Study: Sudden Death Explained by Heart Disease and Drug Overdose
Oct 30, 2007
Research released in October 2007 found that the cause of sudden death of young adults ages 14 through 40 can be linked to either heart disease or to illegal drug overdoses. Dr. Zhaohai Yang, M.D., Resident Pathologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, reviewed over a 3 year period the autopsies of 16 males and 5 females, all with no known history of significant medical disease and whose deaths were sudden and unexpected. Of the total cases, 17 drug screens were performed; 48 percent were positive for illegal drugs-the major cause of death in these individuals. 52 percent of the cases attributed death to natural, though unexpected, causes.
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Doctors Issuing Prescriptions for Street Drugs?
Oct 29, 2007
For nearly 25 years, Dr. James Miller has been prescribing hydrocodone, an addictive pain killer, and the cough syrup Phenergan Expectorant with codeine for children with chest pain and coughing, never suspecting that it was being used as a drug. But federal investigators have put Dr. Miller's license up for review, saying that he should have known better since kids have been mixing the prescription drugs with soda and candy for a sweet-tasting high in many communities for many years. What is unique about Dr. Miller's experience is the quantity of prescriptions he wrote for kids travelling over the state border to obtain them.
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Teens Driving Under-the-Influence Still a Problem
Oct 29, 2007
According to a 2006 study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), nearly a third of high school seniors say they have driven while under the influence or been in the car with an impaired driver. The analysis of the findings is published in the November issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. The report also states that many teens choose to drive after drinking or taking illicit drugs like marijuana, despite being well aware of the consequences and dangers of doing so. High-achieving teenagers with good grades, two parents living at home, and church involvement reported much lower occurences of driving while under the influence.
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Parents Likely to Know Frequency of Their Teen's Drug Abuse
Oct 22, 2007
The University at Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions (RIA) found that most parents are acutely aware of the frequency and extent of their child's overall substance abuse. The study of 75 parents and their teenagers reports that, when parents aren't dealing with addictions and substance abuse problems of their own, 86 percent of parents accurately reported instances of cigarette smoking, marijuana use, and drinking in their children. When discrepancies in parent and teen reports arose, the research found that parents were nearly twice as likely to underestimate how often their teen used marijuana or how much alcohol they drank.
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Utah Crack Cocaine Problem Being Addressed Full Force
Oct 22, 2007
Utah isn't the type of place you'd expect heavy drug users and the associated violence of that culture. But narcotics officers who routinely buy methamphetamine from street dealers in the Pioneer Park area of Salt Lake City are now being offered crack, and the city is working hard to figure out an effective solution. It won't be solved by arresting themselves out of the problem.
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Reports of Cannabis-Induced Mental Illness Increase in U.K.
Oct 21, 2007
Pressures on the English government to reclassify cannabis to its former class B status have been echoed by the Forensic Science Service, which cites that "skunk" cannabis--a highly potent form of the drug--now accounts for nearly 75 percent of all seizures. Skunk cannabis has been the cause of nearly 75 percent of children who are undergoing mental treatment. It is also reported there are more adults in drug treatment programs for cannabis than for crack or cocaine.
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Teens Struggle with Meth Addiction
Oct 21, 2007
Crystal Meth is one of the most addictive drugs with which teens are choosing to experiment, finding themselves locked into the pattern of destructive behavior with little hope of getting out. Parents in Ventura County, California report spending tens of thousands of dollars on treatment programs, but say the only way to stop the cycle may be serving jail time with constant supervision. Mental illnesses like bipolar disorder and depression are often lingering effects of the addiction, which can occur after just one hit of the paint thinner-cold medicine-drain cleaner concoction.
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Liberal Dutch Drug Policies Ban Sale of Mushrooms
Oct 12, 2007
The Dutch government has cracked down and will ban the sale of hallucinogenic mushrooms. Since there is no way to determine the amount of the naturally-occuring psychadelic substance in any given mushroom, preventing sale of mushrooms aims to lessen the instances of crime and injury attributed to their ingestion. Tourists often purchase mushrooms in herbal "smart-shops" and more than one death has been blamed on their use.
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Maryland Develops "Huffing" Prevention Program; First in the Nation
Oct 10, 2007
The dangers of inhalant abuse previously took a backseat while television commercials and school programs focused on the risks and side effects of marijuana and alcohol abuse. With Maryland's response to "Makenzie's Law," the state's Inhalant Abuse Prevention Program will help parents and teachers to reduce the frequency of "huffing" among teenagers. Common household items like aerosol cans of cooking spray are popular go-to's for teens seeking a quick high. The program aims to educate parents and teachers of warning signs and intervention strategies.
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Olympic Athlete Returns 5 Medals; Marion Jones and Steroids
Oct 09, 2007
Olympic athletes are the super-heroes of the modern age. But athletes on the U.S. Olympic team were found to have been competing with an unfair advantage. Marion Jones, world class sprinter and winner of 3 gold medals at the Sydney Olympics, has returned her medals to the International Olympic Committee, admitting to steroid use during the races.
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Cheese Heroin Linked to Mexican Drug Cartels, Gangs in Texas
Sep 20, 2007
Dallas, Texas area high schools are a breeding ground for a diluted form of a the highly addictive "cheese" heroin, made from mixing it with crushed cold tablets. Investigations have revealed a complicated web of gangs and drug dealers linked with several powerful Mexican drug cartels. Many teens get hooked on the drug, even to the point of mixing it themselves, and struggle to extricate themselves from the cycle of destruction to their lives and the lives of others.
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Study Finds Teens Concerned About Drugs at School
Aug 16, 2007
While the percentage of teenagers concerned about drugs in their high school has decreased 8 percent since 1995, Joseph Califano of the Columbia University National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse says this might not be a good sign. Califano explains that teens have come to expect drugs and alcohol as part of the high school experience, and parents remain unaware of the frequency of these behaviors. The survey of over 1,000 students and 550 parents found that 86 percent of parents say drinking is a big part of the college experience, but only 29 percent think their own teens' behavior will involve drinking.
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Prescription Drugs Overtake Street Drugs in Popularity
Jul 05, 2007
Teenagers believe prescription drug abuse is safer than street drugs, and commonly trade or buy pills from people they know. Users can get stimulants like Ritalin and Adderall from friends with legitimate prescriptions, and tranquilizers like Xanax and Valium from their parents' medicine cabinets. Growing trends in prescription drug abuse highlight that addiction occurs in all types of communities.
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Steroid Use Suspected in Pro-Wrestler Murder-Suicide
Jun 27, 2007
Pro wrestler Chris Benoit, nicknamed "The Canadian Crippler," hung himself in his Atlanta, Georgia home after strangling his wife and suffocating his 7-year-old son. Evidence shows Benoit to have purchased anabolic steroids, human growth hormone and testosterone from a Florida-based business. While Benoit's wife of three years had dropped her case for divorce, which had cited cruel treatment, this violent behavior causes suspicion of the effects of steroid use.
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Study Finds Teens Online Exchanging Advice on Drugs, Sex and Alcohol
Jun 21, 2007
In a new study by Nielsen BuzzMetrics, researchers found that 1 in 10 messages posted on popular youth-focused social networking sites-like MySpace.com-are drug-related. Teens are finding the Internet a convenient forum to share behaviors and advice about using illicit drugs and alcohol and sexual activities. The study, initiated by counselors at the Caron Treatment Center, further supports the need for parents to be aware of not only who their children are talking to, but also what they're talking about.
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