




Portsmouth, Virginia
Portsmouth, VA Profile
Portsmouth, VA, population 100,565 , is located
in Virginia's Portsmouth (city) county,
about 1.1 miles from Norfolk and 1.7 miles from Chesapeake.
In the 90's the population of Portsmouth has declined by about 3%.
It is Estimated in recent years the population of Portsmouth has been declining at an annual rate of less than one percent.
Reports show that during 2003 property crime levels in the Portsmouth area were higher than Virginia's average.
The same data shows violent crime levels to be higher than the Virginia average.
Portsmouth Statistics
Portsmouth Gender Information
Males in Portsmouth: 48,583 (48%)
Females in Portsmouth: 51,982 (52%)
As % of Population in Portsmouth
Race Diversity in Portsmouth
White: 46%
African American: 51%
Asian: 1%
Other/Mixed: 2%
As % of Population in Portsmouth
Age Diversity in Portsmouth
Median Age in Portsmouth: 34.5 (Males in Portsmouth: 32.0, Females in Portsmouth: 36.8)
Portsmouth Males Under 20: 15%
Portsmouth Females Under 20: 14%
Portsmouth Males 20 to 40: 15%
Portsmouth Females 20 to 40: 14%
Portsmouth Males 40 to 60: 11%
Portsmouth Females 40 to 60: 13%
Portsmouth Males Over 60: 7%
Portsmouth Females Over 60: 11%
Economics in Portsmouth
Portsmouth Household Average Size: 2.51 people
Portsmouth Median Household Income: $ 33,742
Portsmouth Median Value of Homes: $ 81,000
Law Enforcement in Portsmouth
Reported crimes in the Portsmouth area during 2003:
Murder and non-negligent man-slaughter: 18
Forcible rape: 43
Robbery: 403
Aggravated assault: 437
Violent crime events per 100,000 people: 892
Burglary: 1,179
Larceny-theft: 3,323
Motor vehicle theft: 500
Arson: 16
Property crime events per 100,000 people: 4,950
Portsmouth Location Information
Elevation: 10 feet above sea level.
Land Area: 33.1 Square Miles.
Water Area: 13.5 Square Miles.
Nearby Towns & Cities to Portsmouth
Norfolk 1.1 Miles
Chesapeake 1.7 Miles
Newport News 12.2 Miles
Hampton 13.7 Miles
Suffolk 17.5 Miles
Virginia Beach 17.8 Miles
Poquoson 20.0 Miles
Smithfield 21.0 Miles
Windsor 24.8 Miles
Rushmere 26.3 Miles
Big Cities Nearest Portsmouth
(Population 100,000+)
Norfolk 1.1 Miles
Chesapeake 1.7 Miles
Newport News 12.2 Miles
Hampton 13.7 Miles
Virginia Beach 17.8 Miles
Richmond 81.0 Miles
Alexandria 142.2 Miles
Washington 148.1 Miles
Arlington 148.5 Miles
Raleigh 149.7 Miles
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Facts
In 2000 the FDA relaxed some of the restrictions on the legal prescription of methadone. Still, doctors who prescribe the drug must attend training sessions to learn about methadone's profile, how to prescribe the drug safely, and how to monitor patients for life-threatening side effects. Doctors who finish the training are issued a special license to prescribe methadone. Needless to say, any doctor or pharmacist who issues methadone without the proper documentation can face prosecution as a criminal. For those who always feel pressured to achieve more, chemical stimulants may be appealing. This diverse group of drugs, containing dozens of stimulants, has one common denominator: All of them speed up the functions of the body, making people feel more alert. However, stimulants vary widely in how much they accelerate body activities, the manner in which they are used, and their legal status. The most commonly used legal stimulants are caffeine and nicotine, both of which are derived from plants. The best-known restricted stimulants are cocaine, which also comes from a plant, and amphetamines, which are synthesized in a lab. Inhalants affect your brain. Inhalants are substances or fumes from products such as glue or paint thinner that are sniffed or "huffed" to cause an immediate high. Because they affect your brain with much greater speed and force than many other substances, they can cause irreversible physical and mental damage before you know what's happened. Inhalants affect your heart. Inhalants starve the body of oxygen and force the heart to beat irregularly and more rapidly--that can be dangerous for your body. Since the federal legislation requires permanency hearings to be held within 12 months of the child being placed in foster care, and termination to be pursued if the a child has been in substitute care for 15 of the preceding 22 months, great pressure is placed on the child welfare agency and parent to initiate and successfully complete substance abuse treatment. Since the intent of ASFA is to foster permanency for children within a relatively short period of time, greater