Abused Drugs
New Study Shows Heavy Methamphetamine Users May Have A Higher Schizophrenia Risk
Canadian researchers have found that heavy methamphetamine users may have a higher risk of developing schizophrenia. In the first worldwide study of its kind, scientists from Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) found evidence to support the conclusion that there may be a link between long-term heavy methamphetamine use and cannabis use in triggering latent schizophrenia.
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New Study Seeks to Understand Heroin Use Among Young Suburbanites
The growing trend of younger initiates into heroin use among suburbanites captured the attention of researchers at the Robert Crown Center for Health Education in Hinsdale, Illinois. In a 10-month study, “Understanding Suburban Heroin Use,” for the Reed Hruby Heroin Prevention Project, researchers found that Chicago area suburban heroin users have little knowledge of heroin and its effects when they first use it, and they often substitute heroin after becoming addicted to prescription painkillers.
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Makers of OxyContin Concealed Its Addictive Nature
We now know that OxyContin is a dangerous, highly addictive painkiller that has turned normal, law-abiding Americans into "hillbilly" heroin addicts and criminals. We also know that executives at Purdue Pharma, the company that manufactures OxyContin, covered up the data that would have predicted such a result.
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Prescription Drug Misuse Is Common Gateway for Injection Drug Use among Adolescents
Initial abuse of prescription drugs such as Vicodin, oxycodone, and other opiates during adolescence has been found to be a common denominator among young injection drug users, according to a new study. Since prescription opioids are now the nation’s leading class of abused prescription drugs among adolescents and young adults, scientists have been concerned over the long-term consequences of this public health problem for younger generations. Researchers at Drexel University’s School of Public Health have discovered that young adults who inject heroin or other opiates tend to have similar histories of prescription opioid misuse during their adolescence.
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Cocaine User’s Brains Found to Have Abnormal Frontal Lobes
In a recent issue of Brain, Cambridge researchers studied 120 human brains and half of them to be dependent on cocaine. Researchers found that there were abnormal structures located in the frontal lobe of the brains of those who used cocaine and this was connected to their compulsive behaviors linked to cocaine use.
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More Students Abusing “Study Drug” Adderall
There are a lot of demands on the youth of today. Society calls for them to be skinny, keep up with the Jones’ by getting into a good college, and get good grades. For some, the pressure is too much and they decide they need some chemical help. Adderall is abused by many college kids because it is a psycho-stimulant that can help them shed extra pounds, aid in keeping focus and attention for longer periods of time, and help them stay awake to cram for final exams.
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Drinking Alcohol May Increase Amphetamine Abuse
Stimulant drugs such as amphetamines are widely abused by young adults who are looking to stay awake and increase their concentration. Previous studies have found an association between amphetamine abuse and the amount of alcohol consumed. A new study has found that there is a direct epidemiological link between alcohol consumption and prescription drug abuse.
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Anabolic Steroids and Sports: A Combination of Misconceptions and Major Health Risks
Anabolic steroids and sports continue to be a “team effort” for some athletes, either professional or non-professional. From high schools and colleges to professional leagues, steroid testing and education about the health consequences of the drugs hasn’t yet extinguished the desire of athletes to continue using them. In fact, teen athlete abuse of steroids is believed to have increased, both in pill form and by injection.
Methamphetamine Use during Pregnancy Dramatically Increases Risk to Baby
Methamphetamine abuse has become the most common reason for women to seek drug counseling or treatment while pregnant. A recent study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found that not only had treatment facilities across the U.S. seen the highest number of pregnant teenage admissions in a decade, but the largest shift in the type of substance abuse being treated was caused by methamphetamine use. Pregnant teenage admissions for methamphetamine abuse had more than quadrupled from 4.3% of admissions in 1992 to 18.8% in 2007. Despite the higher percentage of pregnant meth abusers in rehabilitation, an even greater number of female meth abusers do not seek treatment. Unfortunately, some maintain their habit even after becoming pregnant.
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Parents Sedating Their Children with Drugs Called Child Abuse
A new U.S. study has found that malicious use of drugs on children by their parents or caregivers is an under-recognized problem and should be classified as a form of child abuse. Dr. Shan Yin from the University of Colorado and the Rocky Mountain Poison Drug Center investigated the prevalence of the national problem over an eight-year period and are encouraging officials and medical professionals to take this form of child abuse into higher consideration. Dr. Yin’s report on the study, “The Malicious Use of Pharmaceuticals in Children,” is to be published in an upcoming issue of The Journal of Pediatrics.
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