A study in the April issue of the Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse reports that teenagers who use, or have used, crack or cocaine are at significant risk of contracting HIV. These teens report using condoms "rarely" or "never" during sex, putting then at high risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

"Unprotected sex is the most common way that HIV is transmitted among teens, so if we can develop a clearer picture of why some kids engage in high-risk sexual behaviors, we will be better prepared to educate them about safe sex," says lead author Marina Tolou-Shams, PhD, of the Bradley Hasbro Childrens Research Center. [Source: Medical News Today]

The study surveyed about 280 teenagers who were participating in psychiatric programs. Dr. Toulou-Shams also believes the link between psychiatric disorders and HIV-risk behavior is important.

As a result of the study, researchers are recommending that medical professionals who treat adolescents talk to them consistently about their drug use and sexual activity, emphasizing the risks involved with both.

Labels: hiv, aids, sex, cocaine, crack

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A study of laboratory animals found that cocaine changes the way genes in their brains work.

Dr. Ian Maze, of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and author of the study, explained that genes are not just about heredity. They also regulate how cells in the body behave.

"When you give an animal a single dose of cocaine, you start to have genes aberrantly turn off and on in the strange pattern that we are still trying to figure out," he said.

Dr. Maze's study indicates that cocaine changes the region of the brain essential for experiencing pleasure and desire. This may partly explain why people get addicted to cocaine.

"This study is a major step in understanding the development of cocaine addiction and a first step toward generating ideas for how we might use epigenetic regulation to modulate the development of addiction," said Peter Kalivas, professor of neuroscience at the Medical University of South Carolina.

The study appeared in the journal Science.

Labels: cocaine, brain_damage

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As if there werent enough reasons to keep kids from trying or regularly using cocaine, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has issued a public health alert concerning tainted cocaine:

Substantial levels of cocaine may be adulterated with levamisole  a veterinary anti-parasitic drug. There have been approximately 20 confirmed or probable cases of agranulocytosis (a serious, sometimes fatal blood disorder), including two deaths, associated with cocaine adulterated with levamisole.

Use of cocaine tainted with levamisole can severely reduce a persons white blood cells, which suppresses immune functions. Anyone who snorts, smokes, or injects the contaminated cocaine could experience rapidly-developing, life threatening infections.

Symptoms include high fever, chills, weakness, painful sores, and any infection that either doesnt get better or get worse quickly. If these symptoms appear, contact your local poison control immediately.

Labels: health_problems, cocaine

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Two researchers from the Baylor College of Medicine are working to develop a vaccine against cocaine addiction. For the first time, people who become addicted to cocaine may be able to take a medication that will stop their desire for the drug. The vaccine is being developed by the husband and wife team of Dr. Tom Kosten, a psychiatry professor, and his wife Therese, a psychologist and neuroscientist. The vaccine is currently in clinical trials.

The vaccine works by stimulating the immune system to attack when cocaine is taken. Normally, cocaine molecules would be too small to trigger a reaction by the immune system; however, researchers at Baylor have created the vaccine by attaching inactivated cocaine molecules to inactivated cholera proteins. As a result, the body experiences an immune response to the cholera, and subsequently to plain cocaine as well. Antibodies attach to the drug and keep it from getting to the user's brain. If the drug cannot reach the user's brain, the user will not experience a high.

David Eagleman, another Baylor neuroscientist, commented on the project's unique approach:

"It's a very clever idea. ... Scientists have spent the last few decades figuring out reward pathways in the brain and how drugs like cocaine hijack the system. It turns out those pathways are difficult to rewire once they've seen the drug. But the vaccine just circumvents all that."

(Sources: www.msnbc.msn.com)

Labels: cocaine, medications, vaccine

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A new government survey found that the number of white teens who entered drug treatment for crack and cocaine abuse increased by 76 percent between 2001 and 2006. Black teen admissions for these substances did not change.

Teenagers' use of illegal drugs declined during the same period, while their abuse of prescription drugs increased.

The data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration also indicated that more teenagers believe that using crack and cocaine is not a dangerous practice.

"The decrease in perceived risk suggests that adolescents are becoming less wary of trying cocaine," read the 2009 National Drug Threat Assessment report, "which may sustain demand for the drug in the near future."

Labels: cocaine, crack, treatment

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Scientists in Australia gave bees cocaine and found that the insects react in ways that are similar to humans.

The bees became overly excited about routine tasks, suffered from impaired performance, and then withdrawal symptoms when the cocaine was removed.

For example, bees do a "waggle dance" to show other bees the location of flowers with pollen. Under the influence of cocaine, bees danced twice as often and 25 percent faster. When cocaine was withdrawn, the bees had problems performing routine tasks.

Dr. Andrew Barron and his colleagues at Macquarie University dropped liquid freebase cocaine on the backs of bees. The drug easily entered their brains and circulatory systems, changing their behaviors in significant ways.

"What we have in the bee is a wonderfully simple system to see how brains react to a drug of abuse," Dr. Barron said.

This study appeared in the Journal of Experimental Biology.

