Ambi Daniel

Center for Family Life and Recovery, Inc. Celebrates September as National Recovery Month

Over 23 million Americans are in recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs.

Focusing events on education, celebration, and fun, Center for Family Life and Recovery, Inc. is thrilled to share various opportunities with the community throughout National Recovery Month!

– Thursday, September 22 for a Dinner Party and Comedy Hour from 4:30-6:00 pm, families affected by addiction and those working on recovery are invited to join us at Center for Family Life and Recovery on This event is being held at 502 Court Street, Suite #401, Utica, NY. Registration is required for this event by calling, 315-733-1709.

– Educational classes continue with Letting Go of Resentments September 14, 2016 and a new class on Recovery Basics for Families starting on October 5, 2016. Call 733-1709 for more information.
– September 28 our community forums continue with “Harm Reduction” located at McPike Addiction Treatment Center, 1213 Court Street, in Utica from 5:00-6:00 pm. No registration is needed and all are welcome to attend. This will be a question and answer session with regards to Harm Reduction. Bring your questions!

– September 30, 2016, CFLR, Inc. will hold The Recovery Experience for their EAP company participants. This event will center on learning more about the Science of Addiction and how it impacts the road to recovery, while enjoying a fair of information, education, and lunch!

Center for Family Life and Recovery, Inc. is proud to be the area’s leading expert for advocacy, prevention, counseling, and training. As a community partner, it is important to us that we continue spreading the message of help and hope to our area and with those whom we work.

The Recovery Experience in the Workplace

 Addiction is affecting our community like never before.  It can be so difficult to know where to turn for help, support, and education.  We are thrilled to share with our EAP Companies an experience of Recovery.

As employers, sometimes the front line to helping with a problem, is noticing changes and knowing how to address it.  We will explore the Science of Addiction to gain a better understanding of why “they just won’t stop.”  We’ll look at how the brain is motivated and affected by addiction and have a discussion about what this means in the life of both the addicted individual and their loved ones.

Recovery is possible and we are thrilled to share an informative event that answers many questions around addiction and recovery as well as tools to find help and hope.

What:      The Science of Addiction and The Recovery Experience in the Workplace

When:     Friday, September 30, 2016

12:00-2:00 pm

Where:    Center for Family Life and Recovery, Inc.

502 Court Street

Suite 401

Utica, NY 13502

To reserve a space please call 733-1709

Today, the U.S. Surgeon General is taking historic action by sending a personal letter to more than 2.3 million health care practitioners and public health leaders.  He is seeking our help to address the prescription opioid crisis.  I want to make sure you see his letter, a copy of which I have included below.  Please take a moment to read it.  Then go to www.TurnTheTideRx.org/join to join with clinicians from across the country in a simple but powerful movement to end this epidemic.

Read the letter. Take the pledge. And spread the word.

Together, we can save countless lives.  We can lead the way. We can #TurnTheTide.

UNITED STATES SURGEON GENERAL

Vivek H. Murthy, M.D., M.B.A.

August 2016

Dear Colleague,

I am asking for your help to solve an urgent health crisis facing America: the opioid epidemic. Everywhere I travel, I see communities devastated by opioid overdoses. I meet families too ashamed to seek treatment for addiction. And I will never forget my own patient whose opioid use disorder began with a course of morphine after a routine procedure.

It is important to recognize that we arrived at this place on a path paved with good intentions. Nearly two decades ago, we were encouraged to be more aggressive about treating pain, often without enough training and support to do so safely. This coincided with heavy marketing of opioids to doctors. Many of us were even taught – incorrectly – that opioids are not addictive when prescribed for legitimate pain.

The results have been devastating. Since 1999, opioid overdose deaths have quadrupled and opioid prescriptions have increased markedly – almost enough for every adult in America to have a bottle of pills. Yet the amount of pain reported by Americans has not changed. Now, nearly 2 million people in America have a prescription opioid use disorder, contributing to increased heroin use and the spread of HIV and hepatitis C.

I know solving this problem will not be easy. We often struggle to balance reducing our patients’ pain with increasing their risk of opioid addiction. But, as clinicians, we have the unique power to help end this epidemic. As cynical as times may seem, the public still looks to our profession for hope during difficult moments. This is one of those times.

That is why I am asking you to pledge your commitment to turn the tide on the opioid crisis. Please take the pledge. Together, we will build a national movement of clinicians to do three things:

First, we will educate ourselves to treat pain safely and effectively. A good place to start is this pocket guide with the CDC Opioid Prescribing Guideline. Second, we will screen our patients for opioid use disorder and provide or connect them with evidence-based treatment. Third, we can shape how the rest of the country sees addiction by talking about and treating it as a chronic illness, not a moral failing.

