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 January 30, 2016 under Addiction Trends, AZ Drug Rehab News |
Mothers who abuse methamphetamine while pregnant often give birth to babies who experience behavioral and emotional problems throughout life. Methamphetamine is a manmade drug that is often primarily comprised of chemicals found around the house. Methamphetamine provides a high that is more intense and longer lasting than cocaine, which could explain why addicts who become pregnant have a difficult time abstaining.
According to researchers, almost 25% of pregnant women who seek treatment at state-run drug programs are abusing methamphetamine. While it has been made clear to the public that abusing drugs while pregnant is dangerous to the baby and oftentimes harms the child for the rest of their life, addicts are still putting their unborn child at risk by the continued exposure to drugs such as this. In order to help children who were born with methamphetamine already in their system, researchers have sought out more effective treatments to behavioral and emotional problems that are common among them.
“In the first study of its kind, we followed children, who experienced prenatal methamphetamine exposure, up to the age of 7.5 years and found that adversities, such as poverty and continued drug abuse by a parent, contributed to behavioral and emotional control issues. While additional study is needed, these findings indicate that providing a supportive home life for children with prenatal methamphetamine exposure would reduce their behavioral and emotional control issues,” explained Lynne M. Smith, one of the authors of the study.
While it may not come as a surprise to many that children benefit from stable home environments, it does underscore the importance of educating mothers when it comes to providing the best life for their children. Mothers who have abused methamphetamine while pregnant may feel hopeless when it comes to making it up to the child. However, focusing on providing a stable, secure environment for these children will greatly reduce the behavioral and emotional problems caused by early exposure to the drug.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on July 6, 2015 under Addiction Trends, AZ Drug Rehab News, Prescription Drugs |
In the past, one tactic used in order to keep teenagers from experimenting with drugs was to pretend that the problem did not exist. This means that many parents and schools, in their fear about drug use, never discussed the inevitable curiosity that teenagers would experience and the definite dangers of substances like heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and prescription painkillers.
It soon became clear that this approach to drug education was not a good one. More and more teenagers find themselves in situations where they are presented with an opportunity to experiment with drugs or alcohol. Instead of hoping that one’s child will not succumb to peer pressure or curiosity, experts agree that it is best to arm children with facts about drugs and alcohol and help guide them into making the right decision. Children presented with facts have a better chance of not being tempted into drug use, and oftentimes those facts can counter the things their friends or other drug users may be saying to them.
Some helpful facts to discuss with children can include things like when an addiction is likely to start, what drugs do to the body and developing brain, how drug and alcohol abuse can affect one’s long term plans and what sort of danger the drugs pose.
According to a recent study, 90% of adults that are addicted to illegal drugs started using substances before they were 18. So, while not all teenagers who experiment with drugs are doomed to a life of addiction, the vast majority of addicts began their journey to drug addiction as a child experimenting with drugs. There is still debate surrounding marijuana if it should be considered a gateway drug (a gateway drug is a substance that opens the door to other substances can ultimately lead to an addiction). Some experts are saying that prescription painkillers are the new gateway drugs.
The popularity of pills like Roxycet, Percocet and Vicodin has led many people to dependency, and then on to a heroin addiction. Since heroin is cheaper and easier to obtain, prescription painkiller addicts often resort to this drug to keep their habit satisfied.
Teenagers are surrounded by pressures almost as soon as they get into high school. Drugs and alcohol may be one of the most common problems they have to deal with. In order to equip children with the best tools to stay away from drugs, parents and educators need to arm them with the facts. Overall, the more information that is shared about the devastation caused by substance abuse, the better the chances are that people of all ages will make healthier decisions regarding drugs and alcohol.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on June 30, 2015 under Addiction Trends, Opiate Abuse |
The prison system in California is experiencing a massive increase in overdose deaths, specifically from heroin. Inmates incarcerated within California’s prison system are dying from overdoses at three times the national rate. This alarming statistic has prompted officials to institute aggressive screening measures in an attempt to prevent more prisoners from dying after receiving drugs smuggled in from the outside. Unfortunately, the expensive and invasive screening techniques do not seem to be paying off and many people are starting to wonder if they should be eliminated. However, those working within the prisons feel that maintaining the upgraded screening process is necessary in sending a message to anyone who is considering sneaking drugs into the facility.
