But is it? Since the city began monitoring and reducing the availability of sugary drinks and trans-fats in restaurants and cafeterias, the childhood obesity rate dropped 5.5 percent. It’s logical that reducing alcohol availability will in turn reduce sales and decrease use and abuse. The more times each day a kid sees a delicious donut, the more likely he is to eat one himself. The more often a teen sees alcohol for sale, the more likely she is to get her hands on it (with the help of a fake ID or an older friend), try it, and possibly become addicted.  Addictive properties aside, alcohol and sugar are just like any other product.

In New York, one in ten hospitalizations are alcohol-related, and alcohol is a factor in half of all homicides and 28 percent of traffic fatalities. Of course, the city I call home is just one dot on the map—30 percent of Americans abuse alcohol, and the treatment rate for people with alcohol disorders is less than what it was a decade ago. “Functional” binge drinking is a significant and growing problem for our country, and as we discussed last year, our communities bear a financial burden for problem drinkers; the health care costs for these drinkers are eight times the national average. With alcohol, as with cigarettes and now tanning beds, the tax for use doesn’t come close to making up for the high health care costs incurred later on. These habits are detrimental to individual health and expensive for public health. We also know that if someone isn’t addicted to alcohol by age 21, they’re unlikely to become addicted in the future—yet another reason to reduce the supply that sustains underage use.

Bloomberg’s proposal may not be popular, but it’s a good idea nonetheless.  As I’ve said in the past, I’m not suggesting a return to Prohibition.  However, decreasing excessive availability will decrease use, and by definition, will also decrease abuse.  This isn’t to say that supply control is the solution to our nation’s drinking problem. It’s just one of many steps that should be taken in order to lessen the damage to our communities and citizens by alcohol misuse.  Of course, folks who are determined to buy alcohol will have no problem doing so, regardless of the number of liquor stores on their block. But limiting the extent to which alcohol is available will accomplish one important thing: it will protect young people by decreasing the number of kids who start drinking simply because they see it everywhere and it’s easy to get.

Deni Carise, Ph.D.
Chief Clinical Officer
Phoenix House

From Our Alumni:

 “To help others still in the madness, to inspire people to change their lives just like I have! There is life after addiction. I have just spent New Years with my family, most of whom I haven’t seen in 15 years. I didn’t know that life could be like this. There are NO words to describe how I feel right now and I want to share this with all those who do not understand that ANYTHING is possible once a decision is made to put down drugs once and for all.  I am so grateful now for the little things in life, and my journey began at Phoenix House.”
—Suzanne

“To pay my blessing forward in any way I can.”
—Traci

“Since Christmas Eve, I’ve had four years clean.  My goal is continue doing this one day at a time.”
—Salli

“I want to ‘do me.’ I love doing things for others but I tend to overdo it to the point where I neglect myself.  Thank you Phoenix House for helping me see what behaviors need working on. PUSH UP!”
—Melissa

From Our Clients:

 “Be a good dad to my kids, stay sober, and keep learning about myself.”
—Client from Phoenix House of Orange County, CA

“By the grace of God, while I was drinking I never ended up in jail, with a DUI, killing someone, or losing my family, my friends, or my life. This year, I want to internalize the FACT that I cannot drink.  I want to go to meetings; pray; share at meetings; call my sponsor or anyone in my support group; talk to my wife, daughters, family, and friends; work the steps; read AA literature; and love, honor, and serve God.”
—Joe, Phoenix Houses of the Mid-Atlantic

“Stop smoking, complete the Phoenix House program, get into a sober living house, complete more units in college, get a car, learn to sing, have a relationship with myself.”

“Exercise more, quit smoking, get healthy, volunteer with animals.”

“Get my GED.”

“Go to school and focus on getting to know myself better.”

—Four clients from Phoenix House Santa Fe Springs

From Our Clinicians:

 “My intention this year is to fully embrace each life experience, good and bad, easy and difficult; to accept the bitter and the sweet that recovery brings; and to live in the truth of each moment.”
—Laurie Guffey
Primary Counselor, Phoenix Houses of the Mid-Atlantic

“My own New Year’s resolution is to be kind to myself and take good care of the body that God gave me. As clinicians, we have a tendency to put others before ourselves and sometimes forget that we need to love ourselves and prioritize! Happy New year to all my colleagues and clients.”
—Sharon Elise Gingola
Social Worker, Phoenix House Military Services Program

“I am elevating my expectations.”
—Robert Smith
Counselor, Phoenix House Citra Center

“I plan not to rest on my laurels—one day at a time!”
Mary Moon-Maxwell

“I will listen more closely to what people say and be more empathetic.”
—Londi Alberti
Director, Phoenix House Brentwood Community Residence

“I plan to obtain more counseling credentials. I feel that we need to become more aware of the impact the entire family unit has on the individual and the individual must become aware of the impact their choices have on that unit.”
—Henry Chester, Substance Abuse Counselor, Phoenix House Dallas County Judicial Treatment Center

Britt and Tom with their daughter Sofia at the 2011 Fashion Award Dinner

Phoenix House: When did you first notice that your daughter, Sofia, was struggling with drug use?

