We all know heroin is a tough habit to break. The drug is physically addicting, so much so that those trying to quit suffer severe withdrawal symptoms. It is also psychologically addicting, and the cravings for it are like none other. But people are able to get clean even from this most addicting of drugs. It’s not easy, and it doesn’t happen overnight, but it can be done.

But some people are suggesting that we can treat heroin addicts in ways other than helping them gain sobriety. These people are pushing to help heroin addicts become active members of society again, to work at a job, to see their family again, to live in a real home; all while still being a drug addict.

Methadone Treatment

A new study looks at treating addicts with the mainstream drug, methadone, vs. treating them with prescription heroin. The study took place in England, and has been such a new concept that it has not been allowed in the Unites States, even as a study yet. Methadone itself is controversial, because it in essence replaces heroin with another drug. Patients that receive methadone treatment do so because it blocks the effects of heroin, so that no high is experienced. Methadone also works to regulate dopamine receptors in the brain that are negatively affected by heroin. The idea is that if patients are on methadone, they can learn through therapy how to overcome the habit of doing heroin. Then, they can gradually be weaned off of methadone. But for many patients, the methadone becomes their crutch, and they stay on that drug for life. Without the severe ups and downs and side effects of heroin, these methadone patients are sometimes able to lead normal lives again.

Prescription Heroin

But for about 10% of these patients, methadone treatment doesn’t even work. These addicts go back to doing street heroin and drop out of treatment. So doctors and researchers in this study started giving a pure form of heroin, a “prescription heroin”, to patients that would otherwise fail treatment and go back to the streets. The argument is that at least they are getting a safe form of heroin in a controlled facility, free from disease or impurities.

It has to be said, however, that this is not a cure. You can’t give someone the drug they are addicted to, even if it comes from a doctor, and expect their lives to be better because of if it. Yes, these people may stop using illegal street heroin, but they are still living each day under the influence of the drug, and that doesn’t make them any more ready to enter society than if they were shooting up in an ally. The only thing it does is it hopefully keeps them from being so desperate for the drug and reduces the violence they otherwise might commit. But we can do better than this. We can find better ways to get these people off the drugs and living a stable life. 

Sources

Treating Long-Term Addicts With Medical Grade Heroin More Effective Than Methadone

Study: heroin better than methadone to kick habit

Prescription heroin helps addicts off street drugs

Methadone

Along with the disease of mental illness comes the sigma that someone is not stable, or is not capable of performing their job well. SAMHSA recently announced the results of a survey regarding mental illness, of people’s perception of it, and the statistics of people receiving treatment for it.

Many People Need Help

According to SAMHSA, there are an estimated 9.8 million adults over 18 that suffer from serious mental illness.  Serious mental illness is highest among 18-25 year olds, and this is also the age group that is the least likely to get treatment or counseling for their mental health issues. This could be because people in our society still don’t accept the fact that mental illness is a treatable disease. People are sometimes scared off by the thought of mental illness and even though most people know at least one family member or friend that has mental health issues, not enough is known of the illnesses or their treatment and chance for recovery. Instead, people are afraid to get help for mental health problems because they don’t want to admit they have a problem, or they are afraid of what friends and family will think, or they just don’t want to be categorized as someone that has a mental illness. A SAMHSA and Porter Novelli survey shows that only 40% of Americans believe that a person with mental illness is as successful at work, and only 33% believe that a person can eventually recover from mental illness. But in today’s world, there are effective treatments for a variety of mental illnesses, and many people can and do recover from them.

Mental Illness Awareness Campaign

In order to make a real difference for people with mental illness, SAMHSA has worked with the Ad Council to campaign for the acceptance of individuals with mental health problems. Public Service Announcements will air on television as part of this campaign that will especially encourage friends and family to step up and help a friend through recovery. The ads will create awareness about mental illness and its treatment. They also will give steps that people can take to help their friends get treatment.

Just as with anything that is misunderstood, mental illness can isolate people by causing friends and family to back away. Awareness helps bring people together. SAMHSA is working to address the societal misconceptions of mental illness, so that those in need can be encouraged to get help, instead of hiding their illness.

Sources

SAMHSA

Survey: People uncaring to mentally ill

Ad Council

One of the reasons prescription drug abuse is so widespread and hard to control is that the drugs are so easy to obtain, and so many people are willing to sell these pills. The availability of the pills also decreases their perceived danger, leading to more people being willing to experiment with them.

