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Friday, October 17, 2014

Weekly ATOD & Advocacy Recap week ending October 17, 2014



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No, Marijuana Is Not Actually “As Addictive As Heroin”
You may have read this week that a new "20-year research study" on marijuana use "finally demolishes claims that smoking marijuana is harmless," and has found that it "makes you stupid," that "smoking marijuana over the long-term can develop cancer" [SIC], and that marijuana is "as addictive as heroin." At least, that's what you'd conclude if you'd read most media coverage of the study. But if you'd actually read the study yourself (which I highly recommend!), you'd likely walk away with very different conclusions. Please continue reading here.

Getting Drunk on Expectations
In the second episode of Freaks and Geeks—Judd Apatow’s 1999 cult classic coming-of-age dramedy—younger brother Sam Weir panics when his sister Lindsay agrees to host a party while their parents are out of town. Motivated by fear of punishment and a misplaced sense of chivalry, Sam and his friends switch the party keg with one stocked with non-alcoholic beer. Later in the evening, they emerge from their hiding place and are shocked to find kids slurring their words, stumbling around, and acting altogether intoxicated. Please continue reading here.

Drug czar: Teen pot use could fuel opioid abuse
The nationwide trend toward legalization of marijuana is making it harder for health care and law enforcement officials to fight the nation’s most dangerous drug problem - rampant abuse of prescription opioids, the Obama administration’s senior advisor on drug policy said. Please continue reading here.

Meet the Scientists Who May Have Found the Cure For Drug Addiction
Researchers are closer than ever before to finding a cure for dependence on stimulants like methamphetamine and cocaine. But will big pharma and the FDA stand in the way? Please continue reading here.

Fixing the Broken Mental Health System
Martin was 20 years old when he was arrested for the second time. Responding to auditory hallucinations, his aggressive behaviors endangered people on the street and in his apartment building. While incarcerated at Rikers Island (New York City's now infamous jail, where thousands of others with serious mental illness reside), he received antipsychotic medication. When released, however, he discontinued the medication and became ill again, reoffended and ended up with a lengthy stay at an upstate prison. Life there fostered survival-based antisocial behaviors that would make community reintegration even more problematic upon release. Please continue reading here.

$200 million investment will launch major science-based treatment chain
A prominent Philadelphia-area real estate developer who has transformed brownfields into vibrant commercial and residential communities is spearheading an initial $200 million of investment into around a dozen new addiction treatment centers, saying he wants to elevate the treatment of addictions to the same level of quality and hospitality that he sees in treatment of other chronic illnesses such as cancer. Please continue reading here.

How New Jersey’s Medical Marijuana Law Works
Governor opposed to medicinal-pot program has now implemented it, but critics see it as country’s most restrictive. Please continue reading here.

Of Pain, People, Pot, Politics, Public Figures, and Priorities -- Part 1
As Election Day approaches, the backers on both sides of the ballot initiative for legalizing Medical Marijuana in Florida, otherwise known as Amendment 2 are really getting fired up. Please continue reading here.

Study Examines How Doctors Use Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs
As prescription drug abuse and overdose have escalated nationwide, prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) were implemented in every state, but little is known about the types of clinicians who make the most use of PDMPs. Please continue reading here.

France, where children sip wine, wants to end binge drinking
When the French school semester started in September, most college students had no lack of drinking opportunities. As is common in other countries, French freshmen are usually encouraged to drink heavily in initiation ceremonies. But soon the excessive drinking could face a sudden end. According to a French draft health bill, inciting binge drinking could be punishable with up to a year in jail or a hefty fine. Please continue reading here.

Ecstasy and Acid in Your Medicine Cabinet? Doctors Explore Psychedelics
Psychedelics, the drugs of choice for many in the 1960s counterculture movement, may be making a comeback in the most straight-laced of places: research labs and doctors’ offices. Please continue reading here.

55 universities join Jed and Clinton health program to address mental health, student safety
More than 55 colleges and universities have joined the Jed & Clinton Health Matters Campus Program, a collaborative effort to address mental health on campuses across the country. Previously, the Jed Foundation and Clinton Foundation worked separately on mental health issues. Together, they hope to help schools prevent the two leading causes of mortality among young adults – accidents, including those caused by substance abuse and suicide. Please continue reading here.

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