Britt: We had caught her drinking a couple of times in her early teens, but we kind of just chalked it up to the usual teenage behavior. The initial major problem was that Sofia had developed anorexia and while we were dealing with her eating issues she just flat out confessed her drug use to us. We were flabbergasted at the time; we had no clue at all.

PH: Did you immediately seek treatment for her?

Tom: It was a process. She was already in treatment for her eating disorder, and later began outpatient drug counseling.  However, her increasing dependency on drugs made this treatment ineffective. The impact of her drug use escalated and led to dangerous behavior and we then started the process to get her into Phoenix House.

Britt: At that time there were just so many things going on at once with Sofia—it all seems like a blur now. She kept getting in trouble in school, with the police, and with us of course. It was definitely time for treatment.

PH: We’ve heard Sofia talk about her treatment experience. What were those three months like for you?

Tom: In the very beginning, it was extremely difficult for us, especially from the standpoint of letting go. The family counselor helped us realize that we couldn’t force Sofia into recovery, and that the best thing we could do for her was to keep living our own lives. So we did what we needed to do while still visiting Sofia and working on our relationship with her. It was very frustrating and sad at first; we had never been away from her for that long.

Britt: It was a lot of self-examination. Phoenix House is a fantastic program because of all the support you get as a family, but that also means that you as a parent have to really look at yourself and your own actions and deal with them accordingly.

PH: When did you start to notice a positive change in Sofia?

Britt: After those first weeks her anger and resentment started to fade. She slowly started opening up to us, offering to speak, sharing with us in general.

Tom: To Sofia the mental turning-point was probably much more noticeable than to us; what we saw were gradual changes, she started thanking us for little things, and eventually she got to the point where she said, “I’m really happy that you brought me here.”

 PH: Reflecting back, what did Sofia’s treatment experience teach you as parents?

Britt: We came to realize how many times we had “rescued” her back when she was using. She had been digging herself deeper and deeper, and to a certain degree we had enabled her by protecting her from the consequences of her actions. Every time she got in trouble, we used to think, “Well, surely now she’ll get her act together.  She has hit rock bottom.” It was naive of us to think that, because we didn’t realize the pull that the drugs had over her.

PH: Did Sofia have a hard time returning home and to her old school after treatment?

Britt: Not at all. She had already switched to an alternative high school before she left for treatment. It was very creative and suited her personality; everyone welcomed her back with open arms. To this day, she doesn’t like to interact with people from her first high school—the people with whom she used to do drugs.

Tom: She was excited but apprehensive at the same time about coming home, but she did after-care at Phoenix House for a number of weeks and found that very helpful.

PH: How did Sofia maintain her sobriety while in early recovery?

Britt: She was going to meetings quite frequently with people she had met at Phoenix House. She was very careful about socializing, and she’s the same way now. She threw herself into her schoolwork in her typical all-or-nothing mode, applied for college and got into George Mason University, and started volunteering at Phoenix House…it’s been a busy but happy couple of years for her.

Tom: At first we were nervous about her being around other people in recovery, because we knew the relapse rate in early recovery is high. We thought, “What if she’s hanging out with these people and one of them breaks down and starts using, and then she follows suit?” That didn’t

happen. Sure, over the years some of her friends have relapsed, and some have reentered treatment—but not Sofia.

PH: What are the most profound changes you have noticed in Sofia since treatment?

Tom: She’s extremely aware of her actions and the impact they have on other people, including us.

Britt: Another thing is her confidence—it’s changed drastically since before Phoenix House; she’s so poised, and a lot happier. It’s a huge difference overall. She’s very motivated, she knows what she wants, and she has plans and goals now.

PH: What are your hopes for her future, in recovery as well as in life?

Britt: For us, when it comes to Sofia’s future, we just want her to be happy and successful in anything she wants to do. And it’s wonderful because she’s already doing so well on that path, all we hope is for her to continue to succeed. It’s not always going to be easy, but now she has the tools and strengths she needs to move forward on her way. Sofia’s strong enough now to accomplish anything.

Blog Editor’s Note: The following post was originally published by Hickory Wind Ranch, a sober living community in Austin, Texas.

In 2001, a California teenager named Ryan Haight bought Vicodin over the internet and fatally overdosed; he had no prescription, and had never consulted with a doctor about the drug. The 2008 Ryan Haight Act was meant to prevent additional overdose tragedies by prohibiting the online sale of narcotics without a prescription—but has it worked?

As The Palm Beach Post points out this week, the crackdown on pill mills here in Florida has caused folks to start searching for other, easier ways to get high. That’s where the internet comes in—over the past year we’ve seen a continuous rise in internet narcotics purchases in the state and elsewhere. The Post report is unfortunately correct in saying that “internet pill peddlers never had it so good.” These illegal vendors work through a combination of legal loopholes (including an online questionnaire that will purportedly be reviewed by a physician) and geographical confusion (offshore locations linked to multiple untraceable contacts) to sell deadly prescription pills to the next generation of Ryan Haights. They’re even using social media tools like Twitter and Facebook to reach a wider – and largely younger – audience. This renewed accessibility of medications is especially troubling given recent statistics about the prescription addiction epidemic: as of this year, drug deaths outnumber traffic fatalities, with prescription overdoses accounting for more deaths than heroin and cocaine combined.

