Posted by azdrugrehabctr on June 14, 2017 under Addiction Trends, AZ Drug Rehab News | 
South American and the United States have had a long, tumultuous relationship when it comes to fighting the war on drugs. Traditionally, U.S. citizens have demanded cocaine, and the cartels in South America have been more than willing to supply the drug. Working together, the South American and U.S. governments have made some progress in hindering the passage of drugs across country lines, but things have not always gone smoothly, and a new study shows that there are major environmental repercussions to one of the of the most aggressive campaigns against cocaine.
Drug money is illegal. This means that cartels often have to hide their money in phony businesses or route it through cash paying businesses to hide its original origin. Constant scrutiny, and continuous monitoring by the United States and South American governments have prompted drug cartels to find massive plots of lands that are more remote and further away from prying eyes. However, upon arriving at these areas, cartels then have to eliminate the rain forest that has claimed the spot for thousands of years. In order to facilitate the destruction of thousands of acres of forest at a time, trees are often burned to the ground to make way for the planting of coca plants.
“Starting in the early 2000s, the United States-led drug enforcement in the Caribbean and Mexico pushed drug traffickers into places that were harder to patrol, like the large forested areas of Central America. A flood of illegal drug money entered these places and these drug traffickers needed a way that they could spend it,” explained David Wrathall, an Oregon State University geographer and one of the authors of the study.
Consequently, indigenous people who have worked off the land for generations are now left without work, making them more susceptible to bribes, and job offers by their new cartel neighbors. And perhaps the biggest victim of this type of deforestation is the wildlife that relied on the rainforest for shelter and food. According to the new research, approximately 30% of the total rain forest loss in Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua in the last ten years can be traced back to cocaine trafficking.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on April 21, 2017 under Addiction Trends, AZ Drug Rehab News, Prescription Drugs |
The origins of substance abuse is still not really known among healthcare workers and experts. And while the disease is rampant throughout the country and the rest of the world, many in the medical community are still trying to figure out if it is genetic or a learned behavior. So, in an effort to better understand where addiction stems from, researchers in Sweden decided to tackle one group of people where the chances of substance abuse are increased significantly.
People with ADHD are much more likely to report problems with drugs and alcohol. In fact, reports show that up to 30% of adults with ADHD will also suffer from a drug addiction problem at some point in their lives. Because of the increased risk of substance abuse, the research team at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm poured over data gathered from more than 62,000 ADHD patients, and their relatives.
From this information, they determined that not only are the patients with ADHD more likely to develop a substance abuse problem, but so are their immediate relatives. This was a surprise to the researchers, as previous studies have never looked into the link between previous generations connection with ADHD and substance abuse.
One interesting conclusion of the study was that the previous hypothesis of stimulant medication causing an urge for more drugs may not be true. The researchers in this particular study believe that the connection between ADHD and substance abuse may be more of a genetic issue, rather than a problem with the medication.
“The main clinical implication is that the overlap between ADHD and SUD [substance use disorder] is likely not explained by harmful effects of stimulant medication. This is important, given that concerns around the safety of central stimulant treatment in ADHD might result in the withholding of essential and effective pharmacological treatment in affected individuals,” stated the authors of the study.
And while this is only one study, it does provide more insight into the role of ADHD on future generations and may also help medical professionals prevent against younger generations succumbing to substance abuse problems with better screening techniques.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on April 19, 2017 under Addiction Trends, Opiate Abuse, Prescription Drugs |
As part of the ongoing effort to educate the public on the dangers of heroin and prescription painkiller abuse, many educators, publications and government agencies repeat the numbers. They explain that 63% of all drug overdose deaths in 2015 were due to opioids. They warn that it has become more likely to die from a heroin overdose than a car crash. That opioid-related deaths have quadrupled since 1999. And these numbers do pack a punch, but perhaps even more effective is shining a light on who is most likely to abuse opioids. New research shows that white people are using heroin and prescription painkillers at alarming rates, more so than any other race.
A closer look revealed that white males are at the top of the list. This is especially interesting because in 2001 white people and nonwhite people used heroin and other opioids at approximately the same rates. However, an even closer look shows that those that have not finished high school or who live below the poverty line are also more likely to abuse opioids. This may be because drug prevention efforts are often concentrated in schools.
