-9 THC. You may be asking yourself, “why do they use Delta-8?”. During my research scans, feedback gained from professionals, with clients caught using Delta-8, and talking to a handful of toxicologists, there are varying reasons for Delta-8’s popularity. Please, keep in mind the reasons for popularity are subjective opinions, expressed by some drug users of Delta-8:
Helps with their nausea
Perceived by some users to be legal in many areas
Readily available. (Depending on the state, Delta-9 is found in vape shops, smoke shops, CBD stores, gas stations, cannabis dispensaries (near other traditional cannabis products), and shopping malls, to name a few.)
Although not a new compound, it is a new cannabis trend for youth
Not all labs can test for it, making it popular for some on probation or parole
For more information on Delta-8 THC, you can download a PDF written by Officer Jermaine Galloway.
Tall Cop Says Stop is a national & international trainer who has trained over 500,000 people. Learn more: www.tallcopsaysstop.com
Industry News
Want to Help Save Lives? End the Stigma Around Substance Use Disorders
Changing attitudes about addiction starts with explaining that “it’s a health condition,” says Peter Espenshade, president and CEO of Recovery Vermont. “That’s the biggest stigma-busting that you can do,” he says.
Increasingly, doctors and medical professionals understand substance use disorders this way, he says. Advances in medical imaging have helped drive comprehension of the science behind addiction — of how brain chemistry and our internal reward system works and how substances such as opioids and alcohol can hijack that reward system.
There’s a better understanding of treatment options, too. “Long-term recovery is definitely possible. We see it every day,” says Espenshade, who himself is in recovery from alcohol use disorder. [Learn More]
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