The research team worked with two groups of baby laboratory rats. The first group was removed from their mothers for 15-minute intervals throughout the day. When they returned, the mothers showed nurturing behaviors, such as grooming and cleaning their pups. The control group of baby rats was never separated from their mothers. Then both groups were exposed to morphine at two-month intervals, and then placed in two-room cages. One room had morphine and the other did not. The ones that had received the extra nurturing from their mothers or what the researchers called "high touch, mothering" did not prefer the room containing morphine, although the other group did.

The scientists also found that the brains of the rats who had experienced extra nurturing had four times the amounts of a certain chemical called interleukin-10 than the rats who had not had extra mothering. The higher amounts of the chemical protected them from drug cravings. Interleukin-10 or IL-10 is a molecule in the brain’s immune system.

"Morphine activates the glial cells of the brain to produce inflammatory molecules which signal a reward center of the brain, contributing to addiction," said Dr. Mark Hutchinson, a lead author of the study. "But IL-10 works against that inflammation and reward. It completely knocks out the drug-seeking behavior. The more IL-10 produced in the brain, the less likely morphine causes an increase in craving or relapse weeks after initially being exposed to the drug."

The chemical reduces cravings for the drug, but does not reduce its effect on the brain.

"Genetic modification created by the mothering did not change the initial rewarding effect of morphine," said another co-author, Dr. Staci Bilbo of Duke University. "It altered the craving for the reward, much later on."

This research team was also able to prove the effect of IL-10 after they administer an artificial version to a group of control rats. The rats who got artificial IL-10 also had reduce cravings for the drug.

Dr. Bilbo said that the team wanted to do further research on the long-term effects of maternal stress on the brain’s immune system.

Dr. Hutchinson called the results of the new study "exciting."

"We have shown that a drug that targets brain immune cells is also able to protect against drug cravings, providing a new way to treat drug addiction," he said.

This study appears in the Journal of Neuroscience.

“High-Touch” Mothering Protects Lab Animals from Drug Abuse is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

Some patients are successful at recovering from cocaine addiction using traditional methods like group and individual therapy sessions to address the behaviors associated with cocaine use. For some, however, these methods are ineffective and the patient may require additional help.

With information about the specific areas of the brain involved with cocaine addiction, there may be an opportunity to develop medications that target responses in the brain. A new study from researchers at the University of Texas provides a key step to development of more effective treatment.

The study’s findings appear in the journal Neuron and provide information about a brain function that reduces the reward response when cocaine is used. The research involved analysis of a protective function of the brain that represses genes that promote addiction-related patterns of behavior.

The authors of the study explain that any type of drug addiction is highlighted by a change of patterns in the brain related to reward response. It has been believed that some genes are responsible for determining whether addiction takes hold when a drug is introduced to the system.

In recent studies, researchers have discovered that there may be a connection between histone deacetylases (HDACs), which modulate the expression of genes, and the regulation of the response to cocaine. The team that conducted the study discussed here sought to understand the ways that cocaine impacts HDACs and whether the regulation of HDACs might change behaviors related to addiction.

Led by Dr. Christopher W. Cowan from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, the team used an animal model to observe how cocaine initiated a unique signaling pathway that affected relocation to the cell nucleus by the HDACs. The cell nucleus is the location of gene expression, and the researchers discovered that the process was required for the cocaine reward-associated pattern to occur.

Dr. Cowan likened the process to putting a brake on genes associated with drug stimulation, which would usually sustain behavioral changes associated with drug use. The discoveries in this study may be useful in understanding the destructive behaviors associated with addiction and may also help explain why some individuals are likely to become addicted to a drug and others are not.

Research Identifies Brain Mechanism Involved in Cocaine Addiction is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

Almost 30% of those individuals between the ages of 57 and 85 use a minimum of five prescription drugs. This group of individuals has the lowest compliance rate when it comes to following instructions for their prescription drug us. This makes them especially vulnerable. Considering the large number of seniors in the U.S. today, these facts indicate a high potential for complications related to prescription drug abuse in the elderly. In fact, nearly 13 percent of the population in the United States is 65 years old or older.

