Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Thursday, April 30, 2009
April Is Alcohol Awareness Month
The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has designated April as Alcohol Awareness Month. The designation is an effort to recognize the serious problem of alcohol abuse in the United States, and raise awareness about the signs and symptoms of alcohol abuse.
According to SAMHSA, alcohol abuse affects Americans in many different demographics, including "college students who binge drink at local bars; pregnant women who drink and put their babies at risk for fetal alcohol syndrome; professionals who drink after a long day of work; and senior citizens who drink out of loneliness."
SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) indicates that in 2007, nearly one in four individuals age 12 and older participated in binge drinking at least once during the 30 days prior to the survey. This means that approximately 57.8 million people participated in this dangerous behavior.
(Source: ncadi.samhsa.gov)
According to SAMHSA, alcohol abuse affects Americans in many different demographics, including "college students who binge drink at local bars; pregnant women who drink and put their babies at risk for fetal alcohol syndrome; professionals who drink after a long day of work; and senior citizens who drink out of loneliness."
SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) indicates that in 2007, nearly one in four individuals age 12 and older participated in binge drinking at least once during the 30 days prior to the survey. This means that approximately 57.8 million people participated in this dangerous behavior.
(Source: ncadi.samhsa.gov)
Labels: alcohol, binge-drinking
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 2:48 PM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Nicotine: More Than an Addiction
A new study from Brown University indicates that nicotine is not only addictive, but it may also interfere with dozens of cellular interactions in the body. The study, which is published in the Journal of Proteone Research, shows that nicotine may affect the body more extensively than previously thought.
Nicotine appears to impact cell communication throughout the mammalian nervous system, and "opens several new lines of investigation" for possible treatments of smoking addiction and disease.
The study analyzed the cellular processes of brain tissue in mice. In particular, researchers studied a receptor (the alpha-7 receptor) in the brain where nicotine bonds with the surface of the cells when it enters the body. Researchers compared cellular processes in the brains of mice with the receptor and in mice without, and found that 55 different proteins interacted with the alpha-7 receptor. This finding indicates that the alpha-7 receptor may have many more functions in the body than previously known, and that the presence of nicotine may negatively affect each of these functions.
(Source: www.miller-mccune.com)
Nicotine appears to impact cell communication throughout the mammalian nervous system, and "opens several new lines of investigation" for possible treatments of smoking addiction and disease.
The study analyzed the cellular processes of brain tissue in mice. In particular, researchers studied a receptor (the alpha-7 receptor) in the brain where nicotine bonds with the surface of the cells when it enters the body. Researchers compared cellular processes in the brains of mice with the receptor and in mice without, and found that 55 different proteins interacted with the alpha-7 receptor. This finding indicates that the alpha-7 receptor may have many more functions in the body than previously known, and that the presence of nicotine may negatively affect each of these functions.
(Source: www.miller-mccune.com)
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 1:18 PM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Monday, April 27, 2009
Betty Ford -- First Lady and Founder of Famous Addiction Rehabilitation Center
April 8, 2009, marked the 91st birthday of former first lady Betty Ford. With the founding of the Betty Ford Center in 1982, Betty Ford made a groundbreaking contribution to the treatment of addiction for women. Betty had many roles in her lifetime: model, dancer, first lady, feminist, and cancer survivor. But it was her experience battling and surviving her own addictions that led to her most memorable venture.
In April 1978, the year that her husband lost the presidential election to democratic candidate Jimmy Carter, Betty began losing her battle against substance addiction. Her family staged an intervention, and she was admitted to the U.S. Naval Hospital in Long Beach, Calif., for chemical dependency. During her treatment at the hospital, she first saw the need for a detoxification and treatment center that would offer services for each gender separately. In 1982, Betty joined with her friend Ambassador Leonard Firestone to co-found the nonprofit center.
(Source: www.findingdulcinea.com)
In April 1978, the year that her husband lost the presidential election to democratic candidate Jimmy Carter, Betty began losing her battle against substance addiction. Her family staged an intervention, and she was admitted to the U.S. Naval Hospital in Long Beach, Calif., for chemical dependency. During her treatment at the hospital, she first saw the need for a detoxification and treatment center that would offer services for each gender separately. In 1982, Betty joined with her friend Ambassador Leonard Firestone to co-found the nonprofit center.
