Drug and Alcohol Detox at Clearview Los Angeles

Medically facilitated detoxification services are available through our Primary Residential/Inpatient Program.

Detoxification (detox) can be defined as a period of treatment where an individual is helped to overcome their physical dependence on a substance. Detox is intended to relieve the physical symptoms of withdrawal and helps prepare the patient for entry into a treatment program or rehab center. The ultimate goal of detox is to prepare the patient for long term sobriety and recovery.

Alcohol detox can cause a variety of physical symptoms and psychological ramifications. The process of alcohol detox can be traumatic and can trigger any number of side effects including tremors (the shakes), headaches, vomiting, perspiration, restlessness, loss of appetite and insomnia. More serious effects of alcohol detox can be Delirium Tremors (DT’s), autonomic hyperactivity and seizures (convulsions).

The time necessary for  alcohol detox treatment can be anywhere from 3 to 10 days. A variety of medications and procedures are used to detox a patient from alcohol.

Withdrawal from drugs is caused by stopping or dramatically reducing drug use after heavy and prolonged use. The reaction frequently includes sweating, shaking, headache, drug craving, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, inability to sleep, confusion, agitation, depression, anxiety, and other behavioral changes.

Often, there is a significant, self induced, psychological dependence associated with these substances and therefore, a period of initial stabilization followed by residential treatment is advisable. Treatment of withdrawal (detox) includes closely monitoring the person’s vital signs, supportive care and medications. The time period for drug detox is generally 3 to 7 days.

Detox at Clearview

Clearview provides detoxification services in a safe, comfortable, home-like environment. Clients work with a medical doctor who specializes in detoxification methods.

Proper detoxification and minimization of acute and post acute withdrawal symptoms are essential to the treatment process and can greatly increase the likelihood of a client successfully completing treatment.
Clearview utilizes the latest detoxification techniques and medications depending on the patient’s pattern of abuse. When appropriate, Subutex and Suboxone are utilized for opiate detoxification. Our goal is to make the patient as comfortable as possible during the detoxification process.

Clients are rigorously monitored and receive support and guidance from our trained staff while they are detoxed. Gradually, they begin to participate in therapeutic services.

Common substances that clients are detoxed from include:
•  Alcohol
•  Cocaine
•  Heroin and other opiates such as Vicodin and Oxycotin
•  Benzodiazapines such as Xanax and Valium
•  Stimulants pills such as Aderal and Ritalin
•  Methamphetamine and speed
•  Marijuana
•  Club drugs such as Ecstasy and GHB
•  Muscle relaxers
Clearview offers everything that traditional  treatment programs for Alcoholism provide, and more. While standard education, counseling, relapse prevention, and introduction to 12-Step Programs make up the entire curriculum at most other programs, at Clearview it’s just a beginning.

Drug Detox Treatment

Drug detox is the process of eliminating the toxins accumulated in the body due to the intake of drugs. Different kinds of drug detox treatment are available these days. Usually drug detox centers give simple medication to the patient. This keeps the patient to get away from the withdrawal, which is the physiological and mental readjustment occurring due to the discontinuation of the use of drug or any other addictive substances. Withdrawal is considered as the first steps to drug detox.

The nature and severity of withdrawal mainly depends on the nature and level of dependency of the drug used. An ideal drug detox center needs to include all the aspects of the withdrawal. The people who use alcohol, cocaine and other prescription medicines need to take the drug detox courses regularly. Most of the detox center usually provides the therapy and counseling with their detox program.

There are different kinds of drug detox treatment such as cocaine detox, crack detox, marijuana detox, ecstasy detox, heroin detox and methamphetamine detox. Inpatient and outpatient treatments are the two main treatments for the drugs detox.

In the inpatient treatment, the drug detox center gives 24 hours of support in a day. The new surroundings of the inpatient treatments usually help the patient to lead a drug free life. Usually hospitals are used for the inpatient treatments. Some times residences are used for these treatments. These residential inpatient treatments are conducted in residential surroundings with the complete supervision.

Inpatient drug detox treatments can be conducted for both short-term and long-term periods. Often the inpatient treatments are conducted for some short period such as for thirty days whereas the long-term inpatient treatment usually lasts for many months or some times up to one year. Short-term inpatient treatments usually consist of medical stabilization, lifestyle changes and abstinence from drugs.