Differences in Senior Drug Abuse

When most of us picture drug abuse in our minds, we think of young people using street drugs recreationally in a foolish attempt to get high. The idea of prescription drug abuse in the elderly is usually the furthest thing from our minds. When seniors abuse prescription drugs or – even worse – become addicted to them, it’s not usually because they set out to abuse their medication.

Instead, prescription drug abuse in the elderly is often due to the fact that they don’t understand the potential risks of the medications they are taking. They don’t always realize that many drugs have the potential to interact with other medications as well as non-prescription treatments. As a result, there has been a phenomenal increase in the number of elderly patients who need intervention and treatment for drug abuse. They’ve accidentally become addicted to their prescription medications – and many don’t even realize it’s happened.

Where the Problem Begins

It’s no secret that we have a lot more health problems as we get older. Many seniors will develop health conditions that require long-term medication such as hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, and numerous other conditions. At the same time, they may develop other health conditions that require additional short-term treatment. In many cases, these additional medications are prescribed by a different doctor who is not their primary care physician.

Another problem experienced by the elderly is their high use of over-the-counter medications. They are often completely unaware that what seems like a harmless medication they bought at the store can be dangerous when taken along with their other prescriptions.

Elderly individuals also have a greater risk for problems due to changes in their metabolism. These changes make them more susceptible to adverse medication reactions than individuals who are younger. Also, if they consume any alcohol it can intensify the effects of some types of drugs. It can also affect how they react to various medications. With regards to prescription drug abuse in the elderly, the majority who become addicted to their medications don’t do so intentionally. Whether abuse or addiction occurs also depends on other factors, including their overall physical and emotional health as well as the types of medications prescribed for them.

In addition to the normal aches and pains associated with aging, many elderly also have more issues with pain. This may be due to more frequent falls, arthritis, chronic back pain, and so on. Potent pain medications are often prescribed to give them much needed relief. Vicodin and other prescription painkillers provide fast relief which is one of the reasons so many people become dependent on them.

Another problem that frequently occurs in the elderly is insomnia. Benzodiazepines, which are often prescribed for anxiety disorders, can be sedating. The sedating effect, along with the sense of calm they quickly provide, makes them effective for sleep problems. Unfortunately, medications in this category, such as Ativan and Xanax, are highly addictive. They are supposed to be used for only a short period of time.

It’s no surprise that prescription drug abuse in the elderly often involves pain medications and benzodiazepines.

Timing is Everything

If every elderly person who took prescription medications did so according to their doctor’s instructions, there would be little incidence of abuse or addiction. However, seniors are much less likely to do this than younger individuals. This may be due to forgetfulness, confusion, disliking the medication due to side effects, or a variety of other issues that are much more common with seniors. Certain types of medication can cause confusion when they are taken in excess, which leads to more problems with inaccurate dosing.

When elderly individuals take pain medication, they may rely too heavily on their pain symptoms as a guide to when their next dose is due rather than keeping track of when it was last administered. Since many types of pain medication are highly addictive, this can quickly become a problem. Once they develop a tolerance, they need more of the drug to alleviate their pain. Some may also ascribe to the philosophy that "if some is good, more is better", which also contributes to prescription drug abuse in the elderly population.

Seniors make up only about 13% of the population, but they take nearly one-third of all the medication that is prescribed by health care professionals. Not only that, many of the drugs prescribed to this age group have a high potential for addiction.

Overlooking the Warning Signs

Many people aren’t aware of the growing problem of prescription drug abuse in the elderly. They may also ignore the warning signs in their loved ones. Since many elderly individuals have problems with forgetfulness and agitation – symptoms that are often caused by drug abuse – they may be dismissed as normal. The effects of prescription drugs may also cause unsteadiness, leading to falls and other accidents – problems that, again, may be disregarded as normal due to age. Sadly, serious injuries may result which could have been prevented had the warning signs been heeded.

The effects of prescription drug abuse in the elderly are often experienced more easily and more intensely than in those who are younger. This is because the metabolism of elderly individuals is slower and their organs function less efficiently. This may result in more serious side effects with much lower concentrations of various medications than needed for the same response in younger people.

The Most Commonly Abused Prescription Drugs

Prescription drug abuse in the elderly can occur with many different medications. However, not all are addictive. The drugs that cause the greatest risk for elderly individuals fall into two categories:

• Opioids – These are the most frequently abused prescription drugs by elderly individuals as well as the younger population. They are prescribed to relieve pain. OxyContin, Percocet, and Vicodin fit in this category. Their ability to boost dopamine levels and cause a feeling of euphoria makes them highly addictive. Their ability to slow down respiration is one of the characteristics that makes them so dangerous.
• Benzodiazepines – These are drugs prescribed for anxiety and insomnia. They include Klonopin, Xanax, Valium, and Ativan. They produce a sense of calm quite quickly. Some people also experience euphoria as well.

Perhaps the greatest reason that prescription drug abuse in the elderly is a growing problem is because there is no single solution that works in every case. Those seniors who are left on their own can’t be monitored, making it especially difficult to notice a problem. However, all elderly individuals are vulnerable. Family members, friends, nursing home and assisted living staff, and health care professionals all need to be educated about the problem of prescription drug abuse in the elderly population.

Prescription Drug Abuse in the Elderly is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

Drug Companies Seek to Produce Pure Hydrocodone

The oxycodone and hydrocodone products on the market today are formulated in combination with other analgesic pain relievers which are not addictive. Depending upon the label, the opiates are mixed with either aspirin or acetaminophen.

Drug companies are now pushing for the release of pure hydrocodone, which would make the medication roughly 10 times more powerful than is available in its current form (e.g., Vicodin). If drug companies win FDA approval, patients would be able to buy the pure and more powerful hydrocodone as soon as 2013.

OxyContin Could Be a Warning Against New Drug

The sale of opiate narcotics generates around $10 billion per year. Certainly, there is financial gain to be realized in marketing a more powerful form of the drugs, but at what cost to the nation? Detractors cite OxyContin as an example of the dangers posed by such a drug.

OxyContin was originally created to be a time-released form of oxycodone, the time release mechanism being in the tablet’s coating. Because those wanting to abuse the drug simply crushed the pill in order to get around the time-release function, OxyContin has been re-formulated in an effort to make it less vulnerable to tampering. Abusers simply moved on to the generic versions of oxycodone, which lack such tamper-proof designs. What would keep abusers from crushing this pure and more powerful form of hydrocodone to get a quick and more potent rush?

The Case for a Stronger Painkiller

Doctors, looking at an aging U.S. population are not opposed to adding stronger painkillers to their medical bag. In fact, some doctors have suggested that the liver damage associated with significant doses of acetaminophen (in Vicodin, for example) would be reduced by switching to an unmixed form of hydrocodone.

Furthermore, today a patient can refill his/her hydrocodone prescription as many as five times before needing to visit their physician in person for another script. The new form of the drug would require patients to return to their doctor every time they needed a refill.

The Downside of Pure Hydrocodone

Such benefits need to be weighed against the dangers of prescription drug abuse. National headlines have told the tale of pharmacy robberies and even murders connected to oxycodone and hydrocodone addiction. In 2008 there were 15,000 deaths related to prescription medications compared to just 4,000 such deaths in 1999. In 2000 there were 19,221 visits made to hospital emergency rooms due to hydrocodone use, but that number climbed to 86,258 in 2009.

According to the International Narcotics Control Board, the United States currently consumes 99 percent of hydrocodone worldwide and 83 percent of the globe’s oxycodone. Many worry that the release of pure forms of hydrocodone onto the market will not do anything to improve those dangerous statistics but instead will prove more of a threat than a boon.

New Painkiller Causes Concern for Abuse Experts is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

The CDC reported that 12 million Americans aged 12 and over admitted, in a survey, to using these powerful medications for nonmedical reasons. This comes out to be 1 out of every 20 individuals in that age group. Also, per Drug Enforcement Agency data, the number of these medications sold to health care professionals and pharmacies is 300 times higher than it was in 1999. It’s no wonder this problem has escalated significantly in recent years.