(Source: www.findingdulcinea.com)
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 3:40 PM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Ritalin May Be Addictive
Researchers at Rockefeller University have conducted a study with mice that indicates that Ritalin, a drug commonly prescribed to treat attention-deficit disorder (ADD/ADHD), may be addictive.
Study findings suggest that long-term exposure to the drug could induce addiction because “Methylphenidate [Ritalin] and cocaine have similar chemical structures and their pharmacological effects appear to be similar," said study author Yong Kim, a senior research associate at The Rockefeller University. Long-term exposure to the drug appears to cause changes in neuronal morphology (the shape of neurons) and brain chemistry in the same way that cocaine does.
(Source: www.forbes.com)
Study findings suggest that long-term exposure to the drug could induce addiction because “Methylphenidate [Ritalin] and cocaine have similar chemical structures and their pharmacological effects appear to be similar," said study author Yong Kim, a senior research associate at The Rockefeller University. Long-term exposure to the drug appears to cause changes in neuronal morphology (the shape of neurons) and brain chemistry in the same way that cocaine does.
(Source: www.forbes.com)
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 10:37 AM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Friday, April 24, 2009
Menthol Cigarettes Are the Most Addictive
A new study says that the cooling flavor of menthol cigarettes makes them more addictive than other kinds of cigarettes, and therefore more dangerous.
Study author Kunal Gandhi, a researcher in the division of addiction psychiatry at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, commented in a news release issued by the school: "We previously found that menthol cigarette smokers take in more nicotine and carbon monoxide per cigarette. This study shows that menthol smokers also find it harder to quit, despite smoking fewer cigarettes per day."
The study examined 1,700 people attending a university-run tobacco addiction clinic. Jonathon Founds, director of the university's Tobacco Dependence Program, said of the study, "These results build on growing evidence suggesting that menthol is not a neutral flavoring in cigarettes. It masks the harshness of the nicotine and toxins, affects the way the cigarette is smoked, and makes it more deadly and addictive."
(Source: www.forbes.com)
Study author Kunal Gandhi, a researcher in the division of addiction psychiatry at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, commented in a news release issued by the school: "We previously found that menthol cigarette smokers take in more nicotine and carbon monoxide per cigarette. This study shows that menthol smokers also find it harder to quit, despite smoking fewer cigarettes per day."
The study examined 1,700 people attending a university-run tobacco addiction clinic. Jonathon Founds, director of the university's Tobacco Dependence Program, said of the study, "These results build on growing evidence suggesting that menthol is not a neutral flavoring in cigarettes. It masks the harshness of the nicotine and toxins, affects the way the cigarette is smoked, and makes it more deadly and addictive."
(Source: www.forbes.com)
Labels: addiction, cigarettes, tobacco
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 8:28 AM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Teens Lack Addiction Treatment Options
According to a new report from the University of Kentucky, 90 percent of the 1.4 million adolescents struggling with substance abuse do not get treatment, partly because not enough treatment programs are devoted to teens. The report was compiled by Hannah Knudsen, an assistant professor in the University of Kentucky Department of Behavioral Science and a researcher in the university's Center on Drug and Alcohol Research.
The report contained a random sampling of 154 programs. Knudsen looked at nine domains of quality. Overall, the cohort of programs received an average score. Addiction treatment services for teens in the Lexington, Kentucky area appear especially lacking. Of the 38 programs in the area, only six offer services for teens.
Knudsen commented, "One barrier has to do with the limited amount of funding that exists for substance abuse treatment. ... In addition, treating adolescents means that treatment programs need to find counselors with experience and training that helps them to work well with teenagers; that can also be a challenge." (Source: kykernel.com)
The report contained a random sampling of 154 programs. Knudsen looked at nine domains of quality. Overall, the cohort of programs received an average score. Addiction treatment services for teens in the Lexington, Kentucky area appear especially lacking. Of the 38 programs in the area, only six offer services for teens.
