The results according to the study show that when mice were given cocaine each day for a week to simulate chronic drug abuse similar to humans, the mice were more likely to display depressive behaviors as opposed to the mice that did not receive cocaine doses. The mice appeared to display depression symptoms following social stressful situation that involved an intimidating and aggressive mouse. The mice receiving the drugs became lethargic and showed reluctance to interact with other mice.
Reports from the study also show that the researchers found changes in the molecules of the nucleus accumbens, the region prone to depression and stress in mice. Although it is more difficult to conduct the same testing in humans, results did show that postpartum tissue of humans, who had been diagnosed with depression, also had defects in the nucleus accumbens. The findings from the study have provided clues as to the relationship between increased depression and drug abuse.
]]>Today, illegal drug addictions are still a problem. However, there is a growing number of people who are getting addicted to legal drugs such as vicodin, dexeterine, human growth hormone and Oxycodin. These type of drugs are very easily obtained. All one has to do is get a prescription from a physician and go to the local pharmacy.
That is why New Jersey is joining other states in helping doctors spot abusers and helping law enforcement officers stop people from dealing drugs.
Studies have shown that there are not more people abusing prescription drugs than there are abusing illegal drugs. It is very important for physicians to have the data necessary to avoid enabling drug addiction.
Drug recovery centers have many people that are addicted to prescription drugs. Another study by the University of Michigan showed that cough medicine, vicodin and adderall were some of the most commonly abused drugs by high school students.
People who repeatedly abuse drugs will need treatment of addiction. Drug treatment programs have helped many people get off both illegal and legal drugs. Addiction rehabilitation is hard, but people who successfully get through it will be able to live a drug free life.
New Jersey is trying to stop people from abusing prescription medications. That is why it is joining forces with the forty other states that have programs to track prescriptions. Both doctors and law enforcement offers have the things that they need to address the drug addiction problems.
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Who Binge Drinks
Founded on a survey of 457,677 Americans, results indicate that binge drinking is a problem for youth and for people beyond their twenties. Approximately 36 percent of binge drinking happens among ages 35 and older. Further, older Americans tend to binge drink more frequently than youth.
For example, approximately 13 percent of Americans between 45 and 64 say that they binge drink approximately five times per month, drinking about seven drinks per setting. Although only four percent of those 65 and older claim regular binge drinking, these adults drink excessively averaging 5.5 times per month, which makes this group the group that binge drinks most frequently.
Only 28 percent of those aged 18 to 24 report taking part in regular binge drinking, averaging four days per month in comparison. Young people drink the most per sitting, an average of 9.3 drinks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Facts of Drinking
Dr. Robert Brewer of the C.D.C. says that more than the usual suspects are binge drinking. He reports that it is a problem for all ages.
Binge drinking is usually defined as five plus drinks per setting for men, and four plus drinks per setting for women within approximately two hours. At this level of drinking, one would expect that blood alcohol levels raise to and above .08, rendering binge drinkers legally impaired for driving.
Effects of Drinking
An alcoholic who drinks many glasses of wine during meals out or while at a party with friends, the thought of drinking four or five drinks during the evening may not seem excessive given the circumstances. However, Dr. Brewer states that a significant body of evidence indicates that drinking at those levels is associated with many health problems and hazards, including injuries, car accidents, violence, and a higher risk and likelihood of contracting an STI (sexually transmitted infection).
Dr. Brewer states that binge drinkers typically drink frequently and often drink more than the levels of what constitutes binge drinking behavior. Even for those who debate the definition of binge drinking, people exceed the level of the debate anyway.
How to Stop Drinking
For assistance and help to stop drinking, contact your local AA chapter.
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A reported third of a test group of almost eight hundred people returned to smoking within two years of quitting. There was no significant difference between those who used aids to quit smoking such as patches or gum and those who did not. Not even sprays or inhalers had any sort of significant difference in statistics.
The original trial statistics before the type of product was given the okay from the FDA in the nineteen nineties showed that users of the products were three rimes more likely to beat the addiction. These were a matter of a few random trials done on a volunteer clinical basis. The results show differently in real life application trials. The studies indicate that the aids provide little to no help and often cause relapses to be more likely than in those who just quit cold turkey.
The researchers believe that the failure rate to be a result of patients believing that the aids are a way to quit with little to no effort. Once they realize that it is not a magic cure the lose hope and give up their efforts to quit. This often leads to heavier smoking than ever.
The study shows that more than one and a half billion dollars are spent on stop smoking aids such as gums and patches. Most of that money comes from public health programs which are steadily beginning to see budget cuts. The support of nicotine replacement products should most likely be thoroughly reconsidered by these programs. The money would be better placed elsewhere. More effective would be putting the money into campaigns against smoking. The best way to keep a person from smoking is to keep them from trying it in the first place.
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If Zohydro gains regulatory approval, it will be the first product to provide patients with legal access to pure hydrocodone. All other prescription painkillers contain a combination of addiction opiates and non-addictive substances like acetaminophen.
Zohydro opponents are purportedly concerned about the widespread availability of even a time-release medication intended to manage patients with severe to moderate chronic pain levels. The stated cause of such vehement opposition lies in the risk of creating a potential cycle of abuse and addiction when addicts grind pills into powder and snort or inject them for an immediate, intense “rush.” National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse President April Rovero recently expressed a “big concern that [Zohydro] could be the [nation's] next OxyContin.”