The November 2011 CDC report goes on to reveal the following additional facts:

• Over the past 10 years, the death rate due to prescription painkiller overdoses has more than tripled. In fact, it’s almost quadrupled: In 1999 the death toll in the U.S. was approximately 4,000, compared to an alarming 15,000 deaths in 2008.
• The number of visits to hospital ERs associated with abuse of the powerful painkiller hydrocodone has also increased at an astounding rate. In the year 2000 this number was just over 19,000, compared to over 86,000 in 2009 (per DEA data). (Hydrocodone is sold under many different brand names including Vicodin and Lorcet.)
• Over 900 individuals died from hydrocodone in Florida from 2003 to 2007. During that same 5 year period, just over 1800 deaths were associated in one way or another with the same potent painkiller.
• Each day approximately 5,500 individuals start abusing prescription pain medications.
• For those under 65 who died from an overdose of these drugs, over 830,000 years of potential life was lost.
• Individuals between the ages of 35 and 54 years had the highest death rate from prescription painkillers.
• Death rates from prescription pain medications for American Indians, Alaska Natives, and non-Hispanic whites were triple those of blacks and Hispanics whites.
• New Mexico had the highest number of deaths from painkiller overdose at 27 per 100,000 people (2008 data)
• The state with the lowest number of deaths from overdose was Nebraska, with only 5.5 per 100,000 people. Nebraska also had the lowest number of people using prescription pain medications for nonmedical purposes.

Other recent statistics reported by CNS News include:

• In 2007, out of approximately 28,000 deaths due to prescription drug overdoses, a significant number were from opioid pain medications.
• Deaths due to prescription drug abuse is now greater than deaths caused by motor vehicle accidents in the District of Columbia as well as 17 other states in the U.S.

All in all, these new numbers from the CDC and other reports reveal that every single day in the U.S. there are at least 40 deaths from an overdose of painkillers. That means more than 40 lives are cut short due to this epidemic problem each and every day. In addition to hydrocodone, other narcotic drugs contributing to the problem include oxycodone (e.g. OxyContin, Percodan, Tylox, Percocet), codeine, methadone, morphine, fentanyl (e.g. Duragesic, Sublimaze, Fentora), and oxymorphone (e.g. Opana, Numorphan HCl).

Underlying Aspects of the Problem

Ease of Access

Painkillers are one of the most widely prescribed types of drugs in the U.S. They have significant appeal because they are fast acting and potent. Individuals who have suffered a recent injury, undergone surgery, or who have a chronic pain condition find significant relief in these medications. They help prevent unnecessary suffering, improve quality of life, and allow millions of people to function at an adequate or normal level that wouldn’t be able to without them. In that regard, they serve their purpose well.

Unfortunately, this makes access to these drugs quite easy. Some individuals obtain them by doctor shopping. This means they seek out new doctors in order to obtain a prescription once their previous doctor is no longer willing to prescribe the medication.

Others obtain prescription pain medications from friends or relatives – either with our without their permission – who got them for legitimate reasons from their doctor. Medicine cabinets containing painkillers are often left unlocked. This makes it easy for a family member or friend who either lives in the home or is just visiting to obtain the pills without anyone ever realizing a few went missing. In fact, during 2008 and 2009, a reported 70% of individuals from age 12 on up who abused painkillers got them from a relative or friend.

Misperceptions

Another underlying aspect of this growing epidemic of painkiller abuse is the misperceptions associated with these and many other prescription drugs. Many people – particularly adolescents – who would never touch "street drugs" like crystal meth or marijuana have a different view of prescription drugs. Since they are legal and prescribed by physicians, they are often assumed to be safer than illicit drugs. The risk for addiction or serious side effects from pain relievers is often believed to be much lower as well. Sadly, these misperceptions are extremely dangerous and couldn’t be further from the truth.

Fast, Pleasurable Effects

Not only do narcotics quickly and effectively relieve pain, they also provide very pleasurable effects. For example, one of the side effects of opioids is euphoria. Any substance that quickly induces a euphoric state has a high potential for abuse. This is one of the reasons painkillers are one of the most widely abused prescription drugs.