“What we are trying to do is send a message to people to not try to smuggle drugs in to the institution. If we don’t do this, we’re going to have people keep dying, we’re going to have continued violence in the prisons, ” said Jeffrey Beard, the Corrections Secretary for California state prisons. Visitors are required to pass through specialized machines that are designed to detect drugs. The prisons are also equipped with drug sniffing dogs, and perhaps most controversial, anyone can be subject to a strip search. However, since the new processes have been instituted no drugs have been found on visitors, causing many to wonder if these techniques are even necessary.
Unfortunately, out of the $8 million dollars spent on the upgraded security measures, a large portion went to drug scanners that are continuously giving out false positive alarms. This means that visitors who walk through the scanners are often flagged for having drugs on their person, but upon further investigation they are found to be clean of any drugs. Critics of the new system point out that ‘further investigation’ means a strip search and are questioning the ethical problems that strip searching someone who is not carrying any drugs poses.
Officials agree that something has to be done to curb the amount of inmates that are dying from heroin doses while incarcerated. In California more than 150 prison inmates have died from overdoses since 2006.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on June 23, 2015 under AZ Drug Rehab News |
An interview with Sen. Ron Johnson, the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee exposed just how many illegal drugs were coming into the country. While border control agents work tirelessly to prevent cartels from smuggling thousands of pounds of drugs like; heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana into the United States, it appears that the cartels are getting the better of the agents. As the drug problem continues to get worse in this country, government agencies are looking inward to determine what sort of changes need to be made in order to put a dent in the increasing amounts of drugs available to addicts.
“If you really want a metric that lays out how completely unsecure our border is, and starts pointing to the root cause of the insecurity at our border, it’s our interdiction of drugs. We had Gen. McCaffrey testify that today we are only interdicting about 5 to 10 percent of illegal drugs coming into this country,” explained Sen. Johnson.
Johnson goes on to discuss the different things that make it difficult for the American government and law enforcement to minimize the amount of drugs coming into the country. He points out that the market is so strong for illegal drugs that it acts as a magnet for the drug cartels. Because of the seemingly unending demand Americans have for drugs, the cartels will find a way to get the drugs to them. He describes the whole thing as a business venture that spawns off into other markets. Because of the money coming in from the sale of illegal drugs, cartels also engage in sex trafficking, and exploiting their own countrymen’s desperate attempts to get into the United States. Using people who are trying to get into the country, cartels often force them to smuggle in large quantities of drugs. In order for people to make it across the border they have to pass through territory occupied by the cartels. Once discovered by the cartels, people are made to strap drugs on them and continue on their journey. Sometimes they get caught, but as Johnson points out, they often do not get apprehended and the drugs make their way to waiting consumers on the other side.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on June 1, 2015 under AZ Drug Rehab News, Opiate Abuse |
It appears that heroin has not only made its way into Native American reservations, but that it is claiming many addicts along the way. While it is not news that heroin is seeping into many neighborhoods throughout the country, some Native Americans were taken off guard by the swiftness the drug began to take over. With a past that has been laden with relocation, segregation, and conflict with others, heroin seems to be preying on the emotions that are deep within many people living on the reservations.
In addition to the emotional pull towards heroin, there are reports that Mexican drug cartels are specifically targeting Native American communities. Because of high unemployment rates and histories of alcohol and meth addiction, the cartels are able to convince some American Indians to sell and transport drugs for them. While local law enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Administration are aware of the heroin trend in many Native American communities, it is proving difficult to police. “And we show up and then there’s nothing. I think they have the knowledge of us not being everywhere or the short manpower that we have. They know it, so they’re getting smart about it,” explained Donald Seimy, a Navajo police officer.
Additionally, some drug cartel members, or drug dealers within the reservation are intentionally sabotaging police efforts to curb the heroin abuse problem. Because of the lack of officers throughout the reservation if one issue comes up it generally pulls many of the on-duty officers off their patrol. There have been instances of false accident reports being called in, likely to clear the roads for drug trafficking in other parts of the reservation.
Because law enforcement within the tribes is minimal, it appears that heroin is no match for the small police forces on the reservations. The problem with lack of monitoring and policing only leads to more addictions. Past studies have shown that a child who grows up in households where one family member is abusing drugs makes it more likely that the child will follow down the same path. Because of this, the close-knit community on the reservation gets overrun with heroin addicts.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on April 20, 2015 under Addiction Trends, AZ Drug Rehab News |
Public officials and lawmakers in some states are calling attention to the amount of people who are on welfare programs like Medicaid and have substance abuse issues. They say that people are unable to get off of welfare due to drug problems, transportation problems and the lack of a high school diploma. In an effort to address the growing welfare problem and provide services to people that allow them to provide for themselves, it was necessary to take a look at the difficulties that welfare recipients faced that kept them near the poverty level.
