Nearly One-Fifth of
Underage Drinkers Report Current Use of Marijuana with Alcohol
Underage drinkers are more likely than alcohol users ages 21
or older to use illicit drugs within 2 hours of alcohol use, according to data
from the 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. One in five (20.1%)
underage drinkers reported using at least one illicit drug the last time they
used alcohol, compared to 4.9% of those ages 21 or older. Marijuana was the
most commonly reported illicit drug used in combination with alcohol by both
underage (19.2%) and older (4.4%) drinkers. In contrast, illicit drugs other
than alcohol, including cocaine, heroin, and prescription drugs used
nonmedically, were used with alcohol by only 2.2% of underage drinkers and less
than 1% of drinkers ages 21 and older. Future research will be needed to study
if the co-occurring use of alcohol and marijuana changes among residents of
Colorado and Washington, which have both recently enacted laws legalizing the
recreational use of marijuana by adults.
SOURCE: Adapted by CESAR from Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration, Results from the 2011 National Survey
on Drug Use and Health: Detailed Tables, 2012.
The Mysterious History Of
'Marijuana'
Marijuana has been intertwined with race and ethnicity in
America since well before the word "marijuana" was coined. The drug,
, has a disturbing case of multiple personality disorder: It's a go-to pop
culture punch line. It's the foundation of a growing recreational and medicinal
industry. , it's also the reason for more than half of the drug arrests in the
U.S. A deeply disproportionate number of marijuana arrests (the vast majority
of which are for possession) befall African-Americans, despite similar rates of
usage among whites and blacks, the ACLU says. Continue
reading this article here.
When Relapse Turns Deadly:
What You Need to Know About Drug Overdose
Friends and fans are reeling in the wake of Glee actor Cory
Monteith's overdose on a mixture of heroin and alcohol. Suffering a similar
fate as Kriss Kross rapper Chris Kelly and others who have passed this year,
his lengthy battle with drugs ended tragically on July 13 in his hotel room.
Could his story have ended differently? What can others learn from this
tragedy? Monteith's passing highlights important lessons for anyone who
struggles with addiction or cares aboutan addict (which, with 23 million people
suffering from addiction, is most of us). While celebrity overdoses draw the
public's attention, 100 people die from drug overdoses every day in the U.S.
After increasing every year from 1999 to 2010, drug overdose is now the No. 1
cause of accidental death, surpassing car accidents. This increase is largely
attributed to the epidemic of prescription painkiller abuse. The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention recently warned that more women are dying from
prescription painkiller overdoses than ever before, a 400 percent increase in
just the last decade. Continue
here.
Commentary: My
Prescription for the Prescription Drug Abuse Epidemic
I am an emergency physician. It is the best job in the world
and I am proud to do it. However, recent media reports paint my colleagues and
me as the source behind the recent dramatic rise in prescription drug abuse. We
aren’t. Despite certain perceptions to the contrary, we actually account for a
very low percentage of all narcotics prescribed.
Rest of this commentary is here.
Life After 50: Think You
Have a Drinking Problem? How To Know And What To Do
We've all read the studies: moderate alcohol consumption can
be part of a healthy lifestyle for many people. Men who have two drinks a day
and women who have one are less prone to heart disease, diabetes, gallstones,
arthritis and even Alzheimer's. But sometimes too much Pinot Noir can be too much
of a good thing. As daily consumption increases, the benefits are replaced by
risks.
Drinking is on the rise in people over 50 and seems to climb
as we get older. Some studies cite retirement, loss of job, divorce and death
or declining health of a loved one as just a few of the reasons why. In 2010,
16 percent of people over 65 had a daily drink, compared to 10 percent of 45 to
64 year olds and 2 percent of 16 to 24 year olds. And gender is a factor: women
between 45 and 64 drink more than any other age group. Continue
here.
5 Ways to Avoid Addiction
Relapse
If you or someone you love has attended a drug rehab program
and successfully completed it, it is a huge accomplishment. While in treatment
tools were provided to assist in staying clean and sober, relapse prevention
plans were developed, and aftercare plans were made. Although successfully
completing is a great feat, successfully completing treatment is just the
beginning. Please
click here to continue reading.
The Clash of Cultures
Floating in a Drink - Lawrence Osborne’s Alcohol Quest in ‘The Wet and the Dry’
There are three reasons Lawrence Osborne’s new book, “The
Wet and the Dry,” is instantly among the best nonfiction volumes about drinking
that we have, and why, if you have a bar, it should be tucked into its corner,
near the bitters. The first reason is that Mr. Osborne is a terrific writer,
hardheaded and searching, and he’s getting better as he gets older. His novel
from last year, “The Forgiven,” was a bite-size piece of poison candy — a
persuasively creepy mix of Ian McEwan and Paul Bowles. “The Wet and the Dry” is
a book in which cocktails are said to be “entered, like bodies of water or
locales.” Thus a vodka martini with its bobbing olive, imbibed while in Beirut,
is to the author “salty like cold seawater at the bottom of an oyster” and
“sinister and cool and satisfying.” The author gets bonus points for not being
a snob about vodka martinis. Rest
of this story is here.
