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8 Factors To Consider When Choosing a Residential Drug Rehab Program

2010-01-11T06:07:00.000-08:00

Facing the fact that someone you love is not only suffering from drug addiction, but now must receive help to overcome the addiction, is difficult for anyone. Where should you start? Who do you turn to? What questions do you need to ask about drug treatment programs? Perhaps, you may have been at this point before, and you now feel a sense of hopelessness in finding a residential treatment center that will work this time around. Maybe, though, this is the first time you’ve had to take these steps to help someone you love. The process can feel overwhelming.

Ultimately, you want your loved one back. You want that person you love free from drugs. You want that person to live a healthy and productive life. By asking the right question on each of the following areas when choosing a residential drug treatment center, your chances of making this happen for your loved one will increase.

Success Rate –
What is the success rate of the residential drug treatment center? Obviously, the higher the success rate, the more likely your loved one will succeed. Ask to speak with graduates of the drug rehab facility or their families. Get real opinions from real people.
Methods –
What method does the drug treatment center use? Ask yourself if they are addressing all aspects of your loved one’s addiction, including what led them to drugs in the first place. Methods that only deal with one aspect of addiction are more likely to fail. Remember addiction results from a combination of many factors, including a lessening of morality and integrity and an increasing burden of guilt and shame. The life of an addict includes bad habits, poor health and difficulty facing problems. After speaking with the facility, ask yourself if they are handling not just the psychological aspects, but also the physical and mental aspects of addiction as well. Are they providing practical skills that will help your loved one succeed once the drug rehabilitation program is completed?
Services –
What services does the residential drug treatment center offer? This is not only for your loved one, but for you as well. Will they help with legal issues? Will they assist in an intervention? In other words, to what length will they go to make certain your loved one gets the drug treatment they need?
Staff –
Who are the staff members at the residential drug treatment center? The best trained staff will have had experience with drug addiction. They will not have learned about it in a book. Are they qualified for their positions? What real-life knowledge do they have with drug addiction? What is their reason for working in this field?
Follow-up Program –
What type of follow-up program does the residential drug treatment center offer? This is important. Sending a newly rehabilitated drug addict back into the world without any follow-up can be disastrous. Make sure that there is a program of this type in place. Good programs keep in touch over the phone regularly after one leaves the program.
Location –
Where is the residential drug treatment center located? A residential drug treatment center should be protected. Ask how easy it would be for your loved one to leave. Many addicts when first coming off drugs want to leave. Ensuring that this is difficult, while not seeming like a prison, increases the chances that the person will stay to finish.
Length –
How long does the residential drug treatment center take? Although the standard program is 28 days, if the residential drug treatment center offers a longer program, it is more likely your loved one will succeed. However, if the residential drug treatment center allows your loved one to work at his or her own pace, without imposing time constraints, your loved one has an even greater chance of overcoming drug addiction. An example of a program that is not based on time but on completion can be seen at http://www.drugrehab.net
Price –
How much does the residential drug treatment center cost? Before eliminating any program because of its price, ask yourself this: What are they offering? Look back at the points above and determine what the drug rehab is truly giving to the one you love. Yes, the more it offers, the more likely the price will be higher. However, your loved one will have a greater chance at becoming a healthy productive member of society. How much is that person worth to you?

Choosing a residential drug treatment center can be difficult. Dealing with a loved one suffering from drug addiction is devastating. By breaking the process down into what is important and finding out the answers to the questions above, you will be able to make an informed choice as to which residential drug treatment program can best help you and your loved one. Drug addiction can be dealt with and overcome.

About the Author:
John Frank does research in the drug treatment field and has helped several individuals and families, including his own brother, find the right program and overcome addiction.

Rehabilitation What Is It ?

2009-12-19T19:57:00.000-08:00

Rehabilitation is a program to help restore people who have the chronic illness both from physical or psychological. Individual rehabilitation program is a program that includes initial assessment, patient education, training, psychological assistance, and prevention of disease.

Rehabilitation centers use a variety of different methods for the patient, treatment was adjusted according to the patient's illness and the intricacies of the patient's initial response to tersebut.Waktu also determine the difference between the patient treatment. And outpatient treatment is a very useful program for patients in early stages, especially for patients who are addicted or addiction.

Symptoms of the disease found in many rehabilitation centers:

* Nature of Grumpy
* The strange behavior
* Loss of appetite
* Weight loss

The patients who entered the rehabilitation center of mostly low self-esteem and suffer from a lack of positive outlook on life, so psychology plays a huge role in the rehabilitation program, and it is also very important to keep patients from friends and environment that allows addicted again against drugs.

Highly recommended for not choosing rehabilitation center located near the house of the patient, Money also plays an important role in treatment, do not forget patience is also an important factor both from the individual and the family itself.

Some tips to keep the patient in order not kencanduan after returning from rehabilitation centers:

* Rediscovering a positive hobby or jobs that remain for the patient.
* Maintain good relations between the family and surrounding environment.
* Meet with psychological or psychiatric consultant on a regular basis.
* Patience and confidence of the patients themselves would the process of recovery from drugs and addiction.

New Web-page Gives Information on Signs of Drug Abuse

2009-12-15T16:27:00.000-08:00

One common characteristic of parents who send their children to drug rehab is that many of them did not realize the extent of the drug abuse. Many were completely caught off guard until it was almost too late.
“We want to educate people on the signs of drug abuse so that they can be aware of the consequences in people around them,” comments Mary Rieser, Executive Director for Narconon Drug Rehab. “Too many people are completely taken by surprise when their relative finally admits to drug addiction, and often tell us that if they had known the signs of drug abuse they could have prevented a disaster.
“Unfortunately many signs of drug abuse are easily explained away, and many people are taken in by these ‘explanations’. Don’t be fooled! If you suspect someone is using drugs, get them help. Drug addiction can be resolved, and families can be spared the agony of trying to deal with someone addicted to drugs.”
The new page, “Recognize Signs of Drug Abuse”, has been re-vamped to easily see what the signs are and what drug these are caused by.
Included are:

Signs of Alcohol Abuse
Signs of Prescription Drug Abuse
Signs of Cocaine Abuse
Signs of Methamphetamine Abuse
Signs of Opiate (Heroin. OxyContin, Percocet) Abuse,
Signs of Marijuana Abuse
Signs of Hallucinogen (LSD, Mushroom) Abuse

“Prevention is key in dealing with drug abuse and drug prevention,” comments Ms. Rieser. “We feel the more people know about drugs and can get the help they need many lives can be saved.”
For more information on drug addiction rehab, drug abuse, or drug education, call Narconon Drug Rehab of Georgia at 1-800-311-4407.

Wilderness Therapy Programs

2009-12-08T15:29:00.000-08:00

Recovery in the Wild: Wilderness Therapy Programs Help Teens Break the Chains of Addiction

By Hugh C. McBride

Many teenagers who are struggling to overcome substance abuse disorders find that their efforts to stay clean are undermined by their inability to escape the influences of the environment in which they were first tempted to take drugs or drink alcohol. Friends, family members, and the pressures and stresses of daily life often overwhelm individuals during the early stages of their recovery, forcing them to return to their unhealthy former habits.

Removing an addicted individual from the environment that prompted or encouraged his addiction is an excellent first step on the road to recovery. And one of the most effective ways of ensuring that a teen can begin his rehabilitation in a positive, distraction-free environment is to enroll him in a wilderness recovery program.

ABOUT WILDERNESS RECOVERY

The concept of wilderness therapy is a turn-of-the-century idea that has evolved into an effective, specialized form of treatment for teenagers and young adults who are suffering from a wide range of conditions and disorders. Following a short-lived experiment with outdoor therapy in 1901, the concept of wilderness education lay relatively dormant for the next four decades, until German educator Kurt Hahn and British businessman Sir Lawrence Holt founded the first Outward Bound school on the north coast of Wales in 1941. Hahn and Holt established the school to teach service, teamwork, and survival skills to young sailors – and according to the Outward Bound website, they named their program in honor of the nautical term that describes a ship’s departure from the relative safety of the harbor into the challenging unknowns of the open sea.

After Outward Bound teacher Josh Miner brought the concept to the United States in the early 1950s, the principles of wilderness therapy and education began to spread throughout the country. Today, hundreds of facilities offer wilderness programs

The Aspen Education Group, which is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading providers of outdoor therapy and wilderness education, offers a wealth of opportunities for adolescents and teens who are suffering from low self-esteem, poor school performance, defiance of authority, depression, and drug or alcohol abuse.

Aspen Education Group’s programs, which are designed to meet the specific needs of individuals between the ages of 9 and 28, are staffed by professionals with significant experience and expertise with issues including depression, substance abuse, high-functioning autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and a wide range of additional conditions and disorders.

WILDERNESS & TEENS

With features that include flexible lengths of stay, small student-to-staff ratios, and powerful experiences designed to encourage intense introspection, self-reliance, and positive personal reformation, wilderness education and outdoor therapy programs can literally be life-changing opportunities for struggling teenagers.

Rebecca Wildbear, a licensed professional counselor with more than a decade’s worth of experience as a wilderness therapist, says her work with clients at Passages to Recovery in Loa, Utah, emphasizes the ability of the outdoors to promote connections on both the personal and spiritual levels.

“In the wilderness there’s a great opportunity to connect with a higher power,” Wildbear said, adding that the serenity and challenges of the wilderness offer considerable opportunities for lasting growth and development for individuals who are ready to change their lives. “The person who gets the most from [the wilderness therapy experience] is the person who is the most open,” she said.

And though the initial effectiveness of wilderness therapy may be a byproduct of removing troubled teenagers from the environments in which they were struggling, researchers have documented that the programs’ successes are not limited to the time the teens spend in the wild. A five-year study conducted under the leadership of Dr. Keith Russell of the University of Idaho’s Wilderness Research Center indicated that most teens who participate in wilderness programs continue to improve, even one year after treatment.

To ensure that the progress students make during their wilderness experiences continues upon their return home, the most effective wilderness therapy programs make family education and communication integral components of their efforts.

For example, at Phoenix Outdoor, a licensed wilderness therapy program that provides comprehensive substance abuse intervention and assessment for teens ages 13 to 17, families of teen clients receive individual counseling on a weekly basis, participate in teleconference support groups, and are offered interactive psychological and educational seminars. The Phoenix Outdoor program, which incorporates instruction and therapy into guided adventures in the U.S. National Forest near Leicester, North Carolina, features a range of experiences that are designed to address personal and family issues in an environment that is both supportive and challenging.

GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT

As Kurt Hahn and Lawrence Holt indicated with the nautical allusion that they chose for the name of their initial Outward Bound program, wilderness therapy and outdoor education efforts teach participants that lessons learned away from the safe harbors of home can be among the most valuable and long-lasting of one’s life. And as industry leaders such as Aspen Education Group continue to enhance the safety, standards, and effectiveness of therapeutic wilderness education programs, students are able to reap greater benefits and overcome more significant challenges in ever-safer environments under the care and guidance of qualified professional staff members.

In order to most effectively provide unique educational and therapeutic services to teenagers who might otherwise be unable to overcome personal challenges and environmental pressures, the most successful outdoor education and wilderness therapy programs are founded upon a bedrock of sound educational and therapeutic philosophies, and are dedicated to the recovery and rehabilitation of the teenagers they serve.

The purpose of these efforts – and the ideal result of any wilderness therapy or outdoor education program – is perhaps best expressed by this testimonial, which was written by a student who had completed a stay at the Aspen Achievement Academy: “I love my parents and myself more,” the student wrote. “I am drug-free, I started a new life and solved a lot of problems.” targeted to specific groups, such as recovering alcoholics and drug abusers and troubled teens.

Source.

Families Affected by Drug Users

2009-12-08T15:25:00.001-08:00

Family members often live in fear, whether is real or imagined, of how the drug user will react. They also feel guilty; thinking if only they were a better spouse, son or daughter, then maybe the person wouldn’t resort to using drugs.
Children who are raised by drug using parents often take on more responsibilities far beyond their maturity level or abilities. They tend to worry about the drug using parent, the non-using parent and other siblings. It can sometime even lead to keeping a “family secret” which no one wants to talk about. The children don’t want to even bring their friends home anymore because of the embarrassment of their drug using parent.
As a person’s drug problem progresses, using drugs becomes more important than family and family commitments. The children learn that they cannot rely on their parents. This results in the children having academic or social problems or even depression or other emotional issues. Some of these children will grow up to have drug abuse problems of their own someday.

Drug Rehabilitation

2009-12-08T15:23:00.000-08:00

Drug rehab centers

Drug and alcohol rehab centers can seem all the same and it can be very confusing to choose a drug rehab center when the time comes. You want to send your loved one to the best treatment center possible, and this is one of the most important decisions you will have to make. It can be difficult to get a loved one to go into drug or alcohol treatment center. You want it to do it right the first time and have your loved one succeed, as sometimes you will not have a second chance to get them to get help with their addiction. There are different factors that you need to take into consideration when you make the choice for a drug rehab program.
Different drug and alcohol rehab centers have different philosophies. The foundation of the treatment program is an important factor that you need to consider when choosing treatment. You need to know what their philosophy is on addiction and whether they think it can be cured or not? What is the drug rehab center’s success rate? Where is it located? These questions may not seem relevant now, but they are very important. If a drug and alcohol rehab center believes that addiction cannot actually be cured, only managed, it will affect the person’s chances for full rehabilitation and long-term success.
If someone has a severe addiction to hard drugs such as heroin, crack cocaine, cocaine, methamphetamine or alcohol, it is advised to choose a rehab that is far away from the area a person is used to using drugs in. The further away the drug rehab, the better chance a person has to benefit from treatment. The environment itself can be a trigger that can easily cause a relapse. Most drug rehabs are not “lock down” facilities; therefore, if a person is in treatment close to home and they get a craving or something upsets the treatment process, it will be much easier for him/her to leave the treatment program and find old connections to drugs. During the critical process of treatment while in a drug treatment program, being in a safe, positive environment far away from what the addict is used to is crucial to the recovery process.
Finding a good drug rehab center that works is the first step to helping yourself or someone else recover from addiction. However, doing all the necessary research on different treatment centers in Canada and the U.S. can be a daunting task.
Drug Rehab Services™ does that work for you. Fill out our simple assessment form that will help us serve you better, or call 1-877-A-LIFE-4U. One of our professional counselors will help you immediately.
Drug rehab programs have a variety of different models. There are out-patient programs, residential in-patient programs, drop in meetings, detox clinics, etc. The type of treatment center an individual requires depends on the severity and type addiction. Legal, health and familial factors also play a part in choosing the correct treatment center. This is why a good assessment is needed to determine the appropriate type of drug treatment facility to meet your specific needs.

Drug Rehab Services™ has access to a database of hundreds of substance abuse treatment facilities.

1-877-254-3348

Online consultation

Detox for Life: The Three Crucial Steps of the Detox Program

2009-09-04T01:34:00.000-07:00

(NaturalNews) Detoxification is a natural healing process needed more than ever in today`s toxic world. With the onslaught of chemicals in our food, air and water, we can all do with undergoing a specific program of periodic cleansing. An approach that is designed to lower the toxic burden accumulated in our tissues, while supporting the organs of elimination in a supportive and nurturing environment, is the type of program that will offer the most effective results in our pursuit of outstanding health.

What is detoxification?

We have all heard about the role of detoxification in creating great health; and many of us have experienced the detox process, some by attending a health retreat designed for this purpose, and some by virtue of a supervised fast or cleansing program initiated by a naturopathic practitioner.

But what exactly is detoxification, and what is happening in the body when we engage in this type of specialized program?

Essentially, detoxification is the body`s ongoing process of neutralizing and eliminating toxins from the tissues and organs of the body. It is the job of the liver to take harmful chemicals, toxins and byproducts of metabolism from the bloodstream, and alter them into safer substances to be excreted via the organs of elimination.

This process is always happening automatically, just like we breathe and our hearts beat, and it`s not something we need to think about on a day to day basis. It is a natural state of the body to be continually cleansing, and most of the time we don`t even notice it is happening.

With the amount of potentially harmful chemicals in our environment, our food, our personal care and cleaning products, in air and water pollution, and in the recreational drugs and medications that many people take; our body burden of toxic substances can rise. It is estimated that there are 50,000+ chemicals in production, with 10,000 of these used in food processing.

When the liver is unable to deal with an excess amount of circulating toxins, they can continue to move through the body, causing disruption and damage, before eventually being stored mainly in the fat cells of our organs and tissues, often being stored for years or decades.

Depending on the type of toxins held in the body, we can experience all sorts of chronic and degenerative conditions that have their underlying cause in an overwhelming burden of chemical overload. For example, one molecule of mercury can inhibit the function of up to 1000 zinc molecules.
By engaging in a "detoxification program" we are actively assisting and supporting the body in its own natural cleansing actions, to help in ridding the body of substances that may be detrimental to our health.

Why a specialized detox?

Before essential nutrients can become available to the cells for renewal and repair, we need to remove:

Metabolic waste
Excess proteins (fibrosis)
Mucous
Fat
Calcium
Heavy metals
Chemical residues
Drugs
Pollution
Radiation

Is there only one disease?

Many schools of thought promote the concept of there only being "one disease", that of toxaemia.

This theory proposes that if the body can be kept free and clear of toxic debris and waste, and if good nutrition is provided, the body`s natural healing processes will enable it to heal from any disease.

All effective natural healing methods combine some type of detoxification process.

What is involved in a detoxification program?

In the natural medicine world, a detox is a specific program of dietary changes and often herbal support to:

1)lower the amount of chemicals being ingested,
2)to provide nutrients that enhance the body`s natural processes,
3)to support the organs of elimination in clearing toxins out of the body quickly and safely

There are many styles of detox programs, but the best ones are those undertaken in an environment where all of these factors can be addressed, and there is an opportunity to rest and relax and focus on healing.

1)Lowering ingested chemicals

The first part of detoxification involves lowering the ingestion of not only chemicals in the diet, but often also lowering the amount of food consumed, to give the digestive system a rest and to allow energy to be diverted to cleansing rather than digesting.

Fasting is a universal natural response to disease, and there are several ways to fast; water only, juices, and mono foods being the most common.

To this end, most detox diets will involve a period of fasting, such as drinking only freshly made vegetable juices for several days. Only organic produce should be used for the juicing, to ensure no pesticides or other chemicals or contaminants are consumed.

After a juice fast, it is sensible to spend a period of time eating plain organic fruits and vegetables to allow the body time to adjust to whole foods again, while keeping the burden of ingested toxins to a very low level.

Water fasting can be too extreme for most people in today`s world, as we are carrying such a load of toxins that we need more than just our stores of nutrients to help the body to detoxify them properly. Many people are already malnourished and depleted, so water fasting is not appropriate in these cases.

Fresh organic juice provides a plentiful supply of enzymes to assist in the breakdown of toxic matter, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to protect from free radical damage.

24 hours after starting a juice program, pancreatic enzymes are no longer needed for the digestion of food and can start digesting waste matter in the body. Not only do they start breaking down debris in the colon, but they can travel through the body and start digesting damaged cells, microbes, metabolic waste, acids, fibrosis, atherosclerotic plaques and deposits in the joints

2)Providing nutrients

As toxins are being released for excretion during the fasting phase, these substances can be highly reactive and create free radical damage. Not only as they circulate, but when they are processed through the first phase of liver detoxification, dangerous metabolites can be produced. A high level of antioxidants can offset this danger and protect the liver and the cells of the body.

This is why juice fasting can be so advantageous, as it supplies an enormous amount of concentrated vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that are easily absorbed. Organic juice means no toxins are being ingested and by being in a clean environment this lowers the daily burden.

Some detox programs also support the body with green nutrition such as wheat or barley grass, chlorella or spirulina. These green foods supply a high dose of nutrients, protein for the binding of toxins, and chlorophyll which is a powerful blood cleanser.

Healing nutrients:

By juice fasting and supplementing with concentrated green nutrition and herbs with fiber, we offer our body all it needs to cleanse and heal:

Enzymes
Vitamins
Minerals
Antioxidants
Carbohydrates
Chlorophyll
Protein
Fiber

Enzymes: enzymes are specialized proteins that accelerate or instigate chemical reactions within our cells. Malfunction of just one type of enzyme can be fatal.

All animals eat foods which also contain enzymes for their own digestion

Enzyme reserves can be depleted by cooked food; the demands on digestion from cooked foods means that enzyme activity is used for digestion rather than cleansing and healing purposes elsewhere in the body.

Enzymes are at the heart of physiologic healing, they have been called the "spark of life", a deficiency of which has been linked to chronic and degenerative illnesses

Metabolic enzymes build, cleanse and heal the body:

"After two decades of microscopic analysis of the cellular systems of thousands of people who have been guests at Hippocrates, we discovered and confirmed that digestive enzymes and enzymes found within plant foods clearly enhance the electrical frequency in and around cells of the body."
Dr. Brian Clements
Author of "Hippocrates LifeForce, Superior health and longevity"
Director Hippocrates Health Institute, Florida, for over 25 years

Vitamins: essential for life, they are co-factors in enzymatic reactions and required for producing energy needed for detoxification.

Minerals: essential for life, they are co-factors in enzymatic reactions, are required for
energy production, and are utilized in the liver for the binding of toxins.

Antioxidants: required for neutralizing free radical damage caused by circulating toxins, and by Phase 1 liver detox processes.

Carbohydrates: provide fuel for energy.

Chlorophyll: cleansing, blood building, antibacterial, antiseptic, alkalizing and oxygenating.

Protein: is found in concentrated green nutrition and is needed for binding toxins via the liver.

Fiber: acts like an intestinal broom to drag toxins, mucoid plaque and heavy metals out of the bowel, and provide fuel for the good bacteria colonies.

3)Supporting the organs of elimination

There are many organs and systems involved in the detoxification process, but some are more important than others and supporting their function results in a more thorough and pleasant detox.

Liver: the liver is the organ which does the most work during a detox. It takes pollutants out of the bloodstream, identifies them and makes them safe for excretion.

The first stage of this is called Phase 1 Liver Detox and that involves making fat soluble toxins more water soluble, so that they can be eliminated through the bowels or the kidneys. The outcome of Phase 1 is highly reactive toxic metabolites waiting for Phase 2 treatment. A high level of antioxidants are needed to balance and neutralize these substances.

Phase 2 Liver Detox uses various protein molecules to bind these intermediate products and make them safe to be eliminated.

Bowel: a lot of toxins are excreted through the bowel, so a well-functioning, moving bowel is an essential part of the detox. Many detox programs include bowel herbs, bulking fiber such as psyllium husks, products like bentonite clay which bind toxins, or cleanses such as enemas or colonic irrigation.

By cleansing and supporting the bowel in this way, we ensure the maximum removal of toxic substances.

Kidneys: the kidneys are another organ that filters and processes a large number of toxins. During a cleanse, drinking plenty of fluid supports kidney function, and using juices such as watermelon, celery, cucumber or black cherry can all enhance their detoxification ability.

Kidneys are also the repository for our "chi" energy or lifeforce, so plenty of rest, meditation, keeping warm and gentle movement, will all help to revitalize and nourish our kidney energy.

Skin: the skin can release many toxins, especially when it is helped by dry skin body brushing, and by spending time in a sauna. Both of these practices enhance the effectiveness of our detoxification, not only by allowing the release of toxins through the skin, but by moving our lymphatic system which drains and transports many waste products.

Breath: yes, you often will have "detox breath" during a cleanse! Our lungs are powerful
movers of toxic matter, and deep breathing during yoga or meditation is another tool we use
to support our body.

How long do we fast for?

Short fasts, or fasting one day a week are not a good practice.

During the first day of the fast, glucose levels drop and glycogen reserves can be depleted. The body will then start to draw on protein from the tissues to create glucose.

Following day one, the body adapts and starts to use fat as a source of energy and preserves protein. One day fasts will deplete body protein and serve no purpose for deeper detoxification of stored toxins in fat tissues.

Three days is a minimum, but the general rule is to fast until you feel hungry again. Not from habit, but from a true hunger.

Intermittent fasting can extent lifespan by 20-30%

"Studies have shown that fasted cells have the capacity for assimilation and growth characterized by the cells of young animals, demonstrating beyond doubt that fasting rejuvenates cellular function."
Sergius Morgulis, "Fasting and Undernutrition". University of Nebraska, E.P. Dutton, New York 1923.

What is a healing crisis?

A healing crisis is also known as the "Herxheimer Reaction" where the body tries to eliminate toxins at a faster rate than they can be disposed of, resulting in a possible increase in symptoms, or at times nausea, diarrhea, headaches, dizziness or mood swings.

Many people are reluctant to participate in a detoxification program because they are worried about feeling ill or experiencing some type of healing crisis during the detox.

The first day there are often the common symptoms such as the "caffeine withdrawal" headache, but days two and onwards are when the deeper toxins are being removed

These symptoms, however, are much more likely to occur when the organs of elimination are not properly supported. During a professional cleansing program, these reactions are minimized, as every element is designed to move toxins quickly out of the body, for a pleasant and comfortable experience.

How will I feel afterwards?

A comprehensive supervised detox program of at least a week`s duration once or twice a year works well. After spending that period of time cleansing, building your nutritive status, resting and healing, you will feel like a different person!

Skin often becomes clearer, eyes become brighter, energy and vitality expands, sleep is improved, aches and pains are gone, the bowel works better, mental clarity and concentration is improved, and many people shed a few extra kilos over the week.

By lowering your body burden of toxins, you may very well be helping to prevent the chronic health consequences that can come from long term exposure to the thousands of chemical pollutants saturating our environment today.

What a wonderful gift to give yourself!

Sources:
The Hundred Year Lie by Randall Fitzgerald
Lifeforce by Dr. Brian R. Clement
Be Your Own Doctor by Ann Wigmore
Detox and Live by Hilda Hemmes
Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Juices by Norman Walker

Ecstasy Addiction

2009-06-02T18:27:00.001-07:00

Q.) What is Ecstasy?

A.) MDMA or ecstasy is a Schedule I synthetic, psychoactive drug possessing stimulant and hallucinogenic properties. Ecstasy possesses chemical variations of the stimulant amphetamine or methamphetamine and a hallucinogen, most often mescaline. Commonly referred to as Ecstasy or XTC, MDMA was first synthesized in 1912 by a German company possibly to be used as an appetite suppressant. Chemically, it is an analogue of MDA, a drug that was popular in the 1960s. In the late 1970s, MDMA was used to facilitate psychotherapy by a small group of therapists in the United States. Illicit use of the drug did not become popular until the late 1980s and early 1990s. Ecstasy is frequently used in combination with other drugs. However, it is rarely consumed with alcohol, as alcohol is believed to diminish its effects. It is most often distributed at late-night parties called "raves", nightclubs, and rock concerts. As the rave and club scene expands to metropolitan and suburban areas across the country, ecstasy use and distribution are increasing as well.

Q.) How is Ecstasy used?

A.) Ecstasy is most often available in tablet form and is usually ingested orally. It is also available as a powder and is sometimes snorted and occasionally smoked, but rarely injected. Its effects last approximately four to six hours. Users of the drug say that it produces profoundly positive feelings, empathy for others, elimination of anxiety, and extreme relaxation. Ecstasy is also said to suppress the need to eat, drink, or sleep, enabling users to endure two- to three-day parties. Consequently, ecstasy use sometimes results in severe dehydration or exhaustion.

Q.) Where does Ecstasy come from?

A.) Clandestine laboratories operating throughout Western Europe, primarily the Netherlands and Belgium, manufacture significant quantities of the drug in tablet, capsule, or powder form. Although the vast majority of ecstasy consumed domestically is produced in Europe, a limited number of ecstasy labs operate in the United States. In addition, in recent years, Israeli organized crime syndicates, some composed of Russian ?migr?s associated with Russian organized crime syndicates, have forged relationships with Western European traffickers and gained control over a significant share of the European market. The Israeli syndicates are currently the primary source to U.S. distribution groups.

Overseas ecstasy trafficking organizations smuggle the drug in shipments of 10,000 or more tablets via express mail services, couriers aboard commercial airline flights, or, more recently, through air freight shipments from several major European cities to cities in the United States. The drug is sold in bulk quantity at the mid-wholesale level in the United States for approximately eight dollars per dosage unit. The retail price of ecstasy sold in clubs in the United States remains steady at twenty to thirty dollars per dosage unit. Ecstasy traffickers consistently use brand names and logos as marketing tools and to distinguish their product from that of competitors. The logos are produced to coincide with holidays or special events. Among the more popular logos are butterflies, lightning bolts, and four-leaf clovers.

Q.) What are the short-term effects of Ecstasy?