“There are a lot of things that have happened in these people’s lives to get them to the situation where they’re so heavily dependent on public assistance programs, and it’s not going to be overnight that they’re suddenly going to get off,” explained Joel Potts, head of one state’s Job and Family Services Directors Association.
There also appears to be a disconnection between employers and potential applicants. A recent survey revealed that many people on welfare claim that there are not enough jobs, while many employers responded that there are not enough applicants who appear committed to working or who can pass the required drug test.
As more and more states take a look at their budgets and realize that more effective programs need to replace those that are not producing, getting people off welfare and more viable on their own becomes more important. Research shows that the best way to achieve this goal is by providing more one on one counseling, at-home visits and more individually-based treatment. This is much different from the current standard of practice, and also requires more time and resources to achieve it.
In order to properly help those that are suffering from an addiction to drugs and/or alcohol with the eventual goal of getting those on welfare into more stable, higher paying jobs, more attention needs to be paid to treatment and counseling programs. If these effective services aren’t implemented to help reverse the trend, many people will either wind up losing the benefits they need or the money will be pulled from other programs. The goal should always to help people become healthy and productive as soon as possible.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on March 24, 2015 under Synthetic Drugs |
Man-made drugs that mimic popular street drugs have become more popular among children and teenagers in Arizona and throughout the country. Manufacturers are producing drugs that create similar effects as many illicit drugs. One of the most popular types of synthetic drugs is synthetic marijuana, which is often called Spice or K2. Synthetic marijuana has been available gas stations and has been sold as other types of products. Manufacturers package and market the drug as potpourri, although it is understood that the intention is to smoke the dried leaves.
Once in the system, the synthetic marijuana quickly goes to work making the person feel high and lethargic, much like marijuana does. But this is where the similarities often stop. Synthetic marijuana has some dangerous side effects. Users of the drug, children and teenagers being the overwhelming majority, have reported feelings of intense paranoia, auditory and visual hallucinations, cravings and depression.
Recently, researchers set out to investigate the risk factors associated with synthetic marijuana usage. Researchers determined that young, white males were the main demographic who abused synthetic marijuana. Further study showed that teenagers that abused synthetic marijuana were more likely to abuse other drugs down the road. Despite the perception that synthetic marijuana is a safer alternative, most children were using the “potpourri” as a stepping stone to other illicit drugs down the road. The study indicated that teenagers that were abusing synthetic marijuana were twice as likely to suffer from alcohol problems in the future as well.
The main concept here is that regardless of the substance, if a young person is willing to ingest something looking to create some type of altered state, then that same intention translates to other drugs. In that sense, any first type of substance abuse ultimately becomes the “gateway drug.” Helping to eliminate that desire through other meaningful interaction is a great step in the direction of drug prevention.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on January 22, 2015 under Opiate Abuse |
In this day and age it has become quite clear that no one is immune to the pulls of a drug addiction. One FBI agent proved this when he admitted to being addicted to heroin and stealing evidence from cases to fund his habit. In the wake of this confession, the agency is taking a hard look at their offices and the protocol for securing evidence, all in an effort to avoid future breaches in security, like the one agent Matthew Lowry managed for fourteen months while on the job.
When heroin is seized by the FBI it is immediately weighed, documented, sealed and delivered to an evidence room where the drugs sit until trial. Lowry was able to siphon heroin from these evidence bags because he was on the heroin task force. This means that he was given access to heroin on an almost daily basis.
Lowry’s scheme was allegedly rather intricate and involved much deception. It was reported that oftentimes Lowry would go into the evidence room and take heroin that was part of cases that were already closed. This ensured that the agents working on that case would not need to access the drugs for court purposes. When Lowry was unable to take heroin from closed cases he would take heroin from open cases under the guise that he was taking it to the lab to be tested. Lowry would take the drugs home and consume much of it, replacing what he consumed with laxatives or creatine. In order to keep his habit, Lowry had to forge other agent’s names and signatures so that the drugs would not be traced back to him.
Lowry has since admitted to his crime and has spurned an internal investigation into how the FBI deals with evidence and who has access to guns and drugs. Since the investigation has started the FBI revealed that they have “found that every one of the nation’s field offices had problems tracking gun and drug evidence and that in some cases, drugs disappeared for months without notice”.
Because of Lowry’s transgressions, 150 defendants in drug cases throughout the country may potentially go free, lawyers finding it difficult to prosecute without the evidence.
