drug use

Out of four adults who are living with a serious mental health issue, more than one will also have a substance use problem. It is referred to as having a co-occurring disorder or dual diagnosis. While a mental health issue has unique symptoms and requires different treatment from those of a substance use disorder, they affect each other greatly.

It is National Drug Take Back Day on April 27 which also happens to be the Earth Day celebration in South Lake Tahoe, so why not combine the two events?

The South Tahoe Drug Free Coalition and South Lake Tahoe Police Department have joined forces to help residents dispose of their unused prescriptions, no questions asked.

Two drug traffickers were sentenced today to a total of 16 years in federal prison after a traffic stop in Carson City for speeding led to the discovery of large quantities of methamphetamine and heroin in their car.

Danny Lyle Jensen II, 39, and Kimberly Lopes, 37, both of Henderson, Nevada, were sentenced to 130 months and 63 months, respectively, and five years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Howard D. McKibben. They previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute at least 500 grams of methamphetamine.

Removing unused, unwanted and expired medications from homes is a huge step in preventing pill abuse and theft, and the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) will be holding a Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 27 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Safeway parking lot.

This is the local's 16th opportunity in the past eight years to get rid of their potentially dangerous medication on the South Shore.

It has been a very tough and tragic week, with the passing of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, and because of their suicides and a report released by the CDC, NAMI ((National Alliance on Mental Illness) El Dorado County is seeing an increase in phone calls from the community.

Suicide rates have been rising in nearly every state, according to the latest Vital Signs report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is the 10th leading cause of death and is one of just three leading causes that are on the rise (behind diseases of the heart and Cerebrovascular diseases).

South Lake Tahoe and Douglas County will be joining thousands of communities across the United States when they participate in the Drug Enforcement Administration “National Drug Take Back" on Saturday, April 28.

Dr. Devendra I. Patel, aka Devendrakumar I. Patel, 58, of Elko, Nev., was arrested Tuesday on 39 charges of unlawful distribution of prescriptions opioids and Medicaid fraud.

Patel is charged with 36-counts of distribution of controlled substances such as oxycodone and hydrocodone, and three-counts of health care fraud. He is a cardiologist at his medical practice, Northeastern Nevada Cardiology. The statutory maximum penalty for distribution of a controlled substance is 10 years in prison and the maximum penalty for health care fraud is 10 years in prison.

One important component to living a long and healthy life is to get preventive health screening for serious diseases. If your doctor finds a disease early, it’s often easier to treat and may cause less damage.

In addition to celebrating milestone birthdays as celebrations, consider them reminders for important health checks. Here's a timeline for health screenings through the decades:

In society, we are inundated with advertisements and daily messages infused into our culture that justify alcohol as acceptable and normal. This substance is glorified as a method to enhance dining experiences, celebrations, entertainment, sporting events, and holidays. Alcohol itself is not the problem. A drink to accompany a meal or celebratory time is a much different choice than to completely dissociate from reality and manipulate others to achieve a “good time.”

For the past several months there has been no official SLEDNET servicing the South Shore, and today it was announced that the drug task force that has been serving the community since 1988 has dissolved.

To the South Shore community: My name is Troy Matthews and I am thrilled to announce my candidacy for Lake Tahoe Unified School District Board of Education in Trustee Area 4. My wife Rae and I honeymooned in South Tahoe and decided not to leave. We have fallen in love with this community and have taken active roles in many different local organizations. I work for Tahoe Youth & Family Services, one of the oldest local non-profit organizations in the region serving at-risk and underprivileged youth in South Lake Tahoe.

May is Hepatitis Awareness Month. Do you know the facts about hepatitis and if you may have it?

Hepatitis is a viral infection of the liver. There are three major types: A, B and C. Vaccines are available to protect against Hepatitis A and B, but none are available for Hepatitis C.

Hepatitis B and C can cause chronic infections that if left untreated can lead to liver damage, liver failure or even cancer. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Hepatitis C is the leading cause of liver transplants in this country.

