COCAINE AND YOUR BRAIN
A survey in 2013 by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found that over 1.5 million Americans admit using cocaine. This number has steadily climbed over the years for users as young as 12-years of age. Cocaine is a harmful drug that is made with coca leaves soaked in kerosene or diesel […]
DO YOU NEED TO WORRY ABOUT DRUGS DISGUISED AS CANDY?
Police in Georgia recently confiscated drugs that were disguised as candy, which they fear might hit the streets in the weeks leading up to Halloween. A suspect ran from the scene of a hit and run accident, and when police caught up to him and arrested him he was found to have in his possession […]
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT COCAINE DETOX
According to statistics provided by the United Nation, it is estimated that 17 million people worldwide used cocaine in 2012. The amazing fact to this statistic, that in the U.S. cocaine contributes to about 6,000 deaths each year. It is a stimulant that individuals seek where the is high similar to heroin that Cocaine can […]
CAN A DIABETES MEDICINE CURE COCAINE ADDICTION?
Cocaine is a stimulant that increases levels of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, or a sort of chemical messenger, that helps control the reward and pleasure centers in the brain. It also helps to regulate emotional responses, allows us to see things as rewards, and encourages us to seek out those rewards. […]
UNDERSTANDING THE SCHEDULING OF DRUGS
The United States has established rigorous guidelines to ensure people receive the correct dose and the proper quantity of prescription drugs. After all, with the current problems with opioid addiction and marijuana use drifting through our country, officials are more than happy to place restrictions on potentially dangerous or illegal substances. Chances are when you […]
FEDERAL LEGISLATION TO FIGHT THE OPIOID CRISIS
In June of 2018, U.S. House of Representatives passed the most expansive legislative action Congress has taken to date to address the opioid crisis. In a truly surprising 396-14 bipartisan vote, 58 bills were passed over the course of two weeks in a package called Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) […]
A PERSONALIZED PLAN TO QUIT SMOKING
When you think about the addictions that are the hardest to quit, most people’s minds probably jump to things like heroin or cocaine, which we know can cause some serious withdrawal symptoms. However, unless you’ve gone through it yourself, many people have no idea how difficult it can be to stop smoking cigarettes. Smoking can […]
THE FIVE MOST ADDICTIVE SUBSTANCES
There has been a lot of debate over the years about what is or is not a drug, and about the varying degrees to which these substances may or may not be addictive. The classifications seem to range from substances that are not at all addictive regardless of the frequency of use, all the way […]
INFANT DEATHS FROM BREASTFEEDING WHILE USING DRUGS
A woman in Pennsylvania is being charged with criminal homicide after her 11-week-old baby died following exposure to drugs in breast milk. The mother, Samantha Jones, told police that she nursed the baby around 3 a.m. on April 2, after which she went to sleep for a few hours. When she checked on the baby […]
DRUG TRAFFICKING AND TERRORISM
If you needed more reasons to stop using illegal drugs – apart from their damaging effects on your mind and body, the cost, and the potential implosion of your relationships – here’s one for you: the drug trade helps fuel terrorism. This sounds like the sort of rhetoric that was part of the failed War […]