High Risk for Dependence, Tolerance, and Addiction

Unfortunately, we live in a society that demands and expects quick relief with little effort. Although there are many alternative ways to treat and manage pain, nothing is as easy as merely popping a pill. You don’t need any special training or expertise, and the results are fast. But this is another reason why prescription painkillers are not only highly abused, but also lead to dependence and addiction in many cases.

Every time someone in pain takes a medication like Vicodin or Percocet, he or she gets quick relief from the troubling – and sometimes unbearable – pain. Combine this relief with a feeling of euphoria as well, and the desire to repeat the experience becomes especially strong. Continued use of many pain medications can lead to tolerance, dependence, and addiction.

For those who are particularly desperate or who have a very low tolerance for pain, there is significant temptation to take more medication than prescribed or to take it more frequently than prescribed. Unfortunately, this often leads to a tolerance – which means that in order to achieve the same effect, the person must use more of the medication.

Physical dependence may also develop, which means that one’s body has adapted to the medication. When someone is dependent on a medication, withdrawal symptoms occur when it is suddenly stopped or significantly decreased. These unpleasant symptoms may include difficulties thinking clearly, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting, and diarrhea.

Addiction, which is different than dependence, can occur with many pain medications. When people are addicted they do one or more of the following things:

• Crave the drug
• Have little or no control over their use of the drug
• Feel compelled to continue using the drug
• Keep using the drug even though it is causing social, mental, or physical problems

Highly Addictive Pain Medications on the Market

Currently, there are many painkillers on the market that are very addictive. Some of the most addictive ones include OxyContin, MS Contin, fentanyl, Demerol, Vicodin, Lorcet, and Percocet. However, a new painkiller which is reported to be 10 times as potent as Vicodin may soon become available as well. It is causing significant concern in terms of its great potential for abuse and addiction.

The brand name for this new painkiller is Zohydro. It is an extended release form of hydrocodone (generic name: hydrocodone bitartrate). Zohydro is currently in its third phase of clinical testing. Unlike other hydrocodone products which usually contain acetaminophen, this new drug is essentially pure hydrocodone. Addiction experts are concerned that, like OxyContin, those inclined to abuse the drug will create a fine powder by crushing the pills. The powder can then be snorted in order to produce a powerful high.

One of the pharmaceutical companies testing Zohydro is Zogenix. On their website they argue that high amounts of acetaminophen can lead to liver toxicity. While this is true, opponents may argue that the argument is a diversion from the more serious issue. Zogenix, along with three other companies testing this potent new painkiller, also argues that anyone taking it will be highly supervised by his or her physician. Unfortunately, this won’t necessarily prevent it from potentially becoming a widely used drug of abuse.

Current Measures and Potential Solutions

The Obama Administration has recently released an action plan entitled "Epidemic: Responding to America’s Prescription Drug Abuse Crisis" in order to address the problem. Forty-eight states have taken measures outlined in the plan, including setting up programs designed to monitor things like doctor shopping. The Justice Department has been actively taking down "pill mills" to help reduce illegal production and distribution of these drugs. Also, the "Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act" was recently signed by President Obama.

Individuals can also help by using appropriate means of disposing medications that have either expired or are no longer necessary for medical purposes. Parents, teachers, and health care professionals can talk to children and adolescents about the dangers of abusing painkillers as well as other types of prescription medications.

Prescription Pain Medication Overdoses Increasing at Alarming Rate is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

Based on the latest data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), around 353,000 Americans ages 12 and older are current methamphetamine users (National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2010). Although the percent of the general population found to be current meth users is now lower than in previous years (0.1%), SAMHSA has also found U.S. treatment admissions for methamphetamine/amphetamine use has undergone dramatically swings between 1999 and 2005, ascending from 32 to 69 per 100,000 population, and currently standing at 44 per 100,000 population. In addition to the heightened risk for HIV/AIDS infection, the functional and molecular damage caused to the brain by injection meth use often causes severe mood disturbances in users such as depression, anxiety, paranoia, anger and aggression. This latest study, led by Dr. Brandon Marshall of Columbia, has now identified suicidal behavior to be an additional symptom of injection meth use, although the neural pathways that link the two behaviors will require further investigation. For now, Marshall and his team determine that the link may be due to a combination of neurobiological, structural, and social mechanisms in the brain, based on their findings from the study’s population.

