Addiction Solution Source

A team of researchers from Australia and the U.S. led by Dr. Louisa Degenhardt at the University of New South Wales, in Sydney, have made the case for estimating the role that cannabis (aka marijuana) plays as a risk factor for psychosis worldwide.

This could give an idea of the extent of impact cannabis has on our public healthy globally. The information could be very valuable for guiding health policymakers in their decisions regarding services, research and health policies.

How many Americans have potentially dangerous prescription drugs in their medicine cabinet?

Unfortunately, prescription drug abuse has reached epidemic levels through the United States with nearly 7 million Americans abusing them. This amounts to an increase of 80% in the last six years. The numbers now exceed those that are abusing ‘street drugs’ (i.e., cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and other drugs).

It is very apparent just from the news over the past year or so, that there is a major problem in our society with the number of celebrities that have died from prescription drug addiction (i.e., Michael Jackson, Heath Ledger, DJ ‘AM’)

DRUG NEWS UPDATE
Eight different substances were found in the body of disc Jockey,(Adam Goldstein) AKA “DJ AM”. The toxicology report found traces of the following drugs:
· Painkillers: OxyContin, Vicodin
· Sedatives: Ativan, Klonopin and Xanax
· Levamisole (a cancer treatment drug that is used to cut cocaine)

The famous Disc Jockey was only 36-year-old, whose real name was Adam Goldstein, died last month from a lethal mixture of cocaine, cold medicine and prescription drugs. His death was ruled an accident by authorities, which seems almost ironic. How can it be classified as an ‘accidental death’, when the victim was purposely taking what is considered a ‘lethal’ mixture of drugs?! Where is the common sense? Anyone taking this amount and combination of drugs is playing ‘Russian Roulette’ with their health, life and death!

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Celebrity Disc Jockey,(Adam Goldstein) AKA “DJ AM” had prescription pills in his stomach and one in his throat when police found him dead in his New York apartment this past week.

Officials reported that six pills were found in the celebrity disc jockey’s stomach and that the pill in his throat appeared to be the powerful painkiller OxyContin.

Also, a crack pipe and prescription pill bottles were discovered there. Final autopsy and toxicology reports are pending.

Approximately 2 million Americans currently use cocaine because of the temporary euphoria effect it provides. Unfortunately this has contributed to making it one of the most dangerous and addictive drugs in the country. Cocaine addiction is known to cause severe biological and behavioral problems that may or may NOT be changed!

Researchers at the University of Missouri in the Dept of Electrical and Computer Engineering are utilizing computational models to study how the brain’s chemicals and the connections between neurons react to cocaine addiction. The findings could have an effect on future drug treatment.

Cocaine addicts get such a strong connection in the brain from the decision-making center to the pleasure center that it simply makes the addict keep seeking the use of cocaine.

According to a new study published in the September, 2009 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the risk of heart attacks was reduced, as a result of smoking bans in public areas. This was noted particularly among younger individuals as well as nonsmokers and is reducing the number of heart attacks by as much as 26% each year.

According to Dr. David Meyers, Professor of Cardiology and Preventive Medicine at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, ‘even breathing in low doses of cigarette smoke can increase the risk of heart attacks’. Dr. Meyers is the lead investigator of the most comprehensive study done to date on smoking issues. Dr. Meyers also stated that ‘public smoking bans might also help prevent lung cancer and emphysema’.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has shown new signs of regulating the tobacco industry by placing a federal ban on flavored cigarettes effective September 22, 2009.

This means that it is illegal to manufacture, import, market or distribute candy, fruit and all flavored cigarettes. According to health and federal authorities, flavored cigarettes are more appealing to youth and simply encourages smoking. It doesn’t take a ‘rocket scientist’ to see that flavored cigarettes are a gateway for children and young adults to become addicted to tobacco/nicotine.

By now, the world has read the sad news about Patrick Swayze’s death as a result of pancreatic cancer. Perhaps what people didn’t know about him is that he had struggled over the years with addiction to alcohol and cigarettes.

Over the course of the years, Patrick had a three-pack-a-day cigarette habit in addition to his alcohol addiction that grew worse after his adored father died in 1982 from a heart attack.

During his illness, he even said in his own words that he is a ‘miracle man’ who is fighting a winning battle against pancreatic cancer. But that still didn’t stop him from puffing on cigarettes between breaks from shooting his latest TV show.

In one interview I saw with Barbara Walters, he was sounding like a “tough guy” and that he was going to beat this cancer disease. But then he admitted that he was still smoking!

In another interview he actually admitted that smoking had something to do with his pancreatic cancer.

First off, think about this message from Yul Brynner (famous actor) recorded in January 1985, after he was diagnosed with lung cancer: “Now that I’m gone, I tell you: Don’t smoke, whatever you do, just don’t smoke. If I could take back that smoking we wouldn’t be talking about any cancer. I’m convinced of that.”

Now, here is five other reasons to think about:

1. Money – The cost of smoking adds up. Not only does smoking take money out of your pocket, but it contributes to higher health cost. It is well known that smoking and secondhand smoke lead to heart disease, strokes, cancer, lung disease and vascular disease. On the average, smokers spend approximately $1600/year on cigarettes. Consider the savings you will be making by quitting.

2. Life Expectancy – Smoking can take years off of one’s life literally. Also, smoking causes deep wrinkles that make you look older. By quitting smoking, your skin will be smoother and less chance of wrinkling.

3. Clean Air – smoking makes your clothes and hair reek of tobacco. Nonsmokers who are in the company of smokers are not safe either, since they are being subjected to secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke is associated with lung cancer, heart disease and stroke. It also can increase the risk of dementia by as much as 44 percent. Parents who smoke should seriously consider the risks of secondhand smoke exposure they are subjecting their children to in the home, car or other surrounding environments. Consider how much fresher your home will smell, your clothes, hair and even the car.

A three-judge panel from the 9th Federal U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously rejected a challenge by Phillip Morris USA Cigarette company. The company claimed that the law violated its right to free speech by banning sales of tobacco in the City of San Francisco pharmacies.

Chief Judge Kozinski wrote that the city law only “limits where cigarettes may be sold; it doesn’t prevent the cigarette company from advertising.” Judge Kozinski also wrote that advertising may be a form of free speech, but “selling cigarettes isn’t”.

Federal prosecutors have slapped Pfizer with the largest criminal fine in U.S. history. This is part of a $2.3 billion settlement in fines for the illegal promotions of drugs that have influenced doctors with free golf, massages and resort gatherings.

The pharmaceuticals giant is pleading guilty to promoting its withdrawn arthritis painkiller Bextra to doctors for unapproved uses and is paying to settle other claims over its marketing of nine other drugs. Bextra, which was withdrawn in 2005 after being linked to an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes, was among several drugs Pfizer promoted to doctors for unapproved uses.

The government said Pfizer also paid kickbacks to market a host of well-known drugs that include: Aricept, Celebrex, Lipitor, Norvasc, Relpax, Viagra, Zithromax, Zoloft and Zyrtec.