Addiction Solution Source

For the first time in history, a country – New Zealand – has created a regulatory agency to oversee recreational drugs. Passed by their government this past summer on a vote of 119 to 1, the legislation has already granted interim approval to over 50 products.

We should watch this development closely to see what happens. If implemented carefully, New Zealand’s new laws offer the first genuinely scientific and public health-oriented approach to dealing with the negative aspects of drugs.

All new drugs will still be illegal for people under 18. They can only be sold at specific, licensed outlets and must carry packaging identifying the ingredients and including health warnings about the known and potential risks. No advertising is permitted, except inside the store itself.

Regulation won’t make recreational drug use completely safe — this is clear from our experience with alcohol, tobacco, and prescription drugs. But, it also won’t add to the harm done by drug dealers and throwing people in prison. There will always be some people that seek chemical euphoria and escape from reality — so instead of locking them up and ceding the market to organized crime, we need to give them the safest possible choices and spend the money on treatment and education instead.

Highly hallucinogenic, potentially lethal and legal – it’s important you learn about the newest designer drugs sweeping the nation. The street name is “Bath Salts,” but they were never intended for your tub. This powdery substance is packaged as “bath salt” to circumvent drug laws.

The salts contain two synthetic drugs, mephedrone and methylenedioxypyrovalerone, also known as MDPV, which mimic the effects of cocaine or meth.

Poison control centers around the country are being flooded with calls. Emergency rooms are inundated with people who’ve taken this stimulant. Most terrifyingly, this new drug craze is something almost anyone can purchase.

Easily found at gas stations and convenience stores, it is important to learn the many names of this drug to protect your family from its dangerous effects

Sold in packets of white powder with names like Vanilla Sky, Ivory Wave, Bliss, and White Lightning. They are usually snorted or smoked — not unlike cocaine or methamphetamine.

But what exactly do they do?

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’)

According to a recent report in USA Today and information from the Mexican Health Ministry, new patients at drug treatment centers quadrupled since 2000.

The new border fence and intensified patrols by both Mexican and U.S. federal agents have made it harder for Mexican cartels to get street drugs into the USA.

Mexican President Felipe Calderón warned last month that cartels are no longer just trying to get drugs to the USA, but generate consumers “here in Mexico who will buy them, and buy them for the rest of their lives.”

“We used to be mainly a country of transit for drugs. Now we’ve become a consumer,” says Ricardo Sánchez, director of research for the health ministry’s rehab centers.

Prices of drugs have increased in the USA but have decreased in Mexico making it more available.

Research shows that some teens are “self medicating” by using street drugs like marijuana to try and overcome feelings of depression. What they do not realize is that marijuana can actually compound the problem.

A recent report from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, shows a staggering two million teens felt depressed at some point during the past year, and depressed teens are more than twice as likely as non-depressed teens to have used marijuana during that same period.

Depressed teens are also almost twice as likely to have used illicit drugs as non-depressed teens. They are also more than twice as likely as their peers to abuse or become dependent on marijuana. Marijuana use is associated with depression, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempts.

“Marijuana is not the answer. Too many young people are making a bad situation worse by using marijuana in a misguided effort to relieve their symptoms of depression,” said John P. Walters, Director, National Drug Control Policy. “Parents must not dismiss teen moodiness as a passing phase. Look closely at your teen’s behavior because it could be a sign of something more serious.”

More teens use marijuana than all other illicit drugs combined. The new report shows the following:

Street drugs such as heroin or crack cocaine are more likely to be used by the poor, whereas prescription drugs are more likely used by the rich.

Actor Heath Ledger died from ‘acute intoxication’ caused by an overdose of prescription drugs. Other celebrities have also been in the spotlight news such as Rush Limbaugh, Britney Spears, and Lindsay Lohan.

It has been reported that the misuse of prescriptions leads to prescription drugs addiction and now kills more Americans than illegal street drugs, approximately 20,000 a year, which is double 10 years ago.

According to the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health about teenagers aged 12-17, prescription drugs are second only to marijuana in popularity, and in the past 15 years there has been a 140 per cent increase in abuse. It is the fastest-growing type of drug abuse in the US.

Recent research showed that prenatal exposure has significant and long-term effects on the developing Central Nervous System, said Dr. Nancy Day. "We know that prenatal exposure to marijuana leads to deficits in mood, aggression, cognitive development, working memory, and, as secondary results, higher rates of substance use, sexual behavior, and academic problems".

Research on the effects of driving under the influence of marijuana concludes that marijuana-induced impairment persists from four to eight hours - long after the subjective effects have worn off. Ninety-four percent of subjects fail roadside sobriety tests 90 minutes after smoking, while 60 percent fail after 150 minutes.

Electrical signals in the brain are sent using chemicals called neurotransmitters. All addictive drugs affect the production, release, or elimination of neurotransmitters. The major Neurotransmitters implicated in addiction are noted below.

Serotonin

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine or 5-HT) is synthesized from dietary tryptophan and its primary function is regulation of sleep and mood. Low levels of serotonin have been associated with mood disorders such as depression.

Medications called specific serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as Prozac and Zoloft, increase serotonin levels but can be very dangerous. You should consider taking the essential amino acid trytophan instead. Check with a holistic doctor for advice.

Norepinephrine (NE)

NE’s common function is associated with arousal and alertness. It is synthesized from the essential amino acid tyrosine. The levels of NE fluctuate throughout the day and therefore there are periods when we feel more awake and alert, while at other times we are tired and sleepy.

Certain drugs of abuse, such as stimulants or “uppers”, increase alertness and arousal and cause talkativeness, restlessness, and agitation because of their action on NE systems.

Dopamine

Dopamine release gives us the experience of pleasure and therefore causes us to want to repeat the behaviors necessary to acquire the reward in the future.

It’s interesting that amphetamine and cocaine both increase the amount of dopamine. However, cocaine achieves this action by preventing dopamine reuptake, while amphetamine helps to release more dopamine.

So, these drugs with similar effects produce their actions through entirely different processes. In turn, addiction to the two drugs may call for somewhat different types of addiction treatment.

GABA

Gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) is synthesized from glutamate (an amino acid) and is found in very high concentrations throughout the brain. It is considered an “inhibitory neurotransmitter”. Because GABA has inhibitory effects on neurons, any drug that increases the actions of GABA will decrease general brain activity and can be considered a “downer” or depressant. Depressants include alcohol, sleeping pills such as Ambien, muscle relaxants such as Valium, and barbiturates such as Secobarbital. Some depressants are very powerful and can cause coma or death.

The Most Addictive Drugs

Different drugs have different effects on the neurotransmitters. For instance, cocaine and methamphetamine are much more addicting than THC (marijuana) because they increase dopamine levels more quickly and to a greater extent.

Researchers have generally known that people with ADHD are more likely than others to smoke cigarettes and abuse alcohol, marijuana, cocaine and other drugs.