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 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 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.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on September 16, 2016 under Addiction Trends, AZ Drug Rehab News, Synthetic Drugs |
When methamphetamine use began to take over the country it took a while for government agencies to implement restrictions on the chemicals needed to manufacture the dangerous drug. But, eventually, pharmacies throughout the country began requiring ID to purchase Sudafed, an important ingredient in making meth. Certain cleaning supplies, also part of the recipe, were also placed behind locked cabinets, deterring addicts from purchasing large quantities.
So, methamphetamine stopped being produced in large batches in the United States. But in order to satisfy the demands of the addicts, Mexican drug cartels began funding businesses in Mexico. These businesses started to manufacture and smuggle in all the ingredients needed to make methamphetamine. With cooperation from the Mexican government, officials were able to shut most of these facilities down. The coca plant is another item that requires chemical processing in order to turn it into a drug – cocaine. These restrictions by U.S. and Mexican officials have also impacted cocaine manufacturers.
Now that these restrictions have been in place for some times it can be determined how effective they were at curbing the methamphetamine problem in the United States. According to researchers at the University of Arizona, these restrictions helped lower the number of people addicted to cocaine and methamphetamine. Data shows a 35% decrease in methamphetamine use over the last year. Cocaine abuse has also dropped significantly, by 32%.
“Strategies directed toward individual users – information campaigns and direct medical care, for example – have not yet full addressed the public health problem of cocaine and methamphetamine misuse. Additional approaches are needed. Chemical controls are relatively inexpensive. And there’s room to improve them through better international cooperation,” explained Dr. James Cunninhgam, a social epidemiologist at the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine.
When officials can cut off, or minimize the supply of illicit drugs it allows addicts to get the help they desperately need. When the drugs are harder to obtain it makes it easier for family and loved ones to encourage treatment. Treatment often becomes easier to accept when it is more difficult to obtain the drugs.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on August 18, 2016 under Addiction Trends, AZ Drug Rehab News, Opiate Abuse, Prescription Drugs |
A recent Gallup Poll shows that more Americans are concerned with prescription painkiller abuse than heroin abuse. However, heroin abuse is still also a major concern. In fact, prescription drug abuse only narrowly beat out heroin abuse, in the eyes of most Americans. These types of polls are important for law makers because it shows that American residents are feeling the effects of prescription painkiller and heroin abuse at home and want something to be done about it.
The survey also showed that more women than men thought the prescription drug abuse was a problem. It also seems that people who make more money are more likely to view prescription drug abuse as a problem. 30% of those making $36,00 or less agreed that prescription drug abuse was a problem, compared to 47% of people who make between $36,000 and $90,000.
The information gathered from the Gallup poll can be used in a variety of ways. Lawmakers who are advocating for more federal funding that can be used for treatment centers or prevention programs can focus their efforts toward those that agree that prescription drug use is a real issue. As more and more people are affected by the opioid drug problem in the United States, it has become increasingly imperative to create more treatment programs with more beds available to those in need. Often times policy makers and treatment providers have a difficult time obtaining funding for these treatment centers without the help from the Federal government.
Because America is in the middle of a presidential election, some wonder if the information from this Gallup Poll will be used to help shape the platforms of the presidential nominees. While there are many issues to discuss, the opioid epidemic is certainly one of them.
Now that American citizens seem to understand the seriousness of the prescription painkiller and heroin problem in this country, there is a better chance that more effective change is near. And the opioid problem is not the only issue that Americans worry about. The poll also showed that 44% of Americans consider drugs in general as a major problem facing the country, this is up from 2014 when 34% of Americans felt this was an issue.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on July 30, 2016 under Addiction Trends, AZ Drug Rehab News, Opiate Abuse, Prescription Drugs |
Drug or alcohol addiction does not discriminate. White, Black, Muslim, Christian, Asian or any other race or religion can fall victim to substance abuse. Immigrants can be particularly susceptible to opiate abuse because of the culture shock and overwhelming feelings of living in a new country. Heroin and painkillers can be a way to escape these overwhelming feelings. While there are apparently no current studies that effectively break down drug use by ethnicity, there is evidence that minority groups all over the country are suffering from increased use of heroin and prescription drug use.