A.) While it is not as addictive as heroin or cocaine, ecstasy can cause other adverse effects including nausea, hallucinations, chills, sweating, increases in body temperature, tremors, involuntary teeth clenching, muscle cramping, and blurred vision. Ecstasy users also report after-effects of anxiety, paranoia, and depression. An ecstasy overdose is characterized by high blood pressure, faintness, panic attacks, and, in more severe cases, loss of consciousness, seizures, and a drastic rise in body temperature. Ecstasy overdoses can be fatal, as they may result in heart failure or extreme heat stroke.

The effects start after about 20 minutes and can last for hours. These is a 'rush' feeling followed by a feeling of calm and a sense of well being to those around, often with a heightened perception of color and sound. Some people actually feel sick and experience a stiffening up of arms, legs and particularly the jaw along with sensations of thirst, sleeplessness, depression and paranoia. Gives a feeling of energy. Some mild hallucinogenic effects.

Many problems users encounter with Ecstasy are similar to those found with the use of amphetamines and cocaine. They include increases in heart rate and blood pressure, nausea, blurred vision, faintness, chills, sweating, and such psychological problems as confusion, depression, sleep problems, craving, severe anxiety, paranoia, and psychotic episodes. Ecstasy's chemical cousin, MDA, destroys cells that produce serotonin in the brain. These cells play a direct roll in regulating aggression, mood, sexual activity, sleep, and sensitivity to pain. Methamphetamine, also similar to Ecstasy, damages brain cells that produce dopamine. Scientists have now shown that ecstasy not only makes the brain's nerve branches and endings degenerate, but also makes them "re-grow, but abnormally - failing to reconnect with some brain areas and connecting elsewhere with the wrong areas. These reconnections may be permanent, resulting in cognitive impairments, changes in emotion, learning, memory, or hormone-like chemical abnormalities.

Q.) What are the long-term effects of Ecstasy?

A.) The designer drug "Ecstasy," or MDMA, causes long-lasting damage to brain areas that are critical for thought and memory, according to new research findings in the June 15 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. In an experiment with red squirrel monkeys, researchers at The Johns Hopkins University demonstrated that 4 days of exposure to the drug caused damage that persisted 6 to 7 years later. These findings help to validate previous research by the Hopkins team in humans, showing that people who had taken ecstasy scored lower on memory tests.

"The serotonin system, which is compromised by ecstasy, is fundamental to the brain's integration of information and emotion," says Dr. Alan I. Leshner, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health, which funded the research. "At the very least, people who take ecstasy, even just a few times, are risking long-term, perhaps permanent, problems with learning and memory."

The researchers found that the nerve cells (neurons) damaged by ecstasy are those that use the chemical serotonin to communicate with other neurons. The Hopkins team had also previously conducted brain imaging research in human ecstasy users, in collaboration with the National Institute of Mental Health, which showed extensive damage to serotonin neurons.

MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) has a stimulant effect, causing similar euphoria and increased alertness as cocaine and amphetamine. It also causes mescaline-like psychedelic effects. First used in the 1980s, MDMA is often taken at large, all-night "rave" parties.

In this new study, the Hopkins researchers administered either MDMA or salt water to the monkeys twice a day for 4 days. After 2 weeks, the scientists examined the brains of half of the monkeys. Then, after 6 to 7 years, the brains of the remaining monkeys were examined, along with age-matched controls.

In the brains of the monkeys examined soon after the 2-week period, Dr. George Ricaurte and his colleagues found that MDMA caused more damage to serotonin neurons in some parts of the brain than in others. Areas particularly affected were the neocortex (the outer part of the brain where conscious thought occurs) and the hippocampus (which plays a key role in forming long-term memories).

This damage was also apparent, although to a lesser extent, in the brains of monkeys who had received MDMA during the same 2-week period but who had received no MDMA for 6 to 7 years. In contrast, no damage was noticeable in the brains of those who had received salt water.
"Some recovery of serotonin neurons was apparent in the brains of the monkeys given MDMA 6 to 7 years previously," says Dr. Ricaurte, "but this recovery occurred only in certain regions, and was not always complete. Other brain regions showed no evidence of recovery whatsoever."

A NIDA-supported study has provided the first direct evidence that chronic use of MDMA, popularly known as "ecstasy," causes brain damage in people. Using advanced brain imaging techniques, the study found that MDMA harms neurons that release serotonin, a brain chemical thought to play an important role in regulating memory and other functions. In a related study, researchers found that heavy MDMA users have memory problems that persist for at least 2 weeks after they have stopped using the drug. Both studies suggest that the extent of damage is directly correlated with the amount of MDMA use.

"The message from these studies is that MDMA does change the brain and it looks like there are functional consequences to these changes," says Dr. Joseph Frascella of NIDA's Division of Treatment Research and Development. That message is particularly significant for young people who participate in large, all-night dance parties known as "raves," which are popular in many cities around the Nation. NIDA's epidemiologic studies indicate that MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) use has escalated in recent years among college students and young adults who attend these social gatherings.

In the brain imaging study, researchers used positron emission tomography (PET) to take brain scans of 14 MDMA users who had not used any psychoactive drug, including MDMA, for at least 3 weeks. Brain images also were taken of 15 people who had never used MDMA. Both groups were similar in age and level of education and had comparable numbers of men and women.

In people who had used MDMA, the PET images showed significant reductions in the number of serotonin transporters, the sites on neuron surfaces that reabsorb serotonin from the space between cells after it has completed its work. The lasting reduction of serotonin transporters occurred throughout the brain, and people who had used MDMA more often lost more serotonin transporters than those who had used the drug less.

Previous PET studies with baboons also produced images indicating MDMA had induced long-term reductions in the number of serotonin transporters. Examinations of brain tissue from the animals provided further confirmation that the decrease in serotonin transporters seen in the PET images corresponded to actual loss of serotonin nerve endings containing transporters in the baboons' brains. "Based on what we found with our animal studies, we maintain that the changes revealed by PET imaging are probably related to damage of serotonin nerve endings in humans who had used MDMA," says Dr. George Ricaurte of The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore. Dr. Ricaurte is the principal investigator for both studies, which are part of a clinical research project that is assessing the long-term effects of MDMA.

"The real question in all imaging studies is what these changes mean when it comes to functional consequences," says NIDA's Dr. Frascella. To help answer that question, a team of researchers, which included scientists from Johns Hopkins and the National Institute of Mental Health who had worked on the imaging study, attempted to assess the effects of chronic MDMA use on memory. In this study, researchers administered several standardized memory tests to 24 MDMA users who had not used the drug for at least 2 weeks and 24 people who had never used the drug. Both groups were matched for age, gender, education, and vocabulary scores.

The study found that, compared to the nonusers, heavy MDMA users had significant impairments in visual and verbal memory. As had been found in the brain imaging study, MDMA's harmful effects were dose-related the more MDMA people used, the greater difficulty they had in recalling what they had seen and heard during testing.

The memory impairments found in MDMA users are among the first functional consequences of MDMA-induced damage of serotonin neurons to emerge. Recent studies conducted in the United Kingdom also have reported memory problems in MDMA users assessed within a few days of their last drug use. "Our study extends the MDMA-induced memory impairment to at least 2 weeks since last drug use and thus shows that MDMA's effects on memory cannot be attributed to withdrawal or residual drug effects," says Dr. Karen Bolla of Johns Hopkins, who helped conduct the study.

The Johns Hopkins/NIMH researchers also were able to link poorer memory performance by MDMA users to loss of brain serotonin function by measuring the levels of a serotonin metabolite in study participants' spinal fluid. These measurements showed that MDMA users had lower levels of the metabolite than people who had not used the drug; that the more MDMA they reported using, the lower the level of the metabolite; and that the people with the lowest levels of the metabolite had the poorest memory performance. Taken together, these findings support the conclusion that MDMA-induced brain serotonin neurotoxicity may account for the persistent memory impairment found in MDMA users, Dr. Bolla says.

Research on the functional consequences of MDMA-induced damage of serotonin-producing neurons in humans is at an early stage, and the scientists who conducted the studies cannot say definitively that the harm to brain serotonin neurons shown in the imaging study accounts for the memory impairments found among chronic users of the drug. However, "that's the concern, and it's certainly the most obvious basis for the memory problems that some MDMA users have developed," Dr. Ricaurte says.

Findings from another Johns Hopkins/NIMH study now suggest that MDMA use may lead to impairments in other cognitive functions besides memory, such as the ability to reason verbally or sustain attention. Researchers are continuing to examine the effects of chronic MDMA use on memory and other functions in which serotonin has been implicated, such as mood, impulse control, and sleep cycles. How long MDMA-induced brain damage persists and the long-term consequences of that damage are other questions researchers are trying to answer. Animal studies, which first documented the neurotoxic effects of the drug, suggest that the loss of serotonin neurons in humans may last for many years and possibly be permanent. "We now know that brain damage is still present in monkeys 7 years after discontinuing the drug," Dr. Ricaurte says. "We don't know just yet if we're dealing with such a long-lasting effect in people."

Q.) Is Ecstasy addictive?

A.) Ecstasy users may encounter problems similar to those experienced by amphetamine and cocaine users, including addiction. In addition to its seemingly rewarding effects, ecstasy's psychological effects can include confusion, depression, sleep problems, anxiety, and paranoia during, and sometimes weeks after, taking the drug. Physical effects can include muscle tension, involuntary teeth-clenching, nausea, blurred vision, faintness, and chills or sweating. Increases in heart rate and blood pressure are a special risk for people with circulatory or heart disease. Ecstasy-related fatalities at raves have been reported. The stimulant effects of the drug, which enable the user to dance for extended periods, combined with the hot, crowded conditions usually found at raves can lead to dehydration, hyperthermia, and heart or kidney failure. Ecstasy use damages brain serotonin neurons. Serotonin is thought to play a role in regulating mood, memory, sleep, and appetite. Recent research indicates heavy ecstasy use causes persistent memory problems in humans.

Source

Ambien Addiction

2009-06-02T18:24:00.000-07:00

Q) What is Ambien?

A) Ambien with the generic name of Zolpidem belongs to a class of medicines that effects the central nervous system, called sedative hypnotics. Ambien is closely related to a family of drugs called benzodiazepines. These drugs cause sedation, muscle relaxation, act as anti-convulsants (anti-seizure), and have anti-anxiety properties. Ambien has selectivity in that it has little of the muscle relaxant or anti-seizure effect and more of the sedative effect. Therefore, it is used as a medication for sleep.

Q) How is Ambien used?

A) When abused, Ambien tablets are taken orally, crushed and then snorted, or dissolved in water and "cooked" for intravenous injection.

Q) What are the effects of Ambien?

Daytime drowsiness
Dizziness
Lightheadedness
Difficulty with coordination
Tolerance
Dependence
Changing in thinking and/or behavior

Ambien may cause special type of memory loss known as amnesia. When this occurs, a person may not remember what has happened for several hours after taking the medicine. In addition, addiction, or dependence, can be caused by Ambien, especially when used regularly for longer than a few weeks or at high doses. People who have been dependent on alcohol or other drugs in the past may have a greater chance of becoming addicted to Ambien. Some people using Ambien have experienced unusual changes in their thinking and/or behavior.

Less common side effects may include:
Abdominal pain, abnormal dreams, abnormal vision, agitation, amnesia, anxiety, arthritis, back pain, bronchitis, burning sensation, chest pain, confusion, constipation, coughing, daytime sleeping, decreased mental alertness, depression, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, difficulty concentrating, difficulty swallowing, diminished sensitivity to touch, dizziness on standing, double vision, dry mouth, emotional instability, exaggerated feeling of well-being, eye irritation, falling, fatigue, fever, flu-like symptoms, gas, general discomfort, hallucination, hiccup, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, increased sweating, infection, insomnia, itching, joint pain, lack of bladder control, lack of coordination, lethargy, light-headedness, loss of appetite, menstrual disorder, migraine, muscle pain, nasal inflammation, nervousness, numbness, paleness, prickling or tingling sensation, rapid heartbeat, rash, ringing in the ears, sinus inflammation, sleep disorder, speech difficulties, swelling due to fluid retention, taste abnormalities, throat inflammation, throbbing heartbeat, tremor, unconsciousness, upper respiratory infection, urinary tract infection, vertigo, vomiting, weakness
Rare side effects may include:
Abnormal tears or tearing, abscess, acne, aggravation of allergies, aggravation of high blood pressure, aggression, allergic reaction, altered production of saliva, anemia, belching, blisters, blood clot in lung, boils, breast pain, breast problems, breast tumors, bruising, chill with high temperature followed by heat and perspiration, decreased sex drive, delusion, difficulty urinating, excessive urine production, eye pain, facial swelling due to fluid retention, fainting, false perceptions, feeling intoxicated, feeling strange, flushing, frequent urination, glaucoma, gout, heart attack, hemorrhoids, herpes infection, high cholesterol, hives, hot flashes, impotence, inability to urinate, increased appetite, increased tolerance to the drug, intestinal blockage, irregular heartbeat, joint degeneration, kidney failure, kidney pain, laryngitis, leg cramps, loss of reality, low blood pressure, mental deterioration, muscle spasms in arms and legs, muscle weakness, nosebleed, pain, painful urination, panic attacks, paralysis, pneumonia, poor circulation, rectal bleeding, rigidity, sciatica (lower back pain), sensation of seeing flashes of lights or sparks, sensitivity to light, sleepwalking, speech difficulties, swelling of the eye, thinking abnormalities, thirst, tooth decay, uncontrolled leg movements, urge to go to the bathroom, varicose veins, weight loss, yawning

Q) What are the symptoms of Ambien overdose?

A) People who take too much Ambien may become excessively sleepy or even go into a light coma. The symptoms of overdose are more severe if the person is also taking other drugs that depress the central nervous system. Some cases of multiple overdoses have been fatal.

Q) What adverse drug interactions are caused Ambien?

A) Alcohol has an additive effect with Ambien and the two should not be combined. Ambien should be used cautiously in patients with respiratory diseases because of its depressing effect on breathing. Ambien may increase the effects of other drugs that cause drowsiness, including antidepressants, alcohol, antihistamines, other sedatives (used to treat insomnia), pain relievers, anxiety medicines, and muscle relaxants. However, caution should be used when combining it with other sedative drugs. Ambien used at higher dosages can cause withdrawal symptoms (muscle cramps, sweats, shaking, and seizures) when the drug is abruptly discontinued. Ambien can cause abnormal behavior with confusion and paradoxical insomnia and should be discontinued if these symptoms appear.

Almost all addicts tell themselves in the beginning that they can conquer their addiction on their own without the help of outside resources. Unfortunately, this is not usually the case. When an addict makes an attempt at detoxification and to discontinue drug use without the aid of professional help, statistically the results do not last long. Research into the effects of long-term addiction has shown that substantial changes in the way the brain functions are present long after the addict has stopped using drugs. Realizing that a drug addict who wishes to recover from their addiction needs more than just strong will power is the key to a successful recovery. Battling not only cravings for their drug of choice, re-stimulation of their past and changes in the way their brain functions, it is no wonder that quitting drugs without professional help is an uphill battle.

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Addiction Treatment

2009-02-08T02:32:00.001-08:00

Addiction Treatment

There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

It’s a hard thing to remember for many drug addicts; it’s not easy to see the light when you’re mired in the darkness, not easy to breathe the air when you’ve been in the tunnel for longer than you can remember. But it’s still there, that light. And you can get to it, same as everyone else, if you learn the right facts and seek the right help.

Drug treatment, unfortunately, is something of a taboo in American society. People don’t talk about addiction treatment because they don’t understand it, or because they’re ashamed of it, or because they think people will look at them funny if they bring it up. As a result, addiction treatment is a thing which is at best dimly understood in the popular imagination, and which is at worst believed to be something other than what it actually is.

Addiction treatment, we should note at the outset, is not the freewheeling horror show that often gets portrayed in movies and on TV. It’s generally a bad idea to believe everything Hollywood tells you, and so it is with drug addiction and drug rehab: Addiction treatment is a trying process, to be sure, but it’s hardly the stuff of fantastical nightmares. Patients in addiction treatment struggle every day towards the hope of a brighter tomorrow; addiction treatment centers are first and foremost places of optimism, and of aspiration. The best addiction treatment programs help recovering addicts navigate the long road to recovery with a minimum of discomfort and dis-ease, and aim to ensure that every patient finds success on the way from addiction to sobriety.

But such success is only possible for those individuals who understand the nature of addiction itself, and who understand the functional dynamics of effective addiction treatment. Addiction treatment may not be a freewheeling horror show, but neither is it an easy thing, and only through fierce determination and diligent self-education can anyone hope to beat drug addiction once and for all.

With that in mind, the following text lays out the essential schematics of drug addiction and drug recovery: everything you need to know as you weigh your addiction treatment options. Maybe it’s you who’s fallen victim to drug addiction; maybe it’s someone you love. In either case, you can’t afford not to act. Drug addiction is nothing if not the most dire of problems, and hesitation can sometimes be the difference between life and death. By the same token, though, proper action can make all the difference in the world, and addiction treatment offers real hope to those individuals who have the courage to pursue it.

Again, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. At Cliffside Malibu, we never lose sight of it, and it’s our mission to help you get where you want to go. Given the chance, we just might be he best thing that’s ever happened to you.

Do I really need professional addiction treatment to overcome my drug addiction?

To put it as bluntly as possible: Yes, you do need a professional drug rehab program to overcome your drug addiction. In fact, everyone needs professional addiction treatment to overcome his drug addiction. There’s no other way to way to get better.

Many drug addicts and alcoholics make the mistake of believing that they kick their habits whenever they want to: that they can stop using drugs or alcohol through a simple act of will, at a moment of their choosing. Unfortunately, those drug addicts and alcoholics are just flat wrong.

Professional alcohol and drug addiction treatment confronts addiction as it actually is: as a clinical disease with very real clinical roots. The drug addicts and alcoholics who believe that they can heal themselves, without the help of an addiction treatment program, misconstrue the nature of addiction itself; as is true of any disease, addiction can only be overcome with intensive medical care. Think of it this way: No cancer patient believes that he can beat cancer simply by choosing to do so. The same should be true for drug addicts and alcoholics, who don’t stand a chance of getting well unless they first admit themselves to a qualified addiction treatment center.

Of course, that decision is often an exceedingly difficult one to make. Admitting yourself to a drug or alcohol addiction treatment center means facing an unpleasant truth: that you have a problem, and that you don’t have the ability to solve it by yourself. As such, many drug addicts and alcoholics are hesitant to seek addiction treatment, and are adamant in their insistence that their drug and drinking habits are entirely within the scope of their volitional control. Tragically, that sort of stubbornness can sometimes make the difference between life and death.

What’s the difference between casual drug use and hardcore drug addiction?

In plain terms, there is no such thing as a “casual” drug habit. Repetitive drug users, no matter firmly they believe otherwise, are never in control of their drug use; repetitive drug use is predicated on need, and need is a thing that can’t be governed by anything we might understand, conventionally, as individual will.

What that means, in the most general sense, is that every repetitive drug user is a prospective addiction treatment patient. Again, drug addicts can’t simply decide to stop using drugs; they need help, from intensive addiction treatment programs specially designed to meet their specific needs. As there is no “casual” drug habit, so is there no “casual” form of addiction treatment: Every effective addiction treatment program must be grounded in a commitment to treat the whole of an addict’s being, and to confront addiction in all its forms.

From a practical perspective, addiction treatment must combat the joint causes of drug and alcohol addiction. Addiction is a two-headed disease, one that exists in both physical and psychological dimensions. Successful addiction treatment, it follows, is that which delivers both physical and psychological therapy to recovering addicts. Anything else would only amount to an incomplete solution, and, again, there is no such thing as a halfway addiction cure.

What do I need to know about addiction treatment?

To this point, we’ve painted addiction and addiction treatment with a rather broad brush. It’s one thing to talk about the necessity of professional drug and alcohol addiction treatment; it’s quite another to explain the thing in detail. How, then, does addiction treatment work? What are its goals? More importantly, how does it seek to reach them?

First, on the subject of physical and psychological therapy: As noted above, no addiction treatment program can be successful if it fails to account for both the physical and psychological roots of addiction. With that in mind, addiction treatment is something of a two-stage process, with both phases ultimately working in tandem to help patients achieve lasting and meaningful states of sobriety.

Upon entering an addiction treatment center, many patients experience up to a week of drug withdrawal: a period in which their bodies shake the physical dependencies associated with drug addiction. Because chronic drug abuse warps an addict’s internal chemistry, the first phase of sobriety is often a physically trying one. With that in my mind, doctors and caregivers in drug detox facilities use advanced medical treatments to help patients navigate the straits of withdrawal, ultimately aiming to ensure that the initial phase of addiction treatment is no more uncomfortable than it absolutely has to be.

Of course, that initial phase is hardly the end of the story. Again, addiction operates through both physical and psychological mechanisms, and no addiction treatment program is complete if it fails to address its patients’ mental health. Effective addiction treatment programs work because they impart those emotional skills that are vital to a patient’s long-term sobriety: the centered strength that allows recovering addicts to face the real world without leaning on their drug habits for chemical support. Only then, when they’ve learned to be at peace in their own skin, are addiction treatment patients ready for the rigors of independent sober living.

What determines the success of an addiction treatment program?

It’s important here to distinguish what exactly qualifies as a “successful” addiction treatment program. Addiction treatment, at its heart, is a lifetime proposition. Strictly speaking, there is no final “cure” for alcoholism and drug abuse; addiction never really goes away, and addicts continue to grapple with their demons long after they’ve checked out of an addiction treatment facility. Intensive physical and psychological addiction treatment is essential, in other words…but it isn’t sufficient to long-term addiction recovery.

On the contrary, the most successful addiction treatment programs are those that meet the big-picture treatment needs of their patient. Because addiction recovery is a lifelong process, addiction treatment does not and cannot end after a patient’s initial month at an addiction treatment center. Indeed, only with access to aftercare addiction treatment options and independent addiction treatment support groups can an addiction treatment patient reasonably expect to sustain the gains he made in his first thirty days of sobriety.

Of course, aftercare addiction treatment options and independent addiction treatment support groups are hardly within the realm of a recovering drug addict’s expertise, and that’s why it’s vital that you find an addiction treatment facility which can provide for your long-term needs. Addiction treatment is too hard to do on your own; you need help, and you need it from people who know what they’re doing. A successful addiction treatment program is successful both because of the effort its patients put into their recovery and because of the knowledge its caregivers bring to their work. If you want to get better, in other words, you’ve got to work for it, but you’ve also got to entrust your care to an addiction treatment center with a proven track of record success.

At Cliffside Malibu, we know how it works. And we’d love to show you, if you’d only give us the chance.

What can I expect during my time at an addiction treatment center?

But we still haven’t addressed what is, for many prospective addiction treatment patients, the most pressing question about addiction treatment and recovery: What is it like? How does it feel? What can I expect during my time at an addiction treatment center, after I’ve entrusted my health and well-being to a group of doctors and technicians I’ve never even met before?

We should emphasize, again, that addiction treatment is hardly easy. As noted at the outset, addiction treatment is and must always be a struggle; you can’t get healed, you might say, without suffering a little in the process. There is no gentle way through the crucible of addiction treatment, no gentle road through the of wilderness of addiction recovery. As is so often true, anything worth having can only be had for a price.

But that doesn’t addiction treatment isn’t worth it. If anything has been made clear here, let it be this: Addiction treatment can change your life. With proper care and professional guidance, you can expect to get better in an addiction treatment center, to get back to living life as it used to be, before addiction made it something very different indeed. Addiction treatment isn’t easy, but then again neither is addiction itself, and the choice between one and the other isn’t much of a choice at all.

A final word, then: Cliffside Malibu can help you get healed. Our addiction treatment programs are specially designed to meet the individual needs of our clients, and our addiction treatment success rate speaks for itself. But we can’t do anything until you take the first step, and the simple fact of that matter is that you can’t afford not to act. So, please: Pick up the phone. Make the decision. Resolve to face the music now, before it’s too late, before you’ve lost the power to do the resolving. Your life, and the lives of the people you love, may never be the same.

Just go here SOURCE

Alcohol, Drug Abuse, Drug Addiction and the Holidays

2008-11-29T21:27:00.000-08:00

When families get together for the holiday season, aside from the joy of seeing family members, one painful fact may emerge:

One of them may have a drug or alcohol problem.

"It may be something that everyone 'knows', but have not had the courage to face," comments Mary Rieser, Executive Director for Narconon Drug Rehab Georgia. "However, when everyone gets together for the annual family get togethers for the Holidays, the fact is painfully apparent- this person has a problem.

"Actually the absence of such a person can also make others shake their head: so-and-so can't make it because they are drunk, or on a drug binge. When this conduct has gone on for years, the fact remains that many family members often take for granted, or should I say, become apathetic to the fact that anything can be done about the addiction.

"Don't give up. Even if the person has been to several rehabs, don't give up.

"While a drug addict or alcoholic may have drained your patience and resolve, don't forget this simple fact: Nobody wants to be a drug addict. While they may lie and steal to support their current drug or alcohol addiction, deep down, they don't like the situation they are in.

"The holidays often make their situation even more bleak. Having lost the confidence, support, and in their opinion, love of family members, the holidays often serve to depress, and as a result, the addict uses more and more of the drug or alcohol to numb their feelings.

"Once again, don't give up. Drug Rehab is workable. They can get better.

"For example, here is the story of one father who had sent his daughter to several rehabs in the last 10 years:"

"Our daughter Susan began an addiction to alcohol 20 years ago.

"The disease consumed her to the extent that she divorced her husband leaving him with the two children. She bounced from job to job mostly being terminated for non-attendance. Her relationship with parents and siblings deteriorated and, for at least ten years,the family lived under great stress....never knowing what was next.

"She lost her driving priviledge for more than two years (thank God no one was killed) and overall her situation seemed hopeless. Then Susan enlisted in your Narconon program in Atlanta. She is now in her eighth month of sobriety, is gainfully employed, and is a dedicated mother to her new young daughter. She is looking forward to a family reunion at Christmas (the first sober one we can remember in more than 10 years). We pray daily that her recovery will continue!"

What this grateful father does not say is that he had already lost one son to drug addiction by overdose- and he wasn't going to give up on his daughter.

If you know someone with a drug problem, send them to Narconon – we have a 76% success rate. The holidays could be the start of a new beginning for the addict and a chance at a peaceful life for you.

For more information on drug addiction rehab, drug addiction, or drug education, call Narconon of Georgia at 1-877-413-3073.

http://www.transworldnews.com/

Surfing becomes a new wave treatment to cure drug addicts

2008-11-29T21:20:00.000-08:00

A. D. Sabeh from Ghana says that the sea takes his mind off drugs

Ian Evans in Cape Town

As a sport and lifestyle, it is not noted for its medical benefits. But an addiction clinic in Cape Town has taken up surfing as part of its rehabilitation programme.

The Tabankulu Recovery Centre says that surfing offers a challenge for patients who may otherwise revert to bad habits. “People who have been using drugs for a long time need to fill their time and surfing offers that,” Hugh Robinson, the British director and owner, said.

“The biggest task for a recovering addict is finding new enthusiasm for life. Surfing gives that - it gets the juices going, new excitement and passion.”

Among those on the course is Catherine Pike, 22, from Fleet, Hampshire. “I’m attracted to dysfunctional men and become reliant on them,” she said. “It affected work, my studies - I tried to go to college three times - and my eating. I dropped friends and just became obsessed with boyfriends to the detriment of anything else.”

She has attended the clinic since May and had never surfed before. “There’s something spiritual about surfing. Being out in the ocean gives you time to think and reflect. Some days are worse than others, but when you get out there it clears your mind.”

Her surf teacher is Lenny Stolk, who was an alcoholic and drug abuser for more than 30 years. Mr Stolk, 53, regularly smoked marijuana, heroin and crack until he collapsed one night.

“I went to rehab but wasn’t interested. Then, one and a half weeks in, I just had a ‘vision’ - call it what you like - and I gave up.” Seven years ago he turned to surfing, set up LJs Surf Clinic and contacted the Tabankulu centre, which agreed to use him as part of a rehabilitation programme that also includes gardening, cooking and shopping.

“It’s easy to say no and go back to drugs and drinking, but learning to surf gives you a real sense of achievement, which is important,” he said.

Tabankulu attracts patients from around the world to its three centres. Most are from Britain and Africa but it has clients from Sweden, the Netherlands and the Ukraine. The nine-month course costs £10,000 and the surf treatment is gaining in popularity; at present 20 people - the centre has room for 50 - take part. “I was a bit sceptical about learning to surf but Lenny is a good teacher and has given me the confidence,” said A. D. Sabeh, 36, a Ghanaian drink and drug addict who lost his right leg in a police shooting six years ago and had started taking drugs at 13. “It takes my mind off drugs and my treatment.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk

Under Age Drinking - Key to Subsequent Drug Abuse and Addiction

2008-11-19T20:11:00.000-08:00

Under age drinking affects many people, but none more than the drinkers themselves.

