News Rep. Kennedy (D-R.I.) to enter rehab

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Rep. Patrick Kennedy is entering rehab for addiction to prescription pain medication following a car crash near the Capitol. He plans to seek treatment at the Mayo Clinic. Witnesses claim he was seen drinking before the incident, despite Kennedy's insistence that he consumed no alcohol. The crash raised concerns about the handling of the situation by law enforcement, as officers reportedly did not conduct sobriety tests and were instructed to take him home instead. Discussions highlight the potential dangers of mixing alcohol with medications like Ambien, known for causing drowsiness and memory issues. Some participants express skepticism about Kennedy's claims and criticize the behavior of U.S. Representatives, referencing past incidents involving other lawmakers. The conversation also touches on the broader issue of prescription drug addiction in the U.S. and the implications of lawmakers' actions while under the influence.
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12634639/

WASHINGTON - Rep. Patrick Kennedy will enter rehab for addiction to prescription pain medication Friday evening after a highly publicized car crash near the Capitol.

Kennedy, D-R.I., plans to seek treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Ambien is supposedly to blame :rolleyes:

although...

Louis P. Cannon, president of the Washington chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police, who was not on the scene, said the congressman had appeared intoxicated when he crashed his car. The officers involved in the accident were instructed by an official “above the rank of patrolman” to take Kennedy home, and no sobriety tests were conducted at the scene, Cannon said.

:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=137995

WASHINGTON -U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy insisted yesterday that he had consumed “no alcohol” before he slammed his Mustang convertible into a concrete barrier near his office, but a hostess at a popular Capitol Hill watering hole told the Herald she saw him drinking in the hours before the crash.
 
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I couldn't believe that they showed son Patrick sitting with dad while telling his story. If I were in his place, the last thing that I would want would be dad sitting at my side.

Yep, this one stinks.
 
What exactly happens in the human body when you mix alcohol and medication anyhow? is it possible to have memory loss? Would make sense if he was drinking after taking medication and claims he never drank.
 
Like father, like son! Ah, old adages never loose their cruel barb.
 
Pengwuino said:
What exactly happens in the human body when you mix alcohol and medication anyhow? is it possible to have memory loss? Would make sense if he was drinking after taking medication and claims he never drank.
I think Ambien, a sleep medication, would certainly make one drowsy, and others have mentioned doing things without knowing while under the influence of Ambien.

I can't imagine that he was not aware that he was drinking, especially if a witness saw him drinking at a bar. Besides drinking, what the heck would he be doing at a bar after midnight during the week? :rolleyes:

I have never been unaware that I was drinking.
 
Well what's all this about Ambien? Aren't they investigating some rather nasty side effects people are claiming it has?
 
AMBIEN is indicated for the short-term treatment of insomnia. There is a low occurrence of side effects associated with the short-term use of AMBIEN. The most commonly observed side effects in controlled clinical trials were drowsiness (2%), dizziness (1%), and diarrhea (1%). When you first start taking AMBIEN, use caution in the morning when engaging in activities requiring complete alertness until you know how you will react to this medication. In most instances, memory problems can be avoided if you take AMBIEN only when you are able to get a full night's sleep (7 to 8 hours) before you need to be active again. As with any sleep medication, do not use alcohol while you are taking AMBIEN.
Warning from manufacturer Sanofi-aventis.

In other words, take just before going to sleep.

Also

Recent anecdotal reports in the media have focused on rare occurrences of sleepwalking and sleep-related eating in patients who may also be taking AMBIEN. The safety profile of AMBIEN is well established and reported in the AMBIEN Prescribing Information approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Sanofi-aventis regularly conducts thorough analyses and has not observed any significant change in that safety profile of AMBIEN. The information currently contained in the U.S. Prescribing Information remains accurate: sleepwalking (somnambulism) is a possible rare adverse event.
from Sanofi-aventis.
 
He has probably managed to obfuscate the issue sufficiently to reduce it from a 100% certainty to a 99% probability that he was drinking and driving but I doubt many people will be convinced by his story.
 