Labels: cocaine, research, bees

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According to an Australian study published in July 2008, the United States has the highest levels of illegal use of cocaine and marijuana out of the 17 countries surveyed. This result is surprising to researchers because, of the 17 countries, the U.S. also has some of the harshest legal penalties for illegal use of these drugs.

The study found that approximately 16 percent of people in the U.S. have used cocaine in their lifetime; the next highest rate, in New Zealand, was 4 percent. In addition, approximately 42 percent of Americans have used marijuana in their lifetime, with the next highest rate being 41 percent in New Zealand.

According to the study, drug use "does not appear to be simply related to drug policy," said the authors, "since countries with more stringent policies towards illegal drug use did not have lower levels of such drug use than countries with more liberal policies."(Sources: sciencedaily.com)

Labels: marijuana, cocaine, illegal-drug-use

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A recent study conducted by the federal Brookhaven National Laboratory found that cocaine-addicted individuals who were given a choice between viewing a variety of other images and viewing pictures of cocaine, showed a clear preference for drug-related images. The group of cocaine-addicted individuals was compared with a group of healthy, non-addicted research subjects. Scott Moeller, a graduate research student who worked on the study, commented:

"This behavioral study demonstrates for the first time that drug-related choice in cocaine addiction extends to abstract, non-pharmacological stimuli, facilitating the study of choice behavior in addiction without using actual cocaine."

(Source: sciencedaily.com)

Labels: cocaine, addicts

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The University of Texas Medical School is researching medications that may help restore a brain's chemical balance and aid in cocaine addiction recovery. The team is currently studying medications that affect serotonin and dopamine systems.

"'With chronic cocaine use, there are changes in the brain that affect neurotransmitters that are responsible for impulsivity and decision making,' said F. Gerard Moeller, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the medical school. 'If we can restore the balance of the neurotransmitters back to the way it was before the cocaine, then other therapies such as behavioral therapy will work better.'"

In 2006, the NIDA estimated that six million Americans ages 12 and up had abused cocaine. Currently, there are no proven or approved medications for the treatment of cocaine addiction. Source: Medical News Today

Labels: cocaine, recovery, brain_chemistry

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Information gathered from Florida's 24 state medical examiners reveals a disturbing trend - cocaine-related deaths have been steadily rising in the past several years. Law enforcement officials, substance abuse specialists, and others agree that the drug is gaining popularity among a new generation that's unaware of the drug's dangers.

"What's attracting new users? Low prices, for one. Between 2001 and 2006, the price of a gram of cocaine averaged about 30% less than it was in 2000... In the minds of many, powder cocaine simply doesn't carry the same stigma as crack cocaine, and some mistakenly believe it is somehow safer."

Some experts agree that the true impact of cocaine use in this generation may not be fully realized for years. Deaths from overdoses are just one result of cocaine use. Those who use but don't overdose may be faced with serious health problems - like strokes and brain bleeds - when they're in their 40s and 50s. Source: Florida Trend

Labels: cocaine, crack, rise_in_use

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The American Heart Association has recommended that young patients who come in with heart attack-like symptoms - but don't have heart disease risk factors - should be screened for cocaine use.

"The drug can cause chest pains, shortness of breath, anxiety, palpitations, dizziness, nausea and heavy sweating - all symptoms of a heart attack. 'Not knowing what you are dealing with and giving the wrong therapies could mean death rather than benefit,' said Dr. James Reiffel, professor of clinical medicine at Columbia University Medical Center/New York Presbyterian Hospital."

Although the drug causes heart attack-like symptoms, it rarely causes actual heart attacks. The AHA statement goes on to say that young people with cocaine-associated chest pain should be monitored so they're not given potentially life-threatening medications. Source: San Mateo Daily Journal

Labels: cocaine, hospitals, heart_attack

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Warning to emergency room doctors: Cocaine reactions look like heart attacks. If you treat a cocaine patient like a heart attack victim, you could kill him.

The American Medical Association reports that cocaine reactions cause the same symptoms as heart attacks: chest pain, shortness of breath, anxiety, palpitations, dizziness, nausea, and heavy sweating. However, if a doctor uses clot-busting drugs or beta-blockers, which are typically used to treat heart attacks, he could cause a lethal reaction in a cocaine user.

"Not knowing what you are dealing with and giving the wrong therapies could mean death rather a benefit," said Dr. James Reiffel, professor of clinical medicine at Columbia University Medical Center in New York.

Almost 200,000 people, many of them under 25 years old, go to ERs every year because of cocaine reactions. The number of cocaine-related ER visits rose 47 percent between 1995 and 2002.

Labels: cocaine, death, hospitals

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A 19-year-old writes in to an advice column asking what to do about her boyfriend. He treats her well and is a good guy. He has just one "small flaw": He's a recreational cocaine user.

"...ask - demand - that Derek stop using cocaine. I hope he will, but I fear, despite his assurances to the contrary, that he's already hooked and unable to quit on his own... Insist that he do what's necessary to get off this substance and don't stay with him if he gives you excuses instead of immediate action."

Dr. Wallace also reminds her that cocaine is highly addictive and most who try to quit are unable. Read more at HollandSentinel.com.

