Can crystal meth cause madness? Maybe so. Heavy use of methamphetamine is associated with an increased risk for schizophrenia, Canadian researchers say.
Ann Seebeck of Kirkwood visits a tree planted in memory of her son, Chris Seebeck, on Monday Oct. 17, 2011, in Kirkwood Park. Chris Seebeck overdosed in the basement of his parents’ Kirkwood home in 2010 at the age of 27. St. Louis is in the third year of a heroin epidemic that is killing at unprecedented rates.
Alcoholism is a term with multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions. In common and historic usage, alcoholism is any condition that results in the continued consumption of alcoholic beverage, despite health problems and negative social consequences.
HEROIN – USA Heart attack was really a heroin overdose – WDEL
Once she was revived, it was discovered the Pennsylvania woman drove her car into the CVS on Delaware Avenue as the result of a heroin overdose.
Before 2000, heroin was a “non-issue” in the state, she says. That’s changed over the last decade, spurred by a “perfect storm” that includes availability here of purer, cheaper heroin and the increased use of prescription painkillers.
“These are not street drugs that have stolen the last two years of my son’s life and put him near death – they are drugs in everyday, ordinary people’s homes that they are leaving exposed and available to our youth in town.”
Experts are calling for urgent action to tackle the “significant challenge” of rising levels of alcoholism and substance abuse among professionals including doctors, dentists and lawyers. Doctors are three times more likely to develop cirrhosis of the liver than the general population.
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS – USA Prescription meds are becoming stimulants of choice on college campuses – Memphis Commercial Appeal
Drug abuse on college campuses is no longer limited to binge drinking and illegal drugs. Across the nation, prescription drugs are now the second most-abused drug after marijuana, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Every 14 minutes a person dies of a drug overdose in the United States. This means more than 35,000 deaths every year, exceeding motor vehicle crashes, homicides and suicides! What once dominated the world of overdoses in the U.S., namely heroin, has been eclipsed by the prescription painkillers.
Shake and Bake. It’s not just for chicken anymore. The once famous bread crumb coating for chicken and pork is now being used to describe the faster and easier way to make methamphetamine. Shake and bake meth is all the rage, allowing meth users and makers to produce the drug on the run and in smaller doses thereby bypassing the laws intended to stop the production of this deadly drug.
There are an estimated 7.6 million alcohol-related emergency department (ED) visits each year in the country. A first step in identifying an alcohol problem is screening all ED patients utilizing two well-researched screening tests.
The goal of the kickoff event, which is open to the public, is to promote ongoing discussion in the community about substance use disorders, the effectiveness of treatment and the realistic possibility of recovery.
Health experts suggest that men consume no more than two alcoholic drinks a day. Drinking more raises the risk for high blood pressure, stroke, violence and injuries, including car wrecks, and can lead to addiction.
8 to 12 percent of children are diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) each year. Yet a much higher percent is raising concern for misuse of the prescription drugs used to treat ADHD.
State police say the “one-pot” or “shake ‘n bake” method is being used by people who are unable to get large amounts of pseudoephedrine due to stricter state laws.
Alcohol-related deaths among U.S. college students rose from 1,440 deaths in 1998 to 1,825 in 2005, along with increases in heavy drinking and drunk driving, according to an article in the July supplement of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
For those of you whom have sons in their mid-twenties living in your basements, garages or attics, you may have to break some bad news to them. It seems that Cannabis cantains chemicals which damage DNA and may initiate cancer.
Local health officials are concerned about a big increase in heroin and prescription drug abuse in the Twin Cities. The increase comes at a time when cocaine and methamphetamine is going down.
In an apartment tucked away in beautiful Montreal, the Narconon drug rehab program had a chance to interview a former graduate from 1998. Sabrina Andrews gave us a powerful insight into her own past demons, and her experiences as a heroin addict and run away living in Montreal.
A new study has found that cocaine and heroin increase permeability of the placenta. Researchers writing in BioMed Central’s open access journal Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology have shown that exposure to the drugs causes an increase in the passage of some chemicals into the fetus.
The young age of recruits, cycles of activity and boredom, and general attitudes about alcohol use are all parts of Navy culture that contribute to heavy drinking among sailors.
