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 November 19, 2016 under Addiction Trends, Prescription Drugs |
Some may find it strange that students immersing themselves in the legal and ethical structure of our country have greatly increased their non-medical use of study drugs like Adderall or Ritalin. But, the immense academic and social pressures of being a law student has forced many to rely on the same drugs that are sweeping through college campuses across the country.
Adderall and Ritalin are prescribed to people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and are designed to help people with this problem to focus better and complete tasks. However, those who do not have the disorder consume the drug in order to study for a test, stay awake in class or complete a project. And, like any other drug, continuous use of Adderall and Ritalin lead to a dependence not unlike cocaine or methamphetamine. The similarities to cocaine and methamphetamine do not end there, the energy and focus achieved while taking ADHD drugs is very similar to the feeling one receives after taking street stimulants.
A new survey entitled “Suffering in Silence: The Survey of Law Student Well-Being” showed that 14% of those that filled out the survey took prescribed ADHD medication in the last 12 months. The researchers are unsure how many students are taking non-prescribed Adderall or Ritalin, but they believe it is much higher than the 14% who are legitimately prescribed the drug. This information has sparked many colleges and universities to rethink their approach when it comes to helping students come forward and address their dependence issues.
This research wasn’t restricted just to prescription stimulants, but also the use and abuse of other substances and mental health problems among law students as well. It showed that many of the students are reluctant to communicate about the difficulties they face and therefore they typically do not receive the help they need.
“We’re trying to communicate that we care about you as a student. If the message comes out we’re headhunting, then we’re definitely driving the students underground. You risk turning students off from getting help,” explained David Jaffe, associate dean for student affairs at American University Washington College of Law.
Perhaps one of the most important takeaways from the study was the level of responsibility colleges and universities have to take for this growing problem. The incredible demands placed on law students may need to be cut back in order to see a decrease in prescription stimulant and other substance abuse. Law students often feel the pressures of keeping up with other students, making the right connections and doing well enough in school to get a well-paying job that will help them pay back the student loans required to pay for law school in the first place.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on February 9, 2016 under Addiction Trends, AZ Drug Rehab News, Prescription Drugs |
Reports show that around six million people in the United States have been diagnosed with having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The number of people diagnosed with this disorder has increased over the years, especially among children. In fact, six percent of American children have been labeled as having ADHD. However, some are surprised that there is not a more definitive test to determine if someone has the fits into that category. This means that doctors often have to rely on their own observations, input from the parents and feedback from the children.
The most common medications for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder include Adderall, Vyvanse and Ritalin. These drugs are stimulants that allow a person with disorder to concentrate and stay on task. Those who take the drug without having this behavioral problem are essentially abusing speed. In fact, Adderall is an amphetamine, which has a very high potential for abuse.
Additionally, there are very few long term studies about the effects of Adderall on the brain. In order to rectify this, Joseph Helpern of the Medical University of South Carolina has begun to use MRI’s to view the brains of people who have been diagnosed with ADHD. In addition to investigating the long term effects of Adderall, Helpern and his group of researchers want to develop a method of diagnosis that is based on medical evidence, rather than relying on the methods that are being used today.
“Currently, we know the medications work on behavior but don’t understand what it’s doing to the brain over time. Having these (study) results would raise awareness to the potential risk in taking psychostimulants without a clinical diagnosis, in seeing if they are changing the normal brain to something abnormal,” explained Vitria Adisteiyo, a contributor to the study.
The research may be paying off, as Helpern and his colleagues have discovered that patients that have been diagnosed with ADHD seem to have lower levels of iron in their brain scans. This is important because it validates what many in the medical community have suspected for years, but haven’t been able to prove. If this discovery proves that iron levels are a direct link to ADHD, researchers may be able to develop a medication that is not addictive and cannot be abused recreationally.
More non-stimulant ADHD medications could help prevent these drugs from being abused in high schools and colleges across the country.
