AHS Views

The American Medical Association (AMA) has been placing targeted ads in college publications asking them to “Stop the Madness” with regards to taking money from the alcohol beverage industry for ads during college athletics.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) responded to the ad by saying that reports show the age of people watching events such as the NCAA basketball tournament are largely adults, and they are limited to only one commercial per hour.

Is this a true enough statement to ignore the issue, or is it simply a justification for the money these schools get in return, which can range from the thousands to the millions, for alcohol-related sponsors?

The AMA maintains that alcohol ads undermine efforts to prevent campus binge drinking and alcohol-related deaths, accidents and sexual assaults.

“Universities have finally gotten past the `bad apple’ theory — that it’s just a few students,” said Laurie Leiber, spokeswoman for the Marin Institute, an alcohol industry watchdog group in California. “They’re trying to get away from an alcohol-saturated environment.”

The new mood comes as public awareness of binge drinking on campuses has heightened in recent years. Colleges have come under fire for largely turning a blind eye to abusive drinking on their campuses, often by underage students.

Statistics from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health report that over 7 million young people under the age of 21 are current binge drinkers, which is defined as having five or more drinks on the same occasion in the past month.

In addition, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) concluded that 30 percent of Americans aged 18-20 were binge drinkers in the past month. Frequent binge drinkers were eight times more likely than non-binge drinkers to miss a class, fall behind in schoolwork, get hurt or injured, and damage property.

College campuses have been notorious for heavy alcohol consumption, and in recent years several schools made national headlines because of deaths on campus due to alcohol poisoning.

Does it really have to come to a point where kids are dying before colleges take a stand?

Article by Eric

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The illegal drug market has never been a trusted source for safe products of course, but recent reports of some contaminated marijuana in England have had many health officials and drug users worried in recent months.

Apparently, there have been reports of what is being called “grit weed”, which has tiny glass beads sprayed on it with glue to appear better and weigh more (increasing the price).

Pro-marijuana sites and users’ message boards are filled with posts of people confirming these reports, which have spread throughout the UK. “It seems to be being done on an industrial scale,” said Harry Shapiro of Drugscope, which is a major charity in the UK.

Drugscope also issued a warning about the substance, stating, “We want to make people aware of it from a public health point of view. If you are smoking this stuff and taking it into your lungs it’s not good news.”

Because the market is driven by basic supply and demand principles, money is the root of the underground trade industry. The concern for adverse health effects doesn’t even come into play when the sellers can get top dollar for a dangerous product.

In a similar vein, but a different drug in the U.S., heroin suppliers had mixed in amounts of the opiate Fentanyl, which is much stronger than morphine. The idea was to save money on the amount of heroin, while increasing potency and using other powder fillers instead. The result was a serious outbreak in overdose deaths from the Midwest to the East Coast.

If enough glass from the grit weed were ingested into the lungs of a marijuana user, the result could be very hazardous and even deadly over a period of time if use continued.

Article by Eric

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These photos are courtesy of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and are pretty typical pictures of what happens when people become addicted to meth.

One common occurrence has been dubbed “meth mouth”.

Meth, like other drugs, burns up the vital nutrients in the body that are needed for it to function properly and be healthy. Factor in some extremely poor personal hygiene, reduced protective saliva and a large amount of sodas and cigarettes, and this is what you get. Teeth will not just rot away, but they also break off from excessive teeth grinding and jaw clenching – it is a ghastly sight.

Oddly enough, some women start using meth as a weight loss drug because it is an appetite suppressant.

However, when someone is on meth they often feel like bugs are crawling all over their bodies under their skin and start picking at themselves. These hallucinations are sometimes called crank bugs, and the continued itching and scratching creates open sores that can become infected and also leave hideous scars.

This is hardly the picture of beauty. Maybe if more people can SEE what they are doing to themselves they wont be so apt to go down this road.

Article by Eric

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More and more companies are starting to set up drug-free workplace programs. Encouraged by the U.S. Department of Labor, businesses that have such a program in place can get incentives such as discounts on their workers’ compensation insurance. In a few states, like Georgia, law mandates the reward percentage. In others, it is up to the individual insurance companies and policies.

