Ending on a positive note. "So grateful for the lessons I’ve learned this year," Demi began her message on Instagram Stories. "I will never take another day in life for granted, even the bad ones. Thankful for my fans, friends, family and everyone who supported me throughout this year. God bless." The songstress, 26, was hospitalized for a near-fatal overdose that took place at her Hollywood Hills home back in July, but after completing her rehabilitation stint in November, she’s made a complete turnaround. In a recent Twitter post, Demi opened up about how she’s feeling amid her recovery process. "I’m so blessed I get to take this time to be with family, relax, work on my mind, body, and soul and come back when I’m ready," she wrote. Demi’s mother Dianna de la Garza also broke her silence about the singer’s health during a candid interview. "I didn’t know what she was doing… ’t live with me. She’s 26," she said about Demi on Maria Menounos’ podcast in October. ’s work. It’s not easy. Luckily, Demi was able to enjoy the holidays with her loved ones. The star took to social media with adorable photos of her family celebrating Christmas together, showing off her brightly lit tree with sentimental ornaments. Fans were overjoyed to see Demi in great spirits while opening gifts with her brood and pups, and we hope things only gets better as the new year rolls around. Have a tip? Send it to us!
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Sober living homes were created with the best of intentions: to offer recovering drug addicts and alcoholics--many of them just out of jail--a clean environment to help kick their habit. But with the number of such transitional homes doubling across California in the last decade, communities are rising up in protest against some facilities they consider anything but therapeutic. Unlike traditional drug treatment programs, sober living homes receive no state oversight and little scrutiny from local governments. No one is sure exactly how many are in business, and while many operate without trouble, police say some facilities have become magnets for crime and drugs. The latest problem occurred two weeks ago when the Orange County Probation Department pulled 20 probationers from a Santa Ana sober living home, saying conditions at the facility violated county standards. Incidents like this--and worse--have prompted several failed bills in the state Legislature to monitor the facilities and assess their effectiveness.
But city and state officials say tough federal housing protections for recovering addicts leave them virtually powerless. "It’s very frustrating," said San Clemente City Manager Michael W. Parness, whose city has seen a jump in both the number of sober living homes and police calls to them. Experts estimate that there are 1,200 sober living homes in California. These homes do not offer medical treatment for addictions like regular drug rehab centers and therefore don’t fall under the medical oversight of state officials. Rather, they are designed to provide a drug-free environment to bridge the gap between treatment and independent living. Charging between $250 and $1,000 a month, the homes also provide some impoverished addicts with a cheaper alternative to residential treatment facilities. In San Jose, authorities said they found conditions at some homes so overcrowded that addicts were living in cars. Residents of San Pedro are battling against what they consider an over-concentration of group homes within a few blocks of each other in the downtown area, including nearly 20 sober living facilities.
In a recent survey by the League of California Cities, communities reported dozens of examples of crimes at such transition homes ranging from drug Sales (feelingcutelol.com) to vandalism. The disputes have wide implications: The growth of sober living homes comes as courts place greater emphasis on rehabilitation over detention as the most effective way to prevent recidivism by criminals with substance abuse problems. "Treatment is the big thing right now," said Karyn Sinunu, assistant district attorney in Santa Clara County. Even the sober living home industry concedes that some type of oversight is needed, primarily to target unscrupulous home operators who provide addicts with little more than a pricey, overcrowded flop house. A bill working its way through the state Legislature would create modest oversight of transitional drug and alcohol facilities. Meanwhile, a coalition of sober living homes is proposing a voluntary certification program run by the industry. "What’s happened with some . " said Susan Blacksher, executive director of the nonprofit California Assn. of Addiction Recovery Resources.