And while the increasing amount of people who abuse opioids is not alarming to some experts, it is concerning to many. Perhaps because the lethal drug is gaining such popularity, many experts have begun to push for more funding to provide medication to those suffering from opioid addiction.
“The good news is that among all drugs of abuse, heroin and opioids have by far the best treatment medications available. Methadone and buprenorphine have proven effectiveness data, they not only reduce the chances of dying from an opioid overdose by 50%, they support people being in recovery from their addiction and reduce health care costs and improve a wide array of other outcomes,” explained Caleb Banta-Green, associate professor of health services at the University of Washington.
But, despite the effective drugs on the market for opioid abuse, it is still very important to focus on prevention and education. After all, according to the statistics, many people never reap the rewards of the medication.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on March 21, 2017 under Addiction Trends, AZ Drug Rehab News |
Blocking the effects of drugs is not a new concept. In fact, those struggling with heroin addictions or addictions to any other opioid can use Suboxone or methadone to help with overcoming withdrawal symptoms. These drugs work by blocking the dopamine receptors in the brain so the person cannot feel the euphoric high of the opioids, thus allowing them to get off the drug without fear of relapsing. However, a medication that blocks the effects of cocaine has yet to be developed, but that may soon change. A research group at the University of Cincinnati may have come up with the first blocking medication suitable for cocaine addicts.
The drug works by introducing a specialized antibody (a protein that fights against specific antigens) into the blood stream. That antibody then attaches to the cocaine molecules inside the person’s body. When the antibody attaches to the cocaine it prevents the drug from reaching the brain, which is the part of the body that triggers the high. So, if someone is struggling with a cocaine addiction they can receive this medication and any time they use cocaine during those thirty days the antibodies will attack the drug before the user can ever feel it’s effects. In order to achieve maximum benefit, the user would have to get a dose of the antibody every 30 days.
But, the medication can only be effective if the user maintains their monthly doses of the antibody. This is a point that researchers are anxious for people to understand. Just like any other medical intervention for drug addiction, the medication only works if the person is serious about getting off the drugs.
“It will help keel people that are motivated to stay off cocaine do so by making sure any relapse event does not lead to a sustained relapse event. If people are not highly motivated to quit cocaine, there is no reason that this will be helpful,” explained Andrew Norman, lead author of the study.
While the antibodies are not on the market yet, the research team is hoping to get FDA approval for human trials soon. As of now they have only tested their medication on lab animals.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on March 4, 2017 under Addiction Trends, AZ Drug Rehab News |
A new screening test is being developed to help alert parents and healthcare workers of a potential for abuse among teenagers. Prior research has proven that young people who score high on novelty seeking tests are more likely to develop drug or alcohol addictions in the future. However, scientists believe they may have found a better way to determine the potential for addiction in teenagers. By using a brain scanning test called Monetary Incentive Delay Task (MID), researchers believe they get more accurate results and therefore they can potentially help more patients avoid a life of drug and alcohol dependence.
In order to test their theory, scientists gathered 144 children who had taken and scored high on the novelty seeking tests. Novelty seeking is a personality trait associated with impulsiveness, extravagance, and disorderliness. In the past, teenagers who have scored high on these tests had slightly higher chances of becoming addicted to drugs and/or alcohol.
The researchers specifically chose the 144 young adolescents who had taken these tests because they scored high, but had not developed drug addictions. They then gave them a video game where the child could play for points that could eventually be converted into money. While the child was playing the game, they were also hooked up to an MRI. This is important because scientists are interested in measuring the brain as the child begins to plan for future rewards, like the amount of money they can earn while playing the game.
Traditionally, children show less brain activity than adults when they plan for future rewards. However, drug use diminishes this brain activity even further. So, the scientists are essentially getting a baseline and will monitor these children as they move through their teenage years. If any of the children develop an addiction towards drugs, the scientists will be able to compare their baseline brain activity to their present-day brain activity. They are looking to determine if drug use in teenagers is because of low brain activity (which can be caught and monitored) or if drug activity suppresses further brain activity.