We knew that something like the resurgence of internet “pill mills” would happen; personally, I was predicting that people would turn to heroin when the brick-and-mortar pill mills shut down, but the internet makes even more sense—it’s the ideal anonymous shopping mall, and it delivers to your door. The pill mills had to be addressed first because they were the biggest source, and now we’ll have to tackle the internet as well. But this changeover proves what most of us have known for some time: we can’t just fight supply. Shutting down the local pill mills only feeds the digital ones. The demand for drugs in this country is so strong that people will always find a new way to get high—but that doesn’t mean that we should let things slide. We know from studying drug legalization in other countries that “just letting it slide” will only lead to more problems.

It always comes back to the same thing—we need to make more help available to more people. And not just people at the end of their rope. People with substance abuse problems face a number of crossroads long before they hit a dead end, and if there were more treatment options available at each of those crossroads, more people would get the help they need. Programs like Phoenix House’s SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) initiative, based in medical clinics, schools, and physician’s offices, help those folks who are still functional but whose drug use is negatively affecting vital aspects of their lives.

Perhaps an even better tool is social media—the very instrument that digital pill mills are using to advertise and support their illegal drug sales. Phoenix House is part of a growing online community of forward-thinking organizations (such as the Partnership at Drugfree.org, The Fix, and others) that offer aid and insight for people affected by substance abuse and addiction. With our platforms on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and elsewhere, we’re sparking dialogues, increasing awareness, and showing folks how and where to get help. We’re presenting healthy options in places where people can simply stumble across them—the very same places they might stumble across internet pill peddlers.

If we could only accomplish one thing in Florida, it should be to increase the awareness, availability, and accessibility of treatment at different levels and locations (physical and digital) throughout the state. Reigning in the pill mill supply was definitely the right first step, but prescription addiction, like any addiction, is a much bigger problem that needs to be addressed from all angles—otherwise, we’re just going to keep losing lives.

Jack M. Feinberg, LMHC, CAP
Vice President and Clinical Director
Phoenix Houses of Florida

I think this injury was meant to happen, because it got me thinking more seriously about a job change. As a counselor I had always loved working with people and helping them. I felt good about it, but I also felt like I was supposed to do something more. I’m a creative person, and I didn’t feel fulfilled creatively. I’d always been interested in cosmetology; as a young boy I used to watch my mom do hair for people outside our house in the Bronx, and it became a real passion for me. I had heard about the Beyoncé Cosmetology Center at the Phoenix House Career Academy in Brooklyn, and I knew you had to have a substance abuse problem or another disability in order to qualify. As I was struggling with my back problem, I applied, and I got in—I was their first student without a drug history.

It was such an eye-opener, starting school at the Cosmetology Center. I mean, I had seen drugs and drug use in my neighborhood and with the kids I had worked with as a counselor, but for the first time I saw adults, my own peers, who were overcoming their addictions and starting new lives. These were people who had stories, amazing personalities—you’d never have guessed that drug addiction had been such a huge part of their pasts. They were friendly, kind-hearted, and passionate about the things they wanted to accomplish. These people, my fellow students at the Center, became my friends for life.

The cosmetology program was extremely helpful, practical, and thorough. The teachers were amazing, and they really helped me become prepared, comfortable, and confident for the state board exam. They gave us the skills we need to make careers out of this; they took us to hair shows and taught us how to get ready for the state board exam—which, I’m proud to say, I recently passed!

When Neal Farinah, who is Beyoncé’s stylist, visited the Cosmetology Center, he thought I had potential and told me to give him a call when I graduated. Of course I did, but at that time he was in the process of building his new salon, so I didn’t hear from him at first. But I was determined. Eventually I heard that he was coming back to the Center to give a talk, so even though I had graduated by that point I went back to see his presentation. Afterwards, I re-introduced myself, gave him my card, and that was that! He called me in for an interview and I got the job.

Neal was a great mentor to me, and he taught me a lot during my time at his salon. I went from an Assistant to a Junior Stylist, and within two months he gave me my own chair in the salon. It was a wonderful experience, and it made me realize that, despite all the stresses of the trade, this is what I was meant to do. I learned so much from Neal—but unfortunately my work with him was short-lived. My mom is going through an illness, and she needed me at home, so I eventually had to leave Neal’s salon. But that didn’t stop me from pursuing this career and getting my license; these days I’ve been taking care of my mom as well as doing hair as a freelancer. Plus, Neal has always said that if I want to come back, my chair is waiting for me.

For now, my future is wide open. I plan to continue freelancing, and I’m about to start my training in massage therapy. My goal is to open up my own salon/spa someday, integrating cosmetology with holistic self-healing—helping people help themselves. This wouldn’t be possible without the time that I spent at the Beyoncé Cosmetology Center, but now I can confidently say that anything is possible if you strive for it and if you work hard enough. I have a passion for this field, for the career that I want, and now I have the tools to make it happen.