Because of the level of support provided, inpatient treatments are recommended for those who are severely addicted to drugs. Once out of inpatient care, outpatient treatments for regular checkups and care are also recommended for follow-ups.

If there are any residues remained in the body, it will grow and lead to cravings. Hence drug detox centers have to ensure the complete purification from the drugs. The drug residues usually remain in the fatty tissues of the body. These residues may be passed to the blood many years after the individual has stopped the taking of drugs.

Drug residues also cause the desire for more drugs. Hence the complete elimination of drugs is very important in the drugs detox. This is usually achieved through the regular exercises, sauna and nutritional supplements. The residues of drugs such as LSD, phencyclidine, cocaine, manjuana and diazepam are mainly accumulated in the body. These compounds are usually found in long term and hard core drug users.

The first step for a successful drug detox treatment program is to make the patient to understand about the seriousness of the treatment. The patients need to prepare themselves to keep away from the drugs. The selection of an ideal drug detox center is also important for the success of drugs detox treatment. Since drug detox treatment causes withdrawal, patients need to have a highly supportive environment for success of their cleansing programs.

Understanding Various Aspects Of A Drug Detox Treatment In Virginia

Drug detoxification means removing the presence of the drug from the body of the person. This becomes quite important for a person who is with a long time addiction. You will find that the drug detox treatment in Virginia is much emphasized upon, with most treatment programs keeping it at the very core of their processes. It also has special mention in the addiction treatment program in Virginia itself. All these factors contribute to the notion that drug treatment is not possible without detox.

However, the importance that has been accorded to the drug detox treatment in Virginia is quite warranted. Here we see how a drug detox treatment in Virginia is implemented and why it is considered to be so significant.

What is Drug Detox?

Actually, detoxification means to cleanse the body. When we speak of it in the context of drug addiction, we imply the removal of the drug and its incompletely metabolized forms from the body of the patient. If the person has been with a drug addiction long enough, it is quite understandable that they will have a strong presence of the drug in their body. The removal of this by making the person first abstain and then treating the withdrawal effects that occur is what constitutes the drug detoxification treatment.

How is Drug Detox Treatment in Virginia implemented?

The first step of this treatment is to isolate the patient. This is necessary because the patient needs to be removed from all familiar situations and people so that he or she can properly come out of the craving for the substance. The patient is accommodated in a treatment center and is put on a healthy lifestyle. This includes modification in the diet and, most importantly, a complete abstinence from the substance of addiction.

At the same time, the patient is put on some kinds of medication that will help them stay away from the temptation for using the substance. These medications have several purposes. Some of them are targeted at destroying the urge for using the substance within the person. Some of them can actually make the person dislike the substance. Medications are also required in order to stabilize the person’s internal processes that might have been disrupted on account of using the addictive substance.

Despite this, the person will feel a withdrawal within one or two days of the abstinence, depending on how strongly addicted the person has been to the substance. During this period, the treatment providers will need to exercise absolute care for the patient so that he or she can suitably come out of the withdrawal. The completely focus is on the patient not succumbing to the withdrawal and relapsing into the addiction.

What are the Purposes of Drug Detox Treatment in Virginia?

The obvious benefit of drug detox treatment in Virginia is to cleanse the substance from the body of the person so that he or she does not suffer from any kinds of health complications on its account. In some cases, people may give up using an addictive substance as they grow up. But if they are not detoxified, the substance will still remain in their bodies and this can cause a health problem anytime later in life. Hence, one of the chief purposes of drug detoxification is to remove all presence of the substance from the body, even the faint traces, so that the person can live a really healthy life.

Also, detoxification is important for bringing the patient to an addiction free life. As long as the addictive substance is present in the body of the person, it will be quite difficult for him or her to come out of the temptation for using the substance. This can be a big problem because the craving for the substance will still remain in the person’s mind. By detoxification, the substance is completely removed, which helps the person’s internal system to come out of the dependency on the substance.

How long does Drug Detox Treatment in Virginia take?

That will actually depend on the nature of the person’s addiction and his or her physical condition. If the patient is to be detoxified from a less addictive substance such as cocaine or marijuana, then a week would be sufficient for detoxifying the patient. But if the person’s addiction is severe, like that of heroin or methamphetamine, then the detox treatment can even go on for up to a month. Similarly if the person has some health problems, the drug detox program is bound to go longer because in that case treatment of the withdrawal will become a trickier proposition.