Labels: addiction, cocaine, treatment

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Catalyst Pharmaceutical Partners, Inc announced today that it has begun a clinical trial for a drug called CPP-109, intended for use in the treatment of cocaine addiction. CPP-109 is an oral treatment that inhibits dopamine release that's typically caused by drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine.

"The Phase II clinical trial is expected to enroll 180 cocaine dependent patients at 10 leading addiction treatment clinical centers in the United States. Patients will be treated for a period of 12 weeks, with an additional 12 week follow-up."

Catalyst will begin enrolling patients in the trial once it gets approval from the Institutional Review Board. It expects to release first results of the trial in the summer of 2008. Read more at News-Medical.net.

Labels: addiction, cocaine, treatment

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Drug-abuse experts call it "generational amnesia", and they say it explains why cocaine use is increasing among adolescents. Generational amnesia happens when sufficient time has passed and a new generation is no longer aware of the dangers of a particular drug. It's one of the main reasons for the cyclical increase and decrease in popularity of certain drugs.

"The visibility of cultural markers - and the absence of cautionary tales - leads to the assumption that coke is not as harmful, say, as heroin (which was associated with the high-profile overdoses of River Phoenix and Curt Cobain in the 1990s), or methamphetamine, whose recent popularity in the gay community has led to a targeted campaign against it, said Perry N. Halkitis, a professor of applied psychology at New York University who studies behavior, the AIDS epidemic and drug abuse."

By and large, cocaine is thought to be safe, which means that more teens are likely to try it. It's also considered "fashionable" in the entertainment and finance industries, which drives its popularity. The annual survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found a 20 percent increase in past-month use between 2004 and 2005, meaning that 20 percent more people admitted to using cocaine within the last 30 days. Read more at TheLedger.com.

The Teen-Help-Directory offers resources for parents on teen substance abuse and drug addiction, including articles about the warning signs and what treatment options exist. Learn about teen drug and alcohol use and prevention tactics to keep your adolescent on the right path.

Labels: cocaine, teenagers, rise_in_use

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A study in South Africa may not appear relevant to those living in the United States. But some of the findings may raise red flags for officials in America.

"[South Africa's Medical Research Council] MRC discovered that the relationship between mental health and tik [methamphetamine] use also indicate societal reasons for tik's popularity in the Western Cape. 'Our initial findings seem to indicate that tik use in the Western Cape is most high where gangsterism is most engrained in the society... The communities tend to have a depressed mood and some use tik to alleviate it,' said senior MRC scientist Andreas Pluddemann."

A recently discovered mixture called 'sugars' has officials concerned as well. 'Sugars' is a highly addictive mixture of cocaine and heroin. The purity is often very low and may be mixed with rat poison to help the mixture pass into the bloodstream. Read more online.

Labels: cocaine, heroin, mental_health

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A recent study conducted by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center has found that cocaine and amphetamine users are at an increased risk for strokes.

"Stimulants such as cocaine raise blood pressure and trigger spasms in blood vessels, causing vessel narrowing, according to the study. Amphetamine abuse is linked to a higher risk of death in hemorrhagic strokes..."

Cocaine and methamphetamine are the second- and fifth-most abused drugs in the nation, and methamphetamine use has been increasing recently in southwestern and Midwestern states. Read more online.

Labels: cocaine, death, stimulants

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Experts on drug abuse have known for a long time that teenagers are more susceptible to becoming addicted to drugs than adults. Some studies show that the earlier a person starts to use drugs, the more likely he is to become an addict.

Now a new study of laboratory animals from Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois found that adult mice react differently to cocaine and methamphetamine than adolescent mice.  Young mice were much less sensitive to these drugs' capability of stimulating locomotion; in fact, it was as if the adolescent mice did not even get a dose of the drug, according to lead author Professor Justin Rhodes.

This finding is very significant because it means a teenager's first experience with cocaine or methamphetamine would probably be much less intense and more enjoyable than an adult's.

"There is a lot of data in humans that show a relationship between how your initial response predicts your later use," said Dr. Rhodes.  "If you have a strong reaction to something, then you are less likely to do it again."

He said that further studies are necessary to figure out what it is in the brain that allows adolescence to be less sensitive, because the reasons why they show different sensitivity to drugs has long-term consequences.

The study appeared in the journal Neuroscience.
 

Labels: cocaine, methamphetamine

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A new study from Yale University found that adding certain drugs to behavioral therapies may help recovery from drug addiction.

• Dr. Mary Torregrossa and her colleagues had 168 rats self-administer cocaine for weeks, and then used "extinction therapy" to weaken cues that induce their cravings and drug-seeking behaviors.
• If the memory-enhancing drug D-cycloserine was added to their therapy, the rats were more likely to reduce or avoid cocaine.

"Extinction therapy usually only works where the therapy takes place, like a treatment center", Dr. Torregrossa explained. "Using drugs like D-cycloserine to make extinction work more broadly is a big advancement in the treatment of addiction."

This study appears in the Journal of Neuroscience.

Labels: cocaine, recovery, research

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