Widespread Availability

Millions of Americans take prescription painkillers under the supervision of their doctor. People that have had surgery, or an injury, or chronic pain may need the pain meds to get through the tough times of pain. We all probably at least know people that have taken or are now taking prescription pain meds for some ailment, and many of us ourselves take them too. Some patients are given the go ahead by their doctor to only take the pain pills when needed for severe pain, or to increase the dose if necessary. Responsible people often take the pills only when needed, and may even hold off using them until really necessary.  After all, we all know how addicting these pain pills can be. The problem then comes when people, even those that have been responsible with their prescription meds, end up with extra pills. If the pills are thrown out, they could end up in the wrong hands. If they sit in the medicine cabinet, they could end up in the wrong hands. If the person realizes they could get a lot of money for their extra pills, they could end up in the wrong hands.

Black Market

And so we have millions of people in our country that have prescription pain pills in their homes, and we have a huge market for them to be sold on the street, at schools, at clubs, or just among friends. These pills can sell for $50 or more each. That’s quite a revenue for someone who got them through their insurance company, used what they needed, and have some left over. Many people will even sell them for $2 a pill, just to get something for them. While many people are honest and morally they know they can’t sell their prescription drugs, there are many who feel they really need the money, and sell their drugs to “make ends meet”. There are also people that have this business down to a science, and they are able to shop around and get more pills, so they can sell more. This is not even including all the internet companies that sell the drugs online.

It’s no wonder our country has an addiction to prescription painkillers; anyone can get their hands on them. We are now seeing teens steal their parents’ pills to take or sell, we are seeing adults share prescription pills with each other, and we are even seeing little old grandmas selling their pills on the street.

Harmful Attitude

Added to the convenience of obtaining these drugs is the attitude in our country that we need to pop a pill for every little ailment. These views combined have led many to think prescription drug abuse is not wrong or harmful. In fact, 20% of Americans have taken a prescription medication for non-medical reasons, according to the NIDA.

It’s hard to expect our young people to keep on the straight path and stay away from all kinds of drugs when prescription painkiller abuse is so prevalent in all the age groups around them. We need to focus on education and prevention techniques for everyone.

Sources

Education on the dangers of prescription drug abuse has value, experts say

Prescription Drug Abuse Can Ruin Lives

A Prescription for Danger

The government has finally begun to get tough with pain clinics in Florida. Police raids last week confirmed the city of Tampa’s commitment to keep better tabs on these clinics, and neighbors and residents are hoping for stricter laws that shut these “pill factories” down.

Police Investigate Clinics

The City Council in Tampa met last Thursday morning to pass an emergency law requiring pain clinic owners to obtain special permits. The council also authorized police to inspect the pain clinics whenever they are open. That same morning, police and federal agents showed up at several pain clinics and pharmacies in Tampa to run an inspection.

At one of the clinics, neighbors cheered as police showed up. The clinic had a long line of clients, many from out of state, waiting to get into the clinic. Police investigated them and arrested a few on misdemeanor charges. A pharmacist from a clinic nearby was also arrested and is being charged. Neighbors hope clinics that are illegally providing prescription painkillers are shut down permanently.

Filling Prescription Drugs in Florida

Florida, which has no prescription drug monitoring system in place yet, is known in the drug world as the place to get prescription painkillers. In fact, of the nation’s top 100 doctors who dispense oxycodone, 92 are located in Florida. For this reason, almost anyone from in state or out of state that wants some prescription drugs, makes the trip, is seen by a doctor who quickly prescribes their drug of choice, gets the prescription filled by local pharmacies that dispense meds without monitoring, and they are on their way.

Long Term Solutions

The raids last week seem like a good first step toward shutting down the pain clinics that cater to addicts or dealers. But many Tampa residents are upset that it has taken this long for authorities to do something. For years these clinics have popped up all over Florida, bringing in customers from throughout the state and the country. There are many pain clinics in Florida whose practices are sound, and help people that genuinely need pain medications. But the many dishonest ones have given Florida a negative reputation when it comes to prescription drugs.

The Florida legislature recently passed a law that will allow the tracking of prescription drug dispensing, and it will go into effect at the end of this year. For now, police will try to stay on top of the happenings at pain clinics. Just making the police’s presence known will help decrease some drug trafficking, and some clinics have already closed over the weekend, for fear of being raided. But it is going to take a lot of time and hard work from authorities and citizens of Florida to rid themselves of the prescription problem. The market has been established, and clever criminals will find ways to hide their drug market again. Police and the federal government need to stay with the trends and act more quickly when these drug problems come up. 