Smoking cannabis can damage DNA and cause cancer, researchers have found. They discovered marijuana contained 50 per cent more carcinogenics – cancer-causing chemicals – than tobacco.
Adderall, Ritalin, and other stimulant drugs prescribed for millions of American children and teens with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may in some rare instances lead to an increased risk of sudden heart-related death.
Results of the case-control study showed that of 564 children and teens (age 7 to 19) who had sudden deaths, 1.8% were using stimulants, higher than the 0.4% who were taking the same drugs among the controls who died in car accidents, according to researchers.
Statistics and the street level experience of law enforcement and drug abuse prevention professionals indicate a growing problem of methamphetamine usage and abuse in Payne County, viewed as public enemy No. 1 by many.
While many Vallejo school district students report exercising daily, significant numbers also report alcohol and drug use, according to a recently released survey.
A national alliance of families, the pharmaceutical industry, patients, consumer groups, and drug abuse prevention advocates released a national strategy proposal to counter the continued rise in prescription drug abuse.
Aspirin and ibuprofen are staples in just about every medicine chest and first aid kit. They’re sold over the counter, and they’re not expensive. Most people don’t think twice about taking them. But they should — especially if they’re elderly.
The New Jersey Senate is considering legislation that would shield minors from prosecution if they call the police for help when friends need medical attention because they drank too much alcohol.
At colleges and universities across Northeast Ohio this is the grind time at the end of the semester. With term papers due and exams coming up back to back-to-back, the pressure is on for every student to perform.
Some college students are turning to illegal means to help them succeed on final exams. While Adderall is a prescribed medication, some students without a prescription for the drug report buying it from other students during exam time, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
One of the worst habits we have acquired as a government is that we tend to allow things that are harmful to society to get out of hand before we make an effort to curtail them.
When the economy was riding high and the war in Iraq was at its peak, the U.S. Army relaxed its rules to allow some recruits with felony records and those who failed drug tests to join the service. Now that the economy has tanked and the situation in Iraq is quieter, the Army is eliminating such waivers as recruiting picks up.
Although we have laws to control access to drugs such as cocaine and cannabis, we tolerate so-called “head shops” on our high streets which sell the paraphernalia (snorters, pipes, rolling paper, scales) used to consume them.
Classify this item in the “not good news” file. Hepatitis C—it’s not just for syringe users anymore. Contrary to previous theory, dirty needles or direct blood exposure may not be necessary. While bodily fluids have always been suspect, researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center and other institutions have discovered evidence of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) in nasal secretions left in straws used to sniff drugs.
The semester is beginning to wind down, and you know what that means. Students are getting freaked out by the pressure they’re feeling. They’re looking for some black-market Adderall and buying cases of Red Bull to combat the stress and fatigue that come with the looming deadlines.
In good economic times and in bad, we like our vices. In boom times, drunk-driving rates, alcohol-related illnesses and spending on alcohol all increase. (Source: A 2000 article in the Quarterly Journal of Economics, and a 2008 by the Swedish Business School at Örebro University.)
This week, the Government’s chief medical officer called for an end to the nation’s “drinking problem”, and a minimum price on alcohol to deter boozing. Wrong, said the Prime Minister, who asked: why should sensible, moderate drinkers suffer to deter the bingers?
The 52nd session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) wrapped up its annual session today in Vienna with a range of decisions to strengthen drug control.
It was trumpeted as the new front in Victoria’s drugs battle. In the summer of 2007, then premier Steve Bracks declared a “pre-emptive strike in the war on ice”, saying the Government had to “act now”.
Thousands of South African children who may have been wrongly diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and are using a popular Schedule 7 medication could grow up to be cocaine junkies.
Women have been toasting red wine research for years, tossing back their cabernets and pinot noirs with every finding that has linked red wine to such health benefits as lowered heart attack risk and slower aging.
The United States has seen an increase in both nonmedical use of painkillers and prescription drug-related deaths; researchers blame “doctor shopping” and ignorance.
Schoolchildren in the UK are the worst in Europe for cannabis abuse with almost half of youngsters admitting taking the drug, the United Nations has warned.
The internet is playing an increasing and “alarming” role in the trafficking of both illegal and unauthorised prescription drugs, according to the body that monitors the trafficking and use of narcotics.