Drug Related Street Terms/ Slang Words

Drugs are illegal in most places in the world today. For this reason talk of it has had to go underground. A very effective way of going underground is the development of a secret code language known and understood only by those who live in that world. In this way people can talk about illicit drug taking right in front of partners and parents without fear of them catching on.

Like any language that boasts a number of users drug related street terms are now more numerous than can begin to be recorded or described. There is also nothing static about this street slang. It changes faster than fashion and prides itself on staying ahead of those who would crack the code.

Here is just a small snippet of this language with some descriptive terms where they are applicable:

* SERIAL SPEEDBALLING: Sequencing cocaine, cough syrup and heroin over a 1 to 2 day period.

* A- BOOT: Under the influence of drugs

* AGONIES: Withdrawal symptoms

* CHALKED UP: Under the influence of cocaine

* HEAVEN AND HELL: PCP

* PHARMING: Consuming mixture of prescription substances

* TARDUST: Cocaine

* TWEAK MISSION: On a mission to find crack

* WAKE UPS: Amphetamines

* SACRAMENT: LSD

* HIGHBEAMS: Wide eyes associated with taking crack

* PAPER BAG: Container for drugs

* TEX-MEX: Marijuana

* SAM: Federal narcotics agent

* CARPET PATROL: Crack smokers searching the floor for crack

* HALF A FOOTBALL FIELD: 50 rocks of crack

* AMPHEAD: LSD user

* AUTHOR: Doctor who writes illegal prescriptions

* ARE YOU ANYWHERE: Do you use marijuana

* CLOSET BASER: User of cocaine that prefers anonymity

* HONEYMOON: Early stages of drug use before addiction

* MISS: To inject a drug

* HYPE STICK|: Hypodermic needle

* PIGGYBACKING: Simultaneous injecting of two different drugs

* TOKE: To inhale cocaine or smoke marijuana

Factors On Which Drug Detox In Missouri Depends

One of the key elements of the addiction treatment program in Missouri is the drug detox program. Different parts of the world have different meanings of drug detox. In some parts of the world, detox may simply mean to reduce the person’s dependency on a substance from a higher level of addiction to a lower level. However, the meaning of drug detox in Missouri is to completely cleanse the person’s body of the substance of addiction present in it. Now, this is definitely not an easy task to achieve. Especially in people have been with an addiction since several years and people who have been using the substance of addiction to a very high extent, the detox can be very difficult.

The basic nature of a drug detox in Missouri is to make the patient abstain from the addictive substance completely, in an isolated setting. Keeping the patient in the isolated setting makes actually makes it easier for the patient to overcome the temptation for the substance because of the simple reason that the patient is removed from familiar surroundings. At the same time, the patient is provided with complete medical supervision so that it becomes safer for them to go through the entire detox process.

Abstinence from a substance that someone is addicted to is never simple. Within just a day or two, the patient will begin to feel the first pangs of withdrawal. Withdrawal is the body’s way of letting the person know that it needs the substance within it. During the withdrawal, the person will begin feeling a very intense urge to consume the substance. This will increase by the third and fourth days, which are known as the peak of the detox.

However, during this period, the treatment providers will do all they can to provide the patient with some medication that can help reduce the urges for the substance. For example, if the person is with an alcohol addiction, a substance like Naltrexone or Antabuse can help reduce the urges for alcohol. The medication depends on the kind of addiction the person is in. The routine for this medication is set up by the treatment providers in advance, but as later complications arise, the treatment program may be altered, sometimes even on an extempore basis.

A drug detox in Missouri is said to be complete when the patient has been completely pulled out of the withdrawal and has been brought out of the intense craving for the substance. This may take anywhere up to a week, but in some cases, the treatment may go on to much higher than that.

Now, let us see the factors on which the length and the intensity of the drug detox in Missouri depend.

The Nature of the Addiction

The nature of the addiction will influence the drug detox program because the stronger the addictive substance is, the more time will be required to pull the person out of the withdrawal. Substances like alcohol and marijuana can be easily detoxified from a person’s system, but heroin and methamphetamine can take even up to a month for getting properly detoxified from the person’s body.

The Length of Time and Frequency of the Addiction

If the person has been using the addictive substance for a very long time, then it indicates that a lot of the substance must have got accumulated in the person’s body. Even if the person has been taking only a little of the substance, it will metabolize and house itself in the person’s body. On the other hand, if the patient has been consuming very high doses of the substance, then there will be too much of the substance present in the body even if the person has not been addicted to it for a very long time. In both these cases, the detox program will become very difficult because the body is expected to react violently to suddenly stopping the substance.

The Physical and Mental Health of the Patient

It is important that the person be in sound condition of body and mind for an easy detox process. People who have health complications will find it very difficult to come out of the pangs for the substance. At the same time, people with mental illnesses will not be able to generate the determination that is needed to stay away from the substance of addiction or to bear the withdrawal.

Apart from these, several other factors can influence the drug detox in Missouri. Some of these include the age of the person, pregnancy, family situation, etc.

Drug Treatment Programs –Facts You Must Know

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Drug abuse is a widespread issue. The intensity of addiction depends upon the individual and behavior. It is disheartening to know that immature youth fall prey in to the trap without knowing the consequences. The only good news is that drug addiction is treatable. The treatment process is called drug rehabilitation. It aims to bring back the person to normal life and integrate him to the society. The process will involve techniques on how to avoid drugs, teaching new stress management skills and other emotional and behavioral treatments. The location of the center plays a vital role. It must be peaceful and should comfort the addicts. The treatment centers can be private or government operated. But in most cases, the private owned treatment centers may be expensive and highly successful.

It is quite shocking to check that there were over 2.4 million admissions to treatment centers were made in 2007 of which 25% are for alcohol abuse, 15% for marijuana and 15% for heroin in America. The average age group that enters the drug rehabilitation centers is between 35 and 40 years of age. Early exposure to drugs like marijuana, cocaine may spoil the health of the teenagers and affect their performance. Long term use can lead to addiction. The centers may have different treatment programs according to the needs of the individuals. There may be some addicts addicted to cocaine or marijuana or alcohol. Each needs a separate kind of treatment and not need a generic kind.

Drug treatment programs involve counseling and group therapy. The ultimate goal of any rehab program is to make the addict abstinent from the drugs. It will increase the productivity of the patient and try to build up good health and confidence. Withdrawal symptoms can be treated effectively. The success of the good programs is heavily dependent on the trained professionals who run the center. The individual talents and motivation from the staff can make a huge difference in the life of addicts. Patients must actively engage in the programs. No program can be highly successful without the co-operation of the patients. The courage and confidence must be obtained which results in better participation. Co-operation with the staff and confidence gaining can help in beating the addiction.

Rehab centers must have variety of programs to suit the various needs of the addicts. Choosing a drug rehab center is a crucial decision. The programs offered may comprise of inpatient, residential, outpatient, and/or short-stay options. Cost is an important factor and the price tag differs according to the programs. The kind of stay or program will be decided by the severity of the addiction. A clear understanding on what the programs offer is needed. The addict must know on what to expect from the program and what best he can offer as his contribution. The center must offer extended care program to monitor the success and behavior of the patients as a part of their program.

Drug Addiction and Risks:

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Drug addiction is compulsive use of a substance despite negative consequences which can be severe; drug abuse is simply excessive use of a drug or use of a drug for purposes for which it was not medically intended. Dependence on a substance is not necessary or sufficient to define addiction, there are some substances that don’t cause addiction but do cause dependence (for example, some blood pressure medications) and substances that cause addiction but not dependence (they are mainly characterized by depression).

 

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

 

Drug abuse can lead to drug dependence or addiction. Drug addiction may also follow the use of drugs for physical pain relief, though this is rare in people without a previous history of addiction. The exact reason of drug abuse and dependence is not yet known. The genetic make-up of the individuals, peer pressure, emotional distress, anxiety, depression, and environmental stress are all factors which seem to be involved. Children who grow up in an environment of illicit drug use may first see their elders using drugs. This may put them at a higher risk for developing an addiction later in life for both environmental and genetic reasons.

 

Commonly abused substances include:

 

· Opiates and narcotics are powerful painkillers with sedative and euphoric qualities. These include heroin, opium, codeine, Oxycontin and others.

 

· Central nervous system stimulants have a stimulating effect and can produce tolerance. These include amphetamines, cocaine, commonly used stimulants are caffeine and nicotine.

 

· Central nervous system depressants produce a soothing sedative and anxiety-reducing effect and which leads to dependence. These include barbiturates (amobarbital, pentobarbital, secobarbital). Commonly used depressants, by far, is alcohol.

 

· Hallucinogens produce psychological dependence. These include LSD, mescaline, psilocybin (”mushrooms”).

 

· Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the active ingredient found in cannabis, marijuana, and hashish. Although used for their relaxing properties, THC-derived drugs can also lead to paranoia and anxiety.

 

Drug intoxication and drug overdose may be accidental or intentional. Drug withdrawal symptoms can occur when use of a substance is stopped. Withdrawal symptoms vary, depending on the particular substance. The withdrawal symptom depends on the length of time the drug was being used. Drug intoxication, overdose, and withdrawal can be life-threatening in some situations.

 

Treatment for the person with drug addiction begins with the recognition of the problem. Though earlier “denial” was considered as a symptom of addiction, recent studies has shown that this symptom can be dramatically controlled if addicts are treated with love and care, rather than being told what to do or “confronted.” Treatment of drug addiction involves detoxification, support and abstinence. Emergency treatment may be indicated for acute cases. Often, there may be a loss of consciousness and the person may need special medical attention temporarily. The specific treatment depends on the drug. Detoxification is the gradual withdrawal of an abused substance in a controlled way. Sometimes a drug with a similar action is substituted during the withdrawal process to reduce the unpleasant symptoms and risks associated with withdrawal. If depression or other mood disorder exists, it should be treated appropriately. The need for treatment is underscored by the severity of illness of those who undergo detoxification and the societal costs of untreated substance use disorders.

Having a Drug Addiction While Pregnant

When a woman is struggling with drug addiction during her pregnancy, that drug use affects more than just her – it affects her fetus as well. The drugs can also have devastating effects on the child one he or she is born. Drug addiction and pregnancy should be treated as a very serious issue. A mother taking illegal drugs during pregnancy increases her risk for anemia, blood and heart infections, skin infections, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases. She also is at greater risk for sexually transmitted diseases. Most drugs cross the placenta – the organ that provides nourishment to the baby. Some can cause direct toxic, or poisonous effets and create a child who is born with a drug addiction.

During pregnancy, a woman needs to take active steps to combat her drug addiction, if not for herself, but for the good of her unborn child. While most drugs don’t necessarily cause deformities, what they can do is stunt the growth of the child leading to low birth weight and having a baby born already addicted to drugs. Once that child takes his or her first breath, they begin the painful process of withdrawing from drugs. This puts stress on the baby’s organs and provides for a very unhappy life. As much pain as an adult goes through during withdrawal, the pain is compounded for a helpless child. A urine lab test performed on a woman during her pregnancy called a chromatography can detect the presence of many drugs including marijuana and cocaine. Marijuana use during pregnancy is linked to behavioral problems in the child and cocaine can bring on premature delivery and even stillbirth. Drug addiction is a very complex mental condition as well a physical one.

During pregnancy, it becomes a serious health risk both for the mother and the baby. After birth, you may find yourself having troubles coping with the stress of a newborn. You may have difficulty dealing with your baby’s needs such as feeding and diapering. So what can you do if you are dealing with drug addiction during pregnancy? This can be problematic, especially if the child is not planned. The best thing you can do is to stop using drugs immediately. Sure, this will cause severe physical symptoms, but those generally subside within a few weeks. Get yourself into some type of treatment program and get counseling. A pregnancy is exciting, but when you are struggling with drug addiction, it can be painful. You owe it to yourself and you owe it to your child to beat your drug addiction and have a healthy pregnancy.

Drug Use During Pregnancy

When a woman is struggling with drug addiction during her pregnancy, that drug use affects more than just her – it affects her fetus as well.  The drugs can also have devastating effects on the child one he or she is born.  Drug addiction and pregnancy should be treated as a very serious issue.

A mother taking illegal drugs during pregnancy increases her risk for anemia, blood and heart infections, skin infections, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases. She also is at greater risk for sexually transmitted diseases.  Most drugs cross the placenta – the organ that provides nourishment to the baby.  Some can cause direct toxic, or poisonous effets and create a child who is born with a drug addiction.