Sources

24 hours of Tampa Bay’s prescription drug

Police arrest pharmacist on drug trafficking charge after raid

The first arrest is made after a federal raid on three medical facilities

As treatment specialists, counselors, and educators, it is the job of many to keep an eye on substance abuse statistics. It is also important for teachers, law enforcement, government, and parents to follow and be aware of what teens are up to, and how their drug and alcohol use is increasing or decreasing. But we need to be careful that we do not put too much weight behind numbers and statistics. These can easily be manipulated, and can either frighten us or lure us into a false sense of security. A more accurate way to look at adolescent drug abuse would be to study 5 or 10 year trends, which will tell if the increase or decrease is likely to have significant meaning in the long run.

Monitoring the Future (MTF) is a survey that measures drug, alcohol, and tobacco use and the attitudes of teenagers toward these substances. MTF has given us data on our nation’s teens since 1975. The survey is funded by NIDA and is conducted by the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research.

Positive Statistics

The results from the MTF survey from 2009 are in general very positive. According to the research, there were drops in tobacco, methamphetamine (from 2.3% to 1.6%), cocaine (from 4.4% to 3.4%), alcohol, and hallucinogen (from 5.9% to 4.7%) use among 8-12^th graders. It seems that adolescents’ attitudes towards substance abuse are also more encouraging. Teens now see certain drugs and alcohol as harmful, and do not believe these drugs are very available to students anymore. These trends have been positive in these areas for the past 5 years, as more and more students become more educated and aware of the risks for drug abuse.

These trends are great; they are exactly what we want to see among our young people. But we have to be careful not to get too relaxed and think we are doing a good enough job with drug prevention. We still need to educate more youth, and there are still plenty of kids that are abusing these substances that need our help.

Negative Statistics

On the other hand, marijuana is still being used just as often by students as five years ago, and teens don’t really even see marijuana as dangerous. Prescription drug abuse has been steadily increasing, as well as inhalant abuse. These two forms of drug abuse are the newest trend, and they are replacing the old ways of getting high. But again, if we focus too much on an increase in numbers of kids getting high with inhalants or prescription painkillers, we can trick ourselves into generalizing that all teens are doing these things, or at least are exposed to them. We need to empower our adolescents and let them know that they are not alone, that there are many other teens that have made the commitment to stay clean also.

With cautious optimism we should prepare our students for the world and its peer pressure. Educate them, teach them the risks, and warn them about statistical trends. But then encourage them and give them confidence because they can indeed be one of the many that do stay clean.

Sources

Teen Drug Abuse Continues Its Three-Year Decline

Statistics on Teen Drug Abuse

Youth Trends

SAMHSA

Parents may have more influence on their children than they think. In some cases this is good news, but for those parents more concerned about having a good time themselves, or those working through their own addiction or mental health issues, this can pose quite a challenge.

Exposing Kids to Drug Abuse

Take for example, the woman from the Midwest who was convicted and sentenced this week for contributing to her son’s drug overdose death. This mother used drugs herself and taught her son to do marijuana, crack cocaine, and heroin, even going so far as to inject the heroin into her son’s arm. The boy overdosed last year, and the mother will spend 8 years in prison and 10 years of extended supervision for this crime.

As disturbing as this story sounds, there are many other parents that knowingly contribute to their child’s drug use. Some of these parents don’t want to grow up themselves, so they let their kids join in on their drinking parties or drug abuse. They may feel like they are bonding with their kids, or getting them to be more open about teenage drug use. Some parents tell themselves they’d rather have their kids doing these kinds of things at home with parents watching instead of on the streets or at friends’ houses. Some parents even think that seeing their young kids on drugs is funny or entertaining.

Setting a Good Example

Parents need to avoid sending mixed messages to their kids, and need to set a good example for them. Parents should actually consider themselves the most powerful anti-drug there is for their kids. The newest studies show that teens are actually more responsive to their parent’s positive or negative influence when it comes to drugs and alcohol than they are to friends or school programs. Therefore, if a parent, even unintentionally, is sending the message to their kids that recreational drug use or drinking and driving is ok, their children will get that message loud and clear. Parents should be firm in their talks with their teens about avoiding drugs, and they should remember that kids learn the good and the bad from watching their parents’ examples.

Parenting sometimes feels like a tough enough job in general, and being such a big influence adds a lot of pressure. After all, we all mess up sometimes too, even when we would rather be the ideal example. Parents need to remember that their main job is to raise healthy, productive children. It may not seem like fun to be so straight-laced but it pays off in the long run. Put the alcohol away for a while, or quit the occasional drug use so that you can set a good example. Parents that don’t think they can do this, or that have a problem with addiction or mental illness, like the Midwestern woman, must get professional help. These parents cannot do it on their own. It is better to admit a problem and get help than cause long-term adverse effects on your kids.