The price of cocaine in Europe is set to fall even further as smugglers use new routes through West Africa and the Balkans, says the UN anti-drugs agency.
Faced with deadlines, especially during high stress times like midterms and finals weeks, many students turn to study aid stimulants such as coffee, Red Bull, or 5-Hour Energy shots, while others resort to more drastic measures, such as Adderall or Ritalin.
Of the 75 percent of sixth through 12th graders in Mineral County who took the PRIDE survey last year, as high as 73 percent say they have used tobacco, alcohol or marijuana at some point in their lives.
The paradigm shift from alcohol-based to alcohol-free instant hand sanitizers mirrors a similar shift that occurred in the 1980s when non-latex gloves were introduced.
Pulling together to fight methamphetamine, often called today’s cheapest and most addictive drug, agencies are making a big difference in the drug’s availability on local streets.
According to information in a drug book provided to law enforcement, fentanyl is “a synthetic opiate approximately 80-100 times more potent than morphine. By comparison, heroin is approximately only three times more potent than morphine.”
Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University provide evidence to support first published guideline for treating chronic non-cancer pain with opioid medications.
New scientific studies bring about a new wave of concern about the safety of commonly-used drugs, as it seems that, oftentimes, their effect on the brain is not fully understood.
Heroin addiction affects people both mentally and physically. In this section of film, we look at the physical effects of heroin addiction, including the realities of intravenous drug use.
A RAND Corporation study released today, “The Economic Cost of Methamphetamine Use in the United States, 2005,” estimates the national cost of Meth abuse is $23.4 billion. The study represents the first time that a comprehensive assessment of the annual costs of methamphetamine abuse has been analyzed on a national scale.
This first national estimate suggests that the economic cost of methamphetamine (meth) use in the United States reached $23.4 billion in 2005. Given the uncertainty in estimating the costs of meth use, this book provides a lower-bound estimate of $16.2 billion and an upper-bound estimate of $48.3 billion.
Every drug rehab facility is unique. Unfortunately, that isn’t always a good thing. Given the number of treatment centers in Los Angeles, many prospective clients assume that one drug addiction treatment center must be more or less the same as the next.
They’re commonly called “smart drugs” or “study drugs.” Scientists call them “cognitive enhancers.” Drugs like Adderall and Ritalin, generally prescribed for attention-deficit disorder, are increasingly being used by college students to help them study despite serious side effects, researchers say.
A recent mouse study conducted on the addictive effects of Ritalin discovered that chronic exposure to Ritalin in high doses could prove addictive. Results showed addictive properties of methylphenidate, Ritalin, is similar to cocaine and implied that chronic exposure may lead to addiction.
Treatment-related hallucinations and other psychotic symptoms in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be more common than previously thought, FDA officials report in the latest issue of the journal Pediatrics.
AS stories of a “heroin flood” in Australia again start sporadically to appear in the media, it is worth revisiting where heroin supply and use sits today in Australia and in the world generally.
There are several methods of detecting alcohol and drugs in a person’s body. This includes urine, saliva, spray or sweat, and hair follicle tests. Hair follicle testing is considered to be highly accurate and can verify the presence of prescription drugs, controlled drugs and even nicotine from smoking.
With the recent increase in methamphetamine in Kosciusko County, Warsaw Housing Authority is informing the community of Housing and Urban Development’s illegal drug use policy for people seeking federal assisted housing.
Ritalin, Adderall, and other popular brands of drugs for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can cause frightening hallucinations and other psychosis symptoms in children, even when taken as directed, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Concerns about alcohol abuse have been making headlines this week. First, the Indian state of Rajasthan reportedly announced it would shut down 800 alcohol shops. Then, in Britain, chief medical officer Liam Donaldson recommended Thursday that anyone 15 years old and younger avoid alcohol completely.
Government medical advisers Friday recommended a ban on Darvon, a prescription medicine that’s been used to treat pain for more than 50 years but left a trail of problems such as addiction and suicide.
Darvon, a widely prescribed painkiller for 52 years, should now be banned, FDA advisers have recommended. Consumer groups argued that the drug and its derivatives do not offer strong pain relief and thereby pose risks of overdose and potential suicide. Drug makers said it is safe and effective when used as directed.
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