Years from now, I want us to look back and know that, in the face of a crisis that threatened our nation, it was our profession that stepped up and led the way. I know we can succeed because health care is more than an occupation to us. It is a calling rooted in empathy, science, and service to humanity. These values unite us. They remain our greatest strength.

Thank you for your leadership.

State Police and Local Law Enforcement Will Implement “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” Campaign from August 18 to September 5
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today directed State Police to ramp up enforcement efforts as part of a national crackdown on impaired driving through Labor Day weekend, one of the deadliest times of year for drunk and drugged driving fatalities. The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, which begins statewide on August 18 and ends September 5, will be carried out with assistance from local law enforcement and aims to reduce deaths and injuries caused by motorists driving drunk or impaired by drugs.

“Drunk drivers are a danger to themselves and others, and law enforcement is committed to ensuring the safety of everyone on the road,” Governor Cuomo said. “Impaired driving is a reckless and dangerous crime with potentially fatal consequences, and I urge New Yorkers to drive responsibly to avoid senseless tragedies.”

Impaired driving is a major contributor to crash fatalities. One-third of all traffic crash fatalities in the United States involve drunk drivers. In New York State, alcohol involvement was listed as a contributing factor in more than 7,000 police-reported crashes in 2015, while illegal drugs contributed to more than 800 crashes. Additionally, impaired-driving crashes cost the United States $44 billion each year. The penalties for impaired driving are accordingly strict. Drivers convicted of DWI or DWAI three or more times in 15 years face a Class D felony charge, up to seven years in prison, and a fine up to $10,000.

Terri Egan, Acting Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee Chair and Department of Motor Vehicles Executive Deputy Commissioner said, “There is never an excuse to drive after drinking or while impaired by drugs or alcohol. It is selfish, irresponsible, and unnecessary, and can have tragic effects not only on drivers, but on innocent victims on the roads. Have a plan before you go out, enlist friends to help, and remember that law enforcement will see you before you see them.”

In New York State, impaired driving enforcement campaigns are funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and STOP-DWI, a comprehensive and financially self-sustaining highway safety program that allows participating counties to qualify for the return of all fines collected within their county for alcohol and other drug-related traffic offenses. The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee supports statewide enforcement and education in conjunction with national crackdowns, and uses federal funds to support impaired driving projects, in addition to supplementing the resources available for statewide enforcement efforts. These include statewide public information campaigns, training programs, multi-agency advisory groups, research studies and projects to enhance state agency programs.

Crackdown periods coincide with times when large numbers of impaired drivers are likely to be on the roadways, including Halloween, the winter holiday season, the Super Bowl, St. Patrick’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day. Last year, 41 counties participated in the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” Labor Day crackdown, resulting in 237 DWI/DWAI arrests, 17 Drug Recognition Expert Evaluations, 26 DWAI-drug only arrests, 317 other arrests, and more than 3,400 Vehicle and Traffic Law summonses.

New York State Police Superintendent George P. Beach II said, “Every year there are needless tragedies and a wake of victims left behind because of the decisions made by impaired drivers. Through education and enforcement, the New York State Police work to keep these drivers off the road. Through campaigns like Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, we remind people of the dangers of drinking and driving. Together, we can keep New York State’s roads among the safest in the nation.”

Peter R. Kehoe, Executive Director of the New York State Sheriffs’ Association said, “Each year, on average, more than 10,000 people die on our roadways due to drunk driving. Just consider all of the lost talent, lost love and companionship for family and friends, lost contributions toward a better society, lost opportunities to live and grow – all because some people made bad choices to drink and drive, and snuffed out all that potential. It’s a tragedy all around, that doesn’t have to be.”

Margaret E. Ryan, Executive Director of the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police said, “Drunk driving is neither an accident nor a victimless crime. Each year, thousands of lives are lost as a result of motorists operating vehicles while their ability is impaired. That is why the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police fully supports continued specialized training and high-visibility enforcement efforts by our law enforcement professionals that will help deter and remove impaired drivers from our highways and reduce needless fatalities. Along with GTSC and our law enforcement partners, we will make every effort to ensure our roadways are safe for all travelers throughout the year, and especially during this upcoming holiday weekend.”

Drunk driving is often a symptom of a larger problem: alcohol misuse and abuse. New Yorkers can find help for addiction and hope by calling the state’s toll-free, 24-hour, 7-day-a-week HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (467369). Addiction treatment providers can be located on the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services Access Help website or on the Treatment Availability Dashboard. For additional tools to use in talking to a young person about preventing underage drinking or drug use, visit the state’s Talk2Prevent website.

NYS OASAS Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez said, “I applaud Governor Cuomo and our partner agencies for their efforts to keep all drivers safe on the road. Addiction is a chronic disease, but it is treatable. I urge any New Yorker struggling with drugs or alcohol to get help so they can begin a new, healthy life in recovery.”