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 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 October 22, 2016 under Addiction Trends, Opiate Abuse, Prescription Drugs |
In one of the first studies of its kind, researchers in the Division of Rheumatic and Autoimmune Diseases at the University of Minnesota have found that patients with lower back pain are more likely to have a prescription for painkillers as well as use drugs like marijuana, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine. While additional studies have to be conducted to find out more about the connection, this information may be a first step in developing more effective prevention tools for future prescription painkiller abuse.
The researchers compared questionnaires filled out by patients with chronic lower back pain and people without back problems. Volunteers were asked to answer questions regarding the frequency in which they used marijuana, heroin, prescription painkillers, cocaine and methamphetamine. It was found that 22.5% of adults with chronic lower back pain used prescription painkiller regularly compared to 15% of adults without the pain. This in itself isn’t that surprising, though there may be other forms of treatment that would be much better suited, depending on the severity of the pain.
“Americans with chronic low back pain are more likely to use illicit drugs than the general population, particularly the ‘hard’ drugs like cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine. There are several ways to interpret this relationship. It is possible that illicit drug use makes chronic pain more likely or leads individuals to seek a chronic pain diagnosis to obtain prescription narcotics,” explained Anna Shmagel, MD, MS, and lead author of the study. Shmagel also cautions that there could be a common underlying reason for prescription painkiller addicts and patients with lower back pain, like depression.
Opening up the research to include a more in depth look at if depression plays a role in prescription painkiller addiction is a relatively new avenue for researchers. In the past, the focus has mainly been on patients who have accidentally become addicted to painkillers. However, chronic pain has been shown to cause depression and illicit drugs have long been sought out by people looking to escape or fix their emotional problems.
As more and more research is conducted regarding prescription painkiller use and misuse it is becoming clear that preventing the reasons for taking the drugs in the first place is vital. This means that the medical profession is likely to come up with ways to improve chronic lower back pain treatment in addition to finding new methods to intervene before the back pain requires narcotic painkillers.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on August 24, 2016 under Addiction Trends, AZ Drug Rehab News, Prescription Drugs |
Amphetamines are not a new drug. In fact, amphetamines were developed in the late 1800’s, but were not used in more pharmaceutical applications until the 1920s. Amphetamines are a stimulant that provide a person with an extreme amount of energy, the ability to focus and complete tasks. And while drug manufacturers did not start mass producing amphetamines until the 1920, there is evidence that people have been relying on the drugs for much longer than that.
In the late 1880’s there are reports of dockworkers in New Orleans who were expected to work over 70 hours a week. In order to sustain the schedule, they were given amphetamines, or more specifically, cocaine. The cocaine was so effective that eventually the drug spread throughout the south, fueling workers on cotton plantations, railroad work camps and construction sites.
It did not take long for cocaine’s popularity to spread throughout the country until it was made illegal in 1914. However, in 1929 a new type of upper came on the market, Benzedrine. This drug rapidly became a staple among Americans, with 8 to 10 billion tablets produced a year. Once Benzedrine dropped out of production, Adderall and Ritalin where there as replacements.
Originally manufactured for ADHD among children, Adderall and Ritalin are fast becoming popular among adults and college students. The drugs went from solutions for childhood ADHD, to cramming and finishing projects for college students and now business executives are abusing the drugs to increase their workload abilities. All the while cocaine is still a major problem in this country.
Because of the heroin and prescription painkiller problem in the United States, cocaine abuse and ADHD medication abuse may not get the attention they need. However, the drugs are being abused and schools, colleges and the workplace may be fostering environments where the use of these drugs are increasingly more acceptable, and the ramifications of such a pervasiveness are detrimental to society.
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 6, 2016 under Addiction Trends, AZ Drug Rehab News, Opiate Abuse, Prescription Drugs |
Naloxone is a life-saving drug that has been getting more attention lately due to the number of deaths involving heroin and other opiates. The medication, which is delivered via nasal spray or injection, can reverse an overdose situation on the spot. It has been getting more use lately by first responders, but a group of researchers finds that there is even a greater need to make it more widely available.
A common misconception among most people is that only those who abuse heroin or prescription painkillers will ever be in a situation where they need the life-saving drug to prevent an overdose. However, patients who are prescribed narcotics like OxyContin and Percocet are not immune to accidental overdose. This is especially true for people who take the drug for extended periods of time due to some sort of chronic pain condition.
Experts explain that those who take prescription painkillers may not be aware that having a glass of wine after their dose greatly increases the risk of overdose. Additionally, combining other medications to handle other ailments may also make it more likely to suffer from an overdose.
The research that appears in the Annals of Internal Medicine found a 47% decrease in ER visits among opioid users after six months, and a 63% reduction over one year when patients were also given a prescription for naloxone.
“This study really does show that naloxone has a substantial role to play in managing the opioid epidemic. It’s not the answer to all our problems, but it’s an important tool to prevent mortality,” explained Dr. Phillip Coffin, director of substance use research at the San Francisco Department of Public Health.
