Drunkorexia: No Eating, Just More Drinking

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse on January 26th, 2012

What is drunkorexia? This condition happens when teens forego eating and use their money to buy more alcoholic drinks. When they don’t have anything in their stomach, the effects of alcohol are magnified and faster.

drinkingParents should be warned about this trend and they should be always on the lookout if their kids are into this type of situation. Recent studies from the American College Health Association have shown that 31% of students are already diagnosed for alcohol abuse and 6% are already alcohol dependents.

It has also been noted that most girls who drink have another reason for becoming victims of drunkorexia. Data results confirmed that 16% of women student drinkers have eating disorders and alcohol habits, in the hopes of losing more calories and shed the weight.

The dangers of alcohol abuse are very alarming, and combining them with eating disorders is a sure way of creating very disastrous conditions. The long-term and short-term effects of such habits could affect not only the physical development of a child but could very well hit the cognitive abilities of a student, which is often manifested through poor academic performance.

As high school is a highly stressful phase, drunkorexia can yield tragic results especially when body image and peer pressure are put on a spotlight. This is why it is very important to not only put a stop to alcohol, but to guide teens on how to cope with their problems and the stresses that they encounter.

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Lawmakers Back Up Drug Testing Bill for Welfare Recipients

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Testing on January 25th, 2012

Kentucky State Reps. Jody Richards and Jim DeCesare are both backing up a bill which will make drug testing for people who are receiving public assistance a mandatory procedure.

drug testing“If you’re drug tested for a private job, why shouldn’t you be drug tested for public assistance? If you have nothing to hide, then there shouldn’t be a problem,” Rep. DeCesare said.

The drug testing bill has been introduced during last year’s General Assembly but it has made very little progress.

Drug testing will be done only if a caseworker suspects substance abuse from a recipient. The suspected individual will then be subjected to drug testing and should he fail, he will be given a list of substance abuse treatment facilities in the area. Children of recipients who fail the drug test will still continue to receive public assistance.

“I think it could be practical in its implementation,” Rep. Richards stated. “I think most people think that it’s fair. If you’re on assistance, you should be drug tested.”

Another bill scheduled to be tackled is one authored by Richards that pertains to the health and wellness of state employees. The Kentucky Personnel Cabinet will be required to create programs which will improve the health and wellness of state employees if the said bill should pass legislation.

Incentives will be given to those who participate in such programs. The state will source the funds from their current annual budget as well as from surplus funds from previous years.

“There are incentives for people to reduce weight, stop smoking,” according to Rep. Richards. “With Kentucky being such an unhealthy state, I think this is really important. It’s important to hold down expenses on health care as much as we can.”

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Simon Cowell Takes Steps to Get Rid of Smoking Habit

Posted by Drug Free in Tobacco Abuse on January 24th, 2012

Simon Cowell is taking concrete steps towards getting rid of his 15-a-day cigarette habit, and has begun treatment at an addiction clinic.

Simon Cowell smokingThe 52-year-old music mogul is seeking help at a top facility in London, giving in to the urging of friends and family to stop smoking. Cowell had admitted that he started smoking at the age of eight. He was also quoted as saying that he loved to smoke, and that he equated smoking with “having a good time.”

Max Clifford, spokesman for Simon Cowell, gave the following statement: “Simon is a very healthy guy who looks after himself diet-wise very well. But he has made a New Year’s resolution to give up, or at least significantly cut back, on his smoking.”

A report on The People revealed that Cowell has a family history of lung cancer. His mother, 87-year-old Julie, had shared: “My father Robert was a heavy smoker like Simon and he died of lung cancer at the age of 62.”

A source had shared with the paper that the Britain’s Got Talent judge felt that is was time to quit his habit. The source said: “He’s been smoking since a very young age and feels the time is now right to try to stop. He has no major health issues at the moment, but, as always, he is under a lot of pressure with his work schedule. Simon’s mother and some of his closest friends have been nagging him for some time to stop smoking. His grandfather Robert was a heavy smoker who died of lung cancer. His father suffered a heart attack. It made Simon think long and hard about his own health now.”