demand for timely substance abuse treatment within the child welfare system has emerged. While some positive effects include better service coordination among groups, such as child welfare, drug courts, treatment providers and the criminal justice system, it has created other issues that affect permanency and treatment. The main challenges for parents are obtaining timely treatment and demonstrating enough progress in treatment to establish sufficient parenting skills to keep their children in their care. In addition, treatment must extend beyond substance abuse treatment to include a broad range of concrete and counseling services. Permanency planning legislation guides overall child welfare practice, but methamphetamine has brought new challenges to permanency planning as well as to providing services to children and their parents. Child welfare workers need different tactics to deal with parents who use methamphetamine than they use with parents who use other substances because of the unique effects of methamphetamine, the risks associated with manufacturing it, and the policies that guide practice. In an era of increased use and manufacture of methamphetamine, child welfare workers must not only be concerned about the child's safety, but also their own. The purpose of this article is twofold: first, to overview key issues for child welfare workers related to the production, use, and effects of methamphetamine, and second, to present practice principles for child welfare workers in order to ensure safety for child victims, parents and workers themselves. |
Drug Side Effects
Drug addiction and abuse comes with a heavy price. There are drastic drug side effects associated with drug misuse and abuse. Drug side effects from legal and illegal drugs can range from mild itching to comas and death. In addition to the physical drug side effects mentioned, there are many psychological drug side effects of drug abuse; the most serious being drug addiction and overdose.
Addiction Treatment
Addiction treatment is needed when an individual finds that they have developed a drug or alcohol addiction which they are not able to successful end on their own. With the help of addiction treatment, addicted individual can get help to control their drug taking behavior and live happy and successful lives. There are several addiction treatment options available for drug and alcohol addiction. Some of these options include self-help groups, counseling, drug rehabilitation programs (in and out-patient), and residential treatment facilities. Each of these differ
in their aims and outcomes and elements of these addiction treatment options are often
combined.
Withdrawal
Withdrawal is what happens when a person who is addicted to drugs or alcohol discontinues use. There are numerous symptoms that take place both physically and emotionally when an addicted individual stops using. Withdrawal can last a few days to a few weeks and may include nausea or vomiting, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety. Keep in mind; this only occurs if a person has regular, heavy use of a drug or alcohol. Withdrawal can be extremely uncomfortable without professional help. Treatment for withdrawal from alcohol or drugs may require a medical professional to be present. Drug and alcohol rehabilitation is often the best way to overcome withdrawal and its symptoms as well as recovery from drug addiction.
Drug Addiction
Drug addiction is a pattern of repeated drug taking that usually results in tolerance (the need for greater amounts of the drug to achieve the same effect), withdrawal (physical and cognitive effects when drug use declines or stops), and compulsive drug taking behavior (drug taking that persists despite efforts to reduce intake and despite problems with family, friends, and work). Drug addiction encompasses a diverse range of drugs (such as alcohol, cannabis, amphetamines, and cocaine) and is caused by many different factors.
Abstinence
Abstinence is the act or practice of refraining from indulging a desire. The type of abstinence we are referring to here is abstinence from drugs and alcohol. This term has two connotations when it comes to abstaining from drugs. The first refers to drug or alcohol treatment programs that aim to help an individual stop using drugs or alcohol for the rest of their lives. The time abstinence is also used in drug education and prevention. It refers to trying to stop children from ever using drugs.
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