Sources

Drug Rehab – Parental Influences

SAMHSA

Fatal instruction: Mom sentenced for teaching drug use to son who overdosed

In a world where drug addiction affects so many different people, it is important that we each do all we can to fight the good fight against drug abuse. This may not always be at the top of people’s minds, but employers could (or should) play a huge role in stopping drug abuse among employees. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that the annual cost for drug use in the workplace is $100 billion due to lost time, accidents, health care and workers compensation costs. Besides the obvious reasons, like that employees on drugs are less productive, less responsible, and less reliable; it should be the moral duty of employers to help those under them that abuse drugs.

Cheating on Tests

Sadly, too many employers are willing to let their workers that are abusing drugs slip by. Drug tests are often easy to cheat on and some employers will use the easiest test to pass or look the other way when they know someone is cheating, just to prevent a big hassle. Most managers either need to or would like to show they’ve tested their employees and that they’ve turned up clean, but the sad thing is that to many of them, this is simply a formality that they can easily tamper with. After all, in many people’s minds, a positive drug test would mean they have to either fire the person, or help them get into detox or treatment, and that would use up money or resources. Besides, a lot of drug addicts have become pretty adept at balancing drug abuse and a job.

Help for Employees

So what needs to be done? There’s plenty that can be done to help employees with their drug habit. To start, employers can bite the bullet and do what’s really best for their employees. They could have an Employee Assistance Program in place that will provide a counselor to help determine the type of help an employee needs. Employers can also provide insurance plans for their workers that cover substance abuse treatment and mental health care. Employers should never shirk their duties to provide a fair drug test, and then, based on the results, should give time off for the person to recover, or let them go if that’s the policy.

Drug-Free Workplace

There is even more that managers can do. They can encourage preventative care or early intervention for employees by providing incentives for regular doctor’s visits. They can host educational events to help employees learn the benefits to staying clean. And employers can create an attitude around the workplace that focuses more on healthy living.

Employers should not assume that recreational drug use is ok. It is harmful and illegal, and it can lead to addiction. Look for outside help, like from the Department of Labor, for ways to get started in providing a drug-free workplace.

Sources

U.S. Department of Labor  

EAP

Intro to Drug Screening

The Canyon

The whole U.S./Mexico border issue has many components to it. We could look at the illegal immigrants that cause a headache for the legal and medical systems in our country. We could consider how Arizona is implementing laws that could negatively impact Mexicans that are here legally. Or we could gripe about how the border fence really isn’t doing any good, mainly because not enough resources were carried through to make it work.

Drug Cartel Violence

But the aspect that interests us is the violence that is making its way closer to our southern border and even into our country because of drug cartels in Mexico. Drug cartels are feeling pressure by their government and other influences, and so have unleashed their violence in order to preserve their market. The Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez experienced more than 2,600 drug related killings last year because of the cartels’ brutality. As the protectors of our country, our government should be responsible for keeping the conflicts out. But the violence is creeping in, steadily. Kidnappings in Phoenix and murders in Dallas and Houston are being connected to Mexican drug trafficking. Dozens of Americans are among those killed in Ciudad Juarez, and many more of our citizens are afraid to step foot in this area of Mexico, for fear of being killed.  

President Obama’s Plan

With President Obama’s new anti-drug strategy comes a pledge to increase cooperation with foreign countries to reduce drug trafficking to the U.S. This includes working with the Mexican government to reduce the number of drug smugglers, and also to contain the violence. But we as a country need to do even more to reduce drugs and violence in our country and keep our citizens safe.

Border Security a Priority

As evidenced by the many unsuccessful attempts at border security so far, it is hard to say what the best methods are to use. With the passing of the Arizona law that says that anyone suspected of being an illegal immigrant can be stopped and questioned by police, comes much discussion. Many people fear this will lead to racial profiling and are completely opposed to the policy. The federal government has stepped in and is said to be making border security a priority. If the Arizona law is undesirable because of its potential consequences, it is important for the government to develop an effective plan. Maybe the brash policy-making of Arizona has created enough controversy that will cause an allocation of more time and resources into making our southern border safe.

Keep our Cities Safe

The thing we don’t want is for the drug cartels to increase their market in the United States and to spread their violence further. Drugs cause enough problems here that we don’t need our dangerous cities to become even worse because of gangs and drug dealing coming in from Mexico. Look for new solutions coming up in the next few months, as more and more policymakers attempt to keep the drug cartels and their work out of our country.

