Drug Facts

National Drug Facts Week Scheduled

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Abuse Prevention, Drug Facts on August 17th, 2010

On Monday, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) announced the launching of the National Drug Facts Week, according to a feature on the website of the National Institutes of Health. National Drug Facts Week will serve as a way to bring teenagers and scientific experts together in order to talk about drug abuse. It is an expansion of the online Drug Facts Day previously conducted by NIDA.

National Drug Facts WeekNIDA director Dr. Nora Volkow was quoted in the feature: “What we learned through our annual Web chat is that teens have many questions about drug use and are eager for objective, factual answers, so we wanted to build a series of events where teens could ask scientists their questions directly.”

National Drug Facts Week will encourage the conduct of community-based question and answer events participated in by teenagers and scientists. Schools, community groups, hospitals and various youth-oriented clubs can serve as the sponsors of these events. Those interested in organizing such events can ask NIDA for an online toolkit that will provide teenagers and their sponsoring organizations information regarding: “how to create an event, how to publicize the event, how to find a scientific expert and where to find scientific information on drugs.”

This new awareness week is supported by the following federal agencies: the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in HHS, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism at NIH, the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools in the U.S. Department of Education, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the U.S. Department of Transportation, The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Bureau of Justice Assistance in the U.S. Department of Justice, and the National Guard, part of the U.S. Department of Defense.

National Drug Facts week will begin on November 8.

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Cocaine Makes Mockery of World Cup!

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Addiction, Drug Facts on July 5th, 2010

With the World Cup dwindling down to its last stages, the football fever reached its highest temperature perhaps a little too much. A very unique replica of the World Cup statue was seized by drug police in Colombia stating that it was made out of cocaine. The 14-inch golden World Cup statue was made of 11 kilos of cocaine that was mixed with gasoline or acetone in order to make it mouldable.

World Cup cocaineAccording to the Latin American Hearld Tribune report, it was cleverly hidden in the storage areas of the El Dorado airport along with jerseys of the teams that qualified for the World Cup semi-finals and is headed for Spain. Cocaine is said to cost about $50 to $70 per gram.

Almost a whopping 75% of all cocaine is grown and manufactured in Colombia, with some factories located just passed the borders of Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru. Colombia is well known for its dark history with drug lords with names such as Pablo Escabar in the early 90’s, almost taking over Medellin by leading a deadly bounty hunting for policemen.

Cocaine’s effects are extremely damaging on a person’s body and the continued use and consequent addiction to it can cause severe damages and even death. Although each person reacts to cocaine differently, many users experience these common short-term effects — increase in blood pressure, constricted blood vessels, mental alertness, increased vigor, increased heart rate, decrease in appetite and dilated pupils.

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Effects of Alcohol to the Liver

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Alcohol Abuse, Drug Facts on April 9th, 2010

The liver is an important organ. It has many functions that are important to the health of the body. Without it, the body can’t last long. The liver stores glycogen which is broken down to glucose and then released into the bloodstream. It also helps in processing fats and proteins. The liver acts as a workstation for the medicines a person takes in. It is also important in making an important acid called bile, which helps in digesting fats. It is the main organ responsible in removing poisons and toxins from the body, including alcohol.

party drinkingOnce alcohol is taken in the body, it is absorbed by the stomach and intestines and introduced into the bloodstream. Since the liver acts as a filter for the blood, the liver becomes the meeting place of all the alcohol that one takes in. Liver cells contain a chemical that processes alcohol and breaks it down into water and carbon dioxide. The alcohol is then expelled through urination and from the lungs, which is why alcohol can be detected through urine and breath tests. But these liver cells can only metabolize a certain amount of alcohol per hour. If a person drinks too much alcohol, the liver can no longer process it in time, thus increasing the alcohol levels in the blood stream.

Drinking too much alcohol causes a long list of trouble in the body, ranging from minor health conditions to deadly ones. Our liver can only process a small amount of alcohol. Anything in excess can cause a number of health risks such as alcoholic liver disease, stomach disorders, pancreatitis, heart muscle disease, high blood pressure, cancers of the mouth, gullet, liver, colon and breast, and alcohol addiction.

