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Pres. Obama announces steps to curb the rise in deaths from prescription drug overdoses

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Is this too little, too late? There's no question these addictions have been around for years - why is the President just now getting involved?

In an article on NYTimes.com, "Obama Strikes Personal Note as He Urges Help for Addiction" (by Gardiner Harris - Oct. 21, 2015), President Obama visited Charleston, West Virginia "...to a hotbed of one of the deadliest epidemics in Aerican history and, as he had at a prison in Oklahoma in July, saw a life he might have led in the stories of drug addicts and their parents: “I did stuff, and I’ve been very honest about it,' he said, referring to his admissions of illegal drug use in his youth. 'So when I think about it, there but for the grace of God.'"

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Medical Marijuana - the newest opioid substitute?

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In an article on The Boston Herald entitled "Doctors pioneer pot as an opioid substitute" (by Chris Villani - Sunday, October 04, 2015), Dr. Gary Witman of Fall River Canna Care clinic, a network of facilities that issue medicinal marijuana cards in seven states, including nine clinics in Massachusetts, says "We have a statewide epidemic of opioid deaths." Witman feels Cannabis can treat patient's symptoms which they had previously using opioids to manage, such as chronic pain or anxiety — and treat them far more safely.

Witman says he has treated about 80 patients who were addicted to opioids, muscle relaxers or anti-anxiety medication with cannabis, using a one-month tapering program. The results? More than 75 percent of those patients stopped taking the harder drugs.

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AVANCE Called a "Bright Spot" in Hispanic Education by White House!

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PRESS RELEASE:  WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 15, 2015) – AVANCE has recently been selected as one of this year’s Bright Spots by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. As a Bright Spot, AVANCE will be part of a national online catalog that includes over 230 programs that invest in key education priorities for Hispanics. 

Bright Spots are programs, models, organizations or initiatives selected throughout the nation for their investment and focus on priority areas including early learning, college access, STEM education, post-secondary completion and Latino teacher recruitment.

AVANCE President and CEO Rick Noriega, traveled to Washington D.C. to attend the press conference announcing the nonprofit’s inclusion in this prestigious listing. The event was held on September 15, at the launch of Hispanic Heritage month and in honor of the Initiative’s 25th anniversary. 

“It is an honor to be named among such notable organizations around the United States,” said Noriega. “I’ve been quoted as saying ‘as Latino children go, so goes the future of this nation’. AVANCE understands the urgency in early intervention and investing in quality educational programming for Hispanics. AVANCE lives the mission of Unlocking America’s Potential by strengthening families through parent education and support programs.”

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