Underage drinkers are more likely to drop out of school, use drugs and engage in unsafe sexual practices. Decisions made at age 15 or 16 can set the stage for a life destined for failure.

“It is up to the adults to make the truth available – not alcohol to our youth,” comments Mary Rieser, Executive Director for Narconon Drug Rehab Georgia. “Don’t let teens learn the hard way that underage drinking can lead them to a place they really don’t want to go.”

JoinTogether.org reports that alcohol use by young people is extremely dangerous - both to themselves and society at large. Underage alcohol use is associated with traffic fatalities, violence, unsafe sex, suicide, educational failure, and other problem behaviors that diminish the prospects of future success, as well as health risks. Despite these serious concerns, the media continues to make drinking look attractive to youth, and it remains possible and even easy for teenagers to get access to alcohol.

Why is this dangerous behavior so pervasive? What can be done to prevent it? What will work and who is responsible for making sure it happens? Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility, a joint report by the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, addresses these questions and proposes a new way to combat underage alcohol use. It explores the ways in which may different individuals and groups contribute to the problem and how they can be enlisted to prevent it.

The report says that reducing underage drinking requires a cooperative effort from all levels of government, alcohol manufacturers and retailers, the entertainment industry, parents and other adults in a community. The report proposes a comprehensive strategy to curb underage drinking, a problem that costs the nation an estimated $53 billion annually, due in part to losses stemming from traffic fatalities and violent crime.

Ms. Rieser states: “Support leaders who discourage alcohol advertising to youth and talk to you kids often about the dangers of drinking. They are getting plenty of communication encouraging them to drink and you will have to be heard over the din. Fortunately, down deep they respect you more than anyone else.”

If you know someone with a drinking problem, send them to Narconon – we have a 76% success rate.

For more information on drug addiction rehab, alcohol addiction, or drug education, call Narconon of Georgia at 1-877-413-3073.

Copyright © 2008. Narconon of Georgia Inc.(http://www.drugsno.com/) Call 1-877-413-3073. All rights reserved. Narconon and the Narconon Logo are trademarks and service marks owned by the Association for Better Living and Education International and are used with its permission.

http://www.transworldnews.com

ISTA Pharmaceuticals Files New Drug Application with U.S. FDA for Bepreve(TM)

2008-11-16T22:57:00.000-08:00

RVINE, Calif., Nov. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ISTA Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ISTA), today announced the Company filed a New Drug Application (NDA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Bepreve(TM) (bepotastine ophthalmic solution). The Company is seeking approval for Bepreve as an eye drop treatment for ocular itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis.

ISTA filed the Bepreve NDA electronically, in eCTD format and using the FDA's Electronic Submission Gateway. Pending FDA validation of the electronic file in the coming days and timely acceptance of the filing by the FDA, ISTA expects a standard review of ten months from date of receipt.

In April of this year, ISTA announced highly statistically significant reductions in the primary study endpoint of ocular itching from the preliminary analysis of its second and final Bepreve Phase III clinical study. In addition, the results showed Bepreve had a statistically significant effect on the rapidity of response and in certain secondary endpoints measuring additional signs or symptoms of ocular allergy, including improvement in nasal symptoms. There were no serious ocular adverse events reported in patients dosed with Bepreve from the study.

About Bepreve(TM) (bepotastine ophthalmic solution)

Assuming both timely acceptance by the FDA of the Bepreve NDA for filing and approval to market, Bepreve would participate in the U.S. ocular allergy market, which had estimated 2007 sales of approximately $560 million based on data from IMS Health. Assuming approval, Bepreve would participate in ISTA's largest market to date, as compared to ISTA's currently marketed products.

Bepreve has three primary mechanisms of action: it is a non-sedating, highly selective antagonist of the histamine (H1) receptor, it has a stabilizing effect on mast cells, and it suppresses the migration into and activation of eosinophils in inflamed tissues. The compound's primary mechanisms of action are believed to make it an effective treatment against the signs and symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis.

Bepotastine was approved in Japan for use as a systemic drug in the treatment of allergic rhinitis and urticaria/pruritus in July 2000 and January 2002, respectively, and is marketed by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (formerly Tanabe Seiyaku Co., Ltd.) under the brand name TALION(R). TALION was co-developed by Tanabe Seiyaku and Ube Industries, Ltd., who discovered bepotastine. In 2001, Tanabe Seiyaku granted Senju Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., exclusive worldwide rights, with the exception of certain Asian countries, to develop, manufacture and market bepotastine for ophthalmic use. In 2006, ISTA licensed the exclusive North American rights from Senju to an eye drop formulation of bepotastine for the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis.

About ISTA Pharmaceuticals

ISTA Pharmaceuticals is an ophthalmic pharmaceutical company. ISTA's products and product candidates addressing the $4.7 billion U.S. prescription ophthalmic industry include therapies for inflammation, ocular pain, glaucoma, allergy, and dry eye. The Company currently markets three products and is developing a strong product pipeline to fuel future growth and market share. The Company's product development and commercialization strategy is to launch a new product every 12 to 18 months, thereby continuing its growth to become the leading niche ophthalmic pharmaceutical company in the U.S. For additional information regarding ISTA, please visit ISTA Pharmaceuticals' website at http://www.istavision.com.

Any statements contained in this press release that refer to future events or other non-historical matters are forward-looking statements. Without limiting the foregoing, but by way of example, statements contained in this press release related to the FDA's timely acceptance and approval of Bepreve, ISTA's belief that the FDA will review and take action on Bepreve within ten months of filing, ISTA's expectation of bringing a new product to market every 12 to 18 months and becoming the leading niche ophthalmic pharmaceutical company are forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, ISTA disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on ISTA's expectations as of the date of this press release and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from current expectations include, among others, delays and uncertainties related to the FDA or other regulatory agency approval or actions; uncertainties and risks regarding market acceptance of and demand for ISTA's approved products; and such other risks and uncertainties as detailed from time to time in ISTA's public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to ISTA's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007, and its most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2008.

SOURCE ISTA Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

http://br.sys-con.com

Scientists Unravel Mystery of Tamoxifen Resistance Some breast tumors produce a protein that defeats the drug

2008-11-16T22:54:00.000-08:00

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 12 (HealthDay News) -- As many as 35 percent of women who take tamoxifen to prevent the return of breast cancer do not respond to the drug -- and now scientists think they know why.

A battle between proteins to turn a breast cancer gene off or on determines if tamoxifen works or not, the scientists report. The finding could be used to spot those women who won't respond to the drug, and it may even lead to new therapies.

"Given the fact that tamoxifen is such a commonly prescribed drug for the treatment of breast cancer, understanding how it works and what happens when it fails is critical to making better drugs," Jason Carroll, from the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute, said during a Tuesday teleconference on the research.

His team published its report in the Nov. 12 online edition of Nature.

Tamoxifen resistance is a significant problem, affecting 25 percent to 35 percent of breast cancer patients, the authors said.

Now, the puzzle of resistance to the drug may be solved.

"For tamoxifen to work, it has to be able to switch off a very powerful cancer gene," Carroll said. Tamoxifen stops tumor growth by binding to the estrogen receptor and blocking the HER-2 gene, which otherwise causes cancer cells to divide. "If this switch fails, cancer cells become tamoxifen-resistant and tamoxifen is no longer effective," Carroll explained.

In the study, Carroll's team found how this gene can be switched on and off.

The switch for the HER2 gene is hidden within the gene, Carroll said. That switch is a signaling molecule called PAX2. "PAX2 is the handle that keeps HER2 switched off," he said.

If PAX2 isn't there -- or is forced out by another protein called AIB-1 -- the switch fails, Carroll said. "It's a tug of war," he said. "It's a competition between PAX2 and AIB-1. The balance between PAX2 and AIB-1 determines whether HER2 is switched on or switched off, and this directly dictates whether tamoxifen works or not."

The researchers found that high levels of PAX 2 were linked to longer survival for women taking tamoxifen, while tougher, tamoxifen-resistant tumors had high levels of AIB1.

This information could be used to predict which patients are likely to respond to tamoxifen, and which patients are not likely to respond to the drug, Carroll said.

"If we can identify the women who are not going to respond to tamoxifen we can think about alternative therapies, which are probably going to be more effective for these women," Carroll said.

Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, believes the finding will not have an immediate effect on treatment, but might help direct therapy in the future.

"We have learned a lot about makes a cancer cell a cancer cell, and how it works," Lichtenfeld said. "And we have also learned how to better treat breast cancer."

"Understanding these mechanisms will inevitably open up new treatment opportunities," Lichtenfeld said.

More information

For more information on breast cancer, visit the American Cancer Society.

http://health.usnews.com

Underage Sex, Smoking and Drinking: Precursors to Methamphetamine Addiction

2008-11-13T19:00:00.000-08:00

What are the factors that might influence someone to become addicted to
methamphetamine?

Researchers at the University of Alberta, Canada recently published in Science Daily that these factors may be easier to monitor than previously thought.

“It is no real mystery on what factors influence the development of meth addiction,” comments Mary Rieser, Executive Director for Narconon Drug Rehab Georgia. “When a child or adolescent abuse alcohol at an early age, or who become sexually active at an early age, are more likely to abuse and take methamphetamine. And, as we now know, methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug. Once is often enough to get you hooked.”

What can a parent do to prevent their children from becoming drug addicts?

“Talk to them,” comments Ms. Rieser. “Drug education is the best prevention.”

Studies have shown that parental involvement in their child’s development, including expressing concerns about underage drinking, smoking, and underage sex can achieve a much lower risk factor for drug abuse and drug addiction.

This is regardless of economic or social background.

“Studies have shown that something as simple as being aware of your child’s whereabouts, setting curfews, and eating dinner together at least 5 nights a week can significantly reduce the chances that your child will use drugs and become addicted,” comments Ms. Rieser.

“Kids need help growing up and they need a clear head to do it. Teenage years are confusing enough – let’s make them as stable as we can. Don’t let your kids drink and smoke. It leads to other things, including methamphetamine.

“If someone you know has started using methamphetamine, get them some help.”

Narconon of Georgia is willing to provide drug education if asked.

Call Narconon Drug Rehab 1-877-413-3073 for more information on effective drug addiction treatment or drug education.

We are Narconon – The New Life Program.

Lipocine Establishes Clinical Feasibility of Once-a-Day Ziprasidone

2008-11-12T00:44:00.000-08:00

SALT LAKE CITY, Nov 11, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Lipocine Inc. ( www.lipocine.com), a specialty pharmaceutical company that uses clinically validated proprietary technologies to address key unmet drug delivery and therapeutic needs, today announced the successful completion of a clinical study that establishes feasibility of the first once-a-day dosing product for Ziprasidone, a leading treatment for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

-- Schizophrenia affects 1% of the population and bipolar disorder affects 5.7M adults in the US*.

-- Ziprasidone has annual sales approaching $1B** and is considered to be weight neutral relative to other currently available anti-psychotics.

-- It has shown potential for use in several other promising CNS indications.

Lipocine plans to call for co-development of this exciting opportunity with a marketing partner.

Commenting on this development, President and CEO Mahesh Patel said, "our patented Lip'ral(R)-SSR technology enabled this breakthrough for the 'once-a-day' formulation that will improve patient compliance in a meaningful way for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder sufferers. In addition, sustained release formulations enabled by Lipocine's Lip'ral(R) SSR technology offers the potential to improve therapy and side effect profile for drugs such as Ziprasidone."

Lip'ral(TM) and Lip'ral(TM)-SSR are clinically proven oral delivery technologies for water insoluble drugs that improve absorption and can be extended to enable controlled release of insoluble drugs and drugs with pH-sensitive solubility. Multiple patents have been issued and are pending on these proprietary technologies.

About Lipocine Inc.

Lipocine Inc. is a privately held pharmaceutical company leveraging its proprietary drug delivery technologies to commercialize innovative pharmaceutical products. Lipocine business objectives are to develop products with established drugs that have patient friendly attributes such as faster absorption, lower dose, fewer side effects, less frequent dosing, and no food effect.

www.lipocine.com

chemobrain

2008-11-12T00:41:00.000-08:00

Q: What is chemobrain?

Morrow: The notion of chemobrain is that an unfortunately large proportion of people undergoing chemotherapy treatments -- upwards of eight out of 10 depending on the study experience -- declines in their ability in certain areas of the brain that have to do with thinking. Those tend to be areas of memory; hence, their memory isnt quite what it used to be. It also affects areas that have to do with executive functioning so they'll know how to do something, they just cant seem to put it all together and get around to it. In other words, they've got to go to the grocery store, pick up Timmy at soccer practice, but it just doesnt seem to happen right for them. There is a disconnect, and for a lot of people that can be very distressing. There are people for whom it becomes extremely interfering with what they do. If you are, for example, a litigator in court and suddenly you forget the line of reasoning that you were using -- this is not a good thing. If you are a house wife and suddenly cant put together the birthday party or put together getting refreshments for the soccer practice and so forth -- thats a difficulty for you.

Q: How does chemotherapy cause chemobrain?

Morrow: Its not really known. There are a number of theories and people are going after a number of different things. Fortunately, for the majority of people it does get better, but for maybe a third of the people it can persist after treatment.

Q: So chemobrain does not just happen during treatment?

Morrow: No, it can persist. The people in the study that you mentioned were on average two years out from their treatment and still suffered memory problems, problems with executive functioning, problems with attention.

Q: There is nothing to prove why it happens with chemotherapy?

Morrow: It just seems to occur with chemotherapy more so than with radiation, or with other types of treatments. Hence, the term chemobrain, which seems to go along with chemotherapy treatment for cancer

Q: What types of treatment is being offered to these patients?

Morrow: A number of things, as you might suspect, have been tried. Nothing has been proven either before or since. We need to be clear on that. People have tried stimulant types of drugs -- phetamine based drugs. The street name would be speed, but there are medically appropriate uses for it. There are types of agents sometimes given to children who have difficulties with attention deficit disorder -- the sort of things that lots of college people use when they are staying up for exams and paper. They are basically stimulants that jazz up your system. They increase your attention. They increase everything including, unfortunately, your heart rate and a variety of things you dont want to increases. They also have difficulties in that with them come things like trouble sleeping, which doesnt make anything better if youre so jazzed up you cant get to sleep. So theyve been tried, but they have a variety of side effects that make them not terribly useful to take on a regular basis.

Q: You are now testing the drug modafinil (Provigil) on patients with chemobrain. Why did you decide to try that drug?

Morrow: Why that was tried is basically multifold. It is a stimulant type of drug, but its whats called a non-amphetamine based stimulant. In other words, it doesnt jazz up the entire system. Rather, it helps you maintain a particular level. Chemobrain difficulties with memory and so forth tend to be more pronounced at the end of the day when you are fatigued. We can talk of fatigue later if you like, but the point is, the drug tends to level things out and tends to sharpen the focus a bit. These are some things that were noticed. It is developed and approved by the FDA for a condition called narcolepsy, where people tend to have difficulties concentrating and fall asleep inappropriately. Its not an allied condition, but its one in which there were a number of things like memory and like attention that we thought might make this a reasonable thing to do.

Q: What is the typical dose for a patient with chemobrain?

Morrow: We used basically the approved 200 mg dose once a day. There are other doses that people use for other things. We thought as a start that made some sense for the open labeled study we did

Q: What are the results of your study?

Morrow: It involved about 70 people, who had been on average two years passed their cancer treatments and were still suffering from fatigue and from what was called chemobrain, in terms of troubles with attention, memory, concentration and those types of things. They were given the drug for essentially a two month period, open label. It was not a control. There was no placebo given to compare it with. We measured some of their cognitive function and memory attention and so forth when they first started taking the drug and then we measured it at the end. The changes we found were positive changes. In other words, it was useful for the people; they had better memory, better ability, for example, to remember words. One of the tests we performed on patients involved giving them a certain amount of words. Then you talk to the person for a while and then you have them remember what the words were. It's the same kind of thing if you have to remember a phone number, where you are remembering digits. They were practically oriented almost daily of activity sorts of things, and there were improvements not in everything, but in some things, like memory and the ability to put things together and the ability to concentrate, pay attention -- those types of issues.

Q: What do you think that means for a patient to be offered that kind of improvement, especially when they finished chemotherapy two years ago and are still dealing with the effects?

Morrow: The patients were very positive about it as well. As a matter of fact, one of the difficulties was when the study was over and we could no longer provide them with the free drug or could no longer provide the drug because it was not licensed for this use.

Q: Are there any side effects of modafinil?

Morrow: Everything has side effects. One of the side effects that some people pointed out was that every now and then it would interfere with their sleeping a little bit, which is interesting because one of its approved uses is for excessive daytime sleepiness. Other than that it was really well tolerated. Again, every drug has side effects of some type or another. The benefits seem to be greater than whatever those side effects were.

Q: What did your study on fatigue and cancer patients reveal?

Morrow: One of the things that is becoming more recognized now is that among the most prominent side effects of virtually any cancer treatment is fatigue. About nine out of 10 radiotherapy patients -- patients under going radiation treatment for cancer, will have fatigue some time during their treatment, which is typically a six week process. About eight out of 10 under going chemotherapy drug therapy for cancer will also report fatigue at some point during their treatment, so its extremely prevalent. It happens a lot. Not everyone is severely fatigued, but the average person is at least moderately fatigued during treatment, and there are a number of folks who are severely fatigued. Again, unfortunately about a third of the people have that fatigue persist once the treatment has ended, so we have two studies that we�ve done on that -- the same study that looked at the chemobrain will also measure fatigue, open label, no comparison. They were just given the drug and there was a very positive effect on fatigue in addition to the chemobrain. The people were very happy that they were now able to get out, feel better, able to engage in life and family activities and so forth. That led to a large scale trial funded by the National Cancer Institute where we studied over 600 people. What we did there was, half of them got modafinil and half of them got something that looked exactly like modafinil. Both were provided by the company. The National Cancer Institute provided the resources for the rest of it and it was done in 23 different medical groups throughout the country. What we found was basically the same thing we found in a pilot study, which is it was first of all very safe, well tolerated, few side effects that people had troubles with. More importantly, it had an effect when compared to the placebo and that effect was greater in people who were severely fatigued than in people who had mild or moderate fatigue, so the more fatigue you have, the better it seems to work

Q: Do you know the percentage of patients who responded well to the medication?

Morrow: We didnt measure it that way. It was basically a randomized clinical trial so that the metric is whether it was statistically significant versus not, and it was.

Q: Is this drug something a person could have a conversation with their doctor about?

Morrow: It is in fact a drug that is on the market. I believe there may also be generic forms of it around, but again, it�s not an indication that�s it�s approved for, which means there are issues in terms of insurance. There are issues in terms of the FDA. There are issues in terms of a variety of things that an individual is much better to take up with their physician and their individual healthcare system.

Q: What could this drug mean for treating cancer patients or helping them even more?

Morrow: It doesnt treat cancer. What it does is helps with some of the things that the disease and its treatment bring about. What it means is that the people may suffer a bit less. The people may be able to engage in activities of daily living and theyd be able to engage with their family and with their friends. For some people, either fatigue or chemobrain actually significantly impacts and interferes with their ability to make a living. We had people in the study who were quite high functioning professionals who literally were either not functioning up to their standards in their occupation or had to change occupations. Thats a sad and terrible thing, especially as it comes as a result of some treatment that hopefully enhanced and prolonged your life. In terms of those things, it could be a major thing, if again approved by the appropriate authorities.

http://www.news8austin.com

Thc (tetrahydrocannibinol) Drug Testing

2008-11-10T23:31:00.000-08:00

THC (Tetrahydrocannibinol) is an active component in marijuana, which is commonly ingested by smoking and can also be eaten. It is the drug which is commonly a choice of teenagers and young adults. Low concentrations of THC persist in urine at a detectable concentration for many days after smoking. It is a common recreational drug of abuse. It is a hallucinogenic agent derived from the leaves, flowers or seeds of the hemp plant. Usually, the production and curing of the marijuana plant into its useable form closely resembles that of tobacco.

What is THC?

THC is an abbreviation for Tetrahydrocannibinol, which is the substance found in marijuana. As the active ingredient in cannabis, THC is what causes the pleasurable sensations those who take marijuana describe.

Signs of THC Marijuana Abuse and Addiction

A person who is high on marijuana exhibits tell-tale symptoms like, loud talking and laughter, sleepiness, distorted sense of time intervals and forgetfulness. Marijuana addicts are often focused on the drug at all times. Its warning signs include dependence, uncontrollable urge to use the drug, and mental fixation on the drug despite all the consequences associated with it.

THC Drug Testing

Drug testing for THC marijuana is beneficial for the companies and parents alike. This test is not only easy to perform, but laboratories also accurate in many cases. THC drug test kits are available in many different types including hair drug tests, urine drug tests, saliva drug tests and spray drug tests. Each of them have their own pros and cons, yet more popular among them at home and the w0orkplace is the urine drug test.

All among, companies benefits greatly from THC drug testing, as it helps to maintain a safe working environment for employees and keeps productivity up. Marijuana drug testing can keep jobsite drug abuse at cove and ensure employees are safe, healthy and working to the best of their ability.

Parents can also benefit from marijuana testing. Drug testing kits are simple to use and help worried families conclude whether or not their child is abusing drugs. Drug testing for marijuana can help keep drugs out of your home and out of the hands of your children. Marijuana testing can also be the first step in helping your teen overcome their drug addiction.

THC is used by millions of users every year, and is continued to grow more evidence that uncovers its positive medical effects and disproves the negative publicity the drug receives. Marijuana has been proved to be less harmful then alcohol and cigarettes. With the increase of marijuana smokers the increase in the cover up and detoxification of marijuana increases as well. This leads to more and more urinary cleansers being marketed and used.

The above information illustrates how people are affected through abusing THC marijuana. THC detoxing and cleansing the body is easy to perform. There are many drinks and pills that help many people to get out of the Marijuana abusing.

http://www.articlesbase.com/

Marijuana not (quite) legal

2008-11-10T23:24:00.000-08:00

By Stephanie Vosk

svosk@capecodonline.com

November 07, 2008

Voters showed landslide-margin support for decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, but law enforcement officials say the way to implement the law passed as Question 2 on Tuesday's ballot isn't laid out clearly.

Under the ballot initiative — approved by 65 percent of voters and prevailing in nearly every city and town in the state — those caught possessing an ounce or less of marijuana would be subject to a $100 fine, similar to a speeding ticket, but no jail time.

The new law still needs to be endorsed by the governor's council, which ratifies state election results. It then would take effect in 30 days , likely at the end of this year or early next year, according to the secretary of state's office.

"There's a lot of work that still has to be done to put all this together," said Barnstable County Sheriff James Cummings, an opponent of the measure. "I don't know if the $100 fines are going to add up to whatever it's going to cost to implement it."

The state's district attorneys will meet tomorrow to discuss how to move forward, said Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O'Keefe, president of the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association and the lead spokesman for the opposition effort.

While there is a Registry of Motor Vehicles to collect speeding ticket fines, "we don't have a registry of dope smokers in Massachusetts, and apparently we're going to have to create one in order to effectuate this statute," he said.

The mechanics elsewhere

In Maine, where possession of an ounce and a quarter or less of marijuana is a civil penalty, fines are assessed and collected through the court system. The statute there calls for a fine of not less than $350 and not more than $600, said Roy McKinney, director of the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.

In Ohio, those caught with a small amount of marijuana are subject to a $100 fine and the temporary loss of a driver's license, which is likely an even bigger deterrent than the fine, said Bill Williams, coordinator of the Clermont County Drug Unit. They have the option of simply paying the fine through the mail or appearing in court to contest the citation, similar to a speeding ticket, he said.

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley's office will be working with the state's district attorneys to figure out what the new law requires here, according to a statement from her office.

"Question 2's passage not only authorizes the decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana, but also establishes a parallel civil regulatory structure that does not currently exist," the statement says.

"At this time, we are reviewing all of the implications of the new law and whether further clarification or guidance is needed."

repeal possible

As with any state law, the Legislature has the right to amend the statute, or even throw it out, secretary of state spokesman Brian McNiff said.

But with the number of votes in its favor, the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy, which championed the cause in the state, is confident the law will stand.

"We knew that we had support, but winning 65 percent of the vote is a mandate," committee spokeswoman Whitney Taylor said. "We knew that the people were ahead of the politicians on this and they came out and voted in favor of this smart policy."

While opponents see the measure as a potential gateway to more drug problems, proponents see widespread support of Question 2 as a potential gateway to more deregulation.

Current state law says possession of marijuana is a criminal offense subject to a $500 fine and six months in jail.

Although it may sound small, O'Keefe said an ounce of marijuana is the size of a small loaf of bread and is enough to keep two people stoned for two months.

"We're obviously very disappointed and very concerned about the effects this will have on young people, particularly at-risk kids in our society," he said.

Officials at the Gosnold Treatment Center on Cape Cod were also disappointed, though not surprised by the outcome, believing that supporters of the question overstated the impact a minor drug arrest could have on one's life.

"We're concerned that this normalizes the use of a drug that is very well known to be a gateway drug to other more serious drug use," said Raymond Tamasi Gosnold's chief executive officer. "We will do whatever we can to counter this very ill-advised decision on the part of the citizenry."

Although the committee behind the initiative petition will officially disband, Taylor is in support of a bill filed by state Rep. Frank Smizik, D-Brookline, that would legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes.

Several towns in the state also voted this week on a non-binding question on the medical marijuana policy. It passed by more than 70 percent in each of the four districts.

The group that floated the medical marijuana questions is headed up by a Cape native. The National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws had put out similar feelers about decriminalization of an ounce or less dating back to 1994, and never lost, said Allen St. Pierre, the organization's executive director and a 1983 graduate of Chatham High School.

It's possible there could be a binding initiative on the medical marijuana issue as soon as 2010, St. Pierre said.

"States have the purview to set their drug laws," he said. "What we've seen is over the years that when given the opportunity to vote for decriminalization laws, there's really not much of a precedent for citizens doing anything but that."

http://www.capecodonline.com/

Hidden dangers of love drug: EFFECTS OF ECSTASY

2008-11-08T23:06:00.000-08:00

Festival time: Crowds at last December's Homebake concert in the Domain, where 40 court notices were issued to people for possession of drugs including cocaine, ecstasy, cannabis and LSD. Picture: Edwina Pickles

THEY are in their early to mid 20s, more than half are male, mostly tertiary educated and employed in full-time jobs. They are our brothers, sisters, friends and children. And this summer, they will be taking huge risks with their health, all in the name of fun and experimentation.

Ecstasy has been cited as the only drug on the rise among today's youth, with the 2007 NSW Trends in Ecstasy and Related Drugs Market report suggesting it might be the first illicit drug many young Australians take.

The report followed a survey of 100 regular ecstasy users in Sydney, who were defined as having used ecstasy at least six times in six months, as well as interviews with experts and data analysis. It found the drug was first used at a median age of 19 and two or three tablets were typically taken, rather than one.

The report was funded by the Federal Government as part of the National Drug Strategy.

Liam, 24, of Jannali, said he first took ecstasy, dubbed a ``party drug'' because of the context in which it was often taken, when he was 16 or 17.

``It was when I went to a rave party ... it became a social thing,'' he said. ``It pretty much takes the edge off ... it gives you a sense of ecstasy. You feel a lot more open, you walk up to a complete stranger and say, `how are you going?'.

``I suppose that's why they call it the love drug, it gives you a synthetic sense of love.''

The 2008-09 Sydney summer music festival party season kicked off on the October long weekend with the Park Life concert at Moore Park. Two men, aged 18 and 23, were arrested by police and 23 charges were laid at the concert, all relating to drug offences.

Police report a similar drug presence at other annual music festivals: the Big Day Out, Homebake, Future, Field Day, Good Vibrations and V Festival.

Jason Bendall, state professional officer with St John Ambulance, has worked at and supervised a range of music festival events, including Park Life and the Big Day Out. He said he had noticed a significant number of patrons used ``recreational drugs''.

``There's a sense that it's a common part of the music event culture,'' he said.

However, he said most people presenting with serious medical conditions had mixed drugs with large quantities of alcohol.

Dr Bendall said combining drugs increased the unpredictability of their effects and those people who used more than one drug were more likely to require care.

Although not as many deaths are linked to ecstasy as other drugs, toxic effects such as heart attack, brain haemorrhage, blood clotting and kidney failure are possible.