Introduced by Purdue Pharma in 1995, OxyContin was intended to manage severe pain by providing a single dose that dribbled into patients’ veins over several hours. Drug abusers soon learned, however, that they could easily circumvent this safeguard by simply crushing pills. Despite OxyContin manufacturer’s laudable efforts to make their product less prone to addiction abuse, drug addicts soon sought out generic oxycodone versions that did not include this time-release precaution.
In addition to blocking the brain’s receptors that detect extreme pain, addiction opiates foster chemical dependency by inducing intense systemic sensations of well-being. Addiction opiates withdrawal include extreme symptoms such as unfocused thinking, severe cramping, vomiting, and nausea. Continued abuse addiction eventually leads to enhanced tolerance that compels users to ingest increasingly stronger doses to obtain the identical effects initially experienced.
The bottom line is that novel narcotics and addiction opiates like Zohydro easily lead to increased incidence of violent crimes and wasted fiscal resources by treatment facilities. Moreover, many patients with legitimate painkiller prescriptions are being led down the path to abuse and addiction each year.
]]>These companies have labeled HCG homeopathic. HCG is a hormone that is produced by the cells that form the placenta during pregnancy.
The FDA has approved this medication for treating various medical conditions, including female infertility. However, it has not been approved for losing weight fast.
HCG comes in the form of sprays, pellets and oral drops. Users are advised to use HCG while they are following a very restricted diet of 500 calories per day. The FDA and FTC have both reported that there is no evidence to suggest that HCG helps promote weight loss. The HCG plan is just one of those quick diets that can potentially be dangerous.
The companies that sell over-the-counter HCG only have 15 days to stop marketing this product. If they do not remove the product from the market, they can face legal action, seizure and criminal prosecution. Below are the companies that have been warned about selling HCG:
1.) The HCG Drops LLC
2.) HCG Diet Direct LLC
3.) Nutri Fusion Systems LLC
4.)Natural Medical Supply
5.)wwww.resetthebody.com
6.)hcg-miracleweightloss.com
7.)HCG Platinum LLC
There are numerous other weight loss programs that a person can follow if he or she is interested in losing weight. Again, researchers have not been able to prove that the HCG diet actually works. Additionally, using over-the-counter HCG can be dangerous.
]]>The study of laboratory mice suggests that reduction of the use of all tobacco products and nicotine replacement products or secondhand smoke can help to curb addiction to other substances that are addictive.
According to the study, reducing smoking rates in youth would result in fewer people becoming addicted to cocaine. The study, conducted at Columbia University, located in New York and lead by Dr. Amir Levine showed the mice who had first been exposed to nicotine showed more characteristics of addiction than mice not first exposed to nicotine. However, if the mice were first exposed to cocaine and then nicotine, there was no such behavior change.
Nicotine seems to influence the histone proteins that are produced in the brain’s reward center. This can activate genes that cause an exaggeration in the body’s response to cocaine.
While there still needs to be confirmation of the research, it raises many questions. The implication seems to be that reducing use of nicotine would lower the rate of addiction to other drugs. According to the study’s review of high school students, over 81 percent beginning to use cocaine did so when actively smoking tobacco.
In addition, treating nicotine addiction may be helpful in cocaine addiction recovery. This would also suggest behavioral smoking cessation programs would be more effective for patients in substance abuse recovery than use of nicotine replacement products.
Finally, the question must be asked about the effect of tobacco on other gateway drugs. Does it just affect the use of cocaine or does it also apply to marijuana and alcohol use as well? If so, then the importance of tobacco prevention for students at the high school and younger levels is all the more important.
]]>Doctor Leonard Paulozzi, a medical epidemiologist in the division of unintentional injury prevention, has stated that prescription drugs were raising the death toll. He continues to say that the reason that there has been a dramatic rise in prescription drug use lies on doctors that have become liberal in prescribing them. The majority of drug related deaths have stemmed from accidental overdose from opioid painkillers. Since there has been a decrease in the rate of motor vehicle accident mortality, deaths due to drugs have passed vehicle deaths. It has not been this high since 1979, when the government began to track drug related deaths.
Bob Anderson, chief of the CDC mortality statistic branch, believes this to be bittersweet. He says that it is important that there has been a decrease in motor vehicle fatalities, but the steep growth in drug related deaths is due to drug overdosing.
The Substance Abuse Services Administration claims that illegal drug use is also on the rise. Last year, close to nine percent of Americans over the age of twelve had used illegal substances such as marijuana. Prescription drug abuse has remained steady. However, that is what is sending more people to the hospital or to rehab clinics.
There is a great number of people who have begun to have bad consequences and recognize that they need help. Many people consider prescription drugs to be safe. However, some can be very addictive, even when taken the way that they were prescribed. A tolerance can be built very quickly. When people assume that medicine is safe, it leads them to take too many or combine them with alcohol or other drugs. This can be fatal.
A prescription painkiller such as oxycodone or Hydrocodone, the main ingredients in Oxycontin and Vicodin, land huge amounts of people in emergency rooms. The number doubles with each passing year.
Joel Saper a founder of the Michigan Neurological Institute, says that this is proof of the unleashed prescriptions of painkillers all across the country. Pain is not a tangible element. A physician must carefully access each person to see how much pain they may be in. It is a matter of trust. A monster has been created because most physicians are over anxious to prescribe powerful and addictive drugs.
In April 2011, President Obama unveiled a plan to curtail this epidemic. This plan supports state based prescription drug programs that monitor doctors and educate the patients. There is also a new take back program that is used to safely get rid of unused prescription narcotics.
Policies may be put into effect that can curb the abuse of painkillers, but it may hurt the companies that produce these drugs and the doctors that prescribe them. Until this problem can be better controlled, there will be a continued growth of drug related deaths in this country.
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