There’s a new designer drug captivating teens these days called K2. This synthetic marijuana, made out of lettuce leaves and fertilizer in China, is also known as spice and potpourri on the streets and is growing rapidly in popularity. So what’s the appeal? K2 is easily obtained, packs a punch five times more powerful than…
A new study by Wellcome Trust researchers shows that warnings about the negative effects of using substances may be less effective in convincing teens to abstain than talking about the positive benefits of choosing to say no. Researchers believe that people have a natural tendency to ignore negative information they have been exposed to when making…
Lindsay Lohan is determined to convince her fans that she is a changed woman, and that she has put her drug and alcohol abuse behind her. In a post treatment interview with Oprah, Lindsay explained what she was going through when she was sentenced, serving time in jail and in recovery. Lohan made it clear…
According to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), an alarming number of adolescents are using drugs, alcohol and cigarettes on any average day. The report provides the following statistics about daily adolescent substance use. On an average day, 881,684 kids age 12 – 17 smoked cigarettes On an average day, 646,707…
Research has shown that people who smoke often drink more frequently and more heavily. Cigarettes and alcohol enhance the effects of each other, and according to an article from Medical News Today – “Smoking and drinking are strongly linked for a host of reasons including complementary pharmacologic effects, shared neuronal pathways, shared genetic associations, common…
As prescription drug addiction continues to reach all time highs, the crisis is being seriously looked at by the American Medical Association. The AMA is trying to figure out a way to cope with the need for pain management while lowering the incidence of addiction. According to the American Medical Association “As policymakers craft solutions to address…
Naloxone is saving lives in Scotland, where they give out take home kits of the drug to addicts. Naloxone is a drug used to counter the effects of opiate overdose, for example heroin or morphine overdose. The number of kits given out in 2012-2013 went up by 10%, and according to David Liddell, the director of the Scottish Drugs Forum, because of National Naloxone Programme there have been 365 opiate…
Lisa Robin Kelly, also known as Laurie Forman, Eric Forman’s malicious older sister on the popular sitcom That 70’s Show, passed away August 14th while in rehab. She was just 43 years old. She had recently admitted herself to rehab in California, where she died unexpectedly in her sleep. The autopsy is back but inconclusive,…
In 2011, statistics showed that 23,000 people ended up in the emergency room due to ADHD drug related situations. A dramatic increase since 2005 when only 5,600 cases like this were on record, this report illustrates just what a problem drugs like Ritalin and Adderall have become, especially in people between the ages of 18…
Since the advent of methadone, medication assisted treatment has been the subject of much scrutiny. Although progress continues to be made with the use of medication to treat alcohol and opioid dependence, many questions still remain. Research has confirmed the effectiveness of such medications in combination with a comprehensive treatment program, but many people in…