Fleur Taylor, adolescent alcohol and other drugs psychologist at Sutherland Hospital, said ecstasy affected the two chemicals in the brain that controlled and regulated mood function: serotonin and dopamine. ``When you introduce the chemical ecstasy into the brain, it's having an indeterminate effect on these two chemicals, so the way they regulate your mood becomes completely different,'' she said.

``It will, at times, mimic what serotonin and dopamine do, increasing the effects.''

Serotonin also regulates sleep, appetite and body temperature. This means that when the drug is wearing off, symptoms can include irritability, paranoia and depression, and can last several days.

Ms Taylor said these symptoms could affect a ``whole bunch of things for the few days after taking it''.

``It can affect your ability to go to work or school, to study, your relationships with others because you're irritable you don't want people around you,'' she said.

Dr Bendall advises young people going to music festivals this summer should be prepared. He said festival attendants should ``not be getting unknown substances, not mix drugs and make sure that they're around and supported by friends and people that they trust''.

http://stgeorge.yourguide.com.au/

At addiction centers, longer treatment programs are proving key to ending the relapse-rehab cycle

2008-11-08T22:48:00.001-08:00

Ronald J. Cala II / For The Times

Thirty days' treatment is the norm, but more facilities are offering programs to patients that extend to 45 days, 90 days and even longer.

November 10, 2008

By Shari Roan >>> We love quick, tidy solutions in this country. With health problems, in particular, we're impatient. Pills to ease each and every symptom? Great. Same-day surgery? Terrific. A scheduled cesarean section? Bring it on. ¶ But in the case of drug and alcohol dependence, it's becoming increasingly clear that there is no such thing as get-well-quick therapy. Instead, with scientific evidence showing that the longer the treatment, the better the chance of lasting sobriety, addiction centers nationwide are lengthening their programs and firmly discouraging patients from early checkouts. ¶ For more than a year, the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage has offered a 90-day residential treatment program, in addition to shorter programs, that attracts about one-third of all clients. Promises Treatment Center in Malibu now provides more than half of its clients with 45- to 90-day treatments and last year extended its young-adults program from 30 days to 90 days. ¶ Visions, which provides adolescents with addiction treatment in Malibu, increased its program's length from 30 days to 45. Hazelden, the legendary treatment program based in Minnesota, has added beds in nearly all of its facilities over the last two years to meet a growing demand for treatment programs of 90 days or more. ¶ Addiction experts say that longer treatments -- with the length of stay based on the client's specific needs -- will lead to fewer people cycling between 30-day hospitalizations and relapses for years on end. From 40% to 60% of people relapse after drug treatment, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

"Treatment is dose-related," says Dr. Harry Haroutunian, director of the licensed professional program at the Betty Ford Center. "More is often better, depending on what you do with the time."

Treatment programs of 28 or 30 days are still common. But this template was never based on medical evidence, says Dr. David Lewis, Vision's medical director. Lewis, who in the 1970s helped establish the first addiction treatment program in the U.S. Air Force, says 30-day stays were scheduled for bureaucratic reasons -- men and women didn't need to be reassigned if they were away from duty for no more than 30 days. Other treatment centers followed suit, and insurers adopted the standard of 28 or 30 days of inpatient care.

Today, addiction experts recognize that it's foolish to treat every patient the same way.

"There was a belief that 30 days was the right number," says Dr. David Sack, chief executive of Promises and an addiction psychiatrist. "But there was absolutely no data to say 30 days was the right number. . . . The programs were cookie cutters. What we're seeing now is this much broader view for how to manage addiction. There isn't this naive optimism that people will reach 30 days and they'll be fine."

Relapse rates

In fact, data suggest 30 days aren't nearly enough.

* Research published in 1999 by Bennett Fletcher, a senior research psychologist at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, has shown that though 90 days isn't a magic number, anything less than that tends to increase the chances of relapse. One study, of 1,605 cocaine users, looked at weekly cocaine use in the year after treatment. It found that 35% of people who were in treatment for 90 days or fewer reported drug use the following year compared with 17% of people who were in treatment for 90 days or longer. The study was published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

* Another study, part of an NIDA-funded project called Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Studies, followed 549 patients who had several problems in addition to their drug use and who entered a long-term residential program. Those who dropped out of treatment before 90 days had relapse rates similar to those who stayed in treatment only a day or two. After 90 days, however, relapse rates dropped steadily the longer a person stayed in treatment.

* Studies of youth also reflect the connection between longer care and a greater chance of recovery. A 2001 UCLA study of 1,167 adolescents receiving substance-abuse treatment found that those in treatment for 90 days or more had significantly lower relapse rates than teens in programs of 21 days.

Some of the earliest evidence emerged from high success rates in treatment of addicted health professionals, says Haroutunian: The Federation of State Physician Health Programs has long recommended 90-day treatments and continued follow-up care for doctors who abuse drugs.

Longer treatment reflects the fact that addiction is a chronic, relapsing disorder, says Lisa Onken, chief of NIDA's behavioral and integrative treatment branch.

"The more you have a treatment that can help you become continuously abstinent, the better you do," she says. "You have to figure out how to be abstinent. You still have cravings. You still have friends offering you drugs. You still have to figure out ways not to use. The longer you are able to do that, the more you are developing skills to help you stay abstinent."

Additional time in treatment allows people to learn to handle stress, develop ways to cope with environmental cues that could trigger drug use and improve relationships that are needed to sustain recovery.

However, time alone isn't a solution. Many addicts stop using for long periods of time while incarcerated but relapse after being released.

"There is no real evidence that just locking someone up, denying someone access to drugs alone, will cure an addiction," Onken says. "It's not just length of treatment that is important. It's length of treatment that is working."

28 days later

The first month of treatment is now viewed as a first step, Fletcher says. It often consists largely of coping with withdrawal symptoms and establishing a relationship with a therapist.

"People are often detoxifying for 28 days," Haroutunian says. "Their mind is not right. Their temperament is not right. They have emotional instability, poor judgment, physical complaints, sleep problems -- things that keep them in a very delicate state of vulnerability to coping with life stresses. If they are out there in the world after only 28 days and get flooded with these things, they are vulnerable to relapse."

Brain scans of recovering addicts support the idea that changes are still taking place three months or more after treatment. Chronic drug use damages the brain, such as reducing the number of dopamine receptors, chemical pathways that allow for normal brain functioning. Changes in the brain during recovery correlate to clearer thinking and more honesty on the part of the patient, Haroutunian says. It's often only at that point that therapists discover other problems, such as physical or mental-health problems, eating disorders, gambling issues, relationship problems or a history of abuse or molestation.

http://www.latimes.com/

Suffolk residents describe drug addiction's impact

2008-11-08T22:42:00.000-08:00

The mother stood in front of a room filled with neighbors and told the story of her son's heroin addiction.

"I fight on a daily basis to save my son," she said, adding that he has been in drug rehab six times and is now in jail. "I go nose-to-nose with these drug dealers. . . . And they're coming after your kids."

The St. James woman was speaking to more than 200 people who filled the main room at the Nesconset Nursing Center to listen to civic leaders and government officials discuss how drugs, specifically heroin, have been gaining a foothold in their community.

Authorities say the problem isn't limited to Nesconset.

"There is an epidemic of heroin use on Long Island," said Jerry Roucoulet, acting director of nonprofit Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependency.

"This is a problem that is creeping into our communities, and we are concerned," said Suffolk Police Commissioner Richard Dormer, adding that his department has set up a special unit to follow up on heroin overdose deaths.

In Suffolk, all heroin overdoses rose from 151 in 2000 to 312 last year. In Nassau, they increased from 68 to 83 in the same period. Arrests for heroin sale and possession rose from 100 in 2002 to about 150 last year, Nassau police said.

In the Nesconset/Lake Ronkonkoma/Ronkonkoma area, drug-related arrests rose nearly 60 percent, from 200 in 2000 to 319 in 2008, according to police statistics.

The recent meeting in Nesconset spurred police to set up a special tips line for the Nesconset/Lake Ronkonkoma area, 631-854-TIPS. Calls will remain anonymous. Five new officers, taken off the highway patrol, also were added to the Fourth Precinct, police said.

The mother told the hushed crowd that drug dealers are working out in the open, selling heroin and other drugs outside fast food establishments, in parks and schoolyards.

Other residents told of neighborhood houses - from Nesconset to Lake Grove to St. James - where they say occupants use mailboxes as drug pickup centers.

Audience members said they were alarmed by the murder last year of 70-year-old Martha Watson, a Nesconset resident police say was killed by an intruder looking for drugs.

"You've got to get your head out of the sand," the mother told the crowd.

Smithtown's park rangers made three arrests for drug possession in town parks last week, and are expanding patrols. "Over the course of the last couple of years, there has been an increase of drug activity," said public safety director John Valentine.

Fred Gorman, president of the Nesconset-Sachem Civic Association, who organized the meeting and initiated the tips line, said he became aware of the heroin problem when his group found used syringes and baggies during a cleanup of the Bavarian Inn parking lot.

"The tip line is an excellent way to get the word to the police," he said. "If we aren't vigilant, we'll lose. Our entire community is at stake."

That concern also was echoed at the meeting by Legis. John Kennedy (R-Nesconset) and Assemb. Michael Fitzpatrick (R-St. James).

Another St. James mother, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said her son has been a heroin addict for several years, and so are many of his friends.

She said heroin users can get high for as little as $10.

"It's here. It's hit us. It came to our nice little neighborhood," she said.

http://www.newsday.com/

NicOx Announces Favorable Blood Pressure Data for Naproxcinod in a Large ABPM Stud

2008-11-08T22:38:00.000-08:00

SOPHIA ANTIPOLIS, France, November 4, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- NicOx S.A. (Euronext Paris: COX) today announced positive top-line results from a 118 patient Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM) trial (the 111 study), which compared the 24-hour blood pressure profile of escalating doses of naproxcinod and naproxen in osteoarthritis (OA) patients with controlled hypertension. The primary ABPM parameter was the mean 24-hour ambulatory systolic blood pressure (SBP) measured by ABPM over the whole study period and naproxcinod showed a statistically significant decrease in SBP of 3.8 mmHg (p=0.011) compared to naproxen. Furthermore, in contrast to naproxen, naproxcinod reduced the mean 24-hour SBP and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) from baseline at every dose comparison. Good safety and tolerability were shown by all naproxcinod doses. NicOx plans to provide further details of the results at a leading cardiology conference in 2009.

Naproxcinod is the first investigational drug in the new Cyclooxygenase-Inhibiting Nitric Oxide-Donator (CINOD) class of anti-inflammatory agents, which is nearing the end of phase 3 clinical development for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis, with the submission of a New Drug Application (NDA) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) projected for mid-2009. NicOx expects to have the results of a second large ABPM study in patients with hypertension and OA (112) before the end of 2008, in addition to the results of the remaining pivotal phase 3 trial in hip OA (303).

COX-2 inhibitors and traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as naproxen and ibuprofen, are widely used as symptomatic treatments for OA. However, they can cause new episodes of high blood pressure and destabilize previously controlled hypertensive patients, which is a particular concern in the OA population where approximately 50% of patients are estimated to be hypertensive.

"These impressive results suggest that naproxcinod could represent a valuable treatment alternative for osteoarthritis patients," said Raymond Townsend, Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, who advised NicOx on the design and analysis of the study. "The hypertensive side effects of COX-2 inhibitors and traditional NSAIDs are a serious medical issue and there is a clear need for a new drug with no detrimental effect on blood pressure. These ABPM data have been obtained in a relevant population of chronically treated osteoarthritis patients with many cardiovascular risk factors and clearly show a consistent beneficial effect on blood pressure for naproxcinod across the dose range, in contrast to naproxen. In addition, the use of the ABPM technique gives them considerable weight, as it is widely recognized as the gold standard method for assessing the blood pressure profile of new drugs."

The 111 study design and results

In the study, 118 patients were randomized on a 1:1 basis to receive naproxcinod or naproxen, with escalating doses every three weeks. The trial included three doses of naproxcinod (375 mg bid, 750 mg bid and a supra-therapeutic dose of 1125 mg bid), which were compared to naproxen (250, 500 and 750 mg bid). 24-hour blood pressure monitoring was conducted at baseline and at the end of each three-week dose escalation (i.e. at the end of week 3, 6 and 9), using an FDA validated, ABPM device.

The primary objective of the study was to characterize the 24-hour arterial blood pressure profile of the three doses of naproxcinod, as measured by ABPM after each dose, compared to naproxen. At all time points, naproxcinod showed a decrease in the mean 24-hour SBP and DBP from baseline in contrast to naproxen. In terms of the overall treatment effect, as an average over week 3, 6 and 9, naproxen raised SBP by 1.5 mmHg from baseline, while naproxcinod lowered it by 2.3 mmHg, resulting in a difference between the two treatments of 3.8 mmHg (p=0.011) in favor of naproxcinod.

Michele Garufi, Chairman and CEO of NicOx, commented: "These excellent results are an important addition to the consistent data we are accumulating on naproxcinod's potentially non-detrimental blood pressure profile and its clear differentiation from naproxen. We are confident that naproxcinod's potential will be confirmed by the further clinical results expected in the coming months."

The three doses of naproxcinod showed good general safety and tolerability. In the naproxcinod arm 32 patients (54.2%) experienced one or more adverse events, compared to 38 patients (64.4%) in the naproxen arm. There were no serious adverse events in the naproxcinod arm.

Additional note on study design: The 111 study was a 12-week pharmacodynamic ABPM trial (with 9 weeks of active treatment), with a double-blind, parallel group design, in which 118 OA patients with controlled hypertension were enrolled at 30 clinical sites in the United States. Eligible patients were 40 years and older and had been suffering from osteoarthritis for at least three months, with at least one hip or knee involved. In addition to OA, all patients were diagnosed with controlled essential hypertension (i.e. SBP <140>

NicOx (Bloomberg: COX:FP, Reuters: NCOX.PA) a product-driven biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and future commercialization of investigational drugs for unmet medical needs. NicOx is applying its proprietary nitric oxide-donating technology to develop an internal portfolio of New Chemical Entities (NCEs) in the therapeutic areas of inflammatory and cardio-metabolic disease.

Resources are focused on the development of naproxcinod, a proprietary NCE and the first compound in the Cyclooxygenase-Inhibiting Nitric Oxide-Donating (CINOD) class of anti-inflammatory agents, which is in phase 3 clinical studies for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis, with final phase 3 results anticipated in 2008.

Beyond naproxcinod, NicOx has a pipeline containing multiple nitric oxide-donating NCEs, which are in development internally and with partners, including Pfizer Inc and Merck & Co., Inc., for the treatment of prevalent and underserved diseases, such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, widespread eye diseases and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

NicOx S.A. is headquartered in France and is listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (Compartment B: Mid Caps).

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements.

For a discussion of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of NicOx S.A. to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, please refer to the Risk Factors ("Facteurs de Risque") section of the Document de Reference filed with the AMF, which is available on the AMF website ( http://www.amf-france.org) or on NicOx S.A.'s website ( http://www.nicox.com).

http://www.nicox.com

Cholesterol patients focus on alternatives to drug treatments

2008-11-04T23:19:00.000-08:00

In a single morning recently, Phoenix cardiologist Edward Diethrich saw four patients who wanted to talk about alternatives to cholesterol-lowering statin drugs.

With more than 13 million Americans taking statins, at times with troubling side effects, such conversations are becoming increasingly common. High cholesterol is a key risk factor for heart attack and stroke, and efforts to lower blood levels of the fatty substance have turned statins such as Lipitor and Zocor into the top-selling class of prescription drugs in the United States.

"There's rising interest in being able to accomplish the same goals without statins," said Diethrich, founder of the Arizona Heart Institute. "Everybody's asking about this."

Nurse practitioner April Bramini hears similar questions and offers possible solutions during screenings she conducts as director of a heart-health program at Scottsdale Healthcare.

So does Philadelphia cardiologist David Becker, whose recent study found that lifestyle changes combined with over-the-counter supplements of omega-3 fatty acids and red yeast rice reduced low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the "bad" kind, as effectively as statin drugs.

But don't dump your prescription medicine before consulting with your doctor, said Becker of the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

"I believe very strongly that if you have known heart disease -- meaning you've had bypass surgery, you've had stents (implanted), you've had a heart attack -- you must take statins to get your cholesterol down," he said. "The data are overwhelming that people with heart disease should take statins.

"Statins are wonderful drugs. The problem is that we just prescribe them to everybody. If someone's telling me to take a pill every day for the rest of my life, I want to know what my alternatives are. I want to try something else to see if I really need them."

By whatever means, the goal is lowering LDL cholesterol -- high levels of which can contribute to the buildup of plaque in arteries that feed the heart and brain -- while maintaining high levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. HDL is believed to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and to the liver, where it's passed from the body, the American Heart Association said.

The goal sometimes can be met with natural approaches, Diethrich said, much to the relief of those who can't tolerate statins, find them too expensive or prefer not to take medicine. He said muscle pain is the most common side effect of statins, with doctors also watching for damage to the liver, where the drugs are detoxified.

When Karen DeWitt's total cholesterol hit 240, her internist recommended statins. But the former Phoenix resident told her physician, "Let me try it my own way, through diet and exercise and supplements, and let's see what happens."

DeWitt, 62, now of Louisville, Ky., didn't want to chance the leg and arm pain her husband and brother experienced with statins.

Besides, she said, "medications just mask symptoms, and I want to fix them." She upped her ambitious exercise regimen, renewed a commitment to her healthful diet and started taking omega-3 fish oil supplements and niacin, a B vitamin that in doctor-monitored doses has been shown to lower cholesterol.

Four months later, during one of her regular visits to Phoenix, DeWitt was tested at the Arizona Heart Institute. Her cholesterol had dropped to 200. She'll continue her efforts to maintain the improvements and further lower the critical LDL cholesterol, which still is slightly elevated, she said.

Sophisticated cholesterol testing is making it easier to tailor treatment to the specific subtypes of LDL particles that put a patient at risk, Diethrich said. Still, lowering LDL offers no guarantees.

"We have patients who have had mild heart attacks who have totally normal cholesterol," he said. "They ask why, and I tell them that ... there's not just one contributor."

Bramini, the nurse practitioner, recommends diet and exercise as the first remedy for high cholesterol.

"Even miniscule changes can make a big impact," she said, "but it takes about three months of consistent change to know if your efforts are going to pay off."

Those small changes can work for and against us, she says. Her mother, after years of using fat-free creamer in her morning coffee, switched to half-and-half. A few months later, her previously normal cholesterol had risen with no other changes in her diet or exercise.

Baby Boomer Sandy Mills of Scottsdale walks on a treadmill, lifts weights and follows a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and her cholesterol remains at a desired level.

"I've been blessed with good health," Mills said, "and I want to be proactive."

http://www.jconline.com/article/20081104/LIFE03/811040301

Katherine Jenkins admits taking cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis

2008-11-04T22:14:00.000-08:00

Amy Winehouse: advert for not taking drugs Photo: Reuters

The former choir girl, who signed a £6 million recording contract with Warner Music last month, said she once snorted cocaine in the lavatory of a London nightclub.

But she disclosed the hangovers were so bad "I didn't want to live the next day".

Miss Jenkins, 28, said she gave up drugs five years ago and had decided to speak out to deter others from taking them.

The mezzo-soprano, regarded as the Forces' Sweetheart for entertaining British troops around the world, first drifted into drug abuse after leaving her home in Neath, South Wales to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London in 1997.

"I was very naive about things like drugs. There was nothing like that around where I grew up. I never saw a drug or even knew what they looked like," Miss Jenkins told the Mail on Sunday.

"But when I started going out in London, I slowly became aware that when I went to parties, or went clubbing, a lot of people were taking drugs."

She was introduced to cocaine after a night drinking in London.

"When we got back to my friend's house, I was offered cocaine by someone. Having said no so many times before, curiosity just got the better of me and I said yes. I thought it would be fun, because everyone else seemed to be having a good time after taking cocaine.

"It wasn't what I thought it would be like," she said.

"I thought it would have some massive, dramatic effect on me but it didn't. It made me feel powerful though and I felt like I had so much energy."

Miss Jenkins said she went on to take cocaine on a further five or six occasions, involving up to three "lines" per night, but suffered in the days afterwards.

"After taking cocaine, I felt absolutely terrible. It was like the worst hangover in the world times ten, times a hundred. And I'd not be in a good mental place afterwards either. I'd feel depressed and paranoid, it was awful," she said.

She also spoke of taking ecstasy and MDMA - its powder form.

"I took half a pill the first time, and it made me feel excited, passionate, in love with everyone and everything, and really happy, very very happy. I took ecstasy pills after that four or five times, and MDMA too.

"But afterwards that made me feel worse than cocaine. I didn't want to live the next day, it made me feel so depressed. It was horrible, just horrible," she said.

Miss Jenkins also ate cannabis cakes on around eight occasions, but never smoked the weed.

However, she renounced drugs in 2003 when she was offered a six-album deal by Universal Records, worth more than £1 million, which set her on the road to stardom.

"I knew in that moment that I had to stop taking drugs," she said.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Getting help for drug addiction

2008-11-02T23:12:00.000-08:00

This is the second installment of a three-part series about drug use and addiction among Jamaicans. It chronicles the battle and triumphs of addicts and examines the various programmes in place to help people kick the habit.

THE Association of Friends and Families of Substance Abusers (AFAFOSA), a not-for-profit body which was formed in 2003 and was re-launched earlier this year, is working to improve the lives of addicts like Roland Green, Fitzroy Brown, Kevin, Bruce, Max and 'Munchie'.

Members of the Association of Friends and Families of Substance (AFAFOSA) at a recent meeting. (Photo: Karl McLarty)

In fact, the association's mission is to "facilitate, educate, transform and empower the mind, body and spirit of persons affected".

But the group of young addicts who recently shared their stories with the Sunday Observer were apparently unaware of the work of AFAFOSA, calling instead on the authorities to go more for them.

"We want help, man," Brown had complained. Brown and his 'friends' spend most of their days 'hanging out' at a drug hotspot in New Kingston notoriously known as 'The Gulf'.

The association - which is indirectly affiliated with the Drug Court system and works to assist in the rehabilitation of substance abusers through seminars, conferences, workshops and training by personnel from the National Association of Drug Court Professionals and other international agencies - is hoping to extend its reach. Currently, AFAFOSA (with headquarters in Florida) is developing plans and projects to enhance its objectives.

Their primary focus is raising money to support the work of the main drug rehabilitation centres located at Bellevue and the Maxfield Health Clinic in Kingston.

"The focus is always on getting help for substance abusers and our main aim is to provide financial help. We are looking at funding our projects as best as we can and also provide assistance to affected families. We are currently planning our fundraisers," AFAFOSA's president Steve Ashley told the Sunday Observer during a recent discussion with the organisation's directors.

For Detective Sergeant Barbara Josephs, who works with the constabulary's Narcotics Division, coming in contact with drug abusers on a regular basis takes her into a world she would never want her children to visit.
"What I find with drug and substance abusers is that it's just a bad habit that many of them cannot get rid of. Some of them are willing to stop if the help is available. They really have a need to be rehabilitated but finding a way to do so is the problem," said Josephs, emphasising that the fund-raising efforts of AFAFOSA are crucial. "In a lot of cases you will find that the drug abusers are normal people who want to get out of it. They need support. They need counselling."

Getting hooked, getting clean

Some medical experts say the addictive potency of drugs varies from substance to substance and from individual to individual. Drugs such as codeine and strong alcoholic beverages typically require many more exposures to hook their users than drugs like cocaine and heroin. At the same time, someone who is psychologically or genetically predisposed to addiction is much more likely to suffer from it.

According to Josephs, drugs are very easily accessible across Jamaica, especially in the Corporate Area.
"Drugs are sold everywhere. And in Downtown Kingston the men and women who run some of those stalls are actually drug vendors. Roadside stalls are known for selling marijuana and other illegal substances," Josephs told the Sunday Observer.

Even so, the reasons for persons getting hooked on drugs are numerous and varied.

"For many addicts, taking drugs takes you to that high, that peak and that's where you always want to go. So gradually, after a while, the addiction creeps in and if it's not dealt with it gets worse until you lose control of yourself. And you have the Rastas who believe that the 'weed' they smoke is Biblically ordained and that they have a right to take it," Josephs said. "But what many fail to realise is that abuse hurts you in the long run. So with the counselling and the programmes we have and the work that the drug court does is to show them a better way."

That's precisely why local out-patient clinics like the Bellevue Centre and the Maxfield Park Drug Centre are crucial. Under the leadership of Dr Myo Oo, the facilities offer a combination of individual counselling and group counselling. According to Dr Oo, the most common drug abused by persons who seek treatment at the clinic is marijuana, followed by cocaine. Intravenous and inhalants are very rare.

"Jamaicans don't like needles. We have a strong ganja culture. We mainly offer drug treatment and rehabilitation for abusers charged with minor offences at the Drug Court based on the provisions of the 1999 Drug Court Act and its 2001 updated regulations," Oo told the Sunday Observer during an interview at the Half-Way-Tree court house. "Once offenders are recommended for the rehabilitation programme, we screen them for eligibility and their criminal histories, and then do a final analysis if they are to be accepted," added Oo, who is also the senior medical officer at the Bellevue Hospital.

The six-month rehabilitation programme consists of three phases of two months each, and involves individual and group counselling, family consultations, psycho-dynamic approach and weekly urine testing of the participants. The age of participants, mostly males, range for 18 to 56. Since its inception in 2001, over 500 persons from Kingston, Montego Bay and other parts of the island have participated. More than 30 per cent have successfully graduated.

"Throughout the six-month programme, we stress and look for punctuality, quality of life improvement, stress management and behaviour changes. Those who successfully complete the programme are considered for graduation, where they receive certificates and gifts," Dr Oo told the Sunday Observer. "We admit that there are persons who relapse but, based on the knowledge they have gained while being in the programme, we expect them to know how to manage themselves so as to get back on track."
In the meantime, while the drug rehab programme is growing in Kingston and Montego Bay, Dr Oo wants its reach to spread to other towns across the island.

"Currently, what we have is still a pilot project and we want it to be regularised in all parishes so that we can get the financial help we need. So far, I believe the programme is growing and I know that if the funding and resources are available it can be successfully expanded to other parishes. I also believe there is need for greater co-ordination between the health and justice ministries," explained Dr Oo, who sometimes works with the National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA). "Our vision is also for there to be a substance abuse system in the prisons for the addicts we can't reach so that when they leave the prisons they can continue the care outside. The continuity of care must be addressed."

Looking ahead

Meanwhile, AFAFOSA also wants to assist with programmes in schools to dissuade and discourage drug addiction and organise more wide-reaching public education drives. Another of their major projects is the establishment of a new multi-facility rehabilitation centre - an idea still in the planning stages.

"It is one of our major projects that we are thinking of. We are looking into getting sponsorship from abroad and securing the funding," Ashley explains. "We are also seeking to expand our work nationally into Montego Bay and other towns because this is a national crisis that needs to be dealt with urgently."

At the same time, the directors argue that more often than not, the addicts they encounter are those who have run-ins with the law and are hauled before the drug court.

"That's a problem that's preventing us from being able to reach as many abusers out there as possible," explained AFAFOSA secretary, Merline Daley, who also serves as a lay magistrate. "We mostly get to deal with the ones who commit crimes against the state and are taken to court. We want to do more. As part of our mission we want to educate and empower the mind so [addicts] can help themselves."

Meanwhile, Dr Oo believes addicts like those who hang out at 'The Gulf' can only get the help they desperately need if they are willing to seek help.

"For some of those persons, we would have to force them and what I have found is that working with people with no motivation makes no sense. It would be almost useless to put them in the programme if they don't want to," Dr Oo explained. "So right now we are targeting harm reduction and looking into whether forced treatment will work because many of them on the streets do not know of the harmful effects the drugs can have on them in the long run."

Commander Preston Ray of the New Kingston Police agreed with Dr Oo, adding that to remove the addicts from 'The Gulf' would not be easy.

"Some of them are mentally deranged so if we are to remove them, we would have to do so in collaboration with the relevant agencies. And at the same time we really do not have any place to put them right now," Ray told the Sunday Observer.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/

Phillips pleads guilty to cocaine charge, agrees to drug treatment

2008-11-02T22:09:00.000-08:00

Mackenzie Phillips has pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine and agreed go into drug treatment. The troubled actress entered the plea Friday in a Los Angeles court to one count of felony cocaine possession, and agreed to enter an 18-month drug treatment program.

"I'd like to take this opportunity to thank [law enforcement] for stopping me, and probably saving my life," Phillips said to Judge Keith L. Schwartz at Friday’s hearing.

Following her arrest, the former “One Day at a Time” star was also charged with two counts of possessing heroin and a syringe. However, those charges were dismissed on Friday.

