DOES JAIL TIME HAVE ANY EFFECT ON DRUG USE?
It’s an interesting contradiction that at the same times as critics are railing against unreasonable sentences for drug-related crimes, many people seem to be arrested over and over again and never do any real time. If you live in a poorer area, or somewhere where the prisons are seriously overcrowded, you’ve probably heard someone say, […]
DRUG USE IN THE MILITARY
Abuse of prescription drugs is higher among service members than among civilians, and it continues to increase. In 2008, 11 percent of service members reported misusing prescription drugs. Almost half of active duty service members (47 percent) reported binge drinking that year. In the 1960s, a significant number of service members used of marijuana and […]
BUPRENORPHINE – TAKING CUES FROM FRANCE ON THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC
As much time as we spend talking about the origins of the opioid crisis, pointing fingers and assigning blame and discussing disease versus choice, if there’s one thing that most experts can agree on, it’s that a solution is within our grasp. Not a cure or a complete eradication of addiction, certainly, but an approach […]
ANTIDEPRESSANTS CAN CAUSE DEPENDENCE AND WITHDRAWAL
If you’ve ever stopped taking an antidepressant or switched from one to another, you probably felt some pretty unpleasant side effects for a couple weeks. Quitting an antidepressant cold turkey can cause anxiety, irritability, trouble sleeping, headaches, flu-like symptoms, nausea, and the return of depression symptoms, among other things. Now there is evidence that a […]
PRESCRIPTION HEROIN
If someone asked for your opinion on how to deal with the widespread use of – and overdoses on – heroin, what would you suggest? Tougher laws, better border security, more money for law enforcement? How about making it available by prescription? It sounds crazy, but in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, one clinic is doing […]
OPIOIDS AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
When you hear the words “immune system,” you probably think of your body fighting off a cold or the flu. While protecting your body from illness is its main function, new research from the Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research indicates that it might also hold the potential to fight the opioid epidemic by helping us understand more […]
FDA OVERLOOKS DANGERS OF OFF-LABEL FENTANYL
When you hear the word fentanyl, your mind probably jumps straight to overdoses or contaminated cocaine. However, there is a class of fentanyl drugs that has a legitimate medical use for something called breakthrough pain – sudden, sharp bursts of pain that occur despite an existing around the clock pain regimen. Quick-absorbing fentanyl sprays, tablets, and […]
WHAT IS DETOX?
When someone goes into treatment for substance abuse, they usually have a period of detoxification. It’s the kind of thing that gets tossed out as gossip – “This celebrity is back in rehab trying to detox again” – but what does it really mean? You’ve probably heard about people on detox diets, where they eat […]
FEDERAL OPIOID LEGISLATION
Recently, the federal government has been working on legislation related to the opioid crisis. More specifically, they have been addressing the issue of how information about a patient’s substance use disorder can be shared with medical professionals. In June, the House passed the Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act, also known as H.R. 6082. This […]
CAN YOU BE ALLERGIC TO DRUGS AND ALCOHOL?
Most of us have probably known a person with a food allergy. There are plenty of people out there who are allergic to anything related to nuts, strawberries, corn, eggs, shellfish, wheat, and just about everything else you can think of. Some people are even allergic to coffee. But what about drugs and alcohol? Is […]