ARE PEOPLE USING BUG SPRAY TO GET HIGH?
It seems like every day we hear about some alarming new drug trend that makes us wonder if people will try literally anything to get high. Whether it’s attempting to smoke a substance with absolutely no recreational benefits or mixing rat poison into already deadly drugs, hardly anything is surprising anymore. One claim that’s been […]
TRANSGENDER INDIVIDUALS AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE
It’s difficult being any kind of minority. In the United States, no matter what kind of progress we’ve made in the last few decades, there is still plenty of bias against people who are “different.” Black, Latino, Asian, gay, deaf, disabled – the label doesn’t matter so much as the fact that people fear things […]
OPIATES AND NARCOLEPSY
The ties between drug use and mental disorders are well known, usually as part of a vicious cycle of one worsening the other. It’s surprising, then, that recent studies have found that heroin might represent a cure for a sleeping disorder called narcolepsy. The average night’s sleep for a healthy adult should be around eight […]
WHAT IS CRACK?
You’ve probably heard people refer to crack before, if not in person then on television. Crackheads, crack houses, crack babies – if you were around in the mid-1980s when crack first became very popular, you’ve probably heard all of these terms. But what exactly is crack, and how is it used? Crack is the shortened […]
HOW DOES THE DEA CLASSIFY DRUGS?
You might have heard of a drug being a controlled substance, or being classified as Schedule I, II, III, IV, or V. Unless you’re in the medical field or law enforcement, most people aren’t sure about the difference. Do these labels actually mean anything for the rest of us? And how does the government come […]
CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS OF ALCOHOLIC NEUROPATHY
You know some of the most common effects of long-term alcohol abuse – liver disease, hepatitis, cirrhosis, kidney problems, cancers of the liver and stomach, brain damage, heart disease, osteoporosis; the list goes on. One lesser known condition that can result from excessive alcohol use is poisoning of nerve tissue, which is called alcoholic neuropathy. […]
MOONSHINE
Despite what you may have seen on television or certain rural areas, distilling alcohol at home (called DIY liquor or moonshine) is both dangerous and illegal. Inexperienced brewers (or those who can’t afford proper equipment) are at risk of unknowingly using harmful ingredients in their homebrews. Since the whole point of the process is avoiding […]
ALCOHOL AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE
If you’re a woman who has ever been at a bar, party, or event where alcohol is flowing freely, you’ve probably had some experience with men getting pushy to some degree with their sexual advances. While drinking certainly does not turn all men into sexual predators, it has a variety of effects on the brain […]
HOW TO AVOID SUBSTITUTING ONE ADDICTION FOR ANOTHER
As we learn more about the causes of addiction, we’re coming to understand the many complex factors that make people more vulnerable. There is a genetic component – meaning addiction can be hereditary – and some people’s brains are structured in such a way as to make them susceptible. It turns out that people who […]
CAN CHOCOLATE GET YOU HIGH?
For as long as people have been using drugs, there are those who will try absolutely anything at the merest suggestion that it might get you high. From smoking banana peels to snorting nutmeg, there is no shortage of crazy ideas. The latest fad is inhaling powdered chocolate, but could that actually get you high? […]