Sources

Good To Know: Arizona’s Immigration Controversy

Hillary Clinton Migrates Into Arizona Law Controversy

Fear of Border Violence Stokes Congressional Debate

President Obama announced his 2010 National Drug Control Strategy this week, in an effort to curb drug abuse in our country. The strategy outlines a five year timetable for a reduction in the number of people abusing drugs. The goals are specific: a 15% decrease in drug use among youth and chronic users, and a 10% decrease in drugged driving and in drug abuse among young adults. However, it is important for us to view the substance abuse issue as a whole, because so often numbers and statistics can be manipulated to say what we want. We will see in the next few years if this new strategy works, and if we can start a downward trend in drug abuse.

Collaboration Strategy

The President’s drug plan assembles a collaboration of prevention, treatment, law enforcement, and international cooperation to combat the drug problem. Some people are very optimistic because the new plan seems to call for an increase in prevention and treatment. We now know that treatment and prevention are so much more helpful and cost effective than simply putting someone in jail. The President’s plan claims to be able to boost community-based prevention techniques and expand treatment programs. According to the plan, health care professionals will be encouraged to ask questions about patients’ drug use in order to intervene early on a drug problem. Databases will be improved and developed to track prescriptions and identify doctors that overprescribe, in order to reduce the number of people abusing prescription drugs. Along with early intervention and treatment, many are hoping for an increase in prevention techniques. Education programs will be necessary to continue to help parents, teens, and others learn the dangers of drug abuse and how to stay away from them in the first place.

Refocused Strategy

The “war on drugs” has been deemed ineffective by many people, as the number of people abusing drugs continues to rise. Law enforcement is necessary to keep the peace and protect our citizens, but when dealing with the overall drug problem, jail time and prosecution do little good. Some people are worried that while the new drug strategy sounds good, we will end up reverting back to prosecuting all drug addicts rather than providing them with treatment. Funding has increased in recent months for enforcement of drug laws, while prevention and treatment programs have seen a cut in money from the government. It will be interesting to see how this new plan changes the way money is spent by the government to deal with this issue.

It is a positive thing that the drug issue is getting so much attention right now. Now is the time to implement the best programs possible for prevention and treatment, so we can really start to see an end to this problem.

Sources

Obama shifts drug strategy focus to prevention, treatment

New drug control strategy signals policy shift

Launching America’s New Approach to the Drug Problem

Sometimes many of us might feel like we want to do something more for our troops. These people have put their lives on hold, left their families, and risked injury and death to fight for our country. Ask any soldier and they will tell you that it is rewarding when they are applauded by onlookers at an airport, or thanked by civilians at the mall. But it seems that we should be doing more to thank them than a quick hello and thanks when we see them out and about in their uniform, or standing for them when they pass by in a Fourth of July parade.

Soldiers and Substance Abuse

One area that we can help our soldiers with is substance abuse. Soldiers have always struggled with substance abuse. Their tasks are stressful and traumatic, leading to mental illness sometimes, and self-medication with drugs or alcohol other times. There are so many veterans from wars throughout the years that now live lives of addiction and alcoholism. Too many soldiers go on to be homeless or depressed, or plagued by some other addiction or illness, all because of the things they experienced while fighting for our freedom.

Opiate Production in the Middle East

Recent statistics suggest that substance abuse, especially opiate abuse, is rapidly increasing among our soldiers today. The actual numbers state that there was a nearly 500% increase in soldiers enrolled in substance abuse counseling for opiates between 2004 and 2009. It could be that more soldiers are just now reporting substance abuse and getting help for it. But authorities believe that at least part of the jump in recent years is due to an increase in addiction, due to an increase in the availability of opiates.

Afghanistan is the world’s leading opium producer, and our soldiers have at times become their buyers. With an increase of troops in Afghanistan, our soldiers are put right in the middle of the opiate production. Opiate abuse is more common among Afghan forces, but it also affects U.S., Canadian, and NATO troops. Many people who are taking note of this issue are concerned not only about the way opiate abuse affects our soldiers, but also about the way it benefits the Taliban. When Afghans sell their opium, the sales help fund the Taliban’s efforts. This group taxes poppy farmers and the processers of the drugs, giving us another reason to keep our troops away from opiates.

Treatment for Soldiers

We as a country need to set up better prevention techniques, more screening opportunities, more effective treatment programs, and better long-term care for our troops. Every soldier should be screened for substance abuse and mental illness, and be encouraged to come forward and get help for these problems. The sooner after the conflict that a solder gets help, the better the chance at recovery. We need to educate our soldiers more effectively on how to manage stress and avoid drug abuse in the first place. When drug abuse does occur, we need to follow up with treatment designed specifically for soldiers.

Sources

Afghanistan opium harvest a dilemma for Canadian Forces

Army surgeon general notes concern about drugs prescribed to wounded soldiers

Number of Soldiers Seeking Opiate Abuse Treatment Skyrockets