Knudsen commented, "One barrier has to do with the limited amount of funding that exists for substance abuse treatment. ... In addition, treating adolescents means that treatment programs need to find counselors with experience and training that helps them to work well with teenagers; that can also be a challenge." (Source: kykernel.com)
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 10:39 PM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Nausea Drug May Help Treat Opioid Addiction
A drug commonly prescribed to help with nausea is showing promise as a treatment for opioid addiction withdrawal. Scientists at Stanford University found that Zofran (ondansetron) prevents symptoms of withdrawal associated with drugs like heroin, morphine, and codeine, and that it does so without the drastic side effects of other medications that are currently used to treat these withdrawal symptoms. In a Stanford news release, Dr. Larry F. Chu, an assistant professor of anesthesia and lead author of the study, commented on the significance of the finding:
"Opioid abuse is rising at a faster rate than any other type of illicit drug use, yet only about a quarter of those dependent on opioids seek treatment. One barrier to treatment is that when you abruptly stop taking the drugs, there is a constellation of symptoms associated with withdrawal." (Source: www.forbes.com)
"Opioid abuse is rising at a faster rate than any other type of illicit drug use, yet only about a quarter of those dependent on opioids seek treatment. One barrier to treatment is that when you abruptly stop taking the drugs, there is a constellation of symptoms associated with withdrawal." (Source: www.forbes.com)
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 10:36 PM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Friday, April 17, 2009
Parents in Suburban Virginia Concerned about Teen Heroin Use
One year ago, Alicia Lannes, a 19-year-old from Fairfax Virginia, died of heroin overdose. Her death initiated a federal investigation into a heroin ring in Centreville, Virginia. Four young men, current and former students of a local high school, received sentences from four to 20 years for their involvement in the ring. Alicia's boyfriend was also charged with providing the heroin that killed her.
This week, Alicia's father, Greg Lannes, spoke out about heroin use in the suburban community, saying, "It's not some inner-city issue. ... We want the impact of our pain to be felt by the community."
Local police report that heroin use is a growing and unsettling trend among local high school students, many of them from privileged backgrounds. Fairfax County Police Commander Ron Lantz commented, "We're seeing kids on the honor roll, band students, kids in athletics and sports ... become involved in heroin." (Source: www.msnbc.msn.com)
This week, Alicia's father, Greg Lannes, spoke out about heroin use in the suburban community, saying, "It's not some inner-city issue. ... We want the impact of our pain to be felt by the community."
Local police report that heroin use is a growing and unsettling trend among local high school students, many of them from privileged backgrounds. Fairfax County Police Commander Ron Lantz commented, "We're seeing kids on the honor roll, band students, kids in athletics and sports ... become involved in heroin." (Source: www.msnbc.msn.com)
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 10:37 PM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Teen Turns in Stepfather for Drugs
A 13-year-old girl in Lorain, Ohio turned her stepfather in to authorities after discovering that he was growing marijuana in her bedroom closet. The girl met police outside the house when they arrived and explained what she had seen. After searching the house and speaking to the stepfather, police recovered the four-foot-tall plan as well as eight more three-foot-tall plants and arrested the stepfather. The stepfather, who later admitted to selling the drug, was charged with trafficking in drugs, illegal cultivation of marijuana, and drug paraphernalia possession. (Sources: www.msnbc.msn.com)
Labels: drug-abuse, parents, trafficking
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 10:38 PM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Monday, April 13, 2009
Menthol Cigarettes Are the Most Addictive
A new study says that the cooling flavor of menthol cigarettes makes them more addictive than other kinds of cigarettes, and therefore more dangerous. Study author Kunal Gandhi, a researcher in the division of addiction psychiatry at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, commented in a news release issued by the school: "We previously found that menthol cigarette smokers take in more nicotine and carbon monoxide per cigarette. This study shows that menthol smokers also find it harder to quit, despite smoking fewer cigarettes per day."
The study examined 1,700 people attending a university-run tobacco addiction clinic. Jonathon Founds, director of the university's Tobacco Dependence Program, said of the study, "These results build on growing evidence suggesting that menthol is not a neutral flavoring in cigarettes. It masks the harshness of the nicotine and toxins, affects the way the cigarette is smoked, and makes it more deadly and addictive." (Source: www.forbes.com)
The study examined 1,700 people attending a university-run tobacco addiction clinic. Jonathon Founds, director of the university's Tobacco Dependence Program, said of the study, "These results build on growing evidence suggesting that menthol is not a neutral flavoring in cigarettes. It masks the harshness of the nicotine and toxins, affects the way the cigarette is smoked, and makes it more deadly and addictive." (Source: www.forbes.com)
Labels: addiction, cigarettes, smoking
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 10:35 PM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Drug Capitals of America
In January 2009, Forbes online magazine (Forbes.com) published a list of "Drug Capitals" in the United States - American cities and towns that are plagued with drug problems. While some of the listings are not surprising, like New Orleans and San Francisco, some of the smaller communities are less well-known and still dealing with enormous challenges.