In addition to educating patients of the risks to life associated with prescription painkillers, it is becoming more necessary to educate family members as well. Oftentimes if someone suffers from an overdose, family members or close friends are the first to find them. Understanding the signs of an overdose can sometimes determine whether the overdose is fatal or not, and having a dose of naloxone available can help save even more lives.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on April 21, 2016 under Addiction Trends, Prescription Drugs |
An alarming study conducted by researchers at the University of Virginia uncovered a major problem among medical students and may reveal why prescription pain medications are being overprescribed to certain kinds of patients. The study looked to find why white people are more likely to be prescribed prescription painkillers over black people.
Researchers were able to determine that many white doctors held false beliefs about black people that will likely prevent them from properly treating black patients, as well as potentially answering the question of why so many white people are addicted to prescription painkillers after being prescribed the medication for real or falsified pain.
False beliefs such as black people age more slowly than white people, black people’s skin is thicker than white people’s skin and black people’s nerve endings are less sensitive than white people’s were discovered in the study of 222 white medical students. In addition to having a significant misunderstanding about the anatomy and constitution of black people, doctors have a harder time empathizing with patients that they have less in common with.
“What we found is those who endorsed more of those false beliefs showed more bias and were less accurate in their treatment recommendations,” explained Kelly Hoffman, a UVA doctoral candidate in psychology, and leader of the study. The report was presented to the National Academy of Sciences.
This study, while alarming in the sense that medical students have such an extreme misunderstanding regarding black people, points to another question about the overwhelming amounts of prescription painkillers that are being prescribed to white patients in this country. If medical students believe that white people are more sensitive to pain, or are more in need of prescription painkillers, then they would be more apt to believe someone who is complaining of pain. Unfortunately, it has become clear that sometimes they are really just seeking out a prescription for painkillers so they can abuse them or sell them on the streets.
As more and more researchers look into the prescription painkiller problem and conduct studies about doctor’s beliefs, practices and histories it is becoming clear that a change in the medical system is needed in order to stop the prescription painkiller epidemic.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on March 8, 2016 under Addiction Trends, AZ Drug Rehab News, Prescription Drugs |
The over prescription of drugs like Oxycontin, Percocet or Xanax have led to countless painkiller and benzodiazepine addictions. The prescription abuse problem in the United States has skyrocketed over the last few years with overdose deaths having quadrupled in the last fifteen years.
However, despite the overwhelming data that prescription abuse is a serious problem in this country, many doctors are still prescribing large amounts of the drugs. Some are not changing their prescribing practices even if the patient experiences an overdose and are also not responding to warnings by the U.S government or the public.
As a way to determine what an effective warning to doctors would be, a research team led by Adam Sacarny of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York City decided to track doctors who received letters warning them that they were prescribing too much of a certain painkiller or benzodiazepine.
In order to conduct the study, the research team looked to locate doctors who were prescribing more than their neighboring peers. Once these doctors were located, the team monitored their prescription practices after they were sent a letter from Medicare stating the problem of their over prescription. Despite receiving the letter, the prescribing practices did not cease. This was interesting to the researchers because in the past, letters from Medicare comparing local vaccinations had helped to bring up the amount of vaccinations patients were receiving from a doctor that was falling behind to his peers.
A total of 1,525 doctors were sent the letters warning them that they were prescribing more narcotic painkillers or benzodiazepines than other doctors. The doctors that were singled out to receive a letter because they were prescribing over 400% more painkillers and benzodiazepines than other nearby physicians. Unfortunately, the letters from Medicare did not seem very effective. In fact, the research team witnessed no significant change at all.
While the letters may have worked in the past for other issues, it is clear that a clearer message will be needed in order to safely bring down the amount of narcotics that are being prescribed to patients throughout the country.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on February 16, 2016 under Addiction Trends, Prescription Drugs |
The vast majority of doctors in the United States are committed to fighting the prescription painkiller epidemic. This is because the painkillers often originate out of offices in every state. Doctors either unknowingly write a prescription to a person who is falsifying their maladies, the patient with a legitimate problem sells their prescription to make money, or addicts steal the pills from people who have prescriptions. However, some addicts are able to exploit the system and find a doctor who is willing to write illegal prescriptions for a hefty cost. This was apparently the case with Dr. Hsiu-Ying “Lisa” Tseng.
Tseng was a doctor out of Rowland Heights, a suburb of Los Angeles. The DEA began their investigation after it was discovered that the doctor had written 27,000 prescriptions for narcotic drugs over a period of three years. This means that she averaged 25 prescriptions a day. Despite her lawyer’s claims that Tseng was naïve and had no idea that her patients were abusing the medications, it appears that Tseng was responsible for twelve deaths among her patients. Due to additional reasons for death, like prescription from other doctors and a possible suicide, Tseng was only convicted of three deaths. For her part, Tseng received a thirty year to life sentence.
“(She’s) a person who seemingly did not care about he lives of her patients in this case but rather appeared more concerned about distributing dangerous controlled substances in an assembly line fashion so as to collect payments which amounted to her amassing several million dollars,” commented George Lomeli, the Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge that presided over the case.
This landmark case is intended to show other doctors who may be engaging in the same behavior that they will be prosecuted for the laws they break and the trust they violate. Additionally, doctors who may be suspicious of their patient’s need for prescription drugs are likely to take this case into account when determining the best course of action. Illustrating to the medical community that there are repercussions for the over egregious violations of over-prescribing of narcotics is an important step when it comes to lowering the amount of painkillers available to addicts.
