Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Friday, July 31, 2009
Florida Battles Reputation as "Pill Mill" Capital
With the introduction of OxyContin to Appalachia in the 1990s, several states reacted quickly, developing procedures for tracking the writing and filling of OxyContin and other similar medications. However, Florida, with an entrenched focus on battling cocaine use, failed to keep pace.
The growth of the problem is clear: Fatal overdoses involving oxycodone, the main component in brand-name pain killers OxyContin, Roxicet and Percocet, increased 20 percent from 2007 to 2008 in Broward and Palm Beach counties, according to state authorities. Last year, the two counties had 221 oxycodone-related overdose deaths. Last month, Governor Charlie Crist signed legislation aimed at regulating pain clinics more effectively.
(Source: www.sun-sentinel.com)
Labels: drug-abuse, OxyContin, painkillers, prescription-drug-abuse
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 8:06 AM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Prescription Drug Abuse on the Rise in Ohio
The report includes data from June 2008 to January 2009, collected in eight metropolitan areas. Report authors interviewed drug users, treatment professionals, police and crime lab officials to obtain information useful to the development of addiction prevention, treatment and recovery programs.
(Source: www.limiohio.com)
Labels: addiction, OxyContin, prescription-drug-abuse, recovery, Vicodin
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 4:03 PM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Monday, July 27, 2009
Florida Launches New Drug Control Strategy
Governor Crist commented on the need for drug education and awareness in order to support family unity:
"As we celebrate Florida's record-setting year of adoptions this week, it is important to remain vigilant in our diversion efforts to help as many families stay together as possible. There is an undeniable link between drug and alcohol abuse and the abuse of so many of the children who end up in our state system. In many cases, drug abuse has been the root cause of neglect, abuse, poverty and despair that leaves these precious children without homes to call their own."
Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp, who oversees operation of the Governor's Office of Drug Control, echoed the governor's sentiment: "Substance abuse and addiction threaten the health and safety of Florida's children, families and communities. The dangers posed by illegal drug use, underage drinking, and prescription drug diversion and abuse require a bold and comprehensive response."
(Source: www.floridanewswire.com)
Labels: alcohol, drug-abuse
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 10:00 AM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Friday, July 24, 2009
Drug-Related Crimes Cost West Virginia $333 Million
The report, produced by the Prevention Resource Center for the governor-appoint Partnership to Promote Community Well-Being, shows rapidly increasing costs for 11 of 12 participating public agencies, including courts and law enforcement. Based on this trend, the report projects that West Virginia will be spending around $500 on drug-related crime by 2017.
The report concludes: "Substance abuse places an enormous financial burden on West Virginia's criminal justice system. The alarming fact is the burden will continue to grow unless urgent actions are taken to provide the continuum of care necessary to stem this growth."
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 10:57 AM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
North Boston Collects Unused Prescription Drugs
According to public health officials, setting up collection spots for outdated prescriptions is an effective method to help keep the drugs from ending up in the hands of teenagers.
As part of the collection effort, several postal service mail boxes have been refurbished and placed in the lobbies of local police stations as collection receptacles. Residents can drop unused prescriptions in these boxes 24 hours a day, seven days per week. The drug take-back programs are a collaboration among law enforcement, healthcare, public health, education, and community agencies.
Joan Whitney, director of substance abuse prevention in Gloucester, commented on the trend of prescription drug use: "The national statistics are astounding. The misuse of prescription drugs is the fastest growing category of misuse nationally, with teens admitting to abusing prescription drugs. We need to limit access and provide awareness."
(Source: wickedlocal.com)
Labels: prescription-drug-abuse, substance abuse
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 9:53 AM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Monday, July 20, 2009
Pain Relief Can Lead to Addiction
According to data from the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), non-medical use of painkillers resulted in approximately 8,500 deaths in 2005, and overdose deaths involving prescription pain medications jumped by about 114 percent between 2001 and 2005.
According to the ONDCP, prescription drug abuse is most common among young adults between the ages of 18 and 25. However, experts warn, people of all ages have the misconception that prescription drugs are not that dangerous.
Dr. Marvin Seppala, the chief medical officer at Hazelden, a drug and alcohol treatment center, comments: "I think people of all ages don't take medication as seriously as street drugs. There's sort of a naive belief they're safer. The truth is pain medications are in the same exact class as heroin, morphine -- they're very addictive."
In a 2007 study conducted by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, 15.5 percent of teenagers reported abusing prescription drugs and a significant number reported obtaining prescription drugs from a friend or family member, from a household medicine cabinet, or at a party.
Experts also warn that older adults are vulnerable to prescription drug addiction. Dr. Steven Juergens, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Washington and a private addiction specialist in Bellevue, Wash., comments, "Often what happens is someone experiences discomfort, anxiety, or pain. They start being treated with medicine, and need more. They're caught in this hell of using the drugs illicitly, not seeing it as a problem. It takes a while to unravel that."
(Source: cnn.com)
Labels: heroin, methamphetamines, painkillers, prescription-drug-abuse
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 12:58 PM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Friday, July 17, 2009
New Study Suggests Possibility of Returned Brain Function After Meth Abuse
Ruth Salo, author of the study and a UC Davis assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, commented on the findings and related implications for substance abuse treatment programs:
"Recovery from meth abuse does not happen overnight. It may take a year -- or even longer -- for cognitive processes such as impulse control and attentional focus to improve. Treatment programs need to consider this when monitoring recovering addicts' progress during their early periods of abstinence. I can confidently tell patients that the longer they stay in a structured rehabilitation program and remain drug free, the more likely it is that they will recover some important brain functions."
