I live in California and we just had our election a couple weeks ago and four propositions passed that will add more slot machines to casinos and then the casinos will in return give money to the state to help pay off our debt. Paying of f our debt is important I know, but I think this is just making it even harder for people with a gambling addiction to stay away. With more slot machines, more people will be able to play at a time so the casinos are going to be packed full of people. There is also a direct link between gambling and crime so I think crime is going to increase as well. There are many casinos close to my house and this worries me. I don’t have a gambling addiction and even I feel compelled to go on the weekends sometimes so I can only imagine how people feel who have a serious problem.

In Bremerton, Washington a bank received an unusal deposit of methamphetamine. A woman who allegedly dropped an envelope containing money and a bag of meth at a Kitsap Credit Union was arrested and charged with drug possession, according to court documents. A bank employee reported the deposit to police, who contacted the 18-year-old customer. Officers said she might have mistakenly included the bag when she got money out of her pocket for the deposit. Wow, I can't believe this!

In Yuma, Arizona, a jury has indicted Lil Wayne on felony drug and weapons charges. The 25-year-old rapper was charged with one count each of possession of a narcotic drug for sale, possession of dangerous drugs, misconduct involving weapons and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia, according to the indictment. The rapper's tour bus was stopped Jan. 22 at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint near Dateland, Ariz., 78 miles east of Yuma. Federal agents searched the bus and found nearly four ounces of marijuana, just over an ounce of cocaine, 41 grams of Ecstasy and miscellaneous drug paraphernalia, authorities said. The rapper was then arrested. Agents also found a .40-caliber pistol registered to him, who has a concealed weapons permit in Florida, officials said. It seems like every day now a celebrity is getting in trouble for drugs. It is such a sad thing to think about. Our world is so addicted to so many different things. I'm thankful for sites like this one where we can come for help, support and encouragement.

In Wisconsin, a motorist accused of hitting two pedestrians while driving drunk and making it home with one of them lodged in his windshield was sentenced Thursday to 15 years in prison. Steven Warrichaiet, 40, of Green Bay, pleaded no contest in December to charges of homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle, hit and run resulting in death, injury by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle and hit and run causing great bodily harm. Authorities said he struck Tyrone Ware, 50, and Joann Carroll-Hildahl, 42, on the night of July 8 and then continued more than a mile to his home with Ware stuck in the windshield. The criminal complaint said Warrichaiet parked in the garage, called his sister and fell asleep on the couch, then awoke six hours later, discovered Ware's body and called 911. Carroll-Hildahl was left lying on the pavement after the accident. She is paralyzed and in a nursing home, said Henry Williams, Ware's half brother. Authorities have said Warrichaiet's blood alcohol level was 0.18 about six hours after the crash, or more than twice Wisconsin's legal limit for driving. He had been drinking heavily at a friend's home before trying to drive home. A letter of apology that Warrichaiet wrote was read by his lawyer at the sentencing hearing. "I can't even begin to imagine the pain and sorrow that I put your families through ... and that it's going to last for the rest of your lives," Warrichaiet wrote. Wow!! How sad is this? So many people drive drunk and they don't even think about other people that they could be affecting. This one decision forever changed two people and their families. People need to be more responsible.

Solana Beach banned alcohol a year ago too. The beach wasn't having any problems like previous beaches, but since they were one of the only ones to allow drinking they thought they were asking for trouble. This leaves Camp Pendleton and Silver Strand State Beach near Coronado as the only beaches in the county that allow liquor.

The state medical examiner said this week that in 2007, 519 people suffered drug related deaths. This was the highest figure they have seen since they started tracking this in the 90s. This includes deaths from prescription or illicit drugs. The drugs that were found the most were oxycodone, morphine and methadone. There have been so many lives taken from drugs. It's sad, but when states know figures like this they can try and speak out against it and help people with their addiction.

I have never heard of this before. I wonder if people drink a lot of it because it looks like water and you can drink it anywhere, unlike smoking a cigarette. I think though that sometimes part of smoking is inhaling and actually holding a cigarette, I wonder if people would get the same satisfaction if they are drinking water instead???

I think that most people have that one item that they look for whenever they go shopping. Some people it may be jewelry, shoes, but mine is hand bags. Whenever I go to the mall I have to buy a purse even if it's from a cheaper store, but my mom gets mad at me because I have so many and most of them I don't even use. I have expensive purses too like Coach, Dooney, and I even have a LV. This is really causing problems for me. My credit cards are maxed out and there is always friction in my house because when I buy I have to ask my mom for money to make my car payment, cell phone bill or even just gas money. I'm not really sure what to do about it.

Do you think that more teens these days abuse prescription drugs more than illicit drugs? I know during the 60s drugs became more popular but how has that changed over the years to now? It seems like prescription drugs are so much easier to get a hold of: online, parents medicine cabinet, a friend..the list goes on and on.