In addition, the judge ruled yesterday if Phillips successfully completes her 18-month drug treatment program, the entire case would be dismissed.

Phillips is currently enrolled in a live-in treatment center in Louisiana to battle her drug-abuse demons. "You're making tremendous progress [in rehab] and I'm proud of you," Judge Schwartz told Phillips. "This is a lifelong battle you're in."

Phillips, 48, was arrested Aug. 27 by Los Angeles Airport Police officers after Transportation Security Administration officials discovered what appeared to be heroin and cocaine during a baggage search in Terminal 4. The actress at the time failed to pass a security screening and a secondary search turned up needles and suspected drugs packaged in baggies and balloons.

On September, 3, she was charged with two felony counts, possession of cocaine and possession of heroin, and one misdemeanor count of unauthorized possession of a hypodermic needle or syringe.

Phillips, once famous for her performance in the television comedy series "One Day at a Time," is now more famous for making multiple trips to rehab. Because of her drug addiction, the executive producer of the show fired her in 1980 when she refused to get help.

Phillips, the daughter of John Phillips who was in the pop group the Mamas and the Papas, began to use drugs at an early age. She started to smoke marijuana and use LSD at the age of twelve, and was taught how to shoot up heroin by her father John at the age of eighteen. Phillips has made several stops in rehab in the past three decades to battle her drug addiction.

http://www.themoneytimes.com/

Supplemental New Drug Application with FDA for FUSILEV(TM) in Colorectal Cancer

2008-11-01T05:04:00.000-07:00

"Ninety percent of the more than 500 million milligrams of leucovorin used in the United States is for colorectal cancer," said Rajesh C. Shrotriya, M.D., Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals. "Assuming the FDAaccepts the filing and completes the standard 10-month review cycle, we would expect acomplete responselate in the third or early in the fourth quarter of 2009. We continue to expect our sales, under the currently approved indications, to ramp up slowly until the full range of indications and formulations are approved."

Earlier this year, the Company completed its filing of an amendment to the New Drug Application (NDA) for FUSILEV(TM) Tablets. The Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) has already voted affirmatively that the oral formulation is safe and effective when used in the rescue of high dose methotrexate.

About FUSILEV (levoleucovorin) for injection

FUSILEV, a novel folate analog, is available in 50-mg vials of freeze-dried powder. It is the pharmacologically active isomer of leucovorin. FUSILEV rescue is indicated after high-dose methotrexate therapy in osteosarcoma. FUSILEV is also indicated to diminish the toxicity and counteract the effects of impaired methotrexate elimination and of inadvertent overdosage of folic acid antagonists. FUSILEV (levoleucovorin or (6S)-leucovorin) is the only commercially available formulation comprised only of the pharmacologically active isomer of leucovorin.

Important FUSILEV (levoleucovorin) for injection Safety Considerations

FUSILEV is contraindicated for patients who have had previous allergic reactions attributed to folic acid or folinic acid. Due to calcium content, no more than 16-mL (160-mg) of levoleucovorin solution should be injected intravenously per minute. FUSILEV enhances the toxicity of fluorouracil. Concomitant use of d,l-leucovorin with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in HIV patients was associated with increased rates of treatment failure in a placebo-controlled study. Allergic reactions were reported in patients receiving FUSILEV. Vomiting (38%), stomatitis (38%) and nausea (19%) were reported in patients receiving FUSILEV as rescue after high dose methotrexate therapy. FUSILEV may counteract the antiepileptic effect of phenobarbital, phenytoin and primidone, and increase the frequency of seizures in susceptible patients.

Full prescribing information can be found at www.fusilev.com.

About Spectrum Pharmaceuticals

We are a biopharmaceutical company that acquires, develops and commercializes a diversified portfolio of drug products, with a focus mainly on oncology and urology. Our strategy is comprised of acquiring and developing a broad and diverse pipeline of late-stage clinical and commercial products; establishing a commercial organization for our approved drugs; continuing to build a team with people who have demonstrated skills, passion, commitment and have a track record of success in developing drugs and commercialization in our areas of focus, and; leveraging the expertise of partners around the world to assist us in the execution of our strategy. For more information, please visit our website at www.spectrumpharm.com.

Forward-looking statement -- This press release may contain forward-looking statements regarding future events and the future performance of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These statements include but are not limited to statements that relate to our business and its future, Spectrum's ability to identify, acquire, develop and commercialize its portfolio of drug candidates, the safety and efficacy of FUSILEV(TM), that assuming the FDAaccepts the filing and completes the standard 10-month review cycle, we would expect acomplete responselate in the third or early in the fourth quarter of 2009, that we expect our sales, under the currently approved indications, to ramp up slowly until the full range of indications and formulations are approved, the Company's promising pipeline, and any statements that relate to the intent, belief, plans or expectations of Spectrum or its management, or that are not a statement of historical fact. Risks that could cause actual results to differ include the possibility that our existing and new drug candidates, may not prove safe or effective, the possibility that our existing and new drug candidates may not receive approval from the FDA, and other regulatory agencies in a timely manner or at all, the possibility that our existing and new drug candidates, if approved, may not be more effective, safer or more cost efficient than competing drugs, the possibility that our efforts to acquire or in-license and develop additional drug candidates may fail, our lack of revenues, our limited marketing experience, our dependence on third parties for clinical trials, manufacturing, distribution and quality control and other risks that are described in further detail in the Company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not plan to update any such forward-looking statements and expressly disclaim any duty to update the information contained in this press release except as required by law.

FUSILEV (TM), SPECTRUM PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.(TM), TURNING INSIGHTS INTO HOPE(TM) and the Spectrum Pharmaceutical logos are trademarks owned by Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners.

source : http://www.tradingmarkets.com/

Mackenzie Phillips Pleads Guilty to Felony Cocaine Possession

2008-10-31T21:44:00.000-07:00

Mackenzie Phillips pleaded guilty today to felony cocaine possession charges. The former "One Day At a Time" star will not have to do jail time, and will instead enter an 18-month drug treatment program. "I'd like to take this opportunity to thank [law enforcement] for stopping me, and probably saving my life," Phillips told Judge Keith L. Schwartz. The As part of the program, if Phillips successfully completes her drug treatment, the entire case will be dismissed. The actress stated she's currently enrolled in a live-in treatment center in Louisiana. The judge offered enouragement to the actress, who has made several trips to rehab since the 1970s and is currently in a treatment center in Louisiana."You're making tremendous progress [in rehab] and I'm proud of you," Judge Schwartz told Phillips. Phillips, 48, was arrested at the Los Angeles International Airport in August when she was found "carrying what appeared to be heroin and cocaine in baggies and balloons," according to airport police.

http://www.umm.edu/

Methadone: Fastest Growing Source of Narcotics Deaths

2008-10-31T01:18:00.000-07:00

As doctors search for better ways to treat pain, an increase in methadone

prescriptions for pain management has had an unexpected result: Death.

“Anyone taking a methadone prescription almost needs a rule book,” comments Mary Rieser, Executive Director for Narconon Drug Rehab in Georgia, “or perhaps even a chaperone. Methadone can so easily be misused, usually because of misunderstanding.”

Methadone pain management has moved methadone from the clinic to the medicine cabinet.

“Methadone was originally widely used to help drug addicts with heroin addiction as a relief from heroin withdrawals,” comments Ms. Rieser. “The problem is that this method does not cure them of heroin addiction, simply makes them methadone addicts. They will suffer withdrawal symptoms if they stop taking methadone; some report that methadone withdrawal is worse than heroin withdrawal.”

In an effort to avoid prescription pain killer addiction, doctors started prescribing methadone for pain.

Through the years the number of methadone prescriptions for pain has increased, with more doctors prescribing it. While doctors who work in methadone clinics are familiar with the drug and its side effects, doctors less familiar might not be as aware of the properties of methadone – it is slow to metabolize. Some patients will think nothing of using alcohol or sedatives with the medication and any doctor prescribing it must be alert to this fact and inform every patient of the dangers.

“Experts are suggesting that Medical Doctors should take special classes on prescribing narcotics,” comments Ms. Rieser. “This is especially true in the case of methadone. Increased prescriptions for methadone for pain management has contributed to methadone being the fastest growing source of narcotic deaths in this country.

“We heard quite a bit about methadone since the death of Anna Nicole’s son, and recently in a local school in Atlanta, three children were rushed to the hospital after another gave them some methadone she had found in her family’s medicine cabinet.

“It is still around and anyone taking it for a while is going to be taking it for the long haul, or will need drug rehab.”

Methadone addiction can be successfully treated.

Call Narconon Drug Rehab 1-877-413-3073 for more information on effective methadone drug addiction treatment or drug education.

We are Narconon – The New Life Program.

Copyright © 2008 Narconon of Georgia Inc. All rights reserved. Narconon and the Narconon Logo are trademarks and service marks owned by the Association for Better Living and Education International and are used with its permission. Narconon of Georgia is a non-profit 501© public benefit corporation.

narcononofga@yahoo.com
www.drugsno.com

Picture Gallery

http://www.transworldnews.com/

What is Alcohol ?

2008-10-30T06:16:00.000-07:00

What does it look like?
Alcohol is used in liquid form.

How is it used?
Alcohol is drunk. Types include beer, wine, and liquor.
What are its short-term effects?
When a person drinks alcohol, the alcohol is absorbed by the stomach, enters the bloodstream, and goes to all the tissues. The effects of alcohol are dependent on a variety of factors, including a person's size, weight, age, and sex, as well as the amount of food and alcohol consumed. The disinhibiting effect of alcohol is one of the main reasons it is used in so many social situations. Other effects of moderate alcohol intake include dizziness and talkativeness; the immediate effects of a larger amount of alcohol include slurred speech, disturbed sleep, nausea, and vomiting. Alcohol, even at low doses, significantly impairs the judgment and coordination required to drive a car safely. Low to moderate doses of alcohol can also increase the incidence of a variety of aggressive acts, including domestic violence and child abuse. Hangovers are another possible effect after large amounts of alcohol are consumed; a hangover consists of headache, nausea, thirst, dizziness, and fatigue.

What are its long-term effects?
Prolonged, heavy use of alcohol can lead to addiction (alcoholism). Sudden cessation of long term, extensive alcohol intake is likely to produce withdrawal symptoms, including severe anxiety, tremors, hallucinations and convulsions. Long-term effects of consuming large quantities of alcohol, especially when combined with poor nutrition, can lead to permanent damage to vital organs such as the brain and liver. In addition, mothers who drink alcohol during pregnancy may give birth to infants with fetal alcohol syndrome. These infants may suffer from mental retardation and other irreversible physical abnormalities. In addition, research indicates that children of alcoholic parents are at greater risk than other children of becoming alcoholics.

Think you know the facts about alcohol abuse? If you consume alcoholic beverages, it's important to know whether your drinking patterns are safe, risky or harmful. If you haven't done so already, you may want to take this Alcohol Assessment Quiz.
What is its federal classification?
Not Applicable
Source
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Think you know the facts about alcohol abuse? If you consume alcoholic beverages, it's important to know whether your drinking patterns are safe, risky or harmful. If you haven't done so already

http://www.drugfree.org/

Strong opinions voiced on both sides of prison reform initiative

2008-10-30T03:48:00.000-07:00

There are strong opinions on both sides for and against Proposition 5, the prison reform and drug treatment initiative on Tuesday's ballot.

Supporters say the Nonviolent Offenders Rehabilitation Act will reduce current prison overcrowding by removing thousands of drug users from the penal system, cutting parole for those who seek treatment from three years to as little as six months, while conversely increasing parole time for people convicted of violent or sex crimes.

Proposition 5 would provide about $460 million a year — nearly triple the current amount — to divert a wider variety of drug-related offenders into treatment, getting to the root of their addiction instead of incarcerating them, say advocates.

The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office estimates the measure could wind up costing taxpayers $1 billion a year, but potentially save another $2.5 billion in related prison construction costs by removing up to 18,000 inmates from the state's penitentiaries.

Opponents contend Proposition 5 is a deceptive and costly "social experiment," which is not aimed only at nonviolent drug users.

They assert the measure will allow defendants charged with a wide range of crimes including arson, identity theft, drunken driving, commercial burglary and child abuse to escape punishment by claiming their drug addiction caused them to commit crime.

They also argue the "one-size fits all" regimen envisioned under Proposition 5 lacks the flexibility and

accountability of the present drug court treatment programs it would replace.

In Butte County, three past, current and future drug treatment court judges oppose Proposition 5, as does Chico Police Chief Bruce Hagerty and Sheriff Perry Reniff.

Attorney General Jerry Brown, Sen. Dianne Feinstein and the California Department of Public Health have also publicly opposed the measure.

Last week the Butte County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution opposing Proposition 5, following an address by District Attorney Mike Ramsey, who has historically been a strong advocate of drug treatment courts.

Among others, Proposition 5 is endorsed by the League of Women Voters, the California Federation of Teachers, a state nursing organization and drug rehabilitation centers.

Among its advocates locally is Tommy Higgins, a recovered drug addict and ex-con, who founded Skyway House, Butte County's first and largest nonprofit rehab clinics for substance abusers.

While agreeing Proposition 5 is "imperfect," Higgins and attorney Steven Trenholme, who represents indigent criminal suspects in Butte County's drug treatment courts, say it would provide a much-needed steady source of revenue to combat long-standing addictions that are destroying families and driving up crime.

The complex initiative was drafted by the Drug Policy Alliance, the same group that wrote Proposition 36, the 2000 voter-approved initiative that provided treatment instead of incarceration for non-violent drug offenders.

Proposition 5 would replace Proposition 36 and the companion Drug Court with a three-tiered "track" system of treatment for a much larger number of drug-related offenders.

It would also make possession of less than 28.5 grams of marijuana an infraction, much like a parking ticket. Small amounts of pot now is a misdemeanor that carries as much as $380 in fines and related fees and jail terms for repeat offenses.

If passed by the voters, Proposition 5 would mandate drug rehab programs in prison, except for those serving life terms, and reduce sentences for inmates convicted of drug-related or property crimes who show progress or complete such programs.

Parole for the same types of offenses would be cut from three years to six months and in most cases the individual couldn't be returned to prison for minor or technical violations of parole under Proposition 5

Helen Harberts, the local drug treatment court prosecutor, contends that Proposition 5 is the latest effort by "three out-of-state millionaires" whose stated goal is to "medicalize" all drug crimes in the U.S.

Rather than treating drug addiction, Proposition 5 could actually perpetuate it by allowing some offenders not only to continue abusing drugs with impunity while going through court-ordered treatment, but selling it to the very people the measure is intended to help, argues Ramsey.

The initiative has been derisively called by some critics "the drug dealer's bill of rights."

Higgins points out Proposition 36 was also condemned initially, but that "we made it work in Butte County."

While Proposition 36 statewide has experienced a 77 percent failure rate, more than half of those who go through the program in Butte County graduate.

Harberts says that is because Butte's Proposition 36 court operates on the drug-court model, requiring "voluntary" jail terms for non-compliance.

By contrast, Harberts points out Proposition 5 would mandate judges to accept into treatment anyone with up to five criminal arrests in the past 30 months, while permitting repeated drug relapses or other violations of court orders before any jail sanctions could be imposed.

Judge Stephen Benson, who currently presides of the Butte County Drug and Proposition 36 courts, agrees Proposition 5 would "take away a lot of the tools we now use in recovery," and remove judge's discretion as to whom to exclude from treatment.

http://www.chicoer.com/

Ex Guns N Roses drug addict Steve Adler says he wish he was dead everyday during interview

2008-10-30T03:35:00.000-07:00

Former GUNS N’ ROSES drummer Steven Adler is featured in the second season of the VH1 hit reality series “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew”, which premiered this past Thursday, October 23. According to RollingStone.com, the first of eight episodes saw Adler sobbing about how his friendship with Slash has deteriorated to the point where the guitarist didn’t ring him up to drum on his upcoming solo LP, sucking down bong hits while proclaiming his desire to die, and declaring his admiration for “Grease” star Jeff Conaway. Defamer has posted a video excerpt from the episode where we meet the former GUNS N’ ROSES drummer in the living room of a small, sparsely furnished home with smashed-in (by Adler) front windows, moaning that he wants to die. Things then proceed to go downhill from there. Try not to wince as you hear him recount the time he ingested 100 Valiums, a bottle of Jägermeister, and heroin in an attempt at killing himself, but only managed to achieve a stroke and paralysis.

http://punk.bz/

Speakers warn parents about teen drug use

2008-10-30T03:31:00.000-07:00

You probably think your kid is drug-free. But parent speakers for the drug prevention organization, notMykid, shake their heads.

Think again, they warn.

They know. They've been through the struggle of realizing it IS their kid and looking for help somewhere, anywhere - rehabilitation centers, clinics, psychologists, psychiatrists, camps.

NotMykid leaders and parent speakers told their stories and offered tips for parents to prevent drug use Tuesday at an informational breakfast and luncheon.

More than 40 Southeast Valley community members, business leaders and school representatives attended the breakfast at the Mesa Country Club, and notMykid estimates nearly 80 women came to the luncheon.

Former Gilbert Public Schools Superintendent Brad Barrett and his wife, Elizabeth , said they have been through this struggle. It started nearly eight years ago.

A son, their fourth child, began using drugs in his teens. Neither parent is sure when specifically. They guess that he was 16.

Even after several rounds of counseling, psychiatric care and rehabilitation, their roller-coaster ride continues today as they try to help him stay clean.

Elizabeth Barrett recalls that at one point, her son woke her up suddenly one night, asking her to comfort him.

"He said he had just had 'shrooms. That he was going crazy," she said.

He graduated from pot and mushrooms to OxyContin, a highly addictive painkiller, and began using its relative, heroin.

Elizabeth Barrett said she and her husband have spent thousands of dollars and exhausted themselves emotionally while trying to help their son get clean.

They've bounced from counselors and rehab programs to, most recently, sending their son on a trip to an African village for what they called a "meditative" recovery.

Now, even though their son is 24, the couple tests him regularly for drugs.

Brad Barrett, who is now the executive director of notMykid, believes every parent should begin drug-testing their children as part of a prevention program, not just when they suspect drug use. He recommends it as part of a notMykid basic, family drug prevention plan.

Lisa Garcia, a Scottsdale mother who spoke at the meeting, agrees. Her own son, an athletic boy, got hooked on drugs in high school a few years ago.

It has taken years to get him "clean and sober," she said.

"I now drug test both my kids. Some might say I test them too often. But they haven't been to hell and back. I have. And I can answer: I will not be going back," Garcia said.

Experiences like the ones recounted by Garcia are warnings for other families, Brad Barrett said.

"'Not my kid' is a syndrome," Barrett said, explaining that parents tend to deny such a problem exists in their families until it's gotten out of hand.

NotMykid is working with several school districts, including Gilbert, Chandler and Mesa unified schools, to hold quarterly drug-prevention sessions. NotMykid officials say if a district is struggling financially, some of the program costs can be handled by the group.

But to host the program at a discount, notMykid raises donations to cover the cost of its speakers, literature and other educational tools.Barrett said NotMykid is trying to expand its reach in the Valley to train parents, teachers and others about the dangers of drug use and the importance of routine drug testing.

It hopes to soon have an office in the Southeast Valley to work more closely with the communities in this region.

http://www.azcentral.com/

Today's Smokers More Addicted to Nicotine

2008-10-28T17:38:00.000-07:00

The less-hooked may have already quit, leaving 'hard-core' group behind, experts say

TUESDAY, Oct. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Almost 75 percent of current smokers trying to kick the habit are now highly nicotine-dependent, which is a 15-year high, a new study finds.

In fact, nicotine dependence has risen 12 percent from 1989 to 2006, and the number of highly nicotine-dependent people has gone up 32 percent, according to research expected to be presented Tuesday at the American College of Chest Physicians annual meeting, in Philadelphia.

Nicotine dependence can vary from smoker to smoker, experts noted.

"My clinical perception has been that over the last five years, patients that I am seeing require much more intensive treatment because tobacco dependence is more severe," said lead researcher Dr. David P. Sachs, from the Palo Alto Center for Pulmonary Disease Prevention in California.

Studies have shown that the more nicotine-dependent an individual is, the less effective standard treatment will be, Sachs said. "These people will suffer severe nicotine withdrawal symptoms, and they will be more likely to relapse back to cigarette use," he explained.

For the study, Sachs' team compared the degree of nicotine dependence between 1989 and 2006 in three groups of smokers, a total of 630 in all, who enrolled in smoking cessation programs.

Nicotine dependence was measured using the Fagerstrom Tolerance Questionnaire, which assesses nicotine dependence on a scale of 0 to 11 points.

Over 15 years, scores on the questionnaire increased by 12 percent, and the number of people with scores of 7 to 11 went up 32 percent. Overall, the proportion of people who were highly nicotine-dependent rose from 55.5 percent to 73 percent over the study period, Sachs' group found.

Sachs believes that it's the most nicotine-dependent smokers who are now showing up at quit-smoking programs. "If these patients are going to get effective treatment and not be at risk for relapse, they need more intensive treatment," he said.

About 10 percent of smokers are actually not nicotine-dependent, Sachs said. "These are smokers who can stop 'cold turkey' and not experience physical nicotine withdrawal symptoms. It's really a matter of willpower for them," he said.

Once those smokers have stopped, "that leaves the people who are genetically dependent on nicotine," Sachs said.

Dr. Norman H. Edelman is a professor of preventive medicine, internal medicine, physiology and biophysics at Stony Brook University in New York and chief medical officer of the American Lung Association. He said there could be several explanations for the increase in degree of nicotine dependence among current smokers.

"I agree with the author's conclusions with regard to increasing difficulty to be expected in achieving smoking cessation," Edelman said. "This may be the reason rates of smoking cessation have been declining."

There may, however, be other reasons for the increase in nicotine dependence, Edelman said. "Is the reason for the increase in nicotine addiction due to the fact that cigarette companies have been increasing the nicotine content of cigarettes? Is the reason for this finding the fact that we have been successful with the less-addicted, and now have the more addicted 'hard-core' [smokers] left?" he asked.

In another study, also expected to be presented at the meeting Tuesday, U.S. Navy researcher Michael A. Wilson reported that the prevalence of smoking among Marines and sailors serving in Iraq is more than two times the U.S. average.

Wilson found that of 408 Marines and sailors in Iraq, 64 percent used some form of tobacco, much higher than the U.S. national average for tobacco use (29.6 percent), and a big jump from the 38.9 percent of troops using tobacco in a similar survey conducted in 2004.

Cigarette smoking accounted for 52 percent of tobacco use, followed by smokeless tobacco (36 percent) and the use of both (24 percent). Most of the troops surveyed (74 percent) said they wanted to quit.

The long-term consequences of increased smoking are worrisome, Wilson warned. "This study indicates the prevalence of tobacco abuse in combat units deployed to Iraq is substantially higher than the national average," he wrote. "Such abuse will likely cause a greater negative impact on the long-term health of U.S. veterans than combat-related injuries and will have great financial consequences for both VA and U.S. health-care systems," he concluded.

http://health.usnews.com/

Marijuana Effect

2008-10-28T03:59:00.000-07:00

Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States. It is a dry, shredded green and brown mix of flowers, stems, seeds, and leaves derived from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. The main active chemical in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol; THC for short.

How is Marijuana Abused?

Marijuana is usually smoked as a cigarette (joint) or in a pipe. It is also smoked in blunts, which are cigars that have been emptied of tobacco and refilled with marijuana. Since the blunt retains the tobacco leaf used to wrap the cigar, this mode of delivery combines marijuana's active ingredients with nicotine and other harmful chemicals. Marijuana can also be mixed in food or brewed as a tea. As a more concentrated, resinous form it is called hashish, and as a sticky black liquid, hash oil.* Marijuana smoke has a pungent and distinctive, usually sweet-and-sour odor.

How Does Marijuana Affect the Brain?

Scientists have learned a great deal about how THC acts in the brain to produce its many effects. When someone smokes marijuana, THC rapidly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream, which carries the chemical to the brain and other organs throughout the body.

THC acts upon specific sites in the brain, called cannabinoid receptors, kicking off a series of cellular reactions that ultimately lead to the “high” that users experience when they smoke marijuana. Some brain areas have many cannabinoid receptors; others have few or none. The highest density of cannabinoid receptors are found in parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thoughts, concentration, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement.¹

Not surprisingly, marijuana intoxication can cause distorted perceptions, impaired coordination, difficulty in thinking and problem solving, and problems with learning and memory. Research has shown that marijuana’s adverse impact on learning and memory can last for days or weeks after the acute effects of the drug wear off.² As a result, someone who smokes marijuana every day may be functioning at a suboptimal intellectual level all of the time.

Research on the long-term effects of marijuana abuse indicates some changes in the brain similar to those seen after long-term abuse of other major drugs. For example, cannabinoid withdrawal in chronically exposed animals leads to an increase in the activation of the stress-response system³ and changes in the activity of nerve cells containing dopamine.⁴ Dopamine neurons are involved in the regulation of motivation and reward, and are directly or indirectly affected by all drugs of abuse.

Addictive Potential
Long-term marijuana abuse can lead to addiction; that is, compulsive drug seeking and abuse despite its known harmful effects upon social functioning in the context of family, school, work, and recreational activities. Long-term marijuana abusers trying to quit report irritability, sleeplessness, decreased appetite, anxiety, and drug craving, all of which make it difficult to quit. These withdrawal symptoms begin within about 1 day following abstinence, peak at 2–3 days, and subside within 1 or 2 weeks following drug cessation.⁵

Marijuana and Mental Health
A number of studies have shown an association between chronic marijuana use and increased rates of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and schizophrenia. Some of these studies have shown age at first use to be a factor, where early use is a marker of vulnerability to later problems. However, at this time, it not clear whether marijuana use causes mental problems, exacerbates them, or is used in attempt to self-medicate symptoms already in existence. Chronic marijuana use, especially in a very young person, may also be a marker of risk for mental illnesses, including addiction, stemming from genetic or environmental vulnerabilities, such as early exposure to stress or violence. At the present time, the strongest evidence links marijuana use and schizophrenia and/or related disorders⁶. High doses of marijuana can produce an acute psychotic reaction, and research suggests that in vulnerable individuals, marijuana use may be a factor that increases risk for the disease.

What Other Adverse Effect Does Marijuana Have on Health?

Effects on the Heart
One study found that an abuser’s risk of heart attack more than quadruples in the first hour after smoking marijuana.⁷ The researchers suggest that such an outcome might occur from marijuana’s effects on blood pressure and heart rate (it increases both) and reduced oxygen-carrying capacity of blood.

Effects on the Lungs
Numerous studies have shown marijuana smoke to contain carcinogens and to be an irritant to the lungs. In fact, marijuana smoke contains 50 to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke. Marijuana users usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers do, which further increases the lungs’ exposure to carcinogenic smoke. Marijuana smokers show dysregulated growth of epithelial cells in their lung tissue, which could lead to cancer;⁸ however, a recent case-controlled study found no positive associations between marijuana use and lung, upper respiratory, or upper digestive tract cancers.⁹ Thus, the link between marijuana smoking and these cancers remains unsubstantiated at this time.

Nonetheless, marijuana smokers can have many of the same respiratory problems as tobacco smokers, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illness, a heightened risk of lung infections, and a greater tendency toward obstructed airways. A study of 450 individuals found that people who smoke marijuana frequently but do not smoke tobacco have more health problems and miss more days of work than nonsmokers.¹⁰ Many of the extra sick days among the marijuana smokers in the study were for respiratory illnesses.

Effects on Daily Life
Research clearly demonstrates that marijuana has the potential to cause problems in daily life or make a person’s existing problems worse. In one study, heavy marijuana abusers reported that the drug impaired several important measures of life achievement including physical and mental health, cognitive abilities, social life, and career status.¹¹ Several studies associate workers’ marijuana smoking with increased absences, tardiness, accidents, workers’ compensation claims, and job turnover.

What Treatment Options Exist?

Behavioral interventions, including cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational incentives (i.e., providing vouchers for goods or services to patients who remain abstinent) have shown efficacy in treating marijuana dependence. Although no medications are currently available, recent discoveries about the workings of the cannabinoid system offer promise for the development of medications to ease withdrawal, block the intoxicating effects of marijuana, and prevent relapse.

The latest treatment data indicate that in 2006 marijuana was the most common illicit drug of abuse and was responsible for about 16 percent (289,988) of all admissions to treatment facilities in the United States. Marijuana admissions were primarily male (73.8 percent), White (51.5 percent), and young (36.1 percent were in the 15–19 age range). Those in treatment for primary marijuana abuse had begun use at an early age: 56.2 percent had abused it by age 14 and 92.5 percent had abused it by age 18.**

How Widespread is Marijuana Abuse?