The ultimate goal for these scientists however is to be able to one day diagnose people with future drug abuse, so the problem could be addressed before the individual started taking drugs in the first place.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on February 7, 2017 under Addiction Trends, Opiate Abuse |
Despite being one of the most abused drugs in the United States, there is very little doctors can do when it comes to a heroin addiction. The most common methods of helping an addict is by prescribing them methadone or suboxone and encouraging them to enroll in a treatment program. And while these options are oftentimes beneficial and have helped many addicts overcome their addiction, many in the medical community wonder if more can be done to help these addicts. Recently, researchers have made progress examining and locating different parts of the brain that are responsible for encouraging addiction and making it more difficult for the addict to stop once they have become addicted. In order to capitalize on these new developments, one research group decided to investigate how this could help heroin addicts.
Focusing on the subthalamic nucleus, a part of the brain that is little is known about, researchers at The Scripps Research Institute treated heroin addicted rats with deep brain stimulation. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is the method of using small electrodes implanted on the brain to electrically stimulate certain areas of the brain. Researchers decided to use DBS and find out if they could help reduce the amount of heroin the rats self-administered. And, in fact they did find that DBS was helpful in reducing heroin intake and cravings among the rats. The research was actually so compelling that many believe that they are now able to transition into studying how DBS effects humans that are addicted to heroin.
“It has been very difficult to reduce heroin-seeking and taking in an animal model because heroin is such an addictive drug, but the results here are very impressive. This is the type of preclinical evidence that one needs, in order to start testing this strategy in humans,” explained Olivier George, associate professor at The Scripps Research Institute.
The more that is discovered about the brain and how different parts of it respond to drugs like heroin, the more the medical community can help come up with tailored treatment programs that help addicts. More research in the area of addiction is what will help reduce the heroin epidemic.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on January 27, 2017 under Addiction Trends, Prescription Drugs |
In the past, the NFL has been accused of unlawfully prescribing prescription painkillers and ignoring dangerous head injuries. But now, one player has been caught taking Adderall, violating the league’s drug policy for players. And while Adderall and other ADHD medication are not generally talked about in relation to professional sports, it is a major problem in high schools and college campuses throughout the country. The revelation that a pro football player has such easy access to the drug and took it, according to him, without thinking, may provide just enough reason for a questioning teenager to experiment with it as well.
Kenny Vaccaro, safety for the New Orleans Saints failed a drug analysis test for Adderall. He admitted to taking the drug, but his explanation appears to blame the decision on ignorance. “To be honest, I just made a mistake. I was just tired and I really wasn’t aware of the whole rule thing. The game’s early in the morning, the state fair was going on. I never took it before. I just did it, and it was just a dumb mistake by me, to be honest,” explained Vaccaro. He further explained that he was not taking the drug to enhance his on-field performance, he took it during a bye weekend while watching his younger brother play in the Texas-Oklahoma game.
While his explanation may be true, it does highlight one interesting fact. He did not take it to enhance his playing performance, he took it to party. This is important because it is something that teenagers and college students realized years ago. Yes, the drug genuinely helps those with Attention Deficit Disorder, but it also allows users to stay awake longer, drink more and socialize more. This is why Adderall is one of the fastest growing drugs among young people in the United States.
And while Vaccaro probably did not notice, his explanation of ignorance just underscored why so many people abuse Adderall. For failing his drug test, Vaccaro is suspended for five games and is anxious to resume playing, however he is well aware that he let his team and fans down.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on January 9, 2017 under Addiction Trends, AZ Drug Rehab News |
Methamphetamine is a drug that took the country by storm several years ago, but who’s popularity has appeared to be declining. Concerted efforts by law enforcement, state and federal governments and educators have reduced methamphetamine use throughout the country, but that is likely to change. The Mexican drug cartels have begun to set up super labs near the border and have started funneling in methamphetamine to towns all over the country.
When methamphetamine first made its presence known as an epidemic, the drug was mainly being produced in small labs in people’s homes or in remote locations. This is partly why the drug was so insidious, users could essentially make their own supply. Gathering ingredients that can easily be found around the home or purchased at a local hardware store, methamphetamine manufacturers began to distribute the drug to anyone looking for a high similar to cocaine.
In order to prevent at-home methamphetamine manufacturing, law makers quickly instituted laws on purchasing large amounts of certain ingredients vital for making meth. This, paired with an increased police presence, helped bring down the number of people addicted to the powerful drug.
However, while there is not as much methamphetamine being manufactured in the United States, the demand appears to have remained the same. In an attempt to capitalize on this, drug cartels have begun to manufacture the drug in extremely large quantities and smuggle methamphetamine into the United States where they have found a growing customer base with meth addiction back on the rise.
Perhaps what is most surprising about this new methamphetamine wave, is the destination of the smuggled drugs. Instead of going to places like New York, LA or Chicago, smugglers are focusing on states like Montana. The blue collar and seasonal workers that populate the area appear to be the targets of the cartel, and local law enforcement is struggling to keep up. “We’re just going to have to practice triage like an emergency room and take whatever happens to be the biggest problem at the time and deal with it. We’re just adding more and more issues here and no more resources at any level – treatment, prevention or law enforcement,” said Mark Long, chief of the state Department of Criminal Investigation Narcotics Bureau.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on January 4, 2017 under Addiction Trends, AZ Drug Rehab News |
The earlier a young person starts experimenting with nicotine, even if it’s in the form of e-cigarettes, the harder it will be for them to quit the habit, according to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The report’s author, Dr. Lorena Siqueira stated in an AARP news release that the need for prevention is very important, given that adolescents have difficulty in stopping smoking once they have started using tobacco products.
The US Surgeon General’s office noted recently that e-cigarette use has increased 900 percent among US high school students in the years 2011-2015. By 2014, more high school students were smoking electronic cigarettes than traditional ones.
Some people claim that e-cigarettes are a healthier way of quitting smoking than using tobacco. The AAP states that this allegation has not been proven. The organization, which represents pediatricians through the US, suggests instead that these devices entourage smoking instead of discouraging young people from using tobacco.
Nicotine addiction at a very young age may increase the odds of smoking into adulthood, the AAP says. According to previous research, approximately two-thirds of children who smoke in Grade 6 will become regular smokers as adults. About 46 percent of those who delay smoking until Grade 11 will continue to smoke into adulthood.
According to the new report, 90 percent of adults with a tobacco addiction started smoking before they reached age 18. For teens, even occasional smoking increases their odds of becoming addicted. One study concluded that young people who smoke monthly are ten times more likely to become addicts.
Quitting smoking is just as difficult for teens as adults. The AAP released statistics noting that only four percent of young people who try to quit smoking will be successful. Five percent of adult smokers will end up quitting for good. Children and teens make more attempts to quit before succeeding than adults, according to the report.
The AAP went on to say that the rapidly developing brains of children and teens may be particularly susceptible to nicotine addiction. The report was published in the December 19 online version of the journal Pediatrics.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on December 6, 2016 under Addiction Trends, AZ Drug Rehab News |
Inhalant abuse has been around for many years. Often a way for young teens to get high without going to the inner city to buy street drugs, things like duster or whip cream canisters have long been used to attain a high. Possibly because inhalants are sold in stores, this method of getting high appeals to the younger generation, but as teenagers age they either grow out of that phase in their life or move on to harder drugs. But there is still a portion of the population that are longtime sufferers of inhalant abuse.
These people often go under the radar because inhalant abuse is not often talked about. There are very few public initiatives, very few PSA’s, and not a lot of education in schools. Because of this, inhalant abuse has not lessened in several decades. “It’s the forgotten epidemic. If you look at the data, you can see that there really hasn’t been that many significant changes and decreases in use. It’s just that other things have taken prevalence. It’s really not sexy to talk about inhalants,” explained Harvey Weiss, leader of the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition.
It is important for people to understand that inhalants are not an innocent way to get high. They are, in fact, very deadly. Users who snort cans of duster or whip cream are getting high because of the chemical 1,1-difluoroethane. This chemical gets released from them can and goes straight to the brain. Upon inhaling, users will feel a rush of euphoria, followed by a dizzy, uncoordinated feeling. What they may not feel is the internal effects of 1,1-difluoroethane. Once inhaled, the chemical goes directly to the person’s brain, heart and lungs. So, the person can have trouble breathing, they are likely doing irreversible damage to their brain, but when the chemical gets to their heart, that is where the real danger sets in.
Sometimes, just one sniff of an inhalant can cause an overdose death. This is because 1,1-difluoroethane can cause a fatal cardiac arrhythmia. This potential for death is made even more worrisome because not many people talk about it or are aware of the signs of inhalant abuse. Anyone who is concerned that someone they know may be abusing inhalants they should look for the following signs; dazed or drunk acting, chemical smells or stains on clothing, spots or sores around the mouth, red eyes, nose or mouth, anxiety, excitability or irritability.
