United Community Services
4908 Franklin Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50310
(515) 280-3860
Hotline: (515) 280-3860
Call
888-647-0579
to speak with an alcohol or drug abuse counselor.
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Treatment & Detox Guide
Binge Drinking Puts the Brain, and Life Itself, at Risk
Nearly half of students at four-year colleges do it regularly (and, it’s not sex). Rather, it’s binge drinking — downing five or more alcoholic drinks at a sitting. “People have a hard time identifying alcohol as a drug,” said Jenny Hwang, associate dean of students and director of the counseling center at Stony Brook University….
Cocaine traffickers switch from boats to submarines as they swamp US with drugs
Colombia’s drug barons used to favour high-speed powerboats to export their deadly cargos, leading law enforcers on high-speed chases as they swamped America with narcotics. Now, in an attempt to evade American surveillance, they are diverting their smuggling trade beneath the waves. Coast Guard and military patrols have reported a dramatic increase in do-it-yourself “semi-submersible”….
Researchers Pinpoint How Smoking Causes Cancer
Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute researchers have pinpointed the protein that can lead to genetic changes that cause lung cancer. Researchers discovered that the production of a protein called FANCD2 is slowed when lung cells are exposed to cigarette smoke. Low levels of FANCD2 leads to DNA damage, triggering cancer. Cigarette smoke curbs….
Gambling: Counseling has big payoffs
Gambling addiction can leave a person’s life in shambles, but there is a road to recovery. Both nationally and locally, there are support groups, treatment options and assessment tools to help people get through gambling problems, and keep them away from gambling. The first step, though, is finding out if a person is a problem….
Alcohol research finds women need to drink accordingly
Sometimes I hate being a girl, especially if you’re a girl who enjoys the occasional cocktail. We all know drinking can have unintended consequences, but it turns out that imbibing poses more risks for us than it does the guys. When women drink, they become intoxicated more quickly than men do, and the alcohol causes….