Ms. Salo and associates used a computer-based attention test to track the cognitive control abilities of 65 recovering meth abusers. Study participants had abstained from meth use for at least three weeks and not more than 10 years, and they had used the drug from 24 months to 28 years. Test results were compared to test results from 33 participants who had never used meth.
(Source: www.scientistslive.com)
Labels: brain_chemistry, drug-abuse, methamphetamines
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 9:45 AM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Aerosmith Drummer Releases Book on Addiction
Word of Joey's troubles first reached the media and fans in 1997 during Aerosmith's sold-out world tour. A member of the band since it was founded in 1970, Kramer had experienced all the highs and lows of a rock-star lifestyle. He relates in the introduction to his book how he finally arrived at the beginning of recovery:
"I'd played my drums in front of eighty thousand screaming fans and passed out in my own puke. I'd toured in private jets, rode in limos. I also lived in rat-infested, shithole apartments, got caught in a burning car where I sustained third-degree burns all over my body, racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt, and watched my father die a slow, agonizing death. But I had never felt anything like this depression that brought me to Steps. This time, there was only me and my pain, and I didn't see any way out."
(Sources: examiner.com, amazon.com)
Labels: addiction, depression
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 11:31 AM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Monday, July 13, 2009
Prescription Drug Abuse Up in Indiana
According to the report, which was compiled from pubic data sources, approximately 7.6 percent of Indiana residents have abused prescription drugs in the past year, compared to a national rate of 6.2 percent. Of all age groups, 18- to 25-year-olds have the highest rate of prescription drug abuse in the past year, at approximately 16 percent. The national average for the same age group is about 12 percent.
(Source: www.indystar.com)
Labels: prescription-drug-abuse
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 9:38 AM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Friday, July 10, 2009
NASCAR Driver's Positive Meth Test Disputed, Racing Suspension Lifted
Mayfield claims that the false positive occurred because he took prescribed Adderall (for Attention Deficit Disorder) and an over-the-counter allergy medicine (Claritin-D). The judge stated that the likelihood of a false positive in Mayfield's case was "substantial." NASCAR's lawyer warned that allowing Mayfield to return to racing could endanger other drivers and NASCAR fans.
(Source: www.thatsracin.com)
Labels: drug-abuse, methamphetamines
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 5:16 PM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Tobacco Use Highest Among Young Adults
Between 2002 and 2007, cigarette and cigar use decreased among young adults in that age group, while smokeless tobacco use increased.
This finding has increased concern about the fact that cigarette companies financially sponsor some popular youth organizations, including the nationally known 4-H organization. 4-H has been a symbol of wholesome living for more than 100 years, with one of the 4 Hs standing for health. However, over the last 10 years, the National 4-H Council has accepted over $25 million in funding from Phillip Morris USA. Phillip Morris USA is the maker of the Marlboro brand of cigarettes, which is the best-selling U.S. cigarette brand and a favorite among teens.
Paul G. Billings, a vice president of the American Lung Association, comments: "Tobacco companies are simply not an appropriate source of funding for youth organizations. The tobacco industry is looking for something in return for these donations, such as building their credibility and brand and improving their image. Tobacco companies are targeting kids for the next generation of replacement smokers. So youth organizations should not be looking to further the tobacco companies' credibility."
(Source: www.youthtoday.org)
Labels: cigarettes, smoking, tobacco
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 9:33 AM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Monday, July 6, 2009
Florida Implements Controversial Cigarette Tax
Lawmakers are hoping to encourage some smokers to quit, but expect that the higher tax will generate about $900 million a year to help treat smokers who have become ill. According to Eric Lindblom, policy research director for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, cigarette consumption drops by about 6 percent among minors for every 10 percent increase in the price of a pack of cigarettes. Among adults, the same price hike causes a 3 to 5 percent drop in cigarette use.
(Source: www.miamiherald.com)
Labels: cigarettes, smoking
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 9:30 AM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Friday, July 3, 2009
Canadian Researchers Use Rats to Study Gambling Addiction
Researchers followed the habits of 32 rats over six months to test new treatments for gambling addiction. Researchers placed rats in chambers for half an hour every day. The rats would poke their noses into four holes, each leading to a different quantity of sweet pellets.
Catharine Winstanley, an assistant professor in UBC's Department of Psychology and study author, commented on the motivation for the study: "For most people, gambling is a harmless recreational activity, but for some it becomes a maladaptive obsession similar to drug addiction. We hope to find treatments to offer people who have this problem. This study is the first in hopefully many studies that looks at the biological basis of gambling."
(Source: www.canada.com)
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 4:23 PM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Alcohol Abuse on the Rise Among U.S. Soldiers
A report this week in USA Today quoted the new Army statistics, which indicate that 11 soldiers per 1,000 were diagnosed in the first half of 2009 with alcoholism or alcohol abuse problems -- up from 6.1 per 1,000 in 2003.
Another study, published in the March issue of American Journal of Preventive Medicine, indicated that more than four in 10 active-duty military personnel engaged in binge drinking during the month prior to the survey.
The survey authors wrote: "Binge drinking, defined as consuming four or more drinks on one occasion for a woman or five or more drinks on one occasion for a man, was reported by 43 percent of active-duty personnel during the past month, resulting in a total of ... 30 episodes of binge drinking per person per year."
The study also found that one in five members of the military engages in binge drinking more than twice per week, "putting themselves and others at substantially increased risk for a wide range of health and social problems."
(Source: AFP at www.google.com/hostednews)
Labels: alcoholism, binge-drinking
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 9:11 AM
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