It 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.

This is why there is a growing concern among doctors and pharmacists on the habit of people taking too many medications which could also lead to health risks. Yes, medicines could help prevent and cure diseases — but as they always say, anything in excess could be harmful.

American Pharmacists Association spokesperson Sophia De Monte explains the phenomenon of polypharmacy. “As you keep increasing the amount of prescriptions, it increases the chance of having a drug interaction or major side effect. It’s exponential. The more you add on, the more chances you’ll have something bad happen.”

This is why doctors and pharmacists are working together to safeguard their patient’s health. Prescriptions given by doctors are kept at a minimum, and pharmacists review these prescriptions when patients purchase from them.

“The whole goal is to try to fine-tune it,” De Monte said, “working with the patient to get the best medication with the best effects at the minimal amount.”

Some important steps have been shared by professionals to ensure that taking multiple medications will lead to cure, and not to more medical problems.

a. Patients should read information with regards to their medication to be wary of the possible complications that could arise from taking the said medicines.

b. It’s best to take medications with water rather than any other beverage to prevent further interaction.

c. Never disregard any discomfort that you might experience after taking new medication. Consult your health care provider immediately.

d. Have your doctor or pharmacists review your prescriptions.

The most important factor to consider in polypharmacy is the patient’s present condition and how the medications make the patient feel.

As expected, hundreds of answers were given, each varying from person to person, but all answers were given corresponding “reality checks” so as to correct the misguided minds of most teenagers.

One of the most common responses among the participants was that drugs made them feel good. Drug users and addicts usually take these substances for pleasure and the sensations of euphoria which differs depending on the type of drugs. Cocaine, for example, can bring about a certain “high” boosting self-confidence and energy, while opiates like heroin causes feelings of satisfaction and relaxation.

The drug effects may give temporary escape from whatever worries and problems people may have, but after the effects subside, the same problems stay and solutions are still at loss. Situations can become worse when a person becomes addicted and he fails to have his regular dose and unpleasant symptoms of withdrawal occur like headache, nausea, and even mental problems.

Kids also said that drugs help them perform better, in academics and in athletics. It is true that drugs enhance one’s abilities which could lead one to continue with the habit. Yet these drugs called “performance-enhancing drugs” outweigh their positive effects with their negatives. Steroids, as an example, promotes breast growth among men and gives females deeper voices and more unwanted body hairs. More serious consequences of such drugs include heart failure and seizures.

Teens also said, “Everybody’s doing it.” In their quest to fit in and be accepted in groups, teens easily succumb to peer pressure and get into risky behaviors. This is why it is very important for kids to have strong values foundation to help them think before they do something dangerous and help them realize the damages that drugs can bring into their lives.

A new study published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology is suggesting that marijuana may prevent PTSD. Using rats as their specimens, researchers were able to block the occurrence of the disorder using pot. Scientists claim that the “cannabinoid” compounds extracted from marijuana that were injected on the rodents helped prevent development of PTSD symptoms after they were exposed to extreme stressful situations.

Psychologist Dr. Irit Akirav from the University of Haifa added that the use of pot to prevent PTSD should be administered at the exact right time. The proponents of the study started by dividing the rodents into four groups and they were all exposed to extreme stress. One group did not receive the cannabinoid injection, another got the shots two hours after being exposed to the stress, the third group got it 24 hours after, and the last received their shots 48 hours after exposure to stress.

After a week, the groups of rodents who received the cannabinoid injections two hours and 24 hours after did not develop expected PTSD symptoms. The other two groups, one receiving the shots 48 hours after and the other group who did not receive the shots at all, all displayed typical PTSD symptoms and were highly anxious.

Could these findings also apply to humans? Researchers say further studies can be done to determine the right “windows of opportunity” for humans due to the significant differences of life expectancy rates among rats and humans.

In a report from the Health Day News, Dr. Sarah D. Berry from the Institute for Aging Research of Hebrew Senior Life in Boston says that the increase in falling risks also applied to those who were given increased dosage of their current medications. “Our results identify the days following a new prescription or increased dose of a non-SSRI antidepressant as a window of time associated with a particularly high risk of falling among nursing home residents,” she said.

Dr. Berry adds that there is a need for closer monitoring of elders when any of the two factors apply to them to minimize injuries that could happen due to falling.

The results of the study show that fall cases among elders in nursing homes are up by almost 500% whenever they are given new prescription medicines or if their usual dosage is increased. This may be due to the non SSRI depressants that could affect cognitive and motor functions in the body.

There is also the possibility that non-SSRI can cause a significant decrease in blood pressure when elders stand up or the sedation and coordination problems linked to non-SSRI. The need for thorough examination of the side effects of these antidepressants is now being called for.

There are more than one-third of the 1.6 million nursing home residents that are under antidepressant medications. Dr. Berry admits that these drugs are effective and doctors don’t see the need to withhold these drugs based solely on the findings that they could pose greater falling risks for the elders.

She Googled cannabis and autism, and was surprised to find the answer to her problems. It was there that she found out about other parents with autistic children who claimed that marijuana did wonders to their child’s condition. Meiko got her cue from them, and she immediately sought for a medical marijuana card for her son, Joey.

Today, Meiko gives Joey his regular serving of chocolate bar, but unlike those given to other kids, Joey’s candy is laced with medical marijuana. He has gained weight ever since, tipping the scale at 112 lbs which is a far cry from what he used to weigh before cannabis was introduced into his system.

It was not an easy decision for Meiko to give Joey marijuana, but she had to do it for the sake of keeping her child alive. “My son was absolutely withering away. You could see the bones in his chest,” she says.

Meiko claims that medical marijuana was the key to her child’s health recovery. During her interview with KSEE news, Joey was with her and he kept him busy with a bag of chips which he munched again and again. “Everything is improved. Right now he’s given one brownie every two to three days. Whereas the other medications he was taking every single day, twice a day. He’s now calm, sociable, happy, and more productive.”

Despite this mother’s testimony, doctors are still concerned with children being treated with medical marijuana. Dr. Seth Ammeran from the Stanford University understands the parent’s motive for using medical marijuana to help autistic kids, but as there is still a need for further studies regarding the matter, he is still reluctant to recommend cannabis to patients.

According to a letter from DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart in response to the petition filed by medical marijuana advocacy groups, marijuana has not been proven effective for any medical use and treatment in the United States, and that the use of marijuana for medical purposes is not coupled with proper procedures to ensure safety and that it still has a high potential to be abused.

The decision came much to the disappointment of those who supported the re-classification of marijuana nine years ago when they sought to have the government look into the medical benefits of cannabis for treatment of glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, and other diseases.

Unfortunately, the Drug Enforcement Administration has responded negatively to the petition filed at the Court of Appeals from medical marijuana advocates for the drug to be considered legal for medicinal purposes.

In a report from the L.A. Times, DEA’s ruling will put marijuana in the line of heroin and MDMA which are all considered dangerous drugs. Under federal law, marijuana is among the Schedule I list of controlled substances.

Americans for Safe Access chief counsel Joe Elford says their group was not surprised with the latest ruling on the lawsuit they have filed years ago. He says the Obama administration would never allow for the legalization and commercial cultivation of marijuana. “It is clearly motivated by a political decision that is anti-marijuana,” he said.

There have been a number of states, including California, which has adopted the legalization of medical marijuana. It can be expected that another vote will be made on 2012, and supporters pushing for its legalization will continue their cause.

The 2811 Medical Marijuana Club was inaugurated last Monday and clients were happy to have another dispensary where they can get their medications. They were more delighted as the club offered free samples of marijuana just a few steps away from the dispensary.

According to a report on Fox11AZ, a lot of patients have registered and are now members of Club 2811. Vicki Smith, one of the club’s clients, says she’s learning more about medical marijuana and her questions are being answered quickly by the operators of the dispensary. Club 2811 also becomes a good place for her and other patients to interact and share stories and information with regards to medical marijuana. With soft music and comfortable seating, customers feel at ease and relaxed.

According to Allan Sobol, general manager of Club 2811, the center caters to clients who are looking for other legal opportunities to get hold of the medication that they badly need. He adds, “This is intended as an educational and resource center. It’s designed to allow networking amongst patients and caregivers and other people in the industry.”

The club’s opening invitation reads ‘Private Cannabis Membership Club opens in Phoenix. What better way to celebrate your Independence then to get your FREE MARIJUANA?’

Before people jump to the wrong conclusion, Sobol clarified that they only gave away about one-eighth of an ounce to clients who have state-approved marijuana cards. When asked about the legality of their Club, he says they have contacted law enforcement in the state and that they are very transparent in every activity that happens within the club.

But today, the illicit drug just got more dangerous. According to reports from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, about 82% of the amounts of cocaine that they have seized are all mixed with another drug that can literally rot the skin on user’s noses, cheeks and ears. Drug dealers are adding what is known as levamisole, a veterinary drug, to the cocaine shipments that they distribute around America.

In the illegal drugs industry, fillers are used on products to gain more profit. This is probably how levamisole ends up in cocaine. Cheap cocaine is usually composed of up to 90% filler, and dealers before would usually use baking soda for this purpose. Dr. Noah Craft from the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute says that the problem brought about by this low-grade cocaine in the market can be very big.

Levamisole is now the choice of most drug dealers to act as fillers since it has the same effect on brain receptors like cocaine has. This will make cheap cocaine perform a lot closer to high-end grades, thus sellers will be able to have a big margin of profit.

In a feature on The Week, wounds brought about by using tainted cocaine appear a day after contact with the substance. The skin’s blood vessels are damaged, and the skin is starved with oxygen resulting to skin turning purple and eventually dies and rots.

In Canada, suspected users of cheap cocaine have been diagnosed with Hepatitis C and anemia. Here in the U.S., more doctors are seeing gruesome wounds due to the use of cocaine. Authorities have warned that tainted cocaine is not only distributed in New York or L.A. but in the whole country as well.

Williams has recently announced that he’s in talks with a group in Sacramento, California for his planned dispensary. If plans push through and he lands an agreement with the concerned people, Williams could add up another title on his belt; as a marijuana seller, legally that is.

It’s no secret to the industry that Williams himself suffers from multiple sclerosis and that despite having a number of pain killers prescribed by his doctors, only cannabis has had a significant effect against the chronic pain brought about by his illness. He claims he is able to withstand the neurological discomfort and improve his health by using cannabis.

In an interview for the Sacramento Bee, Williams laments, “Prescription drugs nearly shut down my kidneys. Then a doctor suggested I try medical marijuana.”

In a feature on NY Daily News, Montel’s planned dispensary will be very different compared to those already in existence. Marijuana will not be displayed in the facility and the actual product will only be seen by patients when they are about to use it (outside the property), whether in edible or smokable form.

Williams tells the Bee that he wants people to have a different perspective on pot. He wants patients and non-patients alike to identify marijuana as a real medication and not just a thing for addiction. His facility will be family-friendly that even parents can walk right into it.