We've seen them walking along the streets, sleeping in the forests or hanging outside of an all night market. The faces of South Lake Tahoe's homeless. Winter can be brutal on the homeless in town with below freezing temperatures, snow covered paths and no place to keep warm.

That is, until today.

The Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless opened the doors of their new Warm Room on Friday, ready to take in their first visitors at 7:00 p.m. It is a safe and warm place for people over 18, getting them out of physically harmful conditions.

South Tahoe Now will be presenting a series on increasing drug use among children and adults in South Lake Tahoe, current trends and solutions. This is the first part in the series: Heroin.

It is euphoria, sensory overload and beyond any pleasure you know. That is the beginning, and the average heroin user will spend years trying to find the same feeling as that first high, ended only by death, or seeking help to rid themselves of the dark beast of addiction. Those are the only two options.

Parents worried that their college-bound children might succumb to the temptations of campus life may want to take note of a new analysis that found that students tend to experiment with specific types of drugs for the first time during certain times of year.

The community has undergone a complete physical and the results are in. Based on the 2015 Community Health Needs Assessment, mental health and substance abuse remain top health concerns in the area.

Barton Health conducted its second Community Health Needs Assessment to identify unmet needs within the community. After identifying these needs, Barton will work with representatives from organizations who provide services for the medically underserved to offer recommendations and a collaborative action plan focused on positively impacting the community’s health.

Drug and alcohol statistics for 2013 show that the rate of drug use in America has declined by approximately 30% from 30 years ago but has risen fairly steadily since 1992.

Yesterday, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released an overview of the findings of the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The report released yesterday showed that in 2013 illicit drug use in America was stable over the previous year:

Citations, warnings and medical assistance were given to 169 people during holiday celebrations on South Lake Tahoe beaches operated by the U.S. Forest Service on July 4th.

• 32 - Personal Possession of marijuana (Cites and Warnings)
• 31 - Minors in Possession of Alcohol (Cites)
• 8 – Combination of Arrests for Disorderly Conduct, Cocaine, Crystal Meth, LSD, Pills, Warrant, & Probation Violations
• 12 - 415 Incidents
• 72 – Alcohol Prohibition violations (Cites and Warnings)
• 14 – Medical Aids

South Tahoe Now sent a questionnaire out to all of the candidates for Douglas County Sheriff. We will be posting them in the order received. This is the second of three to be received.

1. What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department?

Melody Easton is here to make a difference. Recently tapped as the coordinator for the South Tahoe Drug Free Coalition, the action oriented Easton has hit the ground running.

Tahoe Youth & Family Services was awarded a Federal Drug Free Communities grant, bringing in $125,000 for each of the next five years to help combat drug and alcohol abuse among the youth of South Lake Tahoe. Once the grant was awarded a coordinator needed to be hired. Easton was hired and the Concordia College graduate and her husband packed up and moved from Portland, Oregon.

Several northern Nevada law enforcement agencies will be teaming up and “Joining Forces” this Independence Day as an additional security measure in providing for a safe holiday weekend.

On Thursday afternoon and evening, police officers from the Reno and Sparks Police Departments, deputies from the Washoe and Lyon County Sheriff’s Offices, and troopers from the Nevada Highway Patrol will be conducting the administrative road block on U.S. Highway 50 in Douglas County.

Three Markleeville men face multiple felony drug charges after Alpine County authorities found a sophisticated marijuana grow operation inside two levels of a Spring Canyon Drive barn. A search warrant issued on Oct. 13 netted 312 plants, assorted grow lights and drug use paraphernalia, according to Alpine County Undersheriff Robert Levy.

In an effort to impact the health of our community the Barton Foundation recently opened their grant opportunities for programs and organizations benefitting the South Lake Tahoe area. Barton Health Grants provide funding for programs targeted at underserved populations and/or providing great impact to the health status of the community. The total grant amount available for 2012 is set at $25,000 and is generally dispersed between five and 10 local organizations.