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, in 2006, 14.8 million Americans age 12 or older used marijuana at least once in the month prior to being surveyed, which is similar to the 2005 rate. About 6,000 people a day in 2006 used marijuana for the first time—2.2 million Americans. Of these, 63.3 percent were under age 18.***

Monitoring the Future Survey
According to the 2007 Monitoring the Future survey—a national survey of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders, marijuana use has been declining since the late 1990s. Between 2000 and 2007, past-year use decreased more than 20 percent in all three grades combined. Nevertheless, marijuana use remains at unacceptably high levels, with more than 40 percent of high school seniors reporting use at least once in their lifetimes. ****

Percentage of 8th-Graders Who Have Used Marijuana:
Monitoring the Future Study, 2007

	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000
Lifetime	16.7%	19.9%	23.1%	22.6%	22.2%	22.0%	20.3%
Past Year	13.0	15.8	18.3	17.7	16.9	16.5	15.6
Past Month	7.8	9.1	11.3	10.2	9.7	9.7	9.1
Daily	0.7	0.8	1.5	1.1	1.1	1.4	1.3

	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Lifetime	20.4%	19.2%	17.5%	16.3%	16.5%	15.7	14.2
Past Year	15.4	14.6	12.8	11.8	12.2	11.7	10.3
Past Month	9.2	8.3	7.5	6.4	6.6	6.5	5.7
Daily	1.3	1.2	1.0	0.8	1.0	1.0	0.8

Percentage of 10th-Graders Who Have Used Marijuana:
Monitoring the Future Study, 2007

	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000
Lifetime	30.4%	34.1%	39.8%	42.3%	39.6%	40.9%	40.3%
Past Year	25.2	28.7	33.6	34.8	31.1	32.1	32.2
Past Month	15.8	17.2	20.4	20.5	18.7	19.4	19.7
Daily	2.2	2.8	3.5	3.7	3.6	3.8	3.8

	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Lifetime	40.1%	38.7%	36.4%	35.1%	34.1%	31.8%	31.0%
Past Year	32.7	30.3	28.2	27.5	26.6	25.2	24.6
Past Month	19.8	17.8	17.0	15.9	15.2	14.2	14.2
Daily	4.5	3.9	3.6	3.2	3.1	2.8	2.8

Percentage of 12th-Graders Who Have Used Marijuana
Monitoring the Future Study, 2007

	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000
Lifetime	38.2%	41.7%	44.9%	49.6%	49.1%	49.7%	48.8%
Past Year	30.7	34.7	35.8	38.5	37.5	37.8	36.5
Past Month	19.0	21.2	21.9	23.7	22.8	23.1	21.6
Daily	3.6	4.6	4.9	5.8	5.6	6.0	6.0

	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Lifetime	49.0%	47.8%	46.1%	45.7%	44.8%	42.3%	41.8%
Past Year	37.0	36.2	34.9	34.3	33.6	31.5	31.7
Past Month	22.4	21.5	21.2	19.9	19.8	18.3	18.8
Daily	5.8	6.0	6.0	5.6	5.0	5.0	5.1

http://www.nida.nih.gov/

What Is Marijuana?

2008-10-28T03:55:00.000-07:00

Marijuana is a green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant. You may hear marijuana called by street names such as pot, herb, weed, grass, boom, Mary Jane, gangster, or chronic. There are more than 200 slang terms for marijuana.

Sinsemilla (sin-seh-me-yah; a Spanish word), hashish ("hash" for short), and hash oil are stronger forms of marijuana.

All forms of marijuana are mind-altering. In other words, they change how the brain works. They all contain THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), the main active chemical in marijuana. They also contain more than 400 other chemicals. Marijuana's effects on the user depend on the strength or potency of the THC it contains (5). THC potency of marijuana has increased since the 1970s but has been about the same since the mid-1980s.

http://alcoholism.about.com/

Drug addiction care boost

2008-10-26T19:27:00.001-07:00

New drug care guidance has been welcomed by Weston MP John Penrose, who has long campaigned for better drug treatment.

Mr Penrose set up the Cleaner Weston Campaign in 2004 to tackle drug problems in the town, which contains several rehabilitation centres.

The campaigned called for a number of changes including new accreditation and inspection schemes to ensure rehabs provide high quality treatment. He also wants addicts' care to be paid by the agency which referred them to a particular rehab, rather than leaving local tax payers to foot the bill. He also says addicts should be provided with effective follow-up care, so they are not abandoned after initial treatment.

New NHS guidance on treating drug addicts – a best practice guide – has now been published.

It was amended to include some of Mr Penrose's proposals and now sets out the best practice for residential rehabs and gives a clear description of how treatments can be made more effective.

Mr Penrose said: "This guidance is a major step in the right direction.

"I'm delighted that the Government have learnt some of the lessons from Weston and have altered the guidance to reflect them.

"Inspection and accreditation schemes can weed out dodgy rehabs, so more addicts will get the high-quality help they need to break the cycle of drug addiction and the crime needed to fund it. That's good for the addicts and good for local residents too.

"Equally, the cost of treating addicts who are sent to Weston from other parts of the country shouldn't fall on local tax payers.

"I'm delighted that the Government have accepted this principle for the initial costs of treatment, but they still need to apply it to the other related social costs like housing and post-treatment support as well.

"I'm also not convinced that the Government has plugged the gaps in follow-up care yet either."

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/

RISKY SEX

2008-10-26T19:24:00.000-07:00

RISKY SEX
Young men said to be having unprotected sex with homeless HIV-infected women

A number of young men have been engaging in unprotected sex with homeless HIV-infected female drug users who willingly sell their bodies for money to purchase drugs, forcing at least one counselling psychologist to issue a strong warning about this risky behaviour.

In sounding the warning, Howard Gough, counselling psychologist and manager of Patricia House, a drug rehabilitation centre, told the Sunday Observer that the men buying sex from these addicts were not homeless but were non-drug using young men who are involved in relationships and young boys who are experimenting with sex.

A section of 'The Gulf' in New Kingston, where dozens of drug addicts (some pictured) live. (Photo: Karl McLarty)

In fact, an independent study on homeless drug users in three Caribbean countries, including Jamaica, indicates that 75 per cent of females sampled engage in sex for money or drugs and only 11 per cent report using condoms consistently.

Gough said that in 2005, there were between 30 and 35 homeless female drug users in New Kingston, a figure estimated to be significantly higher now.

"This is why the public needs to pay attention and support what is being done here," he said in reference to the Caribbean Treatment Action Group's (CTAG) programme highlighting the needs of women who are HIV positive, homeless, and crack/cocaine users.

Gough said they used to reach the women through 'a harm reduction' approach when they operated a drop-in centre in the area, but that part of the programme was discontinued.

"We used to go to them not to tell them to stop selling sex or using drugs but the primary focus was to get them to increase condom use," he said.

This was particularly important since the women are not able to negotiate condom use if they are high on drugs.

"They would sell $1,500 for the night, use that up in drugs, then sell more sex and buy more drugs and once they begin doing this they can no longer negotiate condom use ," he explained.
Some have pimps who provide security to prevent robbery of the drugs or money.

While a few prostitute their bodies under duress from pimps, Gough said the majority do it voluntarily. Only a few of the pimps are themselves drug users.

CTAG, in association with Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC), which declared October 15 an 'annual access to treatment' day in four Caribbean countries, are seeking to bring attention to HIV-positive groups that face unique challenges in gaining access to treatment, such as homeless, drug-using prostitutes.

A mother, who spoke with the Sunday Observer on condition of anonymity, said her daughter left their St Andrew home for Kingston's streets where she sold sex to maintain her drug habit.
Although several attempts were made to get her into rehab and for her to stay home with her 11-year-old daughter, nothing worked.

"She would be gone for weeks and when her daughter ask for her, we never knew what to say," said the mother, a teacher at a prominent high school.

She never knew her daughter was infected with HIV until she became seriously ill, and subsequently died.
She believes that given her daughter's desperation for drugs, she would have infected anyone who was willing to have unprotected sex with her.

Now, the teacher feels guilty for the decision she and her husband took to withhold money from her, saying their stance may have driven their daughter to a life of prostitution to support the habit.
"This is an issue that women's groups need to look at to lobby the government to help these women because they are as much victims as the men they are infecting," she said.

Gough said the availability and affordability of drugs on our nation's streets are driving the sex trade among homeless drug users.

He claimed that when the police unit 'Kingfish' was first established, it made a big dent in the local drug trade but stated that it was only short-lived since crack is now being sold for as little as $100.

New drug users, Gough said, spend $800 to $1,500 in one night, while chronic users - addicts for more than five years -spend between $1,500 and $5,000.

"They will do crack from 8:00 pm to 1:00 am nonstop," he said.

Although having heard reports of homeless male drug addicts selling sex to buy drugs, Gough said he had no evidence to support this. Male addicts, he said, were more likely to wash cars, steal and beg for money.

Meanwhile, the women continue to die from AIDS as they are unable to adhere to treatment while living on the streets.
"How do you give ARVs (antiretrovirals) to a homeless person who must eat three meals a day?" he asked.

Although the National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA) recently announced a "Homeless Population: Tek It To Them" programme for drug users to receive health care, several women were at the Gulf when the Sunday Observer visited. Located in New Kingston, the Gulf is a squalid gully inside which many women live huddled together in makeshift cardboard box houses.

Information and research director at the NCDA, Ellen Campbell-Grizzle said the programme takes persons off the streets, bathes them, gives them food, and provides HIV medication as well as treatment for substance abuse.

However, at least one very frail-looking female drug addict with whom the Sunday Observer spoke, said the addicts had received "no help at all".

"We just have to fend fi we self," was all she would say, before begging some money.

Stacy Jarret of Jamaica AIDS Support for Life said the biggest challenge is to find food and lodging for these persons, especially those with AIDS.

"Even though we have access to medication, without food it doesn't make sense and also because some drugs need to be stored in a refrigerator," she said.

source : http://www.jamaicaobserver.com

Redmond O'Neal Out of Rehab

2008-10-26T19:18:00.000-07:00

Redmond O'Neal, son of actors Ryan O'Neal and Farrah Fawcett, is "doing a lot better" after completing a court-ordered two-week detox program, and plans to enroll in further drug treatment, he told a Los Angeles judge Thursday.

Judge Scott Millington told O'Neal he was on the right path and advised him to "stay clean," People magazine reports. O'Neal, 23, and his 67-year-old father were arrested Sept. 17 after deputies searched their Malibu home (part of Redmond O'Neal's probation) and allegedly discovered methamphetamines on Redmond and in Ryan's bedroom.

Redmond has a history of substance abuse, first landing in rehab in 2004 for heroin use. This past June he pleaded guilty to drug possession and one misdemeanor DUI charge.

Ryan O'Neal's lawyer told People that his client does not use drugs, and that the meth found in the bedroom belonged to Redmond: "Ryan had confiscated them from Redmond. . . . He was trying to keep the drugs away from his son."

Father and son are scheduled to be arraigned Nov. 13 on felony drug possession charges.

Momsen's on the Mend

Local teen-turned-"Gossip Girl" star Taylor Momsen, treated at a Los Angeles hospital this week for a "severe, potentially life-threatening throat infection," is recuperating at home and will be back on the teen soap's set within days, her doctor says.

The 15-year-old Potomac native (last fall, she showed up at Winston Churchill High's homecoming dance) checked into an unnamed hospital Sunday, where she was treated for an unspecified condition. She left the hospital on Wednesday.

In a statement, Momsen's doctor said that "after aggressive antibiotics and medications, she is expected to make a full recovery in the next three to five days." As for CW, the network that carries "Gossip Girl," a rep said Momsen was expected to return to work yesterday.

Cosmic Miscommunication?

Trekkies: Pick a side! George Takei or William Shatner, that is.

The former "Star Trek" co-stars traded verbal barbs this week, starting with Shatner's somewhat baffling decision to post a video lament on YouTube.com. His gripe? Not being invited to Takei's recent wedding to longtime partner Brad Altman.

"The whole thing makes me feel badly," Shatner, 77, said in the video. "Poor man, there's such a sickness there. It's so patently obvious that there is a psychosis there. . . . He's continued to speak badly about me for all these years."

Not so, Takei told "Entertainment Tonight": "It is absolutely baffling to us because, in fact, we did invite Bill and we didn't hear from him." The 71-year-old Takei added that Shatner has "never responded to an invitation. . . . Every time there was something happy to celebrate" among the "Star Trek" cast, "he never showed up."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/

Something Like Life: Into the Heart of Darkness

2008-10-26T19:14:00.000-07:00

Gerry was the youngest of 15 children by a landed couple whose family patriarch was a well-respected businessman in his province. He and his siblings led privileged lives in their poor hometown with the family blessed with not only material possessions but also a good social and political network, and access to the best education money could afford. v I’ve known Gerry most of my life because I had spent a few summers in his hometown. We were almost the same age although I was closer to his older sister. Summer vacation meant endless fun, despite it being a sleepy town where everyone was supposed to have dinner by 6 pm and be in bed by 8 pm.

But during summer, we young ones were allowed to spread our own brand of mayhem even when the adults were already in bed. So we would drive around the city, which was the only exciting thing to do in the evenings then, and stuff ourselves with pork barbecue while downing tall cool glasses of Coca-Cola. Then there was the occasional patintero on the near-empty streets in front of Gerry’s home, as the huge full moon glowed mightily in the nighttime sky.

In the afternoons, Gerry would go up a mango tree to pick out green mangoes we would then gorge on with a side dish of bagoong made by his lola, or, in its absence, soy sauce and salt. Or he and his older brother Jorge would go scoop up a few coins from their mom’s wallet to buy batchoy or sweet breads from the neighborhood bakery for our merienda.

Except for the smells and tastes of the food we ate then, I don’t quite remember any of my conversations with Gerry or his siblings. I’m sure it was about stuff we deemed very important at that age—we were 11 or 12 years old then—but are now too insignificant to remember. It just seemed another lifetime ago that we were all just waiting to show off our brilliance to the entire world.

The last time I saw Gerry was when we were in our 20s, I was already working and he was running one of the businesses his family owned. I made a trip to visit with his family where questions of the usual sort were, “So when are you getting married?” Yup, it was that kind of town.

Gerry and I did not have much of a lengthy conversation during that visit, as we hardly saw each other. Either he was still asleep when I was moving about his family’s home, or already out with his friends when I arrived from a day at the beach. He seemed very distant than usual but I put it all down to the fact that we had just grown apart. Unlike his elder siblings, he never made that successful transition to Manila for his college education. It seemed we hardly shared anything in common anymore.

I don’t know when I found out that Gerry was undergoing drug rehab. We were probably already in our 30s then, but apparently the habit started much earlier. All the while he had been out with his friends, he was getting hooked on drugs. You hear all about it these days, children of privileged families with lots of extra cash to throw around getting into the habit. Gerry was no exception, it seemed, although as one of his siblings put in, there could have been deeper reasons that drove him to his addiction.

Scientists believe there is an addiction gene. It makes one predisposed to obsess over certain foods, chemical substances, or even habits. But it doesn’t mean one is doomed from birth when one has that gene. Environment and upbringing have a lot to do with addiction as well. Like, if you see your father drinking himself into a drunken stupor every day, whether or not you have the addiction gene, you might become an alcoholic as well. But the likelihood of you becoming a drunk like your dad is higher once you have that addict gene.

But in trying to root out the reasons for his fixation on illegal drugs like shabu/ice, Gerry told his therapist at the drug-rehab center that he felt somewhat neglected while he was growing up and being the youngest in the family. During his therapy sessions, Gerry spoke of his birthdays being forgotten, or wanting to show off his good grades, but there was no one with whom he could talk, or who would listen to him. His parents were probably too busy with their businesses, while his older siblings, of course, had their own lives to attend to.

Some of Gerry’s elder siblings became defensive when the issue of neglect came up. They regarded it as no more than a cock-and-bull story, and that Gerry was just trying to escape responsibility for his own actions. That he laid the blame on his parents or siblings for not paying enough attention to him.

And then there are studies which show that of all the drugs that one can be hooked on, it is shabu/ice (methamphetamine) that is the deadliest and most difficult to shake. Even when an addict has gotten the drug out of his system, some studies show there is less dopamine produced in the brain, predisposing him to lingering bouts of depression. This causes the addict to want more of the drug. This is probably the reason why it was so easy for Gerry to regress back into his illicit drug habit. The need to be constantly high and happy was just too much to resist.

In a peculiar way, many of us are probably like Gerry in the way we want to feel always happy, desirable and loved. We have our own addictions to prove it as well. Like my (not-so-)secret addiction is food. I love it and revel in having all sorts of creative flavors and tastes play on my tongue. So it is always exhilarating for me to have a really delicious special meal.

Brian, my workaholic friend, lives in his office, or it seems like it. He needs to feel the constant pressure at the office with the bosses breathing down his back, and tackle the difficult challenges of yet another work assignment to give him a high. Our other colleague, Boodle, on the other hand, just needs those four bottles of beer every day to make him function at work. Less than that, and it makes him feel inefficient and off his game.

Then there’s Rianna, who needs to update her wardrobe every week, whether it be a new bag, another pair of shoes, or a new shirt. Not a day goes by that she doesn’t scour the mall boutiques to look or purchase yet another item that she doesn’t really need. She just needs to feel that constant rush of having made a new purchase to make her happy.

There is no single reason for these addictions. Perhaps, some of us had spiteful parents, abusive siblings, felt the odd one out in school. Or maybe we’re all just trying to fill a certain need or emptiness in our lives.

Now in his 40s, Gerry spends his days in the rehab center trying to help other kids change their lives, even if he cannot change his. Try as he might, his spirit is too weak to free himself from the continued temptations of substance abuse once outside the rehab center. He has left it a couple of times all clean, but whenever he returns to his hometown, he slips back into the nasty drug habit.

Gerry often tells his young nephews and nieces to stay away from drugs. He tried it just once, he says, and look where he is now. “H’wag kayong gagaya sa akin,” he always tells the kids. To his credit perhaps, none of the younger ones have adopted the same drug habit. And Gerry knows himself too much to leave the rehab center. It is only there where he knows he is safe and protected from his inner demons.

http://businessmirror.com.ph/

Parents Make A Difference:

2008-10-22T21:12:00.000-07:00

“Communication, education, and alertness are the key,” comments Mary Rieser, Executive Director of Narconon Drug Rehab of Georgia. “Your child will be influenced by television, peers, classmates. Make sure your voice is the one they listen to.

“Someone may ask them to just ‘try’ a prescription drug, or marijuana, or a harder drug. This is the first step on the road to drug addiction. Make sure they are informed. A little prevention now will save countless heartbreak later.”

Join Together, a community effort to educate on drug addiction, gives the following tips:

Your child’s well-being is your first priority, but you may not be aware of the best ways to keep your child healthy and safe. Your influence is stronger than you may think.

Becoming well-informed about substance use problems can help you teach your child to make positive decisions, and becoming active in your community can contribute to protecting other children and adults from the harms of drug and alcohol use.

Action Steps
• Know where your child is at all times. Make an agreement with your child that you will always call the home of the friend he or she is going to visit.
• Encourage your child to invite their friends to your home so you can get to know them.
• Engage your child in an open and mutual dialogue about the dangers of substance use and promote healthy decision making.
• Pledge that you will always be available to give your child a ride if none of his or her friends are sober and able to drive. You can find more information about this idea at the SADD Contract for Life website.
• Get involved in the parent-teacher organization. Encourage discussions with other parents and pledge to agree that no parent will purchase alcohol for or allow underage teens to drink in their home.
• Contact your elected officials and ask them to support relevant underage drinking legislation such as higher alcohol taxes, social host laws, keg registration programs, graduated driver's license policies, etc.
• Ask your child's physician to screen for alcohol use during annual check ups. The CRAFFT is a valid screening tool specifically designed for physicians to screen adolescents. Ask your own physician if he or she screens all patients.
• Get involved in a community coalition.

*Source: JoinTogether.org

Call Narconon Drug Rehab 1-877-413-3073 for more information on effective drug treatment or drug education.

We are Narconon – The New Life Program.

http://www.transworldnews.com/

Elephant unfit for wild after drug rehab

2008-10-22T20:53:00.000-07:00

A CHINESE elephant who spent three years in rehab after animal smugglers got him addicted to heroin is not able to return to the wild despite being cured, state press reported.

Four-year-old Xiguang and three other elephants who the smugglers also captured had been taken to an animal protection centre on China's tropical island of Hainan to recover from their ordeals.

While they are all fit again, they are no longer able to live in the wild, Xinhua news agency cited an official with a wildlife park in southwestern China's Yunnan province where they are now residing.

"Three years of domestic life and a huge amount of rehabilitation medication has changed the physical situations, odours and habits of Xiguang and the other elephants,'' said Pan Hua, the park's deputy manager, according to Xinhua.

"They may become the target of attacks by other beasts if they are sent back to the wild. Some are easily irritable now and may hurt humans. They can't go back to the wild anymore.''

Xiguang became hooked on heroin after the animal smugglers laced bananas with the drug to capture and tame him, according to Xinhua.

Police caught the smugglers and rescued the elephants on the border between China and Myanmar in 2005, Xinhua said.

Xiguang was identified as having problems distinct from the other elephants because his eyes were always streamed with tears and he made continuous trumpeting noises, previous press reports said.

At the Hainan animal protection centre, his three-year rehab included regular doses of methadone five times stronger than required for humans trying to recover from heroin addiction, Xinhua said.

- AFP

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au

anti-drug event

2008-10-19T19:22:00.000-07:00

By Zara Nicholson

"Not even once" is the message organisations and recovering addicts are giving teenagers thinking about experimenting with drugs.

Next Saturday teams from Not Even Once, The Drug Education Agency and the Home of Hope will gather at the V&A Waterfront for an anti-drug event.

Organiser Rees Lewis-Thomas from the Not Even Once project in Table View says: "This is an opportunity for the youth to invest themselves in a creative and constructive event, where they can meet people and have a great time as opposed to being easy targets for drug dealers."

'This is an opportunity for the youth to invest themselves in a creative and constructive event'

The Not Even Once Anti Drug Campaign is about showcasing extreme sports such as skating, surfing, BMX, music and alternative lifestyles while educating young people and the community on the dangers of substance abuse.

Project manager for the Drug Education Agency, Bradleigh Goring, who was a drug addict for 10 years, says many teenagers don't realise how bad their problem could become since the initial experience with drugs seems to be all about "the good, party life".

"I didn't blame my drugging on anything, I came from a good home and got everything I ever wanted and my main reason for doing it was for partying and nightclubs.

"Parents have this picture about of a bad-guy drug dealer but every single time the drug was given to me by a friend."

He started with LSD, later moving on to cocaine and Ecstasy. But when heroin joined his drug repertoire, he realised he had a problem.

'I didn't blame my drugging on anything'

"Adverts, the media and organisations always have this messed-up, hectic picture of someone down and out.

"But teenagers don't see that because when they start they think it's the most wonderful thing in the world because of the high, not realising how quickly they can get hooked."

It took Goring 10 years and visits to five rehab centres to kick the addiction.

"It's very hard to tell kids 'not even once' but we try to give our testimony of how small it started and where it went and we tell them that if they do it, they are going to walk a long road."

During the event the Drug Education Agency team will be available to the public for counselling, information and referrals.

The event takes place at the amphitheatre from 4pm to 6pm with live music from Rock Circus and Fight with Fire.
http://www.iol.co.za/

Is the Economy Driving People to Drink?

2008-10-15T20:55:00.000-07:00

Is the Economy Driving People to Drink?

Florida Drug Rehab sees increases in people who need treatment with every downturn the economy takes.

Miami (PRWEB) October 14, 2008 -- Mitchell E. Wallick, Ph.D. CAP ICADC FABFCE, Executive Director of C.A.R.E. Addiction Recovery has observed an increase in the number of people who call the Florida drug rehab facility seeking treatment that has corresponded with the downward declines in incomes, increased mortgage foreclosures and other signs of economic distress.

Economic downturns traditionally lead to increased substance abuse, compulsive gambling and other addictive behaviors, and that trend is emerging again. "As people face the devastating disasters of unemployment, increased expenses, stress of job uncertainty, etc., it is not surprising that they turn to addictive behaviors to bury their situational depression and anxiety and escape from the world which appears bleak, boring and without hope," says Wallick.

Unfortunately, the poor economy also exerts a negative effect on the ability to fund alcohol detox programs and drug rehab programs, creating a double-edged sword of increased demand and diminishing resources. Public addiction treatment programs facing reduced funding have fewer slots. Private programs faced by increasing gas, food and other costs are simultaneously raising prices. Many who were previously covered by insurance, lacking the funds for COBRA after unemployment find themselves with the impossible situation of paying for rehabilitation. For many drug rehab programs, the economy is forcing cutbacks in services and even closings because of rapidly declining client census.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Survey on Drug Use & Health released last month, illicit use of prescription drugs has increased since 2002 and drug use has increased among Baby Boomers.

Though CARE has always been priced at the moderate end of the spectrum for long-term drug rehab centers, the economy has prompted further action to aid those with financial problems. Wallick has created a charitable organization, CARE's Helps, whose mission is to provide financial support for people seeking addiction treatment at the C.A.R.E. Florida rehab program when family circumstances preclude full payment. A sliding payment scale, is another attempt to ease the burden on families with limited funds, facilitated by CARE's Helps.

C.A.R.E. Addiction Resources is located in North Palm Beach, Florida. Founded by Dr. Mitch Wallick who holds with Ph.D.'s in Counseling and Addictions, C.A.R.E. employs holistic healing modalities and endeavors to treat the underlying psychological factors that predicate addictions. In addition to drug rehabilitation and alcohol detox, C.A.R.E. has had enormous success applying these same principles to those suffering from eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia, or over eating as well as gambling addiction, sex addiction and even Internet addiction.

C.A.R.E.S. HELPS is a charitable organization launched by C.A.R.E. Addiction Resources to provide partial funding for treatment, housing, counseling and holistic therapies to deserving individuals and their families in need of addiction treatment. C.A.R.E.S HELPS maintains 501(c) (3) tax exempt organization.

SAMHSA, an agency in the Department of Health and Human Services, is the Federal Government's lead agency for improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment, and mental health services in the United States.

source : http://www.prweb.com

A Problem by Drinking

2008-10-13T21:32:00.000-07:00

Drinking Problems Leading to Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Start at an Early Age

Atlanta, GA 10/13/2008 08:27 PM GMT (FINDITT)

It has been noted that children who start drinking at an early age are more at risk to become involved in alcoholism and drug addiction than those who have not.

Alcohol use by adolescents is extremely dangerous, not only to themselves, but to society at large.

“I have had the privilege of interviewing hundreds of persons who have come to Narconon in order to conquer their drug or alcohol addiction,” comments Mary Rieser, Executive Director for Narconon Drug Rehab in Georgia. “I have learned first hand through these interviews that most of those who have a bad drinking problem started at an early age. Whether they found the liquor in the family bar or got it from the next door neighbor, many of our clients started secretly drinking at an early age – 12 to 14 for many of them.”

Underage alcohol use is not only associated with violence, educational failure, and unsafe sex, but also with suicide, traffic fatalities, health risks, and other problem behaviors that lower the adolescents chances of success in today’s world.

Ms. Rieser comments: “The individuals who market for the liquor industry also apparently know that long term drinkers start at an early age. There would be no other reason for the large amount of advertising money that they are obviously spending on targeting youth as customers for their brew. The media continues to make drinking look attractive to youth, and it remains possible and even easy for teenagers to get access to alcohol.

“Fortunately, there are more concerned families than there are persons marketing for liquor companies. We just have to alert families and let them know what they can do in order to send a message to make this marketing to their children stop.

Talk to your kids. Set them straight. Don’t let them become drug addicts.

If you know someone who is drug addicted, then call Narconon. We have a 76% success rate.

Call Narconon Drug Rehab 1-877-413-3073 for more information on effective drug treatment.

Oceana County struggles with teen drug problem

2008-10-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

Posted by Heather Lynn Peters | The Muskegon Chronicle October 11, 2008 22:32PM

Chronicle/Ken StevensIn picturesque Oceana County, "farm parties" were thought to be a place where young people gathered to drink. Authorities soon found out that "pharm" is short for pharmaceuticals, which are stolen from family and friends.

Oceana County, with its pastoral fields brimming with asparagus and cherry trees, might seem an unlikely place for a teenage drug problem.

But in this quiet area where the largest of five high schools will graduate fewer than 115 seniors, there is a growing number of young people entering treatment centers for drug abuse.

Last year, 42 Oceana County residents between the ages of 15-20 were in drug treatment. And, according to one recovering addict, that is a fraction of the number actually misusing drugs.

