Posts Tagged Drug Addiction

Myths About Pot Smoking

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Other Addictions on September 30th, 2009

PotSmoking

Substance abusers who fail to abstain from chemicals despite several treatment efforts, generally think of switching over to some other forms of chemicals for harm minimization. Often we come across confused parents who try to make a deal with their children that, “if you stop using all other drugs you will be allowed to smoke only pot.” This is not really surprising since throughout the world marijuana is the most popular drugs because of its euphoric effects. The myths associated with marijuana are also responsible for its widespread acceptance. A good number of users and their family members believe that they are smoking herb – a natural product. Isn’t that a consolation!

But parents must be aware about the three common myths about marijuana use and then decide on their course of action.

#  Marijuana is not addictive. It does not create physical dependence. This is absolutely an incorrect notion since continued use of pot leads to physical dependence which is evident from the symptoms that are noticeable once the substance is withdrawn. Lack of appetite, poor sleep, fatigue, aggression are some of the withdrawal symptoms associated with the substance. 

# Marijuana is natural and thus good for health. All natural products are not safe for health. Mother nature also produces certain things which are detrimental for health. Marijuana affects the Central Nervous System specially the cognitive aspect of the brain. The effects, though subtle, are often irreversible. Short term memory is impaired, a slower processing speed leads to slowing down of the brains ability to solve problems. Prolonged usage in adolescence might lead to neuroplasticity.

# Marijuana is a natural healer for diseases that cause pain. Studies have shown that THC, the primary chemical in marijuana helps AIDS patients to gain weight and prevents cancer patients from experiencing nausea. Thus THC is filtered and extracted and used in different pills. But actual marijuana has at least 400 cancer causing chemicals apart from THC which might cause devastating effects when they react with THC in the body.

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Some good blog sites on drug addiction and prevention

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Abuse Treatment, Drug Addiction, Drug Facts, Drug Rehabilitation, Drug Testing, Other Addictions, Prescription Drug Abuse on September 26th, 2009

Medical-MarijuanaDesign

Let us explore today some blogsites that I found to be informative and interesting. Hope our readers will like them too.

The first I found is Drug Addiction Support (http://www.drug-addiction-support.org/drug-addiction-blog.html). The site discusses common issues related to drug addiction, drug addiction syndromes, most common causes behind drug addiction, effects of drug addiction, and treatment modalities.

You will find nice, information rich articles that are easy to read and understand. It has a section on various drugs like cocaine, crystal meth, heroin, suboxone, marijuana, etc.

Next I found Narconon of Georgia (http://narcononofga.wordpress.com/alcohol-awareness/) quite interesting. Nice topics and good, authoritative content may help you if you are seeking information on drug and alcohol addiction. The site has added some videos which you may find to be very appealing.

You may also see Recovery Connection (http://www.recoveryconnection.org/) website that focuses on drug, alcohol, and substance abuse recovery and treatment plans. It has published a state-wise database of addiction treatment centers and information on the types of treatments offered in specific centers. You will find lots of information on Addiction Treatment Programs and Drug and alcohol Rehab Programs, Drug/alcohol Detox Programs, Dual Diagnosis Treatment Programs, Eating Disorder Programs, GLBT Addiction/rehab/detox Treatment and Detox Programs, etc.

Drug Rehabs.Org (http://www.drug-rehabs.org/) is dedicated toward rehab programs. You can have specific information if you are searching rehab programs for yourself, friend, family, spouse, children and you can search their database depending on the age of the person. The site has option of searching on the basis of the type of drug as well.

See Alcohol/Drug Help Line (http://www.adhl.org/) is an exclusive help line–based service provider. They run their service during Sunday through Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (previously it was 24-hrs helpline). The site presents some useful links if you wish to be a part of the rehab services or volunteer for some counseling.

We request our readers to write to us if you find some interesting sites/resources. This would help us in fighting the menace more comprehensively.

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Beware of Brownies: They may be laced with Drugs

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Abuse Treatment, Drug Addiction, Drug Facts, Drug Rehabilitation, Drug Testing on September 10th, 2009

pot+brownies

I was just going through some interesting news and happened to read one of them which I think is worth sharing. It happened on 7th April in Los Angeles. According to reports, a pre-school teacher bought brownies from a street vendor who claimed that he was selling the sweet treats as a means of raising funds for the church. Each brownie was wrapped in plastic wrappers.

The teacher bought the brownies for $ 1.50 each and took the sweets to her workplace for her colleagues to share. During the break hours five teachers ate one brownie each while the sixth one took a bite and spit it out complaining that it had an “unusual taste”. The teachers fell ill after sometime complaining of dizziness and “tingling of the face, forehead, arms and hands”, according to reports submitted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The lady who had bought the brownies did not have any but her son ate one before she brought them to school. Some of the people who had had the brownie later reported that the food had a “medicine like aftertaste or smell.” But the people who were affected had an entire brownie. 

The pre-school director contacted the pastor to verify the genuineness of such a fundraising program. She was informed that there was no such fundraiser.

The pastor informed the police who in turn called the public health department. An investigation of the matter revealed the fact that the teachers had unknowingly taken brownies laced with pot. Two of the teachers required medical care at an urgent-care center one of whom was a breast feeding mother.