Well i don't know how much i can really trust a waitress come to think of it. But then again this hwole thing with being told not to do sobriety tests is pretty bad
 
  • #10
I have never had much respected for U.S. Representatives. They're like senator wannabes, not quite good enough. Some of them don't appear to have graduated high school. Last month one of them assaulted a capitol police officer. This one apparently goes to bars on weekdays, while on Ambien.

Is there a rule about voting in the U.S. Congress, while under the influence?
 
  • #11
Oh yeah, how many Kennedy crashes are we up to now? Is anyone counting?
 
  • #12
Rach3 said:
Oh yeah, how many Kennedy crashes are we up to now? Is anyone counting?
At least when you ask Ted Kennedy that question, his reply won't be quite as rude as it used to.
 
  • #13
What about the rest of congress?
 
  • #14
Rach3 said:
Is there a rule about voting in the U.S. Congress, while under the influence?

Yes, you must have a BAL of >0.8
 
  • #15
Per the news today, Pat Kennedy is entering rehab for pain medication - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12634639/

Perhaps Rush Limbaugh and Patrick can go together? Here we are, a nation losing the war on drugs, the most recent being meth. But good old prescription drugs--this has been a long standing problem indeed.
 
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  • #16
SOS2008 said:
Per the news today, Kennedy is entering rehab for pain medication - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12634639/

Perhaps Rush Limbaugh and Patrick can go together? Here we are, a nation losing the war on drugs, the most recent being meth. But good old prescription drugs--this has been long standing problem indeed.

Maybe Rush can run for Congress?
 
  • #17
Pengwuino said:
Maybe Rush can run for Congress?

...Limbaugh’s act has won over, or fooled, a lot of people. With his heartland pieties and scorn for “feminazis” and “commie-symps” like “West Wing” president Martin Sheen (“Martin Sheenski” to Limbaugh), he is the darling of Red State, Fly-Over America. Former president George H.W. Bush, always eager to cover his right flank, personally carried Limbaugh’s bags into the White House when Limbaugh stayed in the Lincoln Bedroom in 1992. After the Republicans won control of the House in 1994 for only the second time in 50 years, lawmakers called to personally thank Limbaugh and made him an honorary member of Congress.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3158206/

Aside from Limbaugh being a total quack, he broke the law to feed his addiction. I think an honorary member is as close as he'll get as he looks through the bars of a jail cell.
 
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  • #18
Rach3 said:
I have never had much respected for U.S. Representatives. They're like senator wannabes, not quite good enough. Some of them don't appear to have graduated high school. Last month one of them assaulted a capitol police officer. This one apparently goes to bars on weekdays, while on Ambien.

Is there a rule about voting in the U.S. Congress, while under the influence?
The story I heard on the radio is that Kennedy had taken the sleeping aid, then later, somehow thought he had to go to the Capitol to vote. Congress had adjourned hours earlier.

Rep. Cynthia McKinney (Ga 4th dist) assaulted a Capitol police officer, who did not recognize her and attempted to detain her when she passed by.
 
  • #19
Astronuc said:
The story I heard on the radio is that Kennedy had taken the sleeping aid, then later, somehow thought he had to go to the Capitol to vote. Congress had adjourned hours earlier.

Rep. Cynthia McKinney (Ga 4th dist) assaulted a Capitol police officer, who did not recognize her and attempted to detain her when she passed by.
McKinney probably needs a little anger management, like who doesn't these days?

As for Pat Kennedy, he has suffered from depression in the past, and both depression and long-term use of pain medication can cause sleep disorders. So I wouldn't be surprised if Patrick was taking Ambien. On top of it all he was taking something for nausea (stomach problems), and even over-the-counter products like Dramamine can make you drowsy. It remains unknown if the cocktail of substances included alcohol.

Pat Kennedy is saying he does not remember anything of the incident, which occurred in the middle of the night. Bizarre. And though all this may be legal prescriptions, the guy needs to get off all the meds. Good for him for checking into rehab.
 

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