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Risks of Inhalant Drugs Abuse

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Addiction, Drug Facts, Prescription Drug Abuse on April 8th, 2010

There are numerous sources of inhalant drugs that most of us are not aware of or are not too careful about. Many household products can be abused as inhalants including hair spray, room deodorizers, non-stick cooking sprays, paint thinners, rugby and even gasoline.

inhalant drugsAbusing inhalants can usually cause dizziness, loss of coordination, reduced inhibition and self-control problems. These contribute to dangerous activities that may lead to injuries, criminal activities and risky behavior. The drug also affects the heart that may cause it to work overtime resulting to rapid or irregular heartbeats. There is also a risk of hearing loss and brain damage. Most of the long time inhalant addicts exhibit weakness and fatigue as well as liver and kidney damage.

There are numerous dangerous consequences to abusing inhalant drugs. These drugs contain a high concentration of chemicals that increases the risks of heart failure even after a few minutes of exposure. Overuse of inhalant drugs usually nudge off oxygen in the lungs and may cause suffocation and asphyxiation which are mainly caused by repeated and consistent inhalations. Drug use also produces a damaging and abnormal effect in the electrical discharges that occur in the brain. As a result, there is an increased risk of seizures and convulsions, and in some cases, a coma.

Inhalant addiction is a difficult situation. It is best that we are made aware of the many warning signs of inhalant abuse. Be wary of paraphernalia. Rags, plastic bags, overbuying of deodorizers and other chemical cans are some of the signs. Also, use your nose. Inhalant drugs exhibit a distinct smell that oftentimes sticks to the clothing of the user.

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Risks of Crystal Meth Abuse

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Addiction, Drug Facts, Prescription Drug Abuse on April 7th, 2010

We hear a lot about Crystal Meth in the movies, but most of us don’t really understand just how dangerous this drug can be. Crystal Meth is an amphetamine in the form of an artificial white crystalline powder. It is known in the drug world because of its ability to enhance the senses and euphoria. Crystal Meth provides the addict with a burst of energy, sometimes allowing the user to stay up for days without sleep. However appealing, this drug is an addictive killer.

Crystal MethCrystal Meth is known to be able to improve senses and enhances alertness when taken in low doses. In high doses, the drug causes euphoria and excitement but to the extent that it increases the heart rate and body temperature to very unsafe levels. Paranoia, agitation and exhibition of unpredictable behavior often follows, which may lead to dangerous or criminal tendencies. There is also a risk of overdosing that might result to death.

Doctors say that it is almost impossible not to get addicted once a person starts taking Crystal Meth. Studies have shown that over 90% of people exposed to Crystal Meth become addicted to it. As with other drugs, people also develop a tolerance to the drug, which means the user needs to increase amount of intake over time to get the same effects. Eventually, the doses become so high that it would result to dangerous health risks such as hypothermia, paranoia, stroke and an increased hearth rate. Continued use of this drug may numb the pleasure senses of the brain.

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Risks of Heroin Abuse

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Addiction, Drug Facts, Prescription Drug Abuse on April 6th, 2010

Heroin is a dangerous drug that can be taken either intravenously, by snorting or by smoking. As the drug enters the brain, it is then converted to morphine and then bonds with brain receptors called opioids, which are primarily responsible for the body’s sense of reward and pain. The receptors also play important processes in the body like breathing, blood pressure and arousal. Taking heroin during pregnancy is extremely dangerous as it could result to premature birth, breathing problems for the baby, and poor health of the child.

heroinHeroin abuse is often associated with various health problems such as overdosing, miscarriages, HIV and AIDS and hepatitis. Users are often at risk of contracting HIV, Hepatitis C and other infectious diseases through sharing and recycling of syringes that have been used by other infected addicts.

Heroin often has immediate effects after a single dose and dissipates after a few minutes to few hours. After the initial dose, there is a surge of euphoria which is often followed by a warming sensation around the body. There is a certain “rushing” effect that overtakes the body, making the addict feel at ease. There is also suppression of pain, clouded mental functioning, and depressed respiration.

Extended use of heroin results in many dangerous illnesses. The addict may develop an increasing tolerance to Heroin and may feel the need to match every time the same level of pleasure. Using Heroin, especially intravenously, may result to collapsed veins, infections in the linings of the heart and valves, cellulitis, liver disease and abscesses. There is also a risk of  pulmonary complications such as pneumonia and may contribute to a user’s overall poor health. Other long term effects include bacterial infections, arthritis and other rheumatologic problems.

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