The lesson to be learned from this incident is that drug pushers are always trying out various innovative ways to trap people into their network. It is your responsibility to be cautious and save yourself from their influence. So be on the guard.

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18 Killed in a Drug Rehabilitation Center

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Abuse Treatment, Drug Addiction, Drug Facts, Drug Rehabilitation, Drug Testing on September 8th, 2009

mexico

Shocking but true – gunmen killed 18 under treatment drug abusers in a rehabilitation center in Ciudad Juarez, a Mexican city, bringing to light the current scenario of illicit drug trade and drug abuse in the country. On 2nd September at around 7.15 am a group of 8 gunmen broke open one of the doors of the center, lined up the victims against the wall and fired them.

This is the third time that a drug rehabilitation center has been attacked in Ciudad Juarez. In one of the attacks the gunmen killed 8 patients and injured 6 others. Mexico has been struggling with domestic consumption of drugs and trafficking for quite some time. According to reports of a government survey released last year, there are 460,000 drug users in the country which is 51% higher than the number of users six years back. As a response to this intensification of the problem, several rehabilitation centers have sprung up many of which are not regulated properly. The center in which the incident occurred is located near the border where drugs and prostitution is rampant.

The state authorities of Chihuahua are of the opinion that rehab centers have turned to hideouts for drug smugglers who are being sought by the police and the other rival gangs. The drug cartels also use them as training and recruitment centers.

Such incidents are absolute confirmation of the fact that the escalating problem of violence and crime related to trafficking of drugs is going beyond control. Rehabilitation centers are places where hapless people come with some hope of overcoming their crisis. It is strange how such incidents could happen repeatedly in a place where security of the patients should be the topmost priority of the authorities. Is it just the end of another drug addict or is it the end human lives who had the right to live like any other fellow beings?

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Use Internet to Combat Drug Abuse

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Abuse Treatment, Drug Addiction, Drug Facts, Drug Rehabilitation, Prescription Drug Abuse on September 4th, 2009

abuse

Access to drugs has become so easy nowadays with computer savvy teenagers purchasing drugs online. Internet pharmacies are now preferred by most teenagers since they can access any dangerous prescription drug as well as other street drugs like heroin, without any question. But parents now can take a sigh of relief. The Treatment Research Institute (TRI) in collaboration with Unyos, a Maryland – based software developing company, are helping parents, professionals and others by developing a software which will deal with the dangers that the internet pharmacies pose to the teenagers.

The resource will be available at the website www.websafeparent.com from September, 2009. “Drug addiction is a major problem of our society. It destroys human potential and community and has led to an overburdened criminal justice system. We are excited by the opportunity to help TRI address this misunderstood health care problem and continue the shift to prevention and treatment” said Mr.Carey Krez, CEO of Unyos.

TRI is a non-profit making research and development organization. It conducts researches in the field of addiction and transforms the findings into products that can be of use to service providers, policy makers, etc. The innovative approach taken by the alliance will provide science-based information and other multimedia resources as well as an online network. The site will be extremely beneficial for professionals and parents who are concerned about drug abuse, in understanding and dealing with threats of internet pharmacies. The information available in the site will be downloadable as well.  

Constance Pechura, Executive Director of TRI said “TRI conducts some of the best addiction research in the nation and is committed to increasing the impact of our findings by communicating them as broadly as possible.” She also added that “the TRI – Unyos collaboration has the potential to extend the reach of our discoveries to the very people who need but otherwise might not get them.”

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Parents – Can you hear this?: Effects of Parents’ Drug Addiction in Family

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Abuse Treatment, Drug Addiction, Drug Facts, Drug Testing on August 23rd, 2009

alcoholoic parents

It has been a long time that we are focusing primarily on issues related to teenage addiction. As parents we are concerned about our children’s vulnerability to substance abuse. But did we ever focus on our own behavior? Parents serve as role models for children. Thus it is their responsibility to practice what they preach. If you ever try to delve deep into the reasons for a child’s addictive behavior, you will surely find that faulty learning process is the most important factor and parents, being the first teachers of a child, are the chief influencers.

There are a number of people who suffer from problems related to substance abuse but they prefer to keep them unaddressed due to shame or other social factors. I was just going through a post “Diane Schuler’s Death: kills buzz for moms who drink” and was just shocked to know how reckless a mother could be. Schuler, a 36 years old mother of two, met with a fatal accident on 26th July, 2009 when she crashed her minivan into an approaching traffic killing herself, her 2 year old daughter, three young nieces and three men in another car. Police said that shortly before the mishap, Schuler had smoked pot and drank 10 drinks worth of vodka. Her blood alcohol level was twice more than the permissible limit.

The incident of Diane Schuler is the extreme example of how kids suffer due their parents’ addiction. It is being said that in suburban areas like Westchester, the rate of drunken mothers driving with their children has been rising steadily. But most families pretend that the disease doesn’t exist and this worsens the situation.

Children of addicts are the silent sufferers. The irresponsible behavior of their parents fosters a sense of insecurity within them. They tend to become rebellious and ultimately find solace in drugs.

If substance abuse is a problem for you please seek help.

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