In their investigation, Marshall and colleagues recruited injection methamphetamine users from the Vancouver Downtown Eastside where illicit drug use is known to be prevalent and HIV infection is widespread among the small neighborhood population. Through street outreach and interviews, the researchers gathered data on the participants for the Vancouver Injection Drug Users Study, a part of the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS’ Urban Health Research Initiative, from 2001 to 2008, during which time participants completed semi-annual questionnaires on their drug use behavior, sociodemographics, and mental health including suicidal thoughts and attempts. The researchers used the participants’ self-reported data to determine whether injection methamphetamine use was a viable predictor of subsequent suicide attempt. Of the 1,873 qualified participants, 8% (149 persons, or 2.5 per 100 persons per year) reported having attempted suicide during the study’s time frame. The majority of injection methamphetamine users reporting suicidal behavior tended to be native, young females. In addition, the researchers found infrequent injection methamphetamine use to be a predictor of attempting suicide, while frequent injection methamphetamine use was linked to the highest risk for suicide attempt.

While the increased risk for suicidal behavior among injection meth users must be further investigated, Marshall and his team suggest that, in comparison to other illicit drug users, injection meth users tend to more antisocial, lacking support systems and experiencing significant isolation. Based on their findings, the study’s researchers highly recommend incorporating the monitoring of suicidal behavior into traditional substance abuse treatment methods, especially for this group of high-risk drug users. Whether it is through drug treatment or mental health outreach, the implementation of suicide prevention would benefit injection methamphetamine users and assist in the success of their recovery, according to the researchers.

Injection Methamphetamine Users at Higher Risk for Suicide Attempt is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

It’s no surprise to doctors, addiction specialists and researchers that abuse of prescription drugs is climbing. Ohio, for example, has experienced a 10 percent jump in people looking for help for addictions to opiate-based drugs since 2010, according to research from the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services.

As Ohio and other states look to fight even harder against prescription drug abuse, they’re uncovering a new reality: Drug addicts may be going after veterans to acquire more prescription medications. For many people with a prescription drug addiction, the supply they might acquire from one physician isn’t large enough to feed their addiction, as addressed in recent news posts.

Veterans may be a likely target because they’re an older population and may be able to acquire larger amounts of prescription painkillers due to federal assistance with insurance and prescription co-pays. They may also receive larger prescription levels from their doctors.

The medications are typically stolen from veterans through methods like using false prescriptions. Others acquire veterans’ prescription medications by working in the healthcare industry or by tampering with mail delivery of medications.

Experts speculate that the problem may intensify as veterans return from combat zones with injuries that may be long-term and require pain medications for treatment.

Veterans: A Target for Prescription Medication Theft is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

Prescription painkillers are most often given to patients following dental surgeries or for management of chronic pain/illness. The top three prescription drugs of abuse are:

• Opioids: These are pain relieving drugs the most often prescribed of which are oxycodone (brand names OxyContin, Percocet), hydrocodone (Vicodin, Fentanyl), codeine and methadone.
• Benzodiazepines: These drugs are used to reduce anxiety and aid sleep. The most popularly prescribed of these are alprazolam (Xanax), lorazepam (Ativan) and diazepam (Valium).
• Amphetamines: These are drugs used to stimulate the central nervous system and are most often used to treat ADHD. Methylphenidate (aka Ritalin or Concerta) and dextroamphetamine (Adderall, Adderall XR) are the most notable.

A team of researchers from Mclean Hospital, which is associated with the Harvard Medical School, conducted the first sizable study of prescription drug abuse limited to those who were addicted to opioids. The team worked with 653 opioid abusers who sought outpatient treatment for their addiction.

The randomized trial treated participants at multiple sites in a two-phase treatment mode. Phase I saw patients stabilized with Suboxone treatments, followed by a tapering off period of 2 weeks and concluding with an 8 week follow up sans medication. Those who failed to recover in Phase I were admitted to Phase II which began with a 12-week Suboxone induced stabilizing period, followed by 4 weeks of tapering off and an 8-week post-medication follow-up.

Although the researchers felt that the study population was nearly perfect – addicts had short histories of substance abuse, they were mostly employed and the majority had never before sought drug treatment – the results were less than ideal. During Phase I, 6.6 percent of participants successfully beat their addiction through Suboxone treatment. During Phase II, 49.2 percent of participants found similar success. However, 90 percent of those involved in the study relapsed during the tapering off periods, revealing that Suboxone provided only the most temporary recovery.

Research physicians call the study a cautionary tale that highlights the necessity of further studies in order to determine if long-term Suboxone treatment could lead to freedom from prescription drug addictions. With prescription abuse statistics rising and overdose deaths mounting, viable solutions are needed. In the meantime, most abusers of prescription drugs manage to get them from friends or relatives so, for now, proper use, storage and destruction of unused prescription medications is still the best hedge against the soaring drug-related figures.

Is Suboxone a Cure for Painkiller Addiction? is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

This Internal Medicine News report stressed the use of designer drugs such as Spice and bath salts. According to Dr. Mark B. Mycyk, emergency room visits as a result of new drug use and the abuse of nontraditional substances have increased 187 percent.

Dr. Mycyk points to the Internet as offering a wide range of information and providing the platform for powerful influence in what should be considered an epidemic. A physician with Chicago’s Cook County Hospital, pointed to websites readily offering designer drugs and will ship products anywhere.

Bath salts are also known as Bliss, Ivory Wave and even White Lightning. Also referred to as plant food, these bath salts are not what you might find in the pharmacy section of your local Target store. Instead, the version available online is a powerful stimulant and hallucinogen with the power to cause psychiatric and cardiovascular effects.

Also known on the streets as K2, Spice is a synthetic version of cannabinoid, which was developed for animal research. A number of emergency room visits have resulted from K2 use and abuse as the drug is much more powerful and potent than natural marijuana. While a number of versions of K2 are illegal in the U.S., new versions are easily made with a minimum of chemistry acumen and legal authorities can be evaded.

When used in extremely high doses, the common household spice nutmeg can deliver powerful hallucinogenic properties. A small proportion of those who wind up in the emergency room due to nutmeg use took an extremely large dose or simply had complications as a result of its use.

Designer Drugs Driving Users to Emergency Rooms is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment

In some cases, the symptoms persist despite significant dosages of sedation and the young person must be kept overnight on the psychiatric floor. Doctors who see all sorts of drug-related cases warn that "bath salts" are particularly dangerous and its effects appear to be long-lasting.

That "bath salts" are becoming more popular with young people is evident. In 2010, Poison Control received 303 calls relating to "bath salts", while in the six months between January to June of 2011, the center fielded 3,470 such calls. One physician associated with the Poison Control center was reported as saying that "bath salts" deserve top billing on the laundry list of drugs you don’t want even to touch because of the way it messes a person up and does so for a long time.

So far 28 states have individually banned the drug. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is taking "bath salts" seriously enough that it invoked emergency powers to temporarily ban five of the chemicals which are used to make synthetic marijuana but which are also found in "bath salts".

Molly, another popular designer drug, is the pseudonym for the most pure form of the amphetamine MDMA also known as Ecstasy. Ecstasy first became widely known in the 90s but seems to be experiencing resurgence in popularity as the party drug de jour. No studies have been made documenting its long range effects. As a result, young people are assuming that it is a safe drug.

Not only is MDMA not safe, but kids who think they are taking it may be getting other dangerous drugs as well. The ingredients which go into MDMA are frequently mixed together in toilet bowls and bathtubs where other substances such as ketamine, heroin and methamphetamine are added. Cases have been reported of young people who believed they were taking Molly testing positive for PCP.

Young people are seeking out drugs to provide feelings of invincibility, euphoria and empathy toward others. Often the quest for those feelings results in dependency. Popular drugs like Molly and "bath salts" lack sufficient long-term research, so that there is no way of knowing what today’s high will cost in terms of health and well-being tomorrow. However, it is a safe bet that given what physicians are seeing already, the prognosis is not good.

New Designer Drugs – A High-Risk High is a post from: Drug Addiction Treatment