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 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.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on January 8, 2016 under Addiction Trends, AZ Drug Rehab News |
For several decades public officials have been waging a war against drugs, drug users and drug dealers. When the war on drugs was proposed by Richard Nixon it was heralded as the ultimate solution to the problem that was wreaking havoc on the country. Anyone caught using drugs, selling drugs or possessing drug paraphernalia would be subjected to legal action. This hard line approach was thought to be the best way to deter people from getting started on drugs at that time. Punishing those who were already using drugs was also thought to be the most beneficial. However, as time has passed, it has become very evident that punishment and scare tactics are not as effective as once was thought.
In fact, countries all over the world have begun to take a different approach to the drug abuse problem, and even the United States has come around to see that help is better than punishment. The United States, Canada and several European countries have legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes, and sometimes even recreational purposes. Some people hope that by decriminalizing marijuana, the focus can be shifted to helping those who have serious drug problems, whether they are addicted to marijuana, heroin, alcohol cocaine, methamphetamine or other substances. Funneling resources that were once reserved to catching and prosecuting marijuana offenders into programs that are designed to help addicts get treatment may be more successful than prosecuting individuals.
Another significant change that is occurring throughout the world regarding the drug problem is that the United Nations is getting more involved. The UN General Assembly Special Session on Drugs is expected to convene in the Spring. In 1998 the world political agency met and decided on universal policy that mirrored the United State’s War on Drugs. Now, in 2016, it is believed that much of the talks will be geared towards helping individuals and shaping policy that is designed to assist in treatment and recovery, rather than punishment.
Public understanding has also changed throughout the years. As more and more people become affected by drug use, either personally or through a loved one, it is becoming clear that more help is needed. When the War on Drugs began, many of its supporters were not dealing directly with drug use. Addiction appeared to be more of an inner city problem. Now that drug use has pervaded much of the country, more people are beginning to speak out against ineffective policies.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on November 15, 2015 under AZ Drug Rehab News |
One of the main functions of border patrol is to prevent the entry of illegal drugs into Arizona and other border states. This has never been as important as it is now that it has become exceedingly difficult to manufacture drugs like methamphetamine in the United States. Due to changes in laws around the sale of methamphetamine precursors, drug cartels in Mexico have stepped up their production to supply American addicts with the drugs they demand. An illustration of this is the amount of drugs that have been seized at the border. Officials report that heroin and methamphetamine seizures in Arizona have increased by 300%.
In order to come up with this statistic, the Drug Enforcement Administration tabulated information from reported seizures, arrests, investigations and drug enforcement surveys. This is an important number for two reasons. The first reason is that it shows how sophisticated border patrol has become over the years. In order to thwart the drug cartels from getting drugs into the United States, border patrol has to be ready for anything. By implementing drug dogs, technology and intense education, border control has been able to penetrate the drug cartel’s relentless invasion of illegal drugs across the border.
Another reason why this release of information from the DEA is important is because it shows just how many substances are coming into the country. An increase of 300% in seized drugs highlights the demand that United States citizens place on drug dealers and drug providers. While many people are becoming better informed about the dangers and risks associated with various drugs that are commonly abused, there still appears to be a growing demand. To underscore this point, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reports that in 2013 there were 2.8 million Americans who tried drugs for the first time. Most of these Americans were teenagers.
As long as border control continues to seize drugs out of the cartel’s hands they can help keep some drugs out of the hands of waiting Americans. However, this is certainly not the answer to the overall problem. While it can play a part as a form of intervention on our nation’s drug problem, the most effective ways to address the issue is with successful treatment and prevention.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on April 23, 2015 under Addiction Trends, Opiate Abuse, Prescription Drugs |
The 2016 race to become the next President of the United States has officially begun with multiple hopefuls announcing their candidacy recently. Hillary Clinton is one of those seeking the office of Commander in Chief. As she began a tour throughout the U.S., she admitted that she was unaware that substance abuse issues were so extreme in the country. She explained that she understood that drug use was a continuing problem throughout the nation, but up until she began meeting with constituents, had no idea that people felt so strongly and that so many people were affected by the drug epidemic in the United States.
“I want to hear from people of New Hampshire what’s on their minds. I have to tell you, before I went to Iowa last week I wasn’t aware of the depth of feeling people had about substance abuse issues, so here again, I heard it in New Hampshire, so I want people to know that I’m listening,” explained Clinton during her stop to New Hampshire. Like other candidates, she will be covering areas that are considered key for primary elections.
Clinton discussed that she wants to see more resources allocated for people to be able to get the treatment they need. There may be more things that can be done to stop the drug problem in our country from escalating to epidemic proportions though. Educating doctors and healthcare providers that prescription narcotics are not the only solution to pain management and helping them understand the signs of drug abuse and drug seeking behavior are all important topics to tackle.
Hillary Clinton went on to say that she wants to make drug abuse and mental health problems a serious focus of her campaign. Will other candidates step up to speak in favor of substance abuse treatment and prevention? They should take some cues from the fact that there are record numbers of overdose-related deaths in our country. Saving lives is way more important than foreign trade or economic issues.
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.