"There is a big problem here," said 20-year-old Brittany of Rothbury, a recovering drug addict. "Everyone thinks Muskegon is so bad, but they sell the same stuff here as they do there. ... Weed is a big deal everywhere, but prescription drugs you can get from just about anyone."

Prescription drug abuse among young people in Oceana County has led to arrests, accidents and even the recent death of a 20-year-old Hart woman.

Bruce C. Vanderhoof, a local substance abuse counselor, sees the consequences everyday.

"Alcohol and pot use nationwide has come down about 2 percent, but prescription drug use has come up," he said. "We're seeing it more and more and no one wants to admit we have a problem in the area."

Death takes its toll

Courtesy photoJessica Bruce, who died of an overdose at age 20, likely started experimenting with prescription painkillers after an injury.

In August, Jessica Bruce, a former cheerleader at Hart High School and accomplished equestrian, died when she overdosed on drugs that included a Fetanyl patch. Her father, Steve Bruce, said his daughter had stolen other Fetanyl patches and prescription drugs from her mother in the past.

Many of the prescription drugs young people illegally use are stolen from their parents or someone they know, a fact Michigan's Department of Community Health has hammered home this year with an aggressive advertising campaign.

But Oceana County residents said that message often goes unheeded.

"It's very difficult to understand how it happens in a rural community with small-town values," said Rev. Lorraine Boucon of Hart Congregational United Church of Christ. "You see people dying of drugs and it just doesn't make sense."

Steve Bruce said he discovered evidence his daughter, Jessica, had been "smoking" the prescription painkiller the morning he found her dead in her bedroom. His daughter had been living in the Bruce home about three months before her death.

Steve Bruce believes his daughter, who also was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in high school, started experimenting with drugs after being prescribed pain medication for an injury at age 13. He said he attempted to address his daughter's growing drug problem for years, but after she turned 18, it was difficult to intervene, especially due to her bipolar disorder.

"Although (we) made multiple attempts to have the dual diagnosis problem of bipolar and drug addiction treated over an extended time period, they were continually stymied by a medical system that bureaucratically is unable to respond to this critical need," Steve Bruce said.

The day of her death she was scheduled to go to rehab, he said.

"No parent needs to go through this. We talked very straightforward about things," he said. "She had a good recognition of the problem. We had many discussions about the fact that everyone needs to be responsible for their own actions at all times, whether with drugs or driving or any thing else."

It takes courage for parents to speak out about a child's drug problem, Vanderhoof said.

Chronicle/Ken StevensAmid the quiet rural north, a teen prescription drug problem is growing.

"Most parents and teachers look for the wrong things or they're afraid to look. They worry, 'If my kids experiment with drugs, am I a bad parent?' ... This isn't a blame thing," he said. "I'd love to see more of these parents say, 'My kid overdosed.' "

Battling a stubborn problem

Some community leaders have begun to dig deeper into the local teen drug problem.

Boucon, who presided over Bruce's funeral service, said her heart breaks to see the local youth "hurting."

"We certainly as a church and as Christians have to find a way to approach it. We're in the business of saving souls, but maybe we need to be in the business of saving young lives as well," said Boucon.

Boucon said she spoke out at Bruce's funeral about the dangers of drug use.

"I stressed to the young people that if they have a problem with drugs, they should speak up. I said, 'You don't want to end up the same way (as Jessica Bruce),'" said Boucon. "Living on drugs is not a life. Just because you're breathing, doesn't mean you're alive."

Boucon, who moved to the Hart area from Grand Rapids 10 years ago, said she's floored drug problems are so prevalent in small-town America.

"It's a puzzle. It's a really beautiful, peaceful place. I call it 'Happy Valley.' But people here have the same kind of pain and struggles that anyone else does," she said.

Law enforcement officials said they also have a hard time getting a grasp on the prescription drug problem.

"It's not necessarily illegal for someone to possess OxyCotin," said Lt. Tim Priese of the Oceana County Sheriff's Department of the strong painkilling medication. "It makes the enforcement of that more difficult. You run into more dead-end roads, whereas, if someone has cocaine or meth -- the case is done."

Education for young people also is lacking, said Oceana County Prosecutor Terry Shaw.

A lack of federal and state funding has ended some drug-education programs that operated in Oceana County for years, such as D.A.R.E (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), Shaw said.

The program, which operates in many communities across the country, is an officer-led series of classroom lessons that teaches children from kindergarten through 12th grade how to resist peer pressure and live drug- and violence-free lives.

Law enforcement, prevention and treatment are key to battling the drug problem, Shaw said.

"You need prevention and treatment and sometimes there isn't enough resources," he said. "Until there is an equal amount of all three, we won't be successful in combating the issue," he said.

Oceana County recently received a boost in educational resources when it secured a portion of an $11.75 million grant earlier this year that will be distributed across 16 state substance abuse agencies to help bring the issue of alcohol and drug abuse to the community's attention.

The Northern Michigan Substance Abuse Agency, which serves 29 other counties and administers the aid money, is conducting two initiatives with the grant money: One in Oceana County to focus on underage drinking and auto crash fatalities, and the other on illegal prescription drug use.

Shaw said he believes prescription drugs have evolved into "more of an issue" than "street drugs."

"There is a stigma that (street drugs) are worse, but things like OxyCotin are deadly," he said.

Vanderhoof said local teens are generally referred to his office by the juvenile court system.

"It ebbs and flows," he said of the number of teens he sees each month. "But the court officials are getting better at identifying it."

Vanderhoof believes it's a lack of education among parents, teachers and teens that has contributed to more teens using recreational and prescription drugs.

"We have no education for these kids. We have no education for parents," he said. "No one is pointing the finger. No one is trying to blame anyone, but this community has got to come together."

New generation, new challenges

The first line of defense against prescription drug abuse is parental awareness, said Vanderhoof.

He points to a generation of teens that is taking "self-medicating" to an extreme -- "if it feels good, take five. If five feels good, take 10."

Law enforcement officials also are dealing with newer forms of drug abuse.

Pentwater Police Chief Mike Schuitema said he recently learned that a "farm party" has nothing to do with teens gathering on property to drink beer and listen to music.

"Pharm," it turns out, is short for pharmaceuticals and refers to party-goers bringing pills they steal from relatives or friends and placing them in a bowl to be blindly passed around and ingested by those at the party.

Bowls and baggies of random pills often are called "trail mix" and, according to Internet chat sites, collecting pills from the family medicine chest is called "pharming."

"It's scary. How much of this is going on?" Schuitema said. "It's so under the surface, but I'm sure it's in every community."

Last May, two teen girls in Pentwater overdosed on an illegally obtained prescription drug -- Ativan -- received from an 18-year-old student on school property, according to police reports. After ingesting the drug, one of the teens crashed her car into a tree, but, fortunately, was not injured.

And in Shelby, Police Chief Tim French said middle-schoolers, ages 12 and 13, already are sampling recreational and prescription drugs and the complaints are piling up.

"Shelby has observed additional drug-related complaints and arrests in 2007 from prior years," said French. "In general, the Shelby Police Department's complaint load has more than doubled ... from last year," he said.

The use of prescription drugs, like OxyCotin, Vicodin and Codeine, is increasing, French said, due to "household availability" and the fact the pills are "no cost" to teens who take them from medicine cabinets.

French maintains that the issue is getting worse due to a lack of "parental guidance."

French advises parents to focus on "drug education" and "limit friendships that you see as having a negative influence."

"Strengthen your bond with your children so they know they can approach you about anything. Teach them respect for you and other adults. Do not give up," French said.

http://blog.mlive.com

Methamphetamine- Know Before You Go Methamphetamine Addiction – Point of No Return

2008-10-09T19:13:00.000-07:00

What if a friend told you they knew a way that you could become angry, hostile, confused and possibly mentally ill?

Could you be tempted with the possibility of convulsions, chest pain or an inability to sleep?

“If someone talks you into taking methamphetamines, this is really what they are talking you into,” comments Mary Rieser, Executive Director of Narconon Drug Rehab Georgia.

Methamphetamine is a stimulant that affects the nervous system in a negative way. A lot of it is produced in illegal laboratories and has deadly chemicals in it. Drug dealers look for simple ways to make methamphetamine –not healthy ways.

Methamphetamine addiction never leads to anything good – ever. The only methamphetamine addicts that are happy are the ones who get effective drug treatment before their brains are totally fried. Meth addicts don’t live long – usually only about 5 years if they are really drug addicted. They often lose their hair and teeth along the path of destruction.

Only a person whose mind was fried from methamphetamine would think that others might enjoy such self destruction.

If someone asks you to try methamphetamine walk the other way quickly or give that person the number of a drug rehab.

If someone you care about is addicted to methamphetamine they need help. They might not make it unless you make the effort to try and point the way.

If someone you know is addicted to methamphetamine, call us. We have a 76% success rate.

We are Narconon – The New Life Program.

Call Narconon Drug Rehab in Georgia at 1-877-413-3073.

Copyright © 2008 Narconon of Georgia Inc. (www.drugsno.com) All rights reserved. Narconon and the Narconon Logo are trademarks and service marks owned by the Association for Better Living and Education International and are used with its permission. Narconon of Georgia is a non-profit 501© public benefit corporation.

source : http://www.transworldnews.com

Inhalants Dangers – Huffing Gasoline, Paint, Polish, Glue

2008-10-09T19:12:00.000-07:00

Drug Rehab Warns of Inhalants Dangers.
Inhalants. Huffing. Sniffing.

Many people have heard about this vaguely, but don’t real know the real facts.

Inhalant abuse is something done by many for a cheap thrill, however, many don’t realize that inhalant abuse can lead to inhalant addiction- causing severe health problems, both mental and physical.

Mary Rieser, Executive Director for Narconon Drug Rehab of Georgia, recalls a personal experience with inhalants addiction: “A few years ago I heard that an old friend of mine was in some kind of trouble. She was having a nervous breakdown or losing her mind – no one seemed to know. I travelled across the country by plane and car to see what could have happened to my bright and effervescent friend and to see if there was some way I could help.

“When I finally got to see her I was alarmed when my attempts at conversation were met with non-sequitur responses. She thought that some Indians were running around the house and that particles were flying out of my mouth as I spoke. Her once beautiful face was gaunt and ghostlike. I checked with our common friends to see what life circumstances could have provoked this devastating rapid deterioration of what seemed to be the fabric of her being.

“It was inhalants addiction, they told me. She had a problems years past with them and had stayed away from them successfully for quite a while. But she picked them up again and had gone too far with their abuse. Now she lost her mind and no one knew if she would find it again. It was scary. I left after a few days, wondering where my friend was – she no longer seemed to inhabit her own body. A year later I heard she was doing better and living with her mother, but she never really got back to normal.”

Inhalant abuse is sniffing or huffing products like markers, nail polish, spray paint, glue and rubber cement. The high comes from oxygen starvation. The oxygen starvation can also kill.

Some of the physical effects of inhalants are:

 Sudden death
 Violent behavior
 Hallucinations
 Headaches
 Nausea
 Muscle weakness

These are all bad things, but it seems like the first one would be enough to keep someone from trying inhalants even once. That one time could kill.

Inhalants are addictive and they are easy to get. They are right in our homes.

If you know someone who is already addicted to inhalants call us. We have a 76% success rate.

We are Narconon – The New Life Program.

Call Narconon Drug Rehab in Georgia at 1-877-413-3073.

Copyright © 2008 Narconon of Georgia Inc. (www.drugsno.com) All rights reserved. Narconon and the Narconon Logo are trademarks and service marks owned by the Association for Better living and Education International and are used with its permission. Narconon of Georgia is a non-profit 501© public benefit corporation.

source : http://www.transworldnews.com

WHAT IS COCCAINE?

2008-10-08T19:59:00.000-07:00

Cocaine is a powerfully addictive drug, cocaine usually makes the user feel euphoric and energetic. Cocaine is snorted, sniffed, injected, or smoked. Crack is cocaine that has been processed from cocaine hydrochloride to a free base for smoking. Cocaine and crack cocaine are powerful and extremely addictive drugs. Cocaine or crack cocaine addiction becomes compulsive and addictive because of the ensuing pleasurable feelings. Cocaine is classified as a Schedule II drug, meaning it has a very high potential for abuse and addiction. There are two primary forms of cocaine. One is the powdery type. Generally it is snorted up into the nose.

What is Crack Cocaine?
The other is crack cocaine, known as crack. Crack Cocaine is the term for the smokable form of cocaine. Crack is the street name given to the form of cocaine that has been processed into a smokable substance. Smoking crack cocaine delivers large quantities of the drug to the lungs, producing an immediate and intense euphoric feeling. The rush, or high is usually very intense, but does not last very long. The rocks of crack cocaine are ignited in a crack pipe and the ensuing vapors get deeply inhaled. Crack cocaine emerged as a major drug of abuse in the past twenty to twenty-five years. The term crack refers to the popping sound heard when it is heated. Cocaine addiction or crack cocaine addiction is usually identified with a person who is compulsively seeking and using cocaine or crack cocaine, despite the negative consequences.

Effects of Cocaine
What are the Effects of Cocaine? There can be severe medical complications associated with cocaine use. Some of the most frequent complications are cardiovascular effects, including disturbances in heart rhythm and heart attacks; respiratory effects such as chest pain and respiratory failure; neurological effects, including strokes, seizures, and headaches; and gastrointestinal complications, including abdominal pain and nausea. Cocaine use has been linked to many types of heart disease. Cocaine has been found to trigger chaotic heart rhythms, called ventricular fibrillation; accelerate heartbeat and breathing; and increase blood pressure and body temperature. Physical symptoms may include chest pain, nausea, blurred vision, fever, muscle spasms, convulsions, coma, and death.

Different routes of cocaine administration can produce different adverse effects. Regularly snorting cocaine, for example, can lead to loss of sense of smell, nosebleeds, problems with swallowing, hoarseness, and an overall irritation of the nasal septum, which can lead to a chronically inflamed, runny nose. Ingested cocaine can cause severe bowel gangrene, due to reduced blood flow. And, persons who inject cocaine have puncture marks and “tracks,” most commonly in their forearms. Intravenous cocaine users may also experience an allergic reaction, either to the drug, or to some additive in street cocaine, which can result, in severe cases, in death. Because cocaine has a tendency to decrease food intake, many chronic cocaine users lose their appetites and can experience significant weight loss and malnourishment.

The effects of cocaine use include heart attacks, respiratory failure, strokes, and seizures. Large amounts can cause bizarre and violent behavior. In rare cases, sudden death can occur on the first use of cocaine or unexpectedly thereafter. The short-term physiological effects of cocaine include constricted blood vessels; dilated pupils; and increased temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. Large amounts (several hundred milligrams or more) intensify the user’s high, but may also lead to bizarre, erratic, and violent behavior. These users may experience tremors, vertigo, muscle twitches, paranoia, or, with repeated doses, a toxic reaction closely resembling amphetamine poisoning. Some users of cocaine report feelings of restlessness, irritability, and anxiety. In rare instances, sudden death can occur on the first use of cocaine or unexpectedly thereafter. Cocaine-related deaths are often a result of cardiac arrest or seizures followed by respiratory arrest. Use of cocaine in a binge, during which the drug is taken repeatedly and at increasingly high doses, leads to a state of increasing irritability, restlessness, and paranoia. This may result in a full-blown paranoid psychosis, in which the individual loses touch with reality and experiences auditory hallucinations.
Signs of Cocaine use
It is used for snorting up the nose. The second is freebase, better known as crack cocaine, used for smoking. A small percentage of cocaine addiction is done intravenously. When cocaine is snorted, the cocaine powder gets inhaled up into the nose where it is readily absorbed into the bloodstream. Once cocaine reaches the brain, dopamine gets released, stimulating pleasurable feelings. Because it is a stimulant, cocaine has always been a major party drug. Cocaine is easy dealt on the streets because it is sold in small packets. The physical signs of cocaine abuse can vary, depending on the person. For one, cocaine acts as an appetite suppressant so cocaine abusers often aren't hungry and end up losing considerable amounts of weight. Cocaine addicts often go on binges, sometimes for several days. The path to cocaine addiction can begin with occasional use only at parties. Over time, a person's ability to choose not to take the drug gradually erodes.

Street Names
Cocaine goes by the street names of coke, snow, flake, blow and many others.

Source : http://www.cocainedrugaddiction.com

Ambien

2008-09-25T20:41:00.000-07:00

What is the most important information I should know about zolpidem?

Zolpidem may cause a severe allergic reaction. Stop taking zolpidem and get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Zolpidem will make you fall asleep. Never take this medication during your normal waking hours, unless you have a full 7 to 8 hours to dedicate to sleeping.

Some people using this medicine have engaged in activity such as driving, eating, or making phone calls and later having no memory of the activity. If this happens to you, stop taking zolpidem and talk with your doctor about another treatment for your sleep disorder.
Zolpidem can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. You may still feel sleepy the morning after taking the medication. Until you know how this medication will affect you during waking hours, be careful if you drive, operate machinery, pilot an airplane, or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert. Do not drink alcohol while you are taking zolpidem. It can increase some of the side effects of zolpidem, including drowsiness. Zolpidem may be habit-forming and should be used only by the person it was prescribed for. Zolpidem should never be shared with another person, especially someone who has a history of drug abuse or addiction. Keep the medication in a secure place where others cannot get to it.

It is dangerous to try and purchase zolpidem on the Internet or from vendors outside of the United States. Medications distributed from Internet sales may contain dangerous ingredients, or may not be distributed by a licensed pharmacy. Samples of zolpidem purchased on the Internet have been found to contain haloperidol (Haldol), a potent antipsychotic drug with dangerous side effects. For more information, contact the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or visit www.fda.gov/buyonlineguide.

What is zolpidem?

Zolpidem is a sedative, also called a hypnotic. It affects chemicals in your brain that may become unbalanced and cause sleep problems (insomnia).

Zolpidem is used to treat insomnia. This medication causes relaxation to help you fall asleep and stay asleep.

Zolpidem may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking zolpidem?

Zolpidem will make you fall asleep. Never take this medication during your normal waking hours, unless you have a full 7 to 8 hours to dedicate to sleeping.

Some people using this medicine have engaged in activity such as driving, eating, or making phone calls and later having no memory of the activity. If this happens to you, stop taking zolpidem and talk with your doctor about another treatment for your sleep disorder.
Do not use this medication if you are allergic to zolpidem. Zolpidem tablets may contain lactose. Use caution if you are sensitive to lactose.

Before taking zolpidem, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:

* kidney disease;
* liver disease;
*

lung disease such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD);
*

a history of depression, mental illness, or suicidal thoughts; or
*

a history of drug or alcohol addiction.

If you have any of these conditions, you may not be able to use zolpidem, or you may need a dosage adjustment or special tests during treatment.
FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. Zolpidem can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

The sedative effects of zolpidem may be stronger in older adults. Accidental falls are common in elderly patients who take sedatives. Use caution to avoid falling or accidental injury while you are taking zolpidem.
Do not give this medicine to anyone younger than 18 years of age.

It is dangerous to try and purchase zolpidem on the Internet or from vendors outside of the United States. Medications distributed from Internet sales may contain dangerous ingredients, or may not be distributed by a licensed pharmacy. Samples of zolpidem purchased on the Internet have been found to contain haloperidol (Haldol), a potent antipsychotic drug with dangerous side effects. For more information, contact the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or visit www.fda.gov/buyonlineguide.

source :http://www.healthline.com/multumcontent/zolpidem

Albuterol

2008-09-25T20:34:00.000-07:00

1. Albuterol

What is the most important information I should know about albuterol inhalation?

It is important to keep this medication on hand at all times. Get your prescription refilled before you run out of medicine completely. Keep using all of your other medications as prescribed by your doctor.

Call your doctor right away if you feel that this medicine is not working as well as usual, or if it makes your condition worse. If it seems like you need to use more of any of your medications in a 24-hour period, talk with your doctor.
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. An overdose of albuterol can be fatal. Extreme heat can cause the medicine canister to burst. Do not store your inhaler in your car on hot days. Do not throw an empty canister into open flame.

What is albuterol inhalation?

Albuterol is a bronchodilator that relaxes muscles in the airways and increases air flow to the lungs.

Albuterol inhalation is used to treat or prevent bronchospasm in people with reversible obstructive airway disease. Albuterol is also used to prevent exercise-induced bronchospasm.

Albuterol inhalation may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before using albuterol inhalation?

Before using this medication, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:

*

heart disease, high blood pressure, or congestive heart failure;
*

a heart rhythm disorder;
*

a seizure disorder such as epilepsy;
*

diabetes;
*

overactive thyroid;

If you have any of these conditions, you may not be able to use albuterol, or you may need a dose adjustment or special tests during treatment.
FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. It is not known whether albuterol passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I use albuterol inhalation?

Use this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not use the medication in larger amounts, or use it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the instructions on your prescription label.
Albuterol may increase the risk of asthma-related death. Use only the prescribed dose of this medicine and follow all patient instructions for safe use. Talk with your doctor about your individual risks and benefits of using albuterol.

When using the inhaler device for the first time, prime it by spraying 4 test sprays into the air, away from your face. Shake well before priming. Also prime the inhaler if you have not used it for 2 weeks or longer, or if you have dropped the inhaler.
The instructions below are for standard use of the inhaler and nebulizer devices. Your doctor may want you to use your device differently. Use only the inhaler device provided with your medicine or you may not get the correct dose.

To use the inhaler:

* Shake the canister well just before each spray.
* Uncap the mouthpiece of the inhaler. Breathe out fully. Put the mouthpiece into your mouth and close your lips. Breathe in slowly while pushing down on the canister. Hold your breath for 10 seconds, then breathe out slowly.
*

If you use more than one inhalation at a time, wait at least 1 minute before using the second inhalation and shake the inhaler again.
*

Keep your inhaler clean and dry, and store it with the cap on the mouthpiece. Clean your inhaler once a week by removing the canister and placing the mouthpiece under warm running water for at least 30 seconds. Shake out the excess water and allow the parts to air dry completely before putting the inhaler back together.

To use the solution with a nebulizer:

*

Measure the correct amount of medicine using the dropper provided, or use the proper number of ampules. Place the liquid into the medication chamber of the nebulizer.
*

Attach the mouthpiece or face mask to the drug chamber. Then, attach the drug chamber to the compressor. Sit upright and place the mouthpiece into your mouth, or cover your nose and mouth with the face mask. Breathe slowly and evenly until you have inhaled all of the medicine (usually 5 to 15 minutes). The treatment is complete when the drug chamber is empty.
*

Clean the nebulizer after each use. Follow the cleaning directions that came with your nebulizer.

Call your doctor right away if you feel that this medicine is not working as well as usual, or if it makes your condition worse. If it seems like you need to use more of any of your medications in a 24-hour period, talk with your doctor.

It is important to keep this medication on hand at all times. Get your prescription refilled before you run out of medicine completely. Keep using all of your other medications as prescribed by your doctor.
Store this medication at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Extreme heat can cause the medicine canister to burst. Do not store it in your car on hot days. Do not throw an empty canister into open flame.
source: http://www.healthline.com/multumcontent/albuterol

Lexapro

2008-09-25T20:32:00.000-07:00

2. Lexapro

Do not take escitalopram together with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam), or tranylcypromine (Parnate). You must wait at least 14 days after stopping an MAOI before you can take escitalopram. After you stop taking escitalopram, you must wait at least 14 days before you start taking an MAOI.

You may have thoughts about suicide when you first start taking an antidepressant, especially if you are younger than 24 years old. Your doctor will need to check you at regular visits for at least the first 12 weeks of treatment.
Call your doctor at once if you have any new or worsening symptoms such as: mood or behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), more depressed, or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself. SSRI antidepressants may cause serious or life-threatening lung problems in newborn babies whose mothers take the medication during pregnancy. However, you may have a relapse of depression if you stop taking your antidepressant during pregnancy. If you are planning a pregnancy, or if you become pregnant while taking escitalopram, do not stop taking the medication without first talking to your doctor.

It is dangerous to try and purchase escitalopram on the Internet or from vendors outside of the United States. Medications distributed from Internet sales may contain dangerous ingredients, or may not be distributed by a licensed pharmacy. Samples of escitalopram purchased on the Internet have been found to contain haloperidol (Haldol), a potent antipsychotic drug with dangerous side effects. For more information, contact the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or visit www.fda.gov/buyonlineguide.

What is escitalopram?

Escitalopram is an antidepressant in a group of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Escitalopram affects chemicals in the brain that may become unbalanced and cause depression or anxiety.

Escitalopram is used to treat anxiety and major depressive disorder.

Escitalopram may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking escitalopram?

It is dangerous to try and purchase escitalopram on the Internet or from vendors outside of the United States. Medications distributed from Internet sales may contain dangerous ingredients, or may not be distributed by a licensed pharmacy. Samples of escitalopram purchased on the Internet have been found to contain haloperidol (Haldol), a potent antipsychotic drug with dangerous side effects. For more information, contact the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or visit www.fda.gov/buyonlineguide.
Do not use escitalopram if you are using an MAO inhibitor such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), tranylcypromine (Parnate), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), or selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam). Serious and sometimes fatal reactions can occur when these medicines are taken with escitalopram. You must wait at least 14 days after stopping an MAO inhibitor before you can take escitalopram. After you stop taking escitalopram, you must wait at least 14 days before you start taking an MAOI.

Before taking escitalopram, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:

* liver or kidney disease;
*

seizures or epilepsy;
*

bipolar disorder (manic depression); or
*

a history of drug abuse or suicidal thoughts.

If you have any of these conditions, you may not be able to use escitalopram, or you may need a dosage adjustment or special tests during treatment.

You may have thoughts about suicide when you first start taking an antidepressant, especially if you are younger than 24 years old. Tell your doctor if you have worsening symptoms of depression or suicidal thoughts during the first several weeks of treatment, or whenever your dose is changed.

Your family or other caregivers should also be alert to changes in your mood or symptoms. Your doctor will need to check you at regular visits for at least the first 12 weeks of treatment.
FDA pregnancy category C. SSRI antidepressants may cause serious or life-threatening lung problems in newborn babies whose mothers take the medication during pregnancy. However, you may have a relapse of depression if you stop taking your antidepressant during pregnancy. If you are planning a pregnancy, or if you become pregnant while taking escitalopram, do not stop taking the medication without first talking to your doctor. Escitalopram can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby. Do not give escitalopram to anyone younger than 18 years old without the advice of of a doctor.

source: http://www.healthline.com/multumcontent/escitalopram

Marijuana Effect (6)

2008-09-05T23:17:00.000-07:00

How does marijuana use affect school, work, and social life?

Students who smoke marijuana get lower grades and are less likely to graduate from high school, compared with their nonsmoking peers. In one study, researchers compared marijuana smoking and nonsmoking 12th-graders' scores on standardized tests of verbal and mathematical skills. Although all of the students had scored equally well in 4th grade, the smokers' scores were significantly lower in 12th grade than the nonsmokers' scores were.

Workers who smoke marijuana are more likely than their co-workers to have problems on the job. Several studies have associated workers' marijuana smoking with increased absences, tardiness, accidents, workers' compensation claims, and job turnover. A study among municipal workers found that employees who smoked marijuana on or off the job reported more"withdrawal behaviors" - such as leaving work without permission, daydreaming, spending work time on personal matters, and shirking tasks - that adversely affect productivity and morale.

Depression, anxiety, and personality disturbances are all associated with marijuana use. Research clearly demonstrates that marijuana use has the potential to cause problems in daily life or make a person's existing problems worse. Because marijuana compromises the ability to learn and remember information, the more a person uses marijuana the more he or she is likely to fall behind in accumulating intellectual, job, or social skills. Moreover, research has shown that marijuana's adverse impact on memory and learning can last for days or weeks after the acute effects of the drug wear off.

For example, a study of 129 college students found that among heavy users of marijuana, those who smoked the drug at least 27 of the preceding 30 days, critical skills related to attention, memory, and learning were significantly impaired, even after they had not used the drug for at least 24 hours. The heavy marijuana users in the study had more trouble sustaining and shifting their attention and in registering, organizing, and using information than did the study participants who had used marijuana no more than 3 of the previous 30 days. As a result, someone who smokes marijuana once daily may be functioning at a reduced intellectual level all of the time. More recently, the same researchers showed that a group of long-term heavy marijuana users' ability to recall words from a list was impaired 1 week following cessation of marijuana use, but returned to normal by 4 weeks. An implication of this finding is that even after long-term heavy marijuana use, if an individual quits marijuana use, some cognitive abilities may be recovered.