When businesses are deciding to implement a drug testing policy at work, a few questions must be answered, such as who will be tested, when and how it will be done. There is also an important component that must be looked at when someone tests positive for drugs or alcohol on the job. Does the employee get a chance to enter into a rehabilitation program, or are they fired immediately? Many companies hire Employee Assistance Programs (EAP’s) to help deal with issues like this, and they should have a policy on how to handle these situation.

Having a drug-free workplace program that includes employee drug testing in many company environments is almost essential now, especially when more than three quarters of illicit drug users are employed, meaning somewhere between 6 and 9 percent of employees use illicit drugs. In addition to that, another 6 percent of full-time workers are heavy drinkers.

Alcohol and drug use in the workplace costs hundreds of millions of man-hours in lost workdays and even more in terms decreased productivity and accidents on the job.

Does your company have a drug-free workplace policy, or do they at least require drug testing before employment? We’d like to hear if you think it is fair to require a negative drug test prior to being hired or if you have any examples of how drug and alcohol use has impacted your work environment.

Article by Eric

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Driving under the influence of alcohol or another drug is actually more of an issue than most people recognize. Sure, there are groups against drunk driving, such as MADD, which help bring to light some of the issues.

While alcohol is the main culprit, being easily available and readily served, it is not the only substance we should be concerned about. Alcohol is still the most dangerous in terms of numbers of crashes, loss of life and damage caused to society. In 2005, there were more than 31 million people over the age of 12 who reported driving under the influence of alcohol.

During the same year over 10 million people aged 12 or older also reported driving under the influence of an illicit drug. Whether someone is nodding out from opiates such as heroin, oblivious to others on marijuana or driving aggressively because of stimulants like meth or cocaine, they’re still a menace on the streets.

There have been additional threats in recent years though, and that is people driving under the influence of drugs legally prescribed to them. Even at the recommended dose some of these drugs can be very dangerous when combined with driving.

Last year the New York Times and MSNBC reported that there was a major increase in the number of DUI arrests involving the prescription sleep aid Ambien across the country. The category is not just limited to sleeping pills. Other types of medications can be equally as hazardous. An article from a teacher was posted on About.com where she talked about getting arrested for driving under the influence of her prescription because she was weaving in her lane and failed a field sobriety test.

Despite most people knowing that it’s there and ignoring it, the label on these drugs says, “Do not operate heavy machinery” and is there for a reason. So, it might be good to do yourselves and others a favor and not let people on these medications drive, regardless of how long they’ve already been doing it. It might just keep them from going to jail or injuring themselves or someone else.

Article by Eric

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Do you think your beef and dairy products have chemicals in them? Well recent news has surfaced about the banning of cows being fed cannabis in Switzerland and neighboring Liechtenstein.

Some farmers claim the plant makes it cheap to feed the cows and that the THC (a crystalline compound that is the main active ingredient of cannabis) in it relaxes the cows and makes them produce more milk. However, the Agricultural Ministry for Switzerland banned such practices back in March of 2005 after traces of THC were found in dairy products that came from cows that were fed hemp.

The ministry has now warned farmers that if the practice is continued, they will be prosecuted.

It is unconfirmed whether or not any beef products have been found to have traces of THC, but if cows that are fed other chemicals are found contaminating the meat, then why wouldn’t the cannabis contaminate it too?

Article by Eric

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A couple of weeks ago we wrote about celebrities going into rehab. It’s been a hot topic lately, which has only been fueled by the bizarre behavior of the once-labeled “pop princess” Britney Spears.

You’d think that the tanked careers and ruined lives of former stars caught up in the “lifestyle” would serve as an example, but I guess that’s not the case. “Party like a rock star” doesn’t seem very appealing any more, but is very cliché.

Privacy and comfort seems to be a big issue when celebrities do decide to get help, whether they really mean it or it’s just a public relations handling. However, high prices ranging close to 100K for 3 months and a nice place close to the beach doesn’t necessarily mean they will get the best type of treatment. Accommodations and setting doesn’t equal results.

Since celebrity rehab stays have been in the news lately and the reporting has been slammed in your face everywhere you turn, we’d like to turn the tables a bit and see what you have to say about the subject. If you have something to say about it, then this is the place to do it. Tell us your thoughts on the matter and what you would do, for example, if Britney were your relative…?

Article by Eric

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