Category: Information
Survey Results Highlight the Cost of Addiction and the Benefits of Recovery
26 April 2013
“The results from the first nationwide survey of persons in recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs released today by Faces & Voices of Recovery documents the heavy costs of addiction to the individual and the nation and for the first time, measures and quantifies the effects of recovery over time.” That’s the opening of an article about the results of a survey of people in recovery sponsored by “Faces and Voices of Recovery,” a national organization attempting to “mobilize the recovery community to advocate for recovery and help more Americans overcome addiction to alcohol and other drugs.”
The study’s finding include results such as:
– 50% of respondents in recovery had lost jobs or been suspended at some point in their drinking/using career;
– 50% had been arrested at least once with a third having been incarcerated;
– The total nationwide societal cost comes to an estimated $300+ billion.
For those in recovery, the results are strikingly different:
– a 90% decrease in involvement with the criminal justice system;
– a 50% increase in the persons involvement in family activities; and
– participation in volunteer activities more than doubled, while voting in public elections increased by almost 50%.
The study, of over 3000 persons involved in recovery, was of a relatively small cross-section of the estimated 23,000,000 Americans in recovery. But such studies are rare and the findings of this one are important. Read more and get a link to the complete study by clicking HERE.
LifeRing Candidates, Members Invited to Share Views
10 April 2013
A page on this website has been created for candidates and members to give their view on the upcoming election for three Board Of Director seats. It is hoped that each candidate will submit a comment on that page giving what they consider their qualifications and relevant experience, or anything else they consider appropriate. And all members are invited to give their views and preferences. It is hoped that a degree of civility will be maintained.
So far, there are five announced candidates for the three open positions. Unofficially (the list of candidates could change before it is firmly set), the candidates are, in alphabetical order: Mahala K., Jeff K., Joe M., Bob O., and Tim R. Board members usually use their full names in public, but candidates are not required to do so. If candidates would like a snapshot to accompany their initial introduction, that can be arranged (I think).
So all are urged to check LifeRing Election Central to read about the candidates
Study Finds Most People in the World Don’t Drink Alcohol
02 April 2013
An article on the website www.sciencedaily.com says, “A new study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) shows that alcohol is now the third leading cause of the global burden of disease and injury, despite the fact most adults worldwide abstain from drinking.” The article goes on to cite more material from the Canadian research, including the fact that Europe has the highest per capita alcohol consumption but that the U.S. and Canada “drink more than 50 per cent above the global average, and show a more detrimental drinking pattern than most EU countries, with more bingeing.”
Spring LifeRing Newsletter Published
19 March 2013
Carola Ziermann, editor, has published the newest LifeRing Newsletter. This quarter’s edition feature stories about the upcoming LifeRing Annual Meeting in Denver at the end of May, along with an explanation of proposed bylaw changes that will enable elected delegates to vote on candidates and issues raised at the LifeRing Congress, held on the last day of the Annual Meeting. Among other articles are a book review of “In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts” by Gabor Mate, the featured speaker at the Denver meeting. See the newsletter by clicking on this link: LifeRingNewsletter Spring 2013
Martin Nicolaus Talks About LifeRing
11 February 2013
Late last year, LifeRing’s founding leader, Martin Nicolaus, addressed a group of San Francisco Bay Area meeting convenors. His words, as usual, eloquently present the LifeRing approach. See the 53 minute video here: