News & Updates

In November 2023, we were honored to witness the well-deserved recognition of our founder, David Sanchez, for his exceptional dedication to our cause. As the driving force behind Strike Out Against Drugs, a nonprofit 501c3 outreach program, David has tirelessly worked to educate and empower our younger generation about the perils of drug and alcohol abuse. His unwavering commitment to spreading awareness and preventing addiction has not gone unnoticed, as he was presented with the prestigious President’s Volunteer Service Award. This accolade, accompanied by a certificate of achievement and a letter signed by President Biden, serves as a testament to David's remarkable service to the community and his relentless efforts to make a positive impact on the lives of our youth.

Recently featured in a local Los Angeles Spectrum News 1 article. The article is shared below and can be found here at this link . LA Organization Hopes to Reduce Drug Epidemic Worsened by Pandemic By Jada Montemarano LOS ANGELES — With over 700,000 drug users in Los Angeles, the city is classified as a high-intensity drug zone, and the problem has only gotten bigger during the pandemic. According to L.A. County , fentanyl-related deaths increased 101% from 2019 to 2020, and the Association of American Medical Colleges is attributing this rise to the pandemic. Strike Out Against Drugs is a nonprofit organization hoping to use drug use in the city. One volunteer, Rodney Wikel, recently lost his wife to the epidemic. What You Need To Know With over 700,000 drug users in Los Angeles, the city is classified as a high-intensity drug zone The problem has worsened during the pandemic, with fentanyl deaths increased 101% from 2019 to 2020 Strike Out Against Drugs is a Koreatown-based organization that educates about drug addiction The organization's CEO says uneasiness, loneliness, and destruction from the pandemic is increasing drug use "The opioid addiction is real. It took a mother, a grandmother, and turned her into an addict," Wikel said. He said his wife only started taking pills to deal with pain, which quickly escalated into heroin addiction. She sadly lost her life to an accidental overdose in January. Wikel and his family were left with so many questions. "I just felt so helpless. Why didn't I see it?" Wikel said. But Wikel never expected this from his wife. He always thought he would be the one to die at the hands of drugs. Wikel has been an addict his whole life. He went to prison in 2005 and spent most of that time continuing his drug use. But four years ago, he got sober and focused on a new life after his release in 2019. So, now he uses his wife's passing and his struggles with addiction to help others. After prison, he moved into the Beacon of Hope Sober Living Home to stay on track, where he got introduced to Strike Out Against Drugs. "My wife OD-ing really cemented my determination and my will to fight. We are trying to save lives," Wikel said. CEO of the organization David Sanchez also was in and out of prison and an addict for 40 years. He made it his life's mission to help others. Sanchez and his team hand out flyers on the street, choosing Koreatown because it is a prominent area where drug abuse has risen. "The drug pandemic is sweeping our communities. It has our cities tied in a knot. We want to be able to loosen that knot a little bit. We want to help people who want help but don't know how to get help," Sanchez said. He said the uneasiness, loneliness, and destruction from the pandemic are only increasing drug use. According to L.A. County Department of Health, opioid-related overdose deaths skyrocketed in 2020 by the thousands. "Everybody's dying. People have family members dying around them. It's compelling them to use more drugs. There's no pill or vaccination shot to cure our addiction," Sanchez said. The CDC also says 40% of Americans are experiencing mental health consequences due to the pandemic. Wikel said he hopes his story and his pain will deter others from using drugs to cope. "It gets into everything. It destroys lives. When my wife overdosed, it destroyed my family," Wikel said. If you or a loved one needs help, please visit their website to learn more.

Adolescents who use drugs might not become addicted in adulthood, but they can damage their health mentally, physically and emotionally during their childhoods. For a few who are particularly vulnerable, drug use can and does become an ongoing risk of addiction into their futures. There is an important distinction between illicit use and addiction. Illicit use of drugs refers to using drugs for pleasure or highs. Addiction to drugs refers to a dependence upon those substances; people who are addicted have no control over whether, when, how or how much of the drugs they crave. Addiction can be psychological, physical or both. Statistics About Adolescent Addiction According to the 2019 Monitoring the Future or MTF Survey, in which more than 42,000 students participated from nearly 400 private and public schools throughout the U.S., encouraging trends have been evident in the drug usage and attitudes among students in the 8th, 10th and 12th grades. The survey showed declines in five-year trends of illicit use of drugs other than marijuana. Perhaps most significant was the rate of prescription opioid misuse; it was at its lowest since the survey’s first time including it in its assessments. Contrary to these positive trends, youths of the 10th and 12th grades have been vaping at a dramatically increased rate. High school seniors share several common reasons for vaping. They stated that they tried it to experiment, because of the good taste, to relieve tension or achieve relaxation and to enjoy time with friends. The percentage of seniors saying that their vaping is because they are hooked is particularly concerning at 8%. Statistical Reasons Behind Drug Use According to OnHealth, drug use disorders tend to arise in teens who suffer from low self-esteem, poor impulse control, depression, a family history that includes substance use or a history that includes being abused. Teens with little parental supervision, with parents who do not communicate much or who feel that they are distinctly different from others of their age also face the risk of drug use. Teens who use substances, over-the-counter medications, illegal street drugs or prescription drugs so that they can achieve a high can get health problems that are significant and even life-threatening. This usage also makes accidents more likely and leads to increases in violence, unsafe sex and suicide. Most Commonly Used Substances Marijuana is used by more than one in five 12th graders at least once in any particular month. Usage is on the rise; many believe that the drug presents no danger to its users. However, short-term effects of marijuana include impairment of memory, judgment and perception. Long-term effects include a decrease in motivation as well as brain impairments and decreases in sexual function. When teens use marijuana for euphoria and relaxation, they can also experience increased heart rates, anxiety and even psychosis. After marijuana, alcohol and tobacco, the most commonly used substances by teens are prescription medications. Roughly 11% of seniors in high schools admitted to abusing such substances during the year preceding. The most commonly used drugs by teens are sedatives and tranquilizers such as Klonopin, Valium and Xanax; opioid pain killers such as OxyContin, Vicodin, Percodan and Percocet; and ADHD medication such as Concerta, Adderall and Ritalin. Teens often believe that prescription drugs are safer than street drug use, but this is untrue. Illicit use of these medications can be quite dangerous, up to and including fatality as a result. Teen Addiction Treatment Teens’ initiation of drug use or alcohol is frequently associated with substance use disorder. These disorders are defined as having met the diagnostic criteria for dependence on alcohol or illicit drugs or both. In 2009, the National Household Survey on Drug Use and Health showed that around 7% of adolescents met that criteria. This represents more than 1.7 million youths aged 12 to 17. Delaying or preventing the first usage of drugs is critical for the mitigation of substance use disorder development. Many adolescents need services for the treatment of the disorder along with its related social and health consequences, but it is an unfortunate fact that many teens never receive these services. Teens with substance use disorders that go untreated have an increased risk of a variety of unfortunate consequences, such as the disorder escalating and transitioning from use to dependence, accidents driving motor vehicles, high-risk sexual behavior and violent events. High levels of usage of illicit substances are associated with three leading causes of fatalities among youths: suicide, accidents and homicide. Substance use disorders that persist can often be linked to the development or aggravation of anxiety disorders, major depressive disorders, ADHD and conduct disorders. How to Approach Addiction With Your Children? First, understand the circumstances and evaluate the situation. Is the use problematic? Many parents dismiss a certain degree of underage drinking or marijuana smoking as harmless teenage behaviors or rites of passage. Unfortunately, when you consider how the brain develops its structure in teens and young adults, you see the damage that can truly be caused. The human brain does not reach its full development until roughly 25 years of age. This means that a teen’s use of alcohol and drugs can damage the developing brain over the long term. It can cause health problems and learning difficulties in adulthood. Important Concepts and Misconceptions If you suspect or are certain that your child is using substances, it is important to comprehend the difference between substance use disorder and addiction. Some people advise that a person should be allowed to hit rock bottom before stepping in with an intervention, but this is unwise. Before this happens, while a drug or alcohol user still has social supports and is engaged in activities, helping them turn their behavior in the desired direction is much easier. Another misconception is that your child can quit cold turkey. Many teens with substance use disorder require treatment that is either longer-term or repeated. Learn More Find out more about each substance you believe your child may be using. Know what it looks like, the signs of usage, how the substance is used, the slang terms that refer to it and the risks that are associated with it. Then, you will be better prepared to truly determine whether it is being used and better understand how to talk to your child about it. Understand the Underlying Reasons Most children are taught the risks of substance use, so why would they face those risks? You can watch out for various factors and reasons. A family history can put a child at risk for the development of a substance use disorder. Genes are far from the only potential determining factor, however. Mental health issues and traumatic experiences can also lead to trying out substances and growing addicted to them. Impulse control problems further increase these risks. Other potential reasons lie outside the home. Their friends may have decided to use substances, or they may have seen television characters using substances. Your child may simply want to fit in or be seen as cool. They may be bored, lack confidence, be undergoing a life transition or simply be unhappy. Substances can be an escape valve for negative feelings. Usage may help with socializing. Stress over schoolwork can also be at the heart of the matter. Communicate Appropriately If your child’s friends are involved in drugs, invite the friends over, get to know their parents and work together to find healthy activities. If your family has a history of substance use, speak to your child about it as you would about the possibility of any health problem. When escapism or negative feelings are at the heart of substance use, speak to children about emotions and healthy means of coping with them. Know What’s Out There Drug culture has changed dramatically between the generations. There is a wide range of substances that teens can find accessible, and parents may not know about them. Synthetic drugs like Spice and K2 have grown increasingly popular. Hallucinogens are also emerging as a popular drug type. The internet can make substances more widely available, paid for with cryptocurrencies and sent to P.O. boxes. Understand How to Cope When you have a concern that your child might be using in this fashion, the best thing to do is spend time with him or her. Communicate often and consistently, watching for changes in behavior. This includes sleeping patterns, mood and performance at school or work. Monitor what goes on with the home computer. Unexplained software or a suspicious browsing history should be discussed and understood. Consider a Contract A written or verbal contract can help keep things clearly understood between you and your child. You can make the promise to pick up kids at any hour without asking any questions. This can be comforting to a child whose driver has been using drugs or alcohol. They can still be responsible without getting in trouble. Other situations can also be detailed. Suspension of privileges can occur, for example, if someone was drinking or using substances while your child was driving. Discuss the possibilities and expectations from the start. Signs of Drug Use Your child may be using substances if you notice dramatic changes in their appearance, physical health or friends. Other signs include: • Drug paraphernalia and evidence of drugs • Your child being overly influenced by peers • Emotional distancing • Isolation from family or friends • Depression or fatigue • Poor grades in school • Behavioral problems in school • Hostility and irritability • A change in how much the child is willing to help out around the house • Decreased interest in the child’s personal appearance • Dizziness or memory problems • Eyes that have pinpoint pupils in dim light or widely dilated pupils in bright light • Physical changes such as bloodshot eyes, frequent sore throats, runny noses or rapid weight loss • Unusual breath odors • Changes in sleeping patterns, eating or moods Drug Addiction Symptoms You can also speak with your child, once you have broached the subject, about the risk of addiction. Talk to them about how they feel. Do they feel like they must regularly use the drug? Do they have intense urges for it that block out other thoughts? Have they been needing more or more frequent uses of the drug to achieve the same effect? Do they feel stress or anxiety if they do not have a supply of the drug? These are all symptoms of addiction to a substance. If your child is either addicted or using a substance, you may find that the problem extends beyond what your family can handle alone. Help is available. Green Mountain Treatment Center offers an array of substance use disorder treatment services. Contact us to find out about individualized treatment plans, client-to-client programs and medical detox. Reposted by permission from Green Mountain Treatment Center

The psychology of addiction is a complex pattern of behaviors that lead people to compulsive repetition of a certain behavior even though they know it’s harmful. Addiction involves both physical and psychological aspects. Physical addiction is easy to understand. When someone abuses drugs or alcohol, especially over a long period of time, it causes changes in the brain’s neurotransmitters. These chemicals react with centers of the brain that create feelings of pleasure and well-being. Greater quantities of an addictive substance are needed over time to create the same pleasurable feelings. An abuser’s body adjusts to the rising levels of drugs or alcohol and adapts its biochemistry to compensate for the chemicals ingested. Over time, physical addiction results. Abrupt cessation of drug or alcohol use can cause unpleasant and even life-threatening reactions. Most psychological addiction begins with feelings that are out of control. Strong emotions like rage, jealousy, fear and hopelessness make some people feel helpless. To quell these uncomfortable feelings, abusers turn to drugs, alcohol or compulsive behaviors such as gambling, overeating or pornography. At first, turning to substances or behaviors to soothe unpleasant feelings is a choice. No one wakes up in the morning and decides they’re going to become a substance abuser or engage in a life-threatening compulsion. However, at some point, the behavior or drug of choice becomes a necessary ritual and takes over as the primary method of relieving strong feelings. Repetition can become so ingrained that the original situation that triggered the addiction is no longer necessary to engage in a binge or relapse. Passing a brightly lit bar may trigger an alcoholic to crave a drink even if he’s been sober for years. Pictures of an appealing chocolate cake can send a compulsive overeater into a pleasant daydream about a binge, leading to relapse. Repeated behaviors dig deep grooves into the human psyche, reinforcing addictive patterns and the psychology of addiction. WHEN IS A BEHAVIOR AN ADDICTION? Some behaviors may be harmful, but they are neither compulsive nor addictive. Individuals who binge-drink on the weekends are engaging in harmful behavior, but they may not be truly addicted to alcohol and can stop binge drinking when their situation changes. A college senior who binge drinks on the weekends may graduate and embark on a path to a career and family, giving up binge drinking for the responsibilities of adulthood. An addict, on the other hand, would have extreme difficulty giving up their drinking habit even if it meant losing a job or loved ones. Many compulsive behaviors live in the gray area between self-medication, compulsion and addiction. Overeating, for example, can take on many shades of gray. Self-medicating with chocolate is so commonplace that television commercials urge viewers to indulge in the latest confection as a reward for a job well done or a hard day completed. Such an indulgence can turn into compulsion when the overeater knows that eating an extra chocolate bar packs on unwanted calories. Compulsion may also be said to occur when an overeater eats even when they know it’s harmful to their health, such as a diabetic feeling a strong urge to eat sweets. Such a compulsion turns into an addiction when the overeater can’t stop and the indulgence turns into an out-of-control binge. Compulsive overeaters, like drug addicts and alcoholics, have been known to steal money or food to feed their habit. Although this example uses compulsive overeating, other addictive behaviors may fall into a similar pattern. Food isn’t addictive per se, but the behavior around food may be. Determining when the behavior of self-medication turns from compulsion into addiction takes time and work with a skilled therapist or addiction counselor

.Overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone, which includes fentanyl, increased almost 47% from 2016 to 2017.3 Roughly 28,400 people died from overdoses involving synthetic opioids other than methadone in 2017 Reports from law enforcement indicate that much of the synthetic opioid overdose increase may be due to illegally or illicitly made fentanyl. According to data from the National Forensic Laboratory Information System, confiscations, or seizures, of fentanyl increased by nearly 10 fold from 2017 to 2018. There were 8,585 fentanyl confiscations in 2018. this is a rise from 4,226 in 2014. This suggests that the sharp rise in fentanyl-related deaths may be due to increased availability of illegally made, non-pharmaceutical fentanyl, and not prescribed fentanyl. The number of states reporting 20 or more fentanyl confiscations every six months is increasing. From July to December 2018, 18 states reported 20 or more fentanyl drug confiscations. By comparison, six states reported 20 or more fentanyl drug confiscations from July to December 2018.

Is your teenager experimenting with drugs and alcohol?

It’s every parent’s fear: their kids doing drugs. In general, most kids will try something before the age of twenty, and it’s a fairly natural part of experimenting with the world around them. However, some kids will have an addiction problem before they hit puberty. So what possesses them to do this? As with many things, a lack of trustworthy information is usually an indirect cause of many kids getting into drugs. A lot of drug information is hyperbole about the effects, as in general, most drugs are not actually as bad as many information sources make out. You might remember the fried egg advertisements solemnly stating: “This is your brain on drugs.” Hyperbole does not inspire trust. Neither does simply saying that drugs are bad without offering any information. You need to have a frank conversation with your kids about the effects of drugs, but it needs to be nonjudgmental. They need to feel as though they can turn to you for help if they get into trouble or if they need help getting clean and off drugs. Again, how you conduct yourself is important to how your kid deals with drugs. What we mean by this is that if you regularly drink to excess, your child has a much greater chance of becoming an alcoholic. You need to model sensibility and moderation. This means not drinking during the day and only keeping a small amount of alcohol in the house. It also means seeking drug abuse treatment if another drug is affecting your ability to work or generally live life. A child of an addicted parent is eight times more likely to end up an addict. So, if you’re living life reasonably soberly, why else might your kid become an addict? Well, it all depends on the company your kid keeps. In their teenage years, parents are seen as less important than friends. Part of the reason is that friends are more likely to understand exactly what your kid is going through and that their friends don’t restrict them. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t place restrictions on your kids-that’s an integral part of parenting. Just don’t expect your kids to always respect and enjoy those restrictions. Your kid’s friends are the most likely reason that your kid will enter into addiction. If your kid understands the risks of taking drugs (especially glue-the average age of a solvent addict is 12), he or she is likely to have the power to say no. However, friends can be powerful influences, and sometimes you need to restrict who your kids hang out with. You need some indication that they’re actually doing something-kids who are restricted too much are much more likely to rebel (authoritarian parenting doesn’t work that well). It’s a fine line, but graduated sanctions are generally the way to go. In general, one or two kids are generally the leaders, and the others are followers. It sounds a little Lord of the Flies, but that’s how most cultures around the world, including our own, are set up. You get one or two who are willing to stand out and express dissent, but that’s relatively rare. So, you’ve found out which of your kids friends are most likely to lead your kid astray and you’ve reduced contact. What else is there? Well, if your kid is bored and able to browse the Internet at will, it’s quite likely that he or she is likely to come across various sites that promote drug taking, even detailing how to make and take them. While it’s unlikely that your kid will become addicted to meth this way, your child might look at taking poppers (amyl nitrate), solvents, or even mild hallucinogens that can be obtained through everyday ingredients. Alternatively, they might just steal your alcohol. That’s why we suggest reducing your alcohol stocks. Kids who are not appropriately stimulated get bored, and a bored kid is a restless kid, especially if they’re quite bright. A bored kid is more likely to experiment with various things. Some take apart items, whereas others do drugs or alcohol. It’s all about finding something to do. Your child is dependent on you up until the age of eighteen and is reliant on you for support and guidance. While friends change and people move on, their parents remain the same and should only be but a short phone call away at most. It’s your guidance that should help them steer clear of addiction. If your teen is falling prey to an alcohol, drug or behavioral addiction, get them help.

As of November 7, 2019, 2,051 people have been diagnosed with severe lung disease secondary to smoking electronic cigarettes (also known as vaping) and 39 people have died from the newly recognized e-cigarette-related respiratory illness. The lung condition has been given a name by the CDC: EVALI, or e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury. This outbreak of acute lung injuries is clearly linked to vaping and has stimulated calls for banning e-cigarettes completely. Since 2016, the FDA has banned the sale of e-cigarettes to minors, but use of vaping products by teenagers has nevertheless soared. A few states have recently stopped the sale of flavored e-cigarettes because they are believed to be one of the reasons adolescents are attracted to smoking them. But despite evidence that adolescents are attracted to the flavors in e-cigarettes, there is no evidence yet that eliminating them would reduce teenage vaping, making it unclear if that step will have any benefit. Some believe that e-cigarettes should be completely outlawed, and in June, San Francisco became the first U.S. city to ban e-cigarettes entirely. Meanwhile, the CDC has advised that “while this investigation is ongoing, CDC recommends that you consider refraining from using e-cigarette, or vaping, products.” What Is Causing Vaping-Related Lung Injury? We decided to look into exactly what is and isn’t known about lung disease caused by vaping at this point. Does it warrant calls for increased e-cigarette regulation? Will such regulations have unintended adverse consequences, such as pushing people who use them to quit smoking combustible cigarettes back to their Marlboros? One thing is clear: Almost all the cases of vaping-related lung injury have occurred so far in people who have smoked e-cigarettes that contain THC, the major component of marijuana. Only 17% of the cases involve people who say they have exclusively smoked nicotine-containing e-cigarettes, and because THC is illegal in some states and people may be reluctant to admit they smoke it, even fewer of the cases may involve nicotine-only e-cigarettes. Also, many of the cases of lung injury seem to have occurred in people who bought e-cigarettes that were either homemade or had ingredients added after purchase, leading the CDC to advise users not buy them “from informal sources” (e.g. friends, family members) or “off the street” and not to “modify or add any substances to these products that are not intended by the manufacturer.” Police officers across the country now report seizing thousands of illicit vaping products and devices. At this point, it is unclear what ingredient (or ingredients) in e-cigarettes is actually causing the lung injuries, and there is some controversy about exactly what kind of physiological damage is found in the lungs of autopsied samples. However, on November 8 the CDC announced vitamin E acetate as the “likely culprit." Vitamin E acetate has been used to “cut” THC containing vape products purchased on the black market. Three of the 29 samples tested by the CDC, however, came from people who said they had never vaped THC.

Is marijuana addictive? Marijuana use can lead to the development of problem use, known as a marijuana use disorder, which takes the form of addiction in severe cases. Recent data suggest that 30 percent of those who use marijuana may have some degree of marijuana use disorder.18 People who begin using marijuana before the age of 18 are four to seven times more likely to develop a marijuana use disorder than adults.19 Marijuana use disorders are often associated with dependence—in which a person feels withdrawal symptoms when not taking the drug. People who use marijuana frequently often report irritability, mood and sleep difficulties, decreased appetite, cravings, restlessness, and/or various forms of physical discomfort that peak within the first week after quitting and last up to 2 weeks.20,21 Marijuana dependence occurs when the brain adapts to large amounts of the drug by reducing production of and sensitivity to its own endocannabinoid neurotransmitters.22,23 Marijuana use disorder becomes addiction when the person cannot stop using the drug even though it interferes with many aspects of his or her life. Estimates of the number of people addicted to marijuana are controversial, in part because epidemiological studies of substance use often use dependence as a proxy for addiction even though it is possible to be dependent without being addicted. Those studies suggest that 9 percent of people who use marijuana will become dependent on it,24,25 rising to about 17 percent in those who start using in their teens.26,27 In 2015, about 4.0 million people in the United States met the diagnostic criteria for a marijuana use disorder;3 138,000 voluntarily sought treatment for their marijuana use.28 Rising Potency Marijuana potency, as detected in confiscated samples, has steadily increased over the past few decades.2 In the early 1990s, the average THC content in confiscated marijuana samples was roughly 3.8 percent. In 2014, it was 12.2 percent. The average marijuana extract contains more than 50 percent THC, with some samples exceeding 80 percent. These trends raise concerns that the consequences of marijuana use could be worse than in the past, particularly among those who are new to marijuana use or in young people, whose brains are still developing (see "What are marijuana’s long-term effects on the brain?"). Researchers do not yet know the full extent of the consequences when the body and brain (especially the developing brain) are exposed to high concentrations of THC or whether the recent increases in emergency department visits by people testing positive for marijuana are related to rising potency. The extent to which people adjust for increased potency by using less or by smoking it differently is also unknown. Recent studies suggest that experienced people may adjust the amount they smoke and how much they inhale based on the believed strength of the marijuana they are using, but they are not able to fully compensate for variations in potency.30,31