The town of Espanola, New Mexico, for instance is a small rural city north of Santa Fe. Most of the employment for the town comes from the Los Alamos National Lab, and the town has high poverty rates. It is also the U.S. city that consistently ranks with one of the highest drug overdose rates in the nation. Espanola has approximately 42.5 drug-related deaths per 100,000 members of the population, compared with a national average of 7.7. The most popular drug in this small city is heroin. (Source: www.forbes.com)
The town of Espanola, New Mexico, for instance is a small rural city north of Santa Fe. Most of the employment for the town comes from the Los Alamos National Lab, and the town has high poverty rates. It is also the U.S. city that consistently ranks with one of the highest drug overdose rates in the nation. Espanola has approximately 42.5 drug-related deaths per 100,000 members of the population, compared with a national average of 7.7. The most popular drug in this small city is heroin. (Source: www.forbes.com)
Labels: cities, community, neighborhoods
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 11:17 PM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Prescription Drug Abuse Alarms Health Experts
Two national surveys show that prescription drug abuse among youth is continuing at high rates. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health, conducted by the federal Department of Health and Human Services, found that from 2002 to 2004, 6.7 percent of teens ages 12-17 misused prescription drugs. In addition, the most recent Monitoring the Future national youth survey (conducted by the Michigan Institute) indicates that seven out of 10 drugs abused by high school seniors in 2007 were prescribed or purchased over the counter. According to experts, many teens have the misconception that prescribed drugs are safer than street drugs, such as ecstasy, heroin, or cocaine.
(Source: www.msnbcnews.com)
(Source: www.msnbcnews.com)
Labels: prescription-drug-abuse
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 11:32 PM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Friday, April 3, 2009
Alcohol Linked to Cancer in Women
A new study from the University of Oxford in England has added support to recent findings that alcohol may promote cancer in women. The study, which included nearly 1.3 British women, compared light drinkers (those who consume two or less drinks per day) with those who consume more. Researchers found that each extra drink above two increased the risk of breast, rectal, and liver cancer. The type of alcohol consumed did not affect the outcome. However, the study also found that moderate drinkers were at lower risk for some types of cancer, including thyroid cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and renal cell cancer. Currently, U.S. health guidelines recommend that women consume only one drink per day. (Sources: www.forbes.com)
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 11:16 PM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Prescription Drug Use Surges
A European global watchdog group released startling findings recently, claiming the abuse of prescription drugs worldwide will soon surpass illicit drug abuse. As recently as 2006, prescription drug use had eclipsed illicit drug use in parts of Europe, Africa, and South Asia. In the United States, abuse of painkillers, stimulants, tranquilizers and other prescription medications has gone beyond "practically all illicit drugs with the exception of cannabis," said the global watchdog group.
Narcotics Control Board President Philip O. Emafo stated, "Gains over the past years in international drug control may be seriously undermined by this ominous development if it remains unchecked."
Prescription drug use has spread globally and created a dangerous new trade in counterfeit prescription substances, many of them potent enough to kill uninformed or overly enthusiastic users. The World Health Organization claims up to 50 percent of all drugs taken in developing countries are believed to be counterfeit.
"The very high potency of some of the synthetic narcotic drugs available as prescription drugs presents, in fact, a higher overdose risk than the abuse of illicit drugs," Emafo said. The group sited as an example North America, where widespread abuse of prescription drugs, including the narcotic fentanyl - 80 times as potent as heroin - has been blamed for a sharp increase in deaths.
(Source: www.msnbc.msn.com)
Narcotics Control Board President Philip O. Emafo stated, "Gains over the past years in international drug control may be seriously undermined by this ominous development if it remains unchecked."
Prescription drug use has spread globally and created a dangerous new trade in counterfeit prescription substances, many of them potent enough to kill uninformed or overly enthusiastic users. The World Health Organization claims up to 50 percent of all drugs taken in developing countries are believed to be counterfeit.
"The very high potency of some of the synthetic narcotic drugs available as prescription drugs presents, in fact, a higher overdose risk than the abuse of illicit drugs," Emafo said. The group sited as an example North America, where widespread abuse of prescription drugs, including the narcotic fentanyl - 80 times as potent as heroin - has been blamed for a sharp increase in deaths.
(Source: www.msnbc.msn.com)
Labels: prescription-drug-abuse
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 10:34 PM
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