THE POLITICS OF ADDICTION
Since President Nixon announced a so-called “war on drugs” in the 1970s, the discussion of prevention, treatment, and recovery from drug use has remained a constant talking point in politics. So much so, in fact, that candidates from every political party in nearly every race have dedicated at least a part of their platform to […]
HOW TO ADMINISTER NALOXONE
We hear something about the opioid crisis or the opioid epidemic nearly every day, but what does that really mean? The number of overdose deaths from prescription and illicit opioids in the United States doubled from 21,089 in 2010 to 42,249 in 2016, largely due to the increasing availability of fentanyl and other potent synthetic […]
ANABOLIC STEROIDS
You’ve probably heard about athletes getting caught using steroids and being banned from their game for a while. It’s against the rules because it gives them an unfair advantage over other players, but how? Is it really that big of a deal? You don’t hear about people overdosing on steroids, so how dangerous can they […]
MDMA AS TREATMENT FOR PTSD
The psychoactive drug MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), also known as ecstasy, E, and Molly, is commonly used recreationally by people seeking the effects of both stimulants and psychedelics. It’s a synthetic drug that alters mood and perception, increasing energy and feelings of pleasure while distorting the senses. People who use it recreationally take it as a capsule […]
NEW DANGEROUS DRUGS
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of drugs on the streets of the United States that are causing this drug addiction epidemic that we are currently facing. But new and even more dangerous drugs are created every day. Many times these new dangerous drugs are created to skirt existing laws. Often times they are created […]
CLINICAL TRIALS
If you’ve ever seen a commercial for a prescription medication, you’ve probably heard something along the lines of, “In clinical studies, eight out of ten people saw an improvement in [whatever ailment].” Or you might have been killing time reading posters in your doctor’s office and seen a flier for a pharmaceutical company seeking people […]
BARBITURATES
Barbiturates are a type of depressant that act on the central nervous system, meaning the brain and spinal cord. They can be used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and seizures, but they do have significant addiction potential and no known overdose cure. As a result, benzodiazepines have largely replaced barbiturates for medical uses, although barbiturates are […]
EFFECTIVENESS OF CLINICAL TRIALS ON MICE
Throughout all of modern medicine, a great many of our breakthroughs discoveries have started with experiments or tests on mice. Research any subject vaguely related to medicine, and you’re like to see “studies on mice showed” or “in trials conducted on rats.” We’ve made great strides in addiction medicine by studying the effects of drugs […]
DRUG TESTING
Whether it’s a regular workplace occurrence or takes place after an arrest, there are several practical and ethical problems associated with drug testing. One of the most common tests is done on hair to detect the presence of cocaine. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of this is by no means perfect and has been debated hotly for […]
VACCINES FOR BATH SALTS
Recently, researchers have found a vaccine for one of the more dangerous and widely used drugs out there, bath salts. In this case, don’t think of vaccines that inoculate you from a disease, like those you would get for measles or tuberculosis. It’s really more of a recovery aid for people who have already abused […]