In order to include immigrants and minorities in substance abuse prevention and education, it is important for the public to understand why these groups can turn to drugs in the first place. Unlike white suburban teenagers, immigrant teenagers are likely to turn to heroin or other illicit drugs because their new lives in America can be very overwhelming. Many other countries do not create public service announcements or programs to educate children on the dangers of certain drugs, so when people immigrate to the United States they are often unprepared to deal with the temptations of drugs.
One woman explained just how different it is to raise children in America. “It’s the transformation of how you raise your kids back home and the whole village is taking care of your kids to here. You’re in America; the only village taking care of your kids is the street,” explained Kathy Khatari, a Muslim immigrant.
Some experts have also pointed out that families of immigrant drug users are also not likely to come forward and discuss a drug addiction. The threat of shame and embarrassment that falls onto the family is often too much to allow parents and family members to speak out and educate other immigrants. Treatment and prevention efforts should be much more all-inclusive to be able to catch all of the people that are affected by addiction.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on July 15, 2016 under Addiction Trends, AZ Drug Rehab News, Opiate Abuse, Prescription Drugs |
The opiate addiction problem is a national crisis that includes rising overdose deaths from heroin and prescription painkillers. As more and more people become addicted to the deadly drug, citizens and public officials are scrambling to find effective solutions for saving more lives. In an effort to combat the growing heroin problem, the President is expected to sign a bill that would allocate more money and services to addicts, their family members and the treatment community.
The bill, which has had a tough road so far, was voted through the Senate on Wednesday. After President Obama makes it official, many people stand to benefit. Lawmakers have included measures to help communities develop treatment and prevention facilities. While the White House has criticized the bill in the past, saying that the funding problems are not solved within the bill, they do agree that it is a good start and doing something is better than making no progress at all.
And the White House is not alone when it comes to the criticisms. “This bill is like a Hollywood movie set – something that appears real on the surface but has no substance and no life behind its façade,” commented Senator Charles Schumer (D) of New York, referring to the lack of substantial financial support.
But, despite some of the negative feelings towards the legislation, the passing of the bill is important because it helps to distinguish addiction as a medical issue. Allocating funds to treatment centers and prevention programs is the first step in treating addiction as a medical problem, rather than a law enforcement issue. In a time of widening gaps between political parties, thankfully this is an issue that legislators can agree needs attention.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on June 28, 2016 under Addiction Trends, AZ Drug Rehab News |
Cities throughout the country have witnessed an increase in violent crime for the last two years. And while crime is on the rise, it is not increasing at steady rates. This makes it difficult for experts and law enforcement to pinpoint exactly what is spurring the increase in violence. One theory that is growing in popularity is the effect of the Mexican drug cartels.
In the past, Colombian drug cartels, the Italian mafia and Asian drug rings have all been a threat to our national security. However, Mexican drug cartels have risen above all these groups and now pose the greatest risk to the United States when it comes to drug consumption, violence and murder, according to official reports from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The DEA has established several links between the cartels in Mexico and the street gangs in the US. “The Mexican drug cartels are moving to expand their share of US illicit drug markets, particularly heroin markets… Many gangs [in the United States] rely on Mexican Transnational criminal organizations as their primary drug source of supply, and Mexican organizations depend on street-level gangs, many of which already have a customer base, for drug distribution,” explained officials at the DEA.
Once the DEA was able to establish links between gangs and cartels, they began to see how these relationships were causing murder rates in the US cities to spike. Cartels in Mexico have developed a type of heroin that is much cheaper than past batches. This inexpensive heroin is more attractive to gangs because it allows them to sell more and make more of a profit. With more money on the line, gangs are waging war with rival gangs over territories, fighting over who can sell heroin on what corners.
With the Mexican drug cartel’s influence over the gang structure in the United States, and their influence over addicts in this country, it is easy to see why they are a threatening criminal organization. However, as long as people keep using drugs, someone will always be there to capitalize on their demise. Stamping out any one source will never erase the problem, as only prevention, intervention and treatment will ultimately solve the drug addiction epidemic.