Another study produced additional evidence that marijuana's effects on the brain can cause cumulative deterioration of critical life skills in the long run. Researchers gave students a battery of tests measuring problem-solving and emotional skills in 8th grade and again in 12th grade. The results showed that the students who were already drinking alcohol plus smoking marijuana in 8th grade started off slightly behind their peers but that the distance separating these two groups grew significantly by their senior year in high school. The analysis linked marijuana use, independently of alcohol use, to reduced capacity for self-reinforcement, a group of psychological skills that enable individuals to maintain confidence and persevere in the pursuit of goals.
Can marijuana use during pregnancy harm the baby?

Research has shown that babies born to women who used marijuana during their pregnancies display altered responses to visual stimuli, increased tremulousness, and a high-pitched cry, which may indicate problems with neurological development.< During infancy and preschool years, marijuana-exposed children have been observed to have more behavioral problems and to perform tasks of visual perception, language comprehension, sustained attention, and memory more poorly than nonexposed children do. In school, these children are more likely to exhibit deficits in decision-making skills, memory, and the ability to remain attentive.
Is marijuana use addictive?

Long-term marijuana use can lead to addiction for some people; that is, they use the drug compulsively even though it often interferes with family, school, work, and recreational activities. According to the 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, an estimated 5.6 million Americans age 12 or older reported problems with illicit drug use in the past year. Of these, 3.6 million met diagnostic criteria for dependence on an illicit drug. More than 2 million met diagnostic criteria for dependence on marijuana/hashish. In 1999, more than 220,000 people entering drug abuse treatment programs reported that marijuana was their primary drug of abuse.

Along with craving, withdrawal symptoms can make it hard for long-term marijuana smokers to stop using the drug. People trying to quit report irritability, difficulty sleeping, and anxiety. They also display increased aggression on psychological tests, peaking approximately 1 week after they last used the drug.
What treatments are available for marijuana abusers?

Treatment programs directed at marijuana abuse are rare, partly because many who use marijuana do so in combination with other drugs, such as cocaine and alcohol. However, with more people seeking help to control marijuana abuse, research has focused on ways to overcome problems with abuse of this drug.

One study of adult marijuana users found comparable benefits from a 14-session cognitive-behavioral group treatment and a 2-session individual treatment that included motivational interviewing and advice on ways to reduce marijuana use. Participants were mostly men in their early thirties who had smoked marijuana daily for over 10 years. By increasing patients' awareness of what triggers their marijuana use, both treatments sought to help them devise avoidance strategies. Use, dependence symptoms, and psychosocial problems decreased for at least 1 year after both treatments. About 30 percent of users were abstinent during the last 3-month followup period. Another study suggests that giving patients vouchers for abstaining from marijuana can improve outcomes. Vouchers can be redeemed for such goods as movie passes, sports equipment, or vocational training.

No medications are now available to treat marijuana abuse. However, recent discoveries about the workings of THC receptors have raised the possibility that scientists may eventually develop a medication that will block THC's intoxicating effects. Such a medication might be used to prevent relapse to marijuana abuse by reducing or eliminating its appeal.
Where can I get further scientific information about marijuana?

Fact sheets on marijuana, other illicit drugs, and related topics are available free, in English and Spanish, by calling NIDA Infofax at 1-888-NIH-NIDA (1-888-644-6432) or, for those with hearing impairment, 1-888-TTY-NIDA (1-888-889-6432).

Information on marijuana and related topics also can be obtained through NIDA's home page, www.drugabuse.gov, and from the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI) at 1-800-729-6686. NCADI's Web site is www.health.org.

Marijuana Addiction (5)

2008-09-05T23:15:00.000-07:00

Marijuana, Memory, and the Hippocampus
Marijuana's damage to short-term memory seems to occur because THC alters the way in which information is processed by the hippocampus, a brain area responsible for memory formation. Laboratory rats treated with THC displayed the same reduced ability to perform tasks requiring short-term memory as other rats showed after nerve cells in their hippocampus were destroyed. In addition, the THC-treated rats had the greatest difficulty with the tasks precisely during the time when the drug was interfering most with the normal functioning of cells in the hippocampus.

As people age, they normally lose neurons in the hippocampus, which decreases their ability to remember events. Chronic THC exposure may hasten the age-related loss of hippocampal neurons. In one series of studies, rats exposed to THC every day for 8 months (approximately 30 percent of their lifespan), when examined at 11 to 12 months of age, showed nerve cell loss equivalent to that of unexposed animals twice their age.

The Body's Natural THC-Like Chemicals
THC owes many of its effects to its similarity to a family of chemicals called the endogenous cannabinoids, which are natural Cannabis-like chemicals. Because a THC molecule is shaped like these endogenous cannabinoids, it interacts with the same receptors on nerve cells, the cannabinoid receptors, that endogenous cannabinoids do, and it influences many of the same processes. Research has shown that the endogenous cannabinoids help control a wide array of mental and physical processes in the brain and throughout the body, including memory and perception, fine motor coordination, pain sensations, immunity to disease, and reproduction.

When someone smokes marijuana, THC overstimulates the cannabinoid receptors, leading to a disruption of the endogenous cannabinoids' normal control. This overstimulation produces the intoxication experienced by marijuana smokers. Over time, it may degrade some cannabinoid receptors, possibly producing permanent adverse effects and contributing to addiction and risk for a withdrawal syndrome.

The Science of Medical Marijuana
THC, the main active ingredient in marijuana, produces effects that potentially can be useful for treating a variety of medical conditions. It is the main ingredient in an oral medication that is currently used to treat nausea in cancer chemotherapy patients and to stimulate appetite in patients with wasting due to AIDS. Scientists are continuing to investigate other potential medical uses for cannabinoids. Research is underway to examine the effects of smoked marijuana and extracts of marijuana on appetite stimulation, certain types of pain, and spasticity due to multiple sclerosis.

Some clinical trials of smoked marijuana for therapy are underway, but the inconsistency of THC dosage in different marijuana samples poses a major hindrance to valid trials and to the safe and effective use of the drug. Moreover, the adverse effects of marijuana smoke on the respiratory system will offset the helpfulness of smoked marijuana for some patients. Finally, little is known about the many chemicals besides THC that are in marijuana, or their possible deleterious impact on patients with medical conditions.

Healthnews.com

Marijuana Addiction (4)

2008-09-05T23:14:00.000-07:00

How does marijuana use affect physical health?

Marijuana use has been shown to increase users' difficulty in trying to quit smoking tobacco. This was recently reported in a study comparing smoking cessation in adults who smoked both marijuana and tobacco with those who smoked only tobacco. The relationship between marijuana use and continued smoking was particularly strong in those who smoked marijuana daily at the time of the initial interview, 13 years prior to the followup interview.

A study of 450 individuals found that people who smoke marijuana frequently but do not smoke tobacco have more health problems and miss more days of work than nonsmokers do. Many of the extra sick days used by the marijuana smokers in the study were for respiratory illnesses.

Even infrequent marijuana use can cause burning and stinging of the mouth and throat, often accompanied by a heavy cough. Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers do, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illnesses, a heightened risk of lung infections, and a greater tendency toward obstructed airways.

Cancer of the respiratory tract and lungs may also be promoted by marijuana smoke. A study comparing 173 cancer patients and 176 healthy individuals produced strong evidence that smoking marijuana increases the likelihood of developing cancer of the head or neck, and that the more marijuana smoked, the greater the increase. A statistical analysis of the data suggested that marijuana smoking doubled or tripled the risk of these cancers.

Marijuana has the potential to promote cancer of the lungs and other parts of the respiratory tract because it contains irritants and carcinogens. In fact, marijuana smoke contains 50 percent to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than does tobacco smoke. It also produces high levels of an enzyme that converts certain hydrocarbons into their carcinogenic form, levels that may accelerate the changes that ultimately produce malignant cells. Marijuana users usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers do, which increases the lungs' exposure to carcinogenic smoke. These facts suggest that, puff for puff, smoking marijuana may increase the risk of cancer more than smoking tobacco does.

Some adverse health effects caused by marijuana may occur because THC impairs the immune system's ability to fight off infectious diseases and cancer. In laboratory experiments that exposed animal and human cells to THC or other marijuana ingredients, the normal disease-preventing reactions of many of the key types of immune cells were inhibited. In other studies, mice exposed to THC or related substances were more likely than unexposed mice to develop bacterial infections and tumors.

One study has indicated that a person's risk of heart attack during the first hour after smoking marijuana is four times his or her usual risk. The researchers suggest that a heart attack might occur, in part, because marijuana raises blood pressure and heart rate and reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood.

Healthnews.com

Marijuana Addiction (3)

2008-09-05T23:13:00.000-07:00

Marijuana's Effects on the Brain
Marijuana Drug addiction rehab and teen drug rehabilitation

When marijuana is smoked, its active ingredient THC travels throughout the body, including the brain, to produce its many effects. THC attaches to sites called cannabinoid receptors on nerve cells in the brain, affecting the way those cells work. Cannabinoid receptors are abundant in parts of the brain that regulate movement, coordination, learning and memory, higher cognitive functions such as judgment, and pleasure.
Brain Region Functions by Region
Brain regions in which cannabinoid receptors are abundant:
Cerebellum Body movement coordination
Hippocampus Learning and memory
Cerebral cortex, especially cingulate, frontal, and parietal regions Higher cognitive functions
Nucleus accumbens Reward
Basal ganglia

* Substantia nigra pars reticulata
* Entopeduncular nucleus
* Globus pallidus
* Putamen

Movement control
Brain regions in which cannabinoid receptors are moderately concentrated:
Hypothalamus Body housekeeping functions (body temperature regulation, salt and water balance, reproductive function)
Amygdala Emotional response, fear
Spinal cord Peripheral sensation, including pain
Brain stem Sleep and arousal, temperature regulation, motor control
Central gray Analgesia
Nucleus of the solitary tract Visceral sensation, nausea and vomiting

Marijuana Addiction (2)

2008-09-05T23:12:00.000-07:00

What are the acute effects of marijuana use?

Marijuana's effects begin immediately after the drug enters the brain and last from 1 to 3 hours. If marijuana is consumed in food or drink, the short-term effects begin more slowly, usually in 1/2 to 1 hour, and last longer, for as long as 4 hours. Smoking marijuana deposits several times more THC into the blood than does eating or drinking the drug.

Within a few minutes after inhaling marijuana smoke, an individual's heart begins beating more rapidly, the bronchial passages relax and become enlarged, and blood vessels in the eyes expand, making the eyes look red. The heart rate, normally 70 to 80 beats per minute, may increase by 20 to 50 beats per minute or, in some cases, even double. This effect can be greater if other drugs are taken with marijuana.

As THC enters the brain, it causes a user to feel euphoric - or "high" - by acting in the brain's reward system, areas of the brain that respond to stimuli such as food and drink as well as most drugs of abuse. THC activates the reward system in the same way that nearly all drugs of abuse do, by stimulating brain cells to release the chemical dopamine.

A marijuana user may experience pleasant sensations, colors and sounds may seem more intense, and time appears to pass very slowly. The user's mouth feels dry, and he or she may suddenly become very hungry and thirsty. His or her hands may tremble and grow cold. The euphoria passes after awhile, and then the user may feel sleepy or depressed. Occasionally, marijuana use produces anxiety, fear, distrust, or panic.

Marijuana use impairs a person's ability to form memories, recall events (see Marijuana, Memory, and the Hippocampus), and shift attention from one thing to another. THC also disrupts coordination and balance by binding to receptors in the cerebellum and basal ganglia, parts of the brain that regulate balance, posture, coordination of movement, and reaction time. Through its effects on the brain and body, marijuana intoxication can cause accidents. Studies show that approximately 6 to 11 percent of fatal accident victims test positive for THC. In many of these cases, alcohol is detected as well.

In a study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a moderate dose of marijuana alone was shown to impair driving performance; however, the effects of even a low dose of marijuana combined with alcohol were markedly greater than for either drug alone. Driving indices measured included reaction time, visual search frequency (driver checking side streets), and the ability to perceive and/or respond to changes in the relative velocity of other vehicles.

Marijuana users who have taken high doses of the drug may experience acute toxic psychosis, which includes hallucinations, delusions, and depersonalization - a loss of the sense of personal identity, or self-recognition. Although the specific causes of these symptoms remain unknown, they appear to occur more frequently when a high dose of cannabis is consumed in food or drink rather than smoked.

Marijuana Addiction

2008-09-05T23:08:00.000-07:00

Marijuana Addiction

Marijuana drug addiction rehabilitation treatment adolescentMarijuana - often called "pot," "grass," "reefer," "weed," "herb," "mary jane," or "mj" - is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried, shredded buds, leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of Cannabis sativa, the hemp plant. Most users smoke marijuana in hand-rolled cigarettes called joints, among other names; some use pipes or water pipes called bongs. Marijuana cigars called blunts have also become popular. To make blunts, users slice open cigars and replace the tobacco with marijuana, often combined with another drug, such as crack cocaine. Marijuana also is used to brew tea and is sometimes mixed into foods.
What is marijuana?

The major active chemical in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which causes the mind-altering effects of marijuana intoxication. The amount of THC (which is also the psychoactive ingredient in hashish) determines the potency and, therefore, the effects of marijuana. Between 1980 and 1997, the amount of THC in marijuana available in the United States rose dramatically.
What is the scope of marijuana use in the United States?

Marijuana drug rehabilitation and teen adolescent treatment center LeafMarijuana is the Nation's most commonly used illicit drug. More than 83 million Americans (37 percent) age 12 and older have tried marijuana at least once, according to the 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA).

Marijuana use is widespread among adolescents and young adults. The percentage of middle-school students who reported using marijuana increased throughout the early 1990s. In the past few years, according to the 2001 Monitoring the Future Study, an annual survey of drug use among the Nation's middle- and high-school students, illicit drug use by 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-graders has leveled off.> Still, in 2001, 20 percent of 8th-graders reported that they had tried marijuana, and 9 percent were current users (defined as having used the drug in the 30 days preceding the survey). Among 10th-graders, 40 percent had tried marijuana sometime in their lives, and almost 20 percent were current users. As would be expected, rates of use among 12th-graders were higher still: Nearly half had tried marijuana at some time, and 22 percent were current users.

The Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN), a system for monitoring the health impact of drugs, estimated that, in 2001, marijuana was a contributing factor in more than 110,000 emergency department (ED) visits in the United States, with about 15 percent of the patients between the ages of 12 and 17, and almost two-thirds male.

In 1999, the National Institute of Justice's Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Program (ADAM), which collects data from 34 sites on the number of adult arrestees testing positive for various drugs, found that, on average, 39 percent of adult male arrestees and 26 percent of adult female arrestees tested positive for marijuana.ADAM collected data on juvenile arrestees in nine sites and found that marijuana was the most commonly used drug among these youths. On average, 53 percent of juvenile male and 38 percent of juvenile female arrestees tested positive for marijuana.

NIDA's Community Epidemiology Work Group (CEWG), a network of researchers that tracks trends in the nature and patterns of drug use in major U.S. cities, consistently reports that marijuana frequently is combined with other drugs, such as crack cocaine, PCP, formaldehyde, and codeine cough syrup, sometimes without the user being aware of it. Thus, the risks associated with marijuana use may be compounded by the risks of added drugs, as well.
How does marijuana affect the brain?

Scientists have learned a great deal about how THC acts in the brain to produce its many effects. When someone smokes marijuana, THC rapidly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream, which carries the chemical to organs throughout the body, including the brain. In the brain, THC connects to specific sites called cannabinoid receptors on nerve cells and thereby influences the activity of those cells. Some brain areas have many cannabinoid receptors; others have few or none. Many cannabinoid receptors are found in the parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thought, concentration, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement.
Marijuana drug rehab teen adolescent rehabilitation

http://www.drug-rehab.com

amoxicillin

2008-08-30T06:20:00.000-07:00

What is the most important information I should know about amoxicillin?

Do not use this medication if you are allergic to amoxicillin or to any other penicillin antibiotic, such as ampicillin (Omnipen, Principen), carbenicillin (Geocillin), dicloxacillin (Dycill, Dynapen), oxacillin (Bactocill), penicillin (Beepen-VK, Ledercillin VK, Pen-V, Pen-Vee K, Pfizerpen, V-Cillin K, Veetids), and others.

Before using amoxicillin, tell your doctor if you are allergic to cephalosporins such as Ceclor, Ceftin, Duricef, Keflex, and others. Also tell your doctor if you have asthma, liver or kidney disease, a bleeding or blood clotting disorder, mononucleosis (also called "mono"), or any type of allergy.
Amoxicillin can make birth control pills less effective, which may result in pregnancy. Before taking amoxicillin, tell your doctor if you use birth control pills. Take this medication for the entire length of time prescribed by your doctor. Your symptoms may get better before the infection is completely treated. Amoxicillin will not treat a viral infection such as the common cold or flu. Do not give this medication to another person, even if they have the same symptoms you do.

Antibiotic medicines can cause diarrhea, which may be a sign of a new infection. If you have diarrhea that is watery or has blood in it, call your doctor. Do not use any medicine to stop the diarrhea unless your doctor has told you to.

What is amoxicillin?

Amoxicillin is an antibiotic in the penicillin group of drugs. It fights bacteria in your body.

Amoxicillin is used to treat many different types of infections caused by bacteria, such as ear infections, bladder infections, pneumonia, gonorrhea, and E. coli or salmonella infection. Amoxicillin is also sometimes used together with another antibiotic called clarithromycin (Biaxin) to treat stomach ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori infection. This combination is sometimes used with a stomach acid reducer called lansoprazole (Prevacid).

Amoxicillin may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking amoxicillin?

Do not use this medication if you are allergic to amoxicillin or to any other penicillin antibiotic, such as:

*

ampicillin (Omnipen, Principen);
*

carbenicillin (Geocillin);
*

dicloxacillin (Dycill, Dynapen);
*

oxacillin (Bactocill); or
*

penicillin (Beepen-VK, Ledercillin VK, Pen-V, Pen-Vee K, Pfizerpen, V-Cillin K, Veetids, and others).

Before using amoxicillin, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs (especially cephalosporins such as Ceclor, Ceftin, Duricef, Keflex, and others), or if you have:

*

asthma;
*

liver disease;
*

kidney disease;
*

a bleeding or blood clotting disorder;
*

mononucleosis (also called "mono");
*

a history of diarrhea caused by taking antibiotics; or
*

a history of any type of allergy.

If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take amoxicillin.
FDA pregnancy category B. This medication is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. Amoxicillin can make birth control pills less effective, which may result in pregnancy. Before taking amoxicillin, tell your doctor if you use birth control pills. Amoxicillin can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

The amoxicillin chewable tablet may contain phenylalanine. Talk to your doctor before using this form of amoxicillin if you have phenylketonuria (PKU).

Amphicilline Overdosein

2008-08-30T06:14:00.000-07:00

How should I take ampicillin?

Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.
Take the medicine with a full glass of water. Ampicillin should be taken on an empty stomach, at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after eating a meal.

To be sure this medication is helping your condition, your blood will need to be tested on a regular basis. Your kidney or liver function may also need to be tested. Do not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor.

If you are being treated for gonorrhea, your doctor may also have you tested for syphilis, another sexually transmitted disease.
Take this medication for the entire length of time prescribed by your doctor. Your symptoms may get better before the infection is completely treated. Ampicillin will not treat a viral infection such as the common cold or flu. Do not give ampicillin to another person, even if they have the same symptoms you do.

This medication can cause you to have unusual results with certain medical tests. Tell any doctor who treats you that you are using ampicillin.
Store ampicillin at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at your next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.

Overdose symptoms may include confusion, behavior changes, a severe skin rash, urinating less than usual, or seizure (black-out or convulsions).

What should I avoid while taking ampicillin?

Antibiotic medicines can cause diarrhea, which may be a sign of a new infection. If you have diarrhea that is watery or has blood in it, call your doctor. Do not use any medicine to stop the diarrhea unless your doctor has told you to.

What are the possible side effects of ampicillin?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

*

fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash;
*

diarrhea that is watery or bloody;
*

fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms;
*

easy bruising or bleeding, unusual weakness;
*

urinating less than usual or not at all;
*

agitation, confusion, unusual thoughts or behavior; or
*

seizure (black-out or convulsions).

Less serious side effects may include

*

nausea, vomiting, stomach pain;
*

vaginal itching or discharge;
*

headache;
*

swollen, black, or "hairy" tongue; or
*

thrush (white patches or inside your mouth or throat).

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

Alcohol Drug Information

2008-08-20T02:30:00.000-07:00

Brief Description : Alcohol is produced by fermentation (the action of yeast on liquids containing sugars and starches). Pure alcohol has no colour nor taste. Alcoholic drinks vary in colour and taste because of other ingredients that are added to them.
Effects : After a few drinks: Individual feels more relaxed, reduced concentration and slower reflexes
A few more drinks: Fewer inhibitions, more confidence, reduced coordination, slurred speech, intense moods
Still more drinks: Confusion, blurred vision, poor muscle control, nausea, vomiting, sleep
Even more: Possibly coma or death due to alcohol intoxification
Statistics and Trends :

Most alcohol drinkers (39.5 per cent) consumed alcohol on a weekly basis.
Males (46 per cent) were more likely than females (33 per cent) to drink weekly.
Nearly one in three teenagers were weekly drinkers, and almost half consumed alcohol less than weekly. Fewer than one in 100 teenagers consumed alcohol daily.
The average initiation age for drinking alcohol was 17.1 years

What Is Alcohol?

Alcohol is often not thought of as a drug - largely because its use is common for both religious and social purposes in most parts of the world. It is a drug, however, and compulsive drinking in excess has become one of modern society's most serious problems. The beverage alcohol (scientifically known as ethyl alcohol, or ethanol) is produced by fermenting or distilling various fruits, vegetables, or grains. Ethyl alcohol itself is a clear, colorless liquid. Alcoholic beverages get their distinctive colors from the diluents, additives, and by-products of fermentation.

How Does Alcohol Work? Alcohol is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream by the small intestine and less rapidly by the stomach and colon. In proportion to its concentration in the bloodstream, alcohol decreases activity in parts of the brain and spinal cord. The drinker's blood alcohol concentration depends on:

the amount consumed in a given time
the drinker's size, sex, body build, and metabolism
the type and amount of food in the stomach.

Once the alcohol has passed from the digestive system into the bloodstream, no food or beverage can slow or interfere with its effects. However in some cases, fruit sugar can shorten the duration of alcohol's effect by speeding up its elimination from the blood.
In the average adult, the rate of metabolism is about 8.5 g of alcohol per hour (i.e. about two-thirds of a regular beer or about 30 mL of spirits an hour). This rate is only a general guideline and can vary dramatically among individuals, depending on such diverse factors as usual amounts of drinking, physique, sex, liver size and genetic factors.

Alcohol Effects Alcohol affects people differently, depending on their size, sex, body build, and metabolism. General effects are a feeling of warmth, flushed skin, impaired judgment, decreased inhibitions, muscular incoordination, slurred speech and memory and comprehension loss. In states of extreme intoxication, vomiting is likely to occur, possibly accompanied by incontinence, poor respiration, a fall in blood pressure, and in cases of severe alcohol poisoning, coma and death.
Drinking heavily over a short period of time usually results in a "hangover" - headache, nausea, shakiness, and sometimes vomiting, beginning from 8 to 12 hours later. A hangover is due partly to poisoning by alcohol and other components of the drink, and partly to the body's reaction to withdrawal from alcohol. Combining alcohol with other drugs can make the effects of these other drugs much stronger and more dangerous. Many accidental deaths have occurred after people have used alcohol combined with other drugs. Cannabis, tranquillizers, barbiturates and other sleeping pills, or antihistamines (in cold, cough, and allergy remedies) should not be taken with alcohol. Even a small amount of alcohol with any of these drugs can seriously impair a person's ability to drive a car. People who drink on a regular basis become tolerant to many of the unpleasant effects of alcohol, and thus are able to drink more before suffering these effects. Yet even with increased consumption, many such drinkers don't appear intoxicated. Because they continue to work and socialize reasonably well, their deteriorating physical condition may go unrecognized by others until severe damage develops - or until they are hospitalized for other reasons and suddenly experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Psychological dependence on alcohol may occur with regular use of even relatively moderate daily amounts. It may also occur in people who consume alcohol only under certain conditions, such as before and during social occasions. This form of dependence refers to a craving for alcohol's psychological effects, although not necessarily in amounts that produce serious intoxication. For psychologically dependent drinkers, the lack of alcohol tends to make them anxious and, in some cases, panicky. Long term alcohol abuse poses a variety of health risks, such as liver damage and an increased risk for heart disease. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome may result from a pregnant woman's drinking alcohol; this condition causes facial abnormalities in the child, as well as growth retardation and brain damage, which often is manifested by intellectual difficulties or behavioral problems.		This shows a 20-year old female nondrinker's response to the spatial working memory task. Brain activation is shown in bright colors.


		This shows an alcohol-dependent 20-year old female's response to the spatial working memory task. Brain activation is shown in bright colors.

Alcohol Addiction When does casual consumption of alcohol turn to dependency drinking and finally to biochemically-controlled drinking? The answer is that even most alcohol addicts themselves don't know when they became addicted to alcohol. Alcohol is the most sinister of drugs, one that draws a thin, usually imperceptible line between social use and addictive use. Alcoholic addicts rely on alcohol as a key component of their personality - without a drink, they simply cannot "be themselves."
Narconon helps people end their alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction through mind/body alcohol abuse treatment programs. Our alcohol treatment programs and alcohol abuse rehabilitation strategies give our clients all the tools they need to handle an addiction that's restricting their lives and preventing them from reaching their full potential. Most alcohol rehabilitation programs have a 15-20% success rate. The Narconon alcohol treatment program has a 70% success rate, meaning most of its graduates are still substance-free two years out of its recovery program.
Our alcohol abuse treatment programs are not only focused on withdrawal from all forms of drinking, but also, through a holistic healing process, on helping others escape all forms of substitute addictions. This process frees the body from the alcohol toxins that build up in the liver, and restores biochemical equilibrium to the whole body. At the end of the program, a patient's body will no longer depend on alcohol - or any other controlled substance to regulate itself. The Narconon alcohol rehabilitation program also gives patients the mental tools and mental balance to recover from alcohol abuse. With a healthfully restored mental equilibrium, graduates are able to take conscious control of their lives and goals and live purposefully. By consciously controlling the direction of their life, patients thus stop alcohol use naturally, purposefully, permanently, and without fear.
Because alcohol addiction was a person's way of inducing one or more of physical, mental and emotional relaxation, ease, and even escapism, at Narconon we educate clients about the biology of alcohol abuse and teach them to view their alcohol addiction as a biochemical process that must be and can be regulated. Narconon's scientifically proven withdrawal proccess, coupled with emotional counseling and the reformation of the body's biochemical process, creates a thorough mind/body detoxification approach that frees people from alcohol addiction, alcohol abuse, and all the consequences of addiction that ultimately prevent them back from true happiness.

Source:
Narconon Alcohol Information

Drug Addiction: How Does it Start?

2008-08-20T01:49:00.000-07:00

We are often confronted with mixed messages about the use of psychoactive substances (substances that affects the mind or mental processes). Drug use is often glamorized in the various forms of media, while opinions on usage vary from region to region. These factors contribute in part to make drug use more easily accepted and considered as normal. This perception may push the individual to undermine the effects of drugs and amplify his curiosity.

One aspect of drug addiction, which is important to understand, is that alcohol and other addictive drugs are basically painkillers that render the individual numb. It helps them to temporarily escape from problems and unpleasant circumstances. Yet, drug usage comes with its own set of consequences. Once it becomes a habit to resort to drugs as a means of escaping reality, a drug addiction is imminent and almost inevitable.

As soon that drugs or alcohol seem to solve his problem, the individual feels better and content. He’s given this false impression that he is now more capable of dealing with life. This is when drugs are seen as valuable and precious to him. Their characteristic painkilling effects become the solution to the discomfort that he feels. Such a release is the main reason for the person to use drug or drink a second, third or fourth time.
Drug consumption eventually becomes obsessive and necessary to the individual. The individual wants the drug, needs the drug and is willing to go to great lengths to get it. Now trapped, the drug addict doesn’t immediately realize his situation or is blatantly denying it. Whatever problem he was initially trying to solve by using drugs, fades from his memory. At this point, all he can think about is getting and using drugs. He loses control over his usage and turns a blind eye over the grave consequences of his actions. Drugs have now become the most important thing in his life. Ironically, the addict’s ability to get "high" from the alcohol or drug gradually decreases as his body adapts to the presence of these foreign chemicals. He now needs to consume more and more drugs, not just to feel their effect, but also just to function at all. By doing so, he has crossed an invisible and intangible line, that now makes his a fully fledged drug addict or alcoholic.