During pregnancy, a woman needs to take active steps to combat her drug addiction, if not for herself, but for the good of her unborn child.  While most drugs don’t necessarily cause deformities, what they can do is stunt the growth of the child leading to low birth weight and having a baby born already addicted to drugs.

Once that child takes his or her first breath, they begin the painful process of withdrawing from drugs.  This puts stress on the baby’s organs and provides for a very unhappy life.  As much pain as an adult goes through during withdrawal, the pain is compounded for a helpless child.

A urine lab test performed on a woman during her pregnancy called a chromatography can detect the presence of many drugs including marijuana and cocaine.  Marijuana use during pregnancy is linked to behavioral problems in the child and cocaine can bring on premature delivery and even stillbirth.

Drug addiction is a very complex mental condition as well a physical one.  During pregnancy, it becomes a serious health risk both for the mother and the baby.  After birth, you may find yourself having troubles coping with the stress of a newborn.  You may have difficulty dealing with your baby’s needs such as feeding and diapering.

So what can you do if you are dealing with drug addiction during pregnancy?  This can be problematic, especially if the child is not planned.  The best thing you can do is to stop using drugs immediately.  Sure, this will cause severe physical symptoms, but those generally subside within a few weeks.  Get yourself into some type of treatment program and get counseling.

A pregnancy is exciting, but when you are struggling with drug addiction, it can be painful.  You owe it to yourself and you owe it to your child to beat your drug addiction and have a healthy pregnancy.

Depth Information on Drug Rehab Programs

Drug addiction and drug abuse habitual use of any chemical substance to change states of body or mind for other than medically warranted purposes. Psychological reliance is the subjective feeling that the user needs the drug to uphold a feeling of well-being; physical dependence is characterized by tolerance and withdrawal symptoms when the user is sober.

Definitions of addiction are subjective and infused with the moral principles of the society or culture, the stimulant caffeine in coffee and tea is a drug used world wide by millions of people, but because of its relatively soft stimulatory effects and because caffeine does not generally activate antisocial behavior in person who is using these, the drinking of tea and coffee, despite the fact that caffeine is physically addictive, is not generally considered drug abuse. In Indian sub-continent Opium has been used for centuries without fetching unduly corrosive to the social fabric.

By comparison, 72% of the population America has smoked cigarettes and 82% has tried alcoholic beverages.  As well, Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug.

Users of drugs, experience a wide array of physical effects other than those expected. Some drugs like, Marijuana and alcohol interfere with motor control and are factors in many automobile accidents. Users of   drugs, like marijuana and hallucinogenic drugs may experience flashbacks, unwanted recurrences of the drug’s effects weeks or months after use.

Sudden abstinence from certain drugs results in removal symptoms. For example, heroin and some other drug withdrawal can cause vomiting, muscle cramps, convulsions, and delirium. With the continued use of a physically addictive drug, tolerance develops; i.e., continuously increasing amount of the drug are needed to double the early effect. Sharing hypodermic syringe used to inject some drugs dramatically increases the risk of contracting AIDS caused by HIV.

In addition, increased sexual activity among drug users, both in prostitution and from the       disinheriting result of some drugs, also puts them at a higher risk of AIDS and other STDs (sexual transmitted disease). Because the purity and amount of illegal drugs are uncontrolled, drug overdose is a constant risk. The money to buy drugs, and some drugs, especially alcohol, are associated with violent behavior in users.

There are over 15,000 deaths directly attributable to drug use in the United States of America every year; the substances most regularly involved are cocaine, heroin, and often combined with alcohol or other drugs. Many drug users connect in criminal activity, such as prostitution, to raise the money to buy drugs, and some drugs, in case of

Alcohol, are associated with violent behavior.

Drug abuse affects society in many ways with their way of life. In the place of work it is costly in terms of lost work time and inefficiency. Drug users are more likely than nonusers to have work-related accidents, endangering themselves and those around them. Over half of the highway deaths in the United States of America involve alcohol. Drug-related offense can disturb neighborhoods due to violence among drug dealers, threats to inhabitants, and the crimes of the addicts themselves. In some neighborhoods, younger kids are recruited as lookouts and helpers because of the lighter sentences given to young offenders, and guns have become commonplace among children and teenagers. The great majority of homeless people have either a drug or alcohol problem or a mental sickness—many have all three.

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