College culture? An
alcohol-fueled frenzy of sexual harassment
'Hooking up' has been spun as sexual liberation for
career-focused young women. It doesn't square with my campus life
It's freshman year. I'm at a new student orientation party
at the University of Pennsylvania, wondering what exactly is in my cup.
"Jungle juice", I'm told, as if that should explain things. I make
out the words "everclear" and "blackout drunk" over the din
of awful house music blasting from the expensive-looking speakers in some
fraternity house. I have no idea what's going on, and neither do many of my
fellow classmates, which doesn't stop them from passing out drunk. Continue
reading here.
Indiana Poison Center
Reports Dramatic Drop in Synthetic Drug Overdoses
The Indiana Poison Center reports major decreases in the
number of reported overdoses from synthetic drugs such as bath salts and Spice,
according to the Associated Press. The state passed its first synthetic drug
ban in 2011. Since then, there has been an 86 percent decrease in reported
overdoses of bath salts, and a 61 percent drop in overdoses of Spice, or
synthetic marijuana. State Senator Jim Merritt, who sponsored the synthetic
drug ban, said in a news release, “Synthetic drug use quickly became an
epidemic in Indiana, with these products cropping up in convenience stores and
gas stations across the state. These drugs provide absolutely no value to
society, have dangerous and destructive side effects, and fuel a culture of
casual drug use. I am energized to see Indiana’s rates dropping and I pledge to
continue this fight.” People using bath salts have experienced side effects
including paranoia and violent behavior; hallucinations; delusions; suicidal
thoughts; seizures; panic attacks; increased blood pressure and heart rate;
chest pain; and nausea and vomiting. According to the American Association of
Poison Control Centers, health effects from synthetic marijuana can be
life-threatening and can include severe agitation and anxiety; fast, racing
heartbeat and higher blood pressure; nausea and vomiting; muscle spasms,
seizures, and tremors; intense hallucinations and psychotic episodes; and
suicidal and other harmful thoughts and/or actions.
A Mother's Perspective on
Her Son's Addiction
Anita Devlin didn't know.
Her son, Mike, was spiraling out of control at the
University of Vermont, living a life that revolved around prescription
painkillers, cocaine, heroin and drinking. When he needed more money for drugs
– when his side jobs and the cocaine he was selling didn't cut it – he called
home and said he needed cash for textbooks, or because the rear tire had popped
on his car. Her son? Her son was a drug addict? When Devlin learned how dire
the situation was, she was the one who texted Mike repeatedly when he
disappeared to a Motel 6 to "polish off everything he had," as he
later confessed. She was the one who sought help both for herself, as someone
who loved an addict, and for her son, when he was ready for it. And now, she
continues to support him as he marks two and a half years of sobriety.
Please click here to continue reading.
Collaboration Needed to
Address Prescription Drug Abuse and Access Issues | Commentary
Partisanship usually gets the blame when Washington fails to
muster an appropriate governmental response to the nation’s challenges. But
when it comes to confronting prescription drug abuse, the divide within the
government is caused not by the culprit of partisan stripes but rather by
departmental silos. That needs to change. Currently, when it comes to prescription
drug abuse, there is the response of the enforcement agencies and there is the
response of the health agencies. These approaches all too often remain separate
and out of sync. As a result, stories of those ravaged by drug abuse are pitted
against stories of those deprived of access to prescription medications they
need for legitimate purposes. Both aspects of human suffering need to be
figured into the solution. Please
click here for more.
Ad at NASCAR race says pot
less harmful than alcohol
Fans attending a
major NASCAR race this weekend will see a most unlikely video posted on a giant
video screen shortly before entering the track: a pro-marijuana legalization
ad. (You can watch the entire ad deeper in this story) Outside the NASCAR
Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis, the same track that hosts the famed Indianapolis
500, Marijuana Policy Project, the nation's largest pro-marijuana legalization
advocacy group, has purchased space to air - dozens of times over the weekend -
a video that pushes the theme that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol. It
marks the first time a pro-marijuana legalization ad will appear so close to an
entrance gate of a major sporting event. The Brickyard 400, in its 20th year,
is regarded as one of NASCAR's biggest races. Click
here for the story and the video.
Sleep Problems and
Substance Use Disorders: An Often Overlooked Link
Sleep problems and substance use disorders often go
together, according to a specialist who says many people continue to have
insomnia even after they are able to successfully stop abusing drugs and
alcohol. Doctors who treat sleep disorders and those who treat substance use
disorders need to be aware of the possible connection between the two,
particularly when prescribing sleep medications, according to Khurshid A.
Khurshid, MD, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the
University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville. Click
here to read more.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment