Teens (and adults) who are struggling with cocaine addiction may have a new option for treatment.

Extracts from the Kudzu, a plant found in Asia, are used as an old-fashioned remedy for alcoholism in some parts of the world. Now new research from the Gilead Sciences found that the Kudzu reduced cravings for cocaine in laboratory animals.

"There is no effective treatment for cocaine addiction. Despite extensive knowledge of the neurobiology of drug addiction," said Lina Yao, who is researching Kudzu for Gilead. The hope is that these drugs may have potential in the treatment for human cocaine addiction in the prevention of relapse.

CV Therapeutics used to own the experimental drug, but it belongs to Gilead now.

The study appears in the journal Nature Medicine.
 

Labels: cocaine, treatment

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 0 Comments

Why are so many people, especially teenagers, becoming addicted to prescription painkillers? According to a new article in the Washington Post, experts are pointing to four main reasons.

1. The first reason is that people who are not in any pain often experience intense feelings of euphoria and well-being when they take opiate painkillers. They often become addicted to these substances, not realizing how closely related they are chemically to opium and heroin.

2. The second reason is that many believe these drugs are safe because they are available only by prescription. Street drugs, on the other hand, can contain dangerous fillers or impurities that are extremely toxic to the human body.

3. The third reasons is that doctors are writing more prescriptions for painkillers than ever before. According to Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the number of prescriptions for opiate painkillers has gone from 40 million to 180 million in the past 20 years.

4. Finally, there are no government entities in most states that do a good job of monitoring prescription drugs. Only a few states have data bases that keep track of them, and most do not monitor the disposal of leftover pills. This enables people to "doctor shop" or obtain them in emergency rooms.
 

Labels: prescription drugs, causes_of_teen_substance_abuse, painkillers

Posted By: Adolescent Substance Abuse 1 Comment

People drive just as often under the influence of drugs as they do while impaired by alcohol, according to a new study from Canada.

• Researchers from the Canadian Center on Substance Abuse found that 10% of drivers test positive for drugs and 8% test positive for alcohol.
• In a study by Dr. Douglas Beirness, who is affiliated with the Canadian Center on Substance Abuse, 33% of drivers in fatal automobile crashes were under the influence of drugs, and 38% were under the influence of alcohol.
• The 14,000 crashes in the study occurred between 2000 and 2006, and the most common drugs were depressants, stimulants, and marijuana.

"Illegal, prescription and some over-the-counter drugs can have serious effects on a variety of mental and motor abilities," Dr. Beirness said. "As many of these abilities are critical to the safe operation of a motor vehicle, there is a real need for an impaired-driving awareness campaign inclusive of both alcohol and drugs."

This study was presented at the International Council on Alcohol Drugs and Traffic Safety in Norway.

Labels: alcohol_abuse, drug use, drinking_driving

Posted By: CRC Health Group 2 Comments

Almost half the students in public high schools told researchers that they know about gang activity and drug dealing on their campuses.

• In their 15th Annual teen survey, researchers with the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University  found that 46% of students ages 12 to 17 years old said there are gangs in their schools, and 47% said that drugs are used, kept, and sold on campus.
• Students at these schools also were five times more likely to use marijuana, three times more likely to drink alcohol, and 12 times more likely to smoke cigarettes.
• They were five times more likely to know someone who used acid, ecstasy, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin.

One of the many benefits of therapeutic boarding schools for struggling students is that smaller class sizes and comprehensive supervision significantly limit the likelihood that students will be exposed to alcohol, drugs and other dangers.
 

Labels: high school, drug use, boarding school

Posted By: Adolescent Substance Abuse 1 Comment

Teen stress (or, more specifically, unhealthy responses to teen stress) has been associated with a wide range of problems, including teen substance abuse, teen depression and even teen self-harm. Of course, the effort to help teens develop more healthier responses to stress involves identifying the common stressors that affect many teens.

Dr. Adriana Galvan of UCLA is studtying teen and adults stress -- and is focusing her research on physiological responses to stress, and finding differences not only among individuals, but also among age groups. This new research is focused upon normal, daily stress and stress hormones, and how they affect decision-making in adolescence.

• Teens are most likely to be stressed out by their parents.
• Adults are most likely to be stressed out by work.
• Teens are more likely to feel stressed out in the early evening, and they experience more cognitive impairment under stress than do adults.
• Adults are most stressed out in the morning.

"We expect diurnal patterns of cortisol release to differ between adults and adolescents and that this distinction will correlate with levels of stress," said Dr. Galvan. "Previous work has shown that under identical stress conditions, teens show greater cortisol release than adults."

Labels: stress, pressure

Posted By: Adolescent Substance Abuse 1 Comment

Teenagers who use marijuana do not necessarily go on to use harder drugs as young adults, according to a new study from the University of New Hampshire. Better predictors of illicit drug use in young adulthood were not having a job and not having a high school diploma.

• Professors Karen Van Gundy and Cesar Rebellon kept track of 1300 teenagers starting in sixth and seventh grades until they reach their early 20s.
• Using drugs such as cocaine, heroin, sedatives, stimulants, tranquilizers, analgesics, and hallucinogens in the late teens and early 20s was closely related to their stress levels during their teenage years -- and to whether they were employed, but not to whether they experimented with marijuana at younger ages.

"We were somewhat surprised to find the gateway effect was not that strong during the transition to adulthood," said Dr. Van Gundy. "Most of the previous research has examined the early drug use among people with serious drug problems. These people tend to progress from alcohol and marijuana use to other drugs."

Some were quick to criticize the Van Gundy study.

Dr. Denise Kandel of Columbia University has done research that indicates marijuana is indeed a gateway drug. She said that the flaw in the latest study was Drs. Van Gundy and Rebellon failed to consider the negative impact of using marijuana on social status and educational achievement.

"Using marijuana as a teenager can certainly have an impact on whether or not someone fails to graduate from high school or get a job," she said. "This increases the risk of persistent illicit drug use."

The Van Gundy study appears in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.

Labels: marijuana

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 0 Comments

For years, college students have been abusing ADHD drugs, especially during mid-terms and final exam weeks. Many say the drugs help them focus and retain information better, especially when they’re studying late at night. But a new drug is hoping to turn kids away from ADHD meds.

“A new ‘smart pill’ called Profiderall is available online to deter students from taking un-prescribed and illegal doses of ADD/ADHD medication… [It] has been developed according to Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act regulations enforced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It combines complex energy enhancers with nootropics.” [Source: The Daily Evergreen (WA)]

Nootropics are said to be some of the safest compounds developed for use as attention- and energy-enhancers. They are believed to improve neural and vascular functions, which in turn help improve cognitive abilities. Some argue, however, that creation and marketing of drug merely encourages young people to rely too heavily on medications and legal drugs.

Labels: drug use, students, prescription drugs

Posted By: Adolescent Substance Abuse 1 Comment

A survey of parents and teenagers in Maine found that parents underestimate how much and how often their children engage in adolescent and teen alcohol abuse.

• Only 26% of parents believe their high school son or daughter has ever had more than a sip of alcoho
• Less than 2% believe their child has ever been drunk.
• However, 65% of teenagers said they had consumed at least one full alcoholic drink.
• More than 20% said they had drank more than five drinks in a row during one sitting.

The study is from the Maine Office of Substance Abuse within the State's Department of Health and Human Resources.
 

Labels: alcohol, parents, teens

Posted By: Adolescent Substance Abuse 1 Comment

For many young people, the roots of teen alcohol abuse and alcoholism are found in the desire to obtain social acceptance, and their "tales of alcohol related mishaps and escapades are key markers of young people's social identity," according to a new study presented before the British Psychological Society.

Professor Christine Griffith and her colleagues at the University of Bath analyzed liquor advertisements as well as the results of interviews with young drinkers from both rural and urban areas.

"The 'culture of intoxication' has become a normalized and all but compulsory aspect of many young people's social lives," Dr. Griffith explained. "Getting very drunk with friends often insulates young people from viewing their level of alcohol consumption as a potential problem, deepening bonds of friendship and cementing group membership. ... Extreme inebriation is often seen as a source of personal esteem and social affirmation among young people."
 

Labels: alcohol_abuse, causes_of_teen_substance_abuse, alcoholism

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 1 Comment

The majority of high school teachers and police officers say alcohol is the substance having the greatest negative impact on today's teenagers, according to a survey from the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest. Their second choice was marijuana.

• Almost 70% of teachers named alcohol first, with 51% naming marijuana second.
• The reverse was true for police officers -- 70% named marijuana first, and 51% named alcohol's second.
• Over 80% of each group believed alcohol is the most serious substance abuse problem among teenagers.

About one in four police officers named prescription drugs, methamphetamine, and cocaine as serious problems for teens, and 12% said heroin.

The percentage of teachers naming these substances as serious concerns was below 15% for each drug
 

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 0 Comments

The number of Americans using illegal drugs increased by 9% between 2008 and 2009, according to a new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

• The number of those using methamphetamines increased by 60%.
• The number of people over 12 years old using prescription drugs for nonmedical uses increased by 20%.
• Among teenagers, prescription painkiller abuse among teenagers rose by 17%.

SAMHSA officials said the main reason for increases in drug use was a spike in the number of teen marijuana users.

"Discussions of legalization and so-called medical marijuana and a proliferation of pro-drug messages have left America's youth misinformed about the drug's potency and have tripled in the past 20 years," according to the report.

“Today’s findings are disappointing, but not surprising, because eroding attitudes and perceptions of harm about drug use over the past two years have served as warning signs for exactly what we see today.” said Gil Kerlikowske, director of National Drug Control Policy.

Labels: drug use, marijuana

Posted By: Adolescent Substance Abuse 0 Comments

More than one in five parents told researchers that doubt their ability to stop their children from engaging in adolescent or teen substance abuse. 

• The Partnership for a Drug-Free America and the MetLife foundation sponsored the 2009 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study in order to understand the ways parents can safeguard their children from substance-abuse.
• According to the survey, 22% of parents said there was little they could do to prevent children from using drugs, and 27% said they could not stop their children from trying alcoholic beverages.
• Only 40% said they could help their children once they started abusing substances.

"It is crucial that we help parents understand the threats facing teenagers today, help them be more confident about their ability to make a difference, and equip them with useful resources, which is the purpose of our campaign," said Steve Pasierb, president of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. "Parents must realize that they, not athletes and movie stars or popular music artists, are the biggest influence in the lives of their children."
 

Labels: prevention, drug use, parental_involvement

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 2 Comments