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Bolder and Adventurous Teens More Likely to Abuse Drugs

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction on January 23rd, 2012

It’s not really possible to label teens today with just a few adjectives. Each teen has his own personality that makes him unique from the others. At one point, we may encounter a kid who’s too shy and on the other hand, we could see someone who oozes with confidence and is totally uncontrollable.

teen adventuresRecent studies, though, are suggesting that kids who are bolder, adventurous and risk-takers are more susceptible to substance abuse. This condition may be explained by the findings that prove both risk-taking activities and drug abuse greatly affect a teen’s system of rewards in the brain.

This means that kids who are often on the extreme side of things could be craving for anything that could trigger neural activities which make them feel good about themselves and their whole being. This is where substance abuse may come in as this habit also offers the same feeling of euphoria even for just a short time.

The study does not generalize risk-taking teens as substance abusers or addicts. While preliminary studies may show the relationship between extreme physical and mental activities and drug or alcohol susceptibility, the findings are not yet solid enough to be considered as conclusive. This is why more researches are being done to be able to uncover more possible contributing factors of teen substance abuse.

It is advised that parents do their roles in keeping their kids safe and healthy at all times no matter what kind of personality their children may have. For those with kids who have the potential to become high-risk takers, they could find other channels for their kids to put on the extra energy. Parents can even be with their children in doing extreme activities to be able to guide kids properly. Teaching kids about proper rewards system may also help in the right development of a child’s mentality.

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Black-Tar Heroin Is Back!

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction, Drug Facts on January 22nd, 2012

When the High Intensity Drug Task Force in Charlotte met last year, the discussion was mainly on black-tar heroin which has made its way to the market and has become the fastest-growing drug problem in the area.

black-tar heroinIt may not be known to many but black-tar heroin has been in demand for the last five years, which was also the time when prescription drug abuse surged and became the most alarming type of drug abuse not only in Charlotte but in the whole nation as well.

According to US Drug Enforcement Administration group supervisor and team leader for the High Intensity Drug Task Force Jeffrey W. Ferris, young people from middle to high income families comprise the market of black-tar heroin.

The Charlotte area has become the place to be when looking for heroin. Every day, people drive into the region to get their supply of the illicit drug to distribute among buyers within a week.

Ferris admits that the task in catching drug dealers and consumers of black-tar heroin is not easy. This is why they are enlisting the aid of school authorities, civic groups and other concerned volunteers in the proper information dissemination and education of parents, young adults, and kids on the said drug. “We want to use awareness and education in an attempt to dry up demand. We want to talk to Parent-Teacher Associations, faculties, as well as students.”

Black-tar heroin is sourced from crudely refining poppy plants in Latin America particularly in Mexico. Manufacturers use plastic grocery bags cut in squares and tied like balloons to package the drugs. These packages cost from $10 to $12 a piece and are color coded with white and yellow pertaining to cocaine and red for heroin.

It has become an alternative to pricey prescription drugs that could fetch up to $80 dollars a pill. This is why its demand is on the rise among teens and young adults.

Black-tar heroin, like any other type of opiates, is highly addictive physically and psychologically and getting out of an addiction may prove to be a challenge for any individual.

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Alcohol Linked to Increased Risk of Breast Cancer

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse on January 21st, 2012

Women who drink could become more susceptible to breast cancer. This is the outcome of nearly 65 studies published, gathered and summarized relating alcohol to breast cancer risks.

Researchers were able to come up with the result by analyzing data gathered from women participants that consume alcohol. All other factors that affect breast cancer risks were taken into consideration, such as age, family history, diet, and smoking habits in the analysis of their findings.

breast cancer and alcoholResults showed that alcohol may have an independent and direct effect in developing breast cancer regardless of the other risk factors of the disease. Scientists though are still continuing their studies on the subject, incorporating lifestyle and personal characteristics in the relationship between alcohol and breast cancer.

Reports have also been noted as to the amount of alcohol consumed that could trigger risks of breast cancer in women. When a woman drinks at least 2 to 5 drinks in a day, breast cancer risks could increase by about 40% more compared to non-drinkers. This information is very vital as women with a family history of breast cancer, without considering the alcohol factor, already have increased risks of up to 50% for the disease.

The period when a woman started drinking is also considered in understanding risks of the deadly disease. It is said that drinking before the age of 30 can increase risks of breast cancer rather than present drinking habits. Yet there are some reports that also support current drinking patterns as the main reason why breast cancer risks dramatically go up.

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