The manufacturing of street drugs in private homes isn’t a new concept, but it is just as risky today as it ever has been. Illegal drugs have been made in clandestine labs for decades as a way for the maker to bring in money or to support a drug habit. Methamphetamine is available by prescription, but this controlled substance can be cooked in a home lab and made into powder and sold on the street as a potent drug. Other amphetamine-type stimulants have also commonly been made in makeshift labs, as well as the rave drug, GHB, LSD and other strong hallucinogens. Many illegal drugs that end up being sold to kids and addicts on the street come from these homemade labs throughout the world.

The homemade drug manufacturer

Sometimes it is an ex-employee from a pharmaceutical company with the expertise on drugs that attempts to make them on their own. Other times it is a group of individuals that have researched how to best make certain drugs. Countless websites instruct anyone who cares on how to make certain street drugs. Often the ingredients are over-the-counter medicines or household chemicals. If it the ingredients aren’t readily available, some home manufacturers will find a way to order supplies or get ingredients on the black market.

Dangers of homemade drugs to the drug user

Besides the obvious problems with all street drugs, such as addiction, toxicity, brain damage, organ damage, and possible death, homemade street drugs have their own added problems. One of the most dangerous risks with homemade drugs is that each batch can be made differently, with changes in ingredients and measurements. With no standard of dosage, customers will often end up dying from overdose before other buyers and the seller realize the strength of a very powerful batch.

It is estimated that more than 50% of the time, the drug buyer is not getting the substance that they were told they were getting from a home-based lab. Makers will sometimes substitute a cheaper ingredient, or one more readily available, without the buyer knowing. And there are other things the home manufacturer won’t disclose either, such as the way the drugs have been handled and what tainted substances have come in contact with them. It could be that the drug maker used infected substances to cut and make the drugs, thereby passing along diseases such as hepatitis or maybe even AIDS.

Dangers to the public

Home-based drug labs are a threat to the general public at times also. These chemicals are often very unstable, which can lead to explosions or toxic fumes that threaten nearby residents. Because of the risks a homemade manufacturer faces, they may take drastic measures to protect their lab. Violence and shootings are commonly associated with clandestine labs.

Authorities are well-aware of the dangers associated with home drug labs and are working to find them throughout the country. The task may be daunting, but many lives will be saved by shutting down these drug labs.

Sources

Street Drugs

Chemical expert set up homemade LSD factory 10/12/2008

Crystal Myth

Elsevier B.V. Boltushka: A homemade amphetamine-type stimulant and HIV risk in Odessa, Ukraine 10-30-08

Parents that are concerned about their teens’ risky behavior may not be aware of all the temptations out there, or the young age at which many adolescents are exposed to them. Inhalants are growing in popularity among youngsters as young as 12 as a way to get high. Many experts believe that parents need to be educated on this epidemic if we are going to keep it from getting worse.

The National Inhalant Prevention’s Coalition held a news conference earlier this year that revealed an increase in inhalant use among 12 and 13 year olds, and that many of these teens and pre-teens go on to do more illicit drugs as they get older.

Why Inhalants

Peer pressure occurs at almost every age, but the teen years are filled with the most negative peer pressure. Pair that with lack of supervision because parents are working more, and you have teens trying all sorts of risky behavior to keep themselves busy. Inhalants are readily available to kids, and often young people don’t see inhaling these household substances as being harmful because these things are legal and found everywhere. Anything from glue and paint to shoe polish and aerosol sprays can and are being used by people to get high.

Types of Inhalants

There are four main types of inhalants: volatile solvents (paint thinners, felt tip markers), aerosol sprays (spray paint, deodorant), gases (propane tanks, whip cream dispensers), and nitrites (room deodorizers). Teens use these inhalants by sniffing, snorting, or inhaling from a bag. The high will usually be short-lived, which leads a teen to inhale again and again to keep up the good feeling. These inhalants can be very addictive also, leading the individual down a long road of destructive behavior.

Effects

Most inhalants result in a tired feeling, dizziness, hallucinations, or trouble with motor skills – all things that teens might find entertaining to observe. Over time, however, inhalants can lead to brain damage, muscle weakness, and depression. The dangers are very real, and can occur even with first time users. Sudden death can occur through heart attack, suffocating, or choking, and injuries may occur from careless acts while under the influence.

As the study by the National Inhalant Prevention’s Coalition showed, many teens that use inhalants go on to do other drugs, sometimes in an effort to get a better high. Once a teen is used to the thrill of doing “harmless” inhalant drugs, they might look for more of a challenge with street drugs.

Parents: Be Aware

Many parents have shown a disconnect from their children through the attitude that their children is not at risk for this kind of behavior. Even parents that are relatively cautious about what trouble their child could get into may not be aware of how common this abuse of inhalants is. It is important for parents to know what their child is doing when they are alone or with friends, and special care should be taken to monitor the inhalants in the house and garage. If you are a parent that thinks your child may be using inhalants, don’t hesitate to get help for them.

Sources

Colihan, Kelley Tweens Favor Inhalants To Get High Study Shows Youngsters Use Inhalants As “Gateway” To Other Illicit Drugs March 13, 2008

Zwillich, Todd Kids See Inhalants As Less Risky Parents ‘Don’t Get It,’ Advocates Say April 24, 2006

http://www.inhalants.org/guidelines.htm

http://kidshealth.org/teen/drug_alcohol/drugs/inhalants.html

Reinberg, Steven For Adolescents, Inhalants Are Drug of Choice 3/13/08

For some people this time of year is, quite honestly, a struggle. It’s not just the hurry of the approaching holidays, or the long list of things to do, or the colder weather. For some people it is actually the decrease in daylight hours that cause their mood swings, and it can be very debilitating. It’s called SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder, and it affects half a million Americans today.

Symptoms

Sufferers of SAD feel an overwhelming feeling of the “blues”, lethargy, hopelessness, anxiety, social withdrawal, and change in appetite. Sounds like depression, doesn’t it? The fact is that SAD is a recognized form of depression, only it comes in cycles along with the climate changes. During summer days that are bright and warm, these SAD sufferers feel happy and can function normally. But when the days are shorter and cloudier and colder, these individuals feel the depression setting in and lose interest in things, often wanting to stay in bed for days on end.

Mechanisms

SAD has been said to be caused by lack of sunlight hitting brain receptors that tell the body to sleep or wake up. A new study suggests that it is an actual mutation in a gene that is responsible for SAD. This gene regulates a pigment in the eye that controls hormone levels and sleep, and without it functioning properly, low levels of sunlight exaggerate problems in the body. Low levels of serotonin then occur, which lead to instability in mood. This theory is also backed up by the statistic that SAD seems to run in families, which also suggest a genetic factor.

Drug and Alcohol Abuse

Another concern with SAD is that sufferers will sometimes turn to alcohol or drugs to ease their minds and pick them up, but this only adds to the problem. Sometimes it becomes a vicious cycle – the person feels bad for using drugs or alcohol, which depresses their mood even more.

Treatment

There are things that can be done about SAD and some people are able to manage it on their own. Joining a gym and exercising, or getting out and socializing rather than sleeping may be easier said than done, but will actually help the mind and body get moving again. It may seem easier to stay in bed and sleep it off, but the best thing to do is to stay active and keep the mind busy with good things.

For those that have a more severe form of SAD, or have been suffering for a long time, therapy or treatment by a professional may be necessary. Antidepressants may be prescribed, or phototherapy may be in order, which exposes the patient to artificial lights in order to stimulate the brain. Hormone treatments and psychotherapy may be other ways a physician will choose to treat SAD. The good news is that when the weather turns nicer and the days are longer, most SAD patients recover well and are able to live life again, and with help, this disorder can be overcome.

Breakthroughs tips and trends: November 7th

Conwell, Vikki De-stress to fight off seasonal depression The Atlanta Journal-Constitution November

Klockenga, Janet Your winter survival plan 10/27/08

Baker, Eliot As days shorten and skies darken, sufferers of SAD gear up to fight winter blues October 30, 2008

Dirk Hanson Shining New Light on Addiction SAD phototherapy may help with alcoholism September 29, 2007

A new study published November 5th in the Journal of the American Medical Association seems to show that addicted teens that are treated long-term with detoxification medications, including buprenorphine and naloxone, respond better than those treated for a short time. The drugs that were used in this study are two medications that were approved in 2002 by the FDA for the treatment of opioid addiction. Only about 7,000 physicians in the country are registered as potential providers of these drugs, and even less of that number will administer them to young people.

Opiate Detoxification Medications

Buprenorphine is a medication that significantly reduces the cravings of opioids. When combined with naloxone, an opioid antagonist, the results seem to be even better. Naloxone reduces or prevents the effects of drugs such as heroin or prescription painkillers, making them much less desirable to the addict. Naloxone also prevents the patient from misusing the buprenorphine combination because those that would try to inject the drug for a high (instead of taking it orally as prescribed) would suffer severe withdrawal symptoms.

While these medications have been used for adults in many instances, there has been little research on the effectiveness among young people addicted to opioids. The overall number of adolescents that abuse drugs has decreased since 2002, and while this is a very positive trend, the number of painkillers and opioids abused among teens has increased.

Study on Treating Adolescents

Dr. David A. Fiellin of the Yale University School of Medicine reports that as many as 10 percent of ninth graders have used opioids, and that 200,000 to 400,000 adolescents have abused some of these drugs. It seems that drugs are even more readily available to teens today than alcohol, as teens are able to order drugs online or steal them from their parents’ medicine cabinets. Often drug addiction starts as a fun thing that teens try, and ends up as a lifetime of dependence on the substance.

The study done by Dr. George Woody of the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Psychiatry is one of the first of its kind. As was reported this week, researchers found that those teens that were put on a buprenorphine/naloxone combination (Suboxone) for an extended period of time (12 weeks or longer) were more likely to stay opioid free than those only given the medication for a short period of time. When taken off the medication, the drug use went up. Even with detoxification and counseling, the individuals that were taken off the Suboxone were back to using drugs in a short period of time.
While more research needs to be done on this topic, it seems that Dr. Woody and his team of researchers have shown that Suboxone is an effective treatment in the addiction of opioids when used for an extended period of time. There are those that disagree with the use of drugs to treat drug addiction, but if it means these adolescents have a chance to continue their life free of opioid addiction, many think these more drastic measures are worth taking.

Sources

Reinberg, Steven Extended Therapy Helps Drug-Addicted Teens November 4, 2008

Carver, Alice Extended Therapy for Young Opioid Addicts Better than Short Term Detox, Study November 5, 2008

Opiate Detox

Some scientists in Great Britain have recently recommended that the drug ecstasy be downgraded in that country from a Class A drug to a Class B drug. This topic has been very heated among scientists, the government, and those that spend their lives to treating drug addiction.
Ecstasy is MDMA, a mind-altering drug that is popular among teens and those that frequent nightclubs and raves. It gives the user a boost of energy, and also produces feelings of exhilaration and excitement. But ecstasy also causes confusion and anxiety and can cause the user to suffer from disruptions in body temperature and hydration, leading to possible organ failure and, in rare cases, death.

Great Britain’s Drug Classification Scale

The U.K. has followed a classification system for drugs since 1971. The system currently lists ecstasy in the most dangerous Class A, the same grouping as the United States’ Schedule I for drugs. These classifications give the government a way to enforce penalties and for citizens to be aware of the risks of certain drugs. For example, Class B drugs are considered more harmful than Class C, but less harmful than Class A. Penalties for possession of these drugs vary with class. Ecstasy now carries a maximum prison sentence of seven years, while downgrading it to Class B would mean a maximum of 5 years in prison and a lower fine.

In Favor of the Downgrade

Those in favor of the downgrade include Professor Colin Blakemore, the chief executive of the Medical Research Council, and Professor David Nutt, the president of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD). Their 2007 study listed ecstasy as the 18th most dangerous out of the 20 popular drugs studied, listing it lower than tobacco and alcohol. Both of these individuals say that ecstasy has caused far fewer deaths than the other Class A drugs, such as heroin and cocaine. To have it be in the same class, they say, discredits the whole class system. Some supporters of the downgrade also say that ecstasy is not as big of a public safety issue as many other substances because it does not usually cause the aggression or violence of other drugs, making the user less harmful to those around them.

Against the Downgrade

There are plenty of people that believe ecstasy should stay in Class A. Opponents of the downgrade say that there are numerous cases of bodily harm or death due to ecstasy, and by declassifying it the government is telling people it is not harmful. Opponents want the British government to continue to hand down strict penalties for those who misuse drugs. Those that spend long hours trying to get people off of drugs such as ecstasy are pushing to keep this drug in Class A to deter more people from using it, and in order to free the country from illegal drug use.

Sources
NIDA InfoFacts: MDMA (Ecstasy)

Jenkins, Adrian Expert slams ecstasy move

Knapton, Sarah Ecstasy could be downgraded to class B drug 9-17-08

Johnston, Philip Scientist in call to downgrade ecstasy and LSD Nov 24 2006

Of all the illegal drugs in our country, perhaps none is as well-known for its addiction and harmful effects on the user’s life as cocaine. According to a 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 35.3 million Americans aged 12 and older reported having used cocaine, and 8.5 million reported having used crack cocaine. There were an estimated 977,000 new users of cocaine in 2006—most were 18 or older when they first used cocaine. (1)

Cocaine addiction

Cocaine is a derivative of the leaves of the coca plant, which is either snorted, dissolved in water and injected, or smoked. While under the influence of cocaine, the user develops a “high”, which increases mental alertness and reduces fatigue. This high only lasts for a short time, and after as little as 5-15 minutes, the user may feel the need to administer the drug again in order to maintain the high feeling. In fact, this is one reason why cocaine is so addictive – the user is constantly trying to maintain that great feeling of euphoria.

Cocaine causes a high by increasing the level of dopamine in the brain, which in humans signals something pleasurable. In healthy people this signal is shut off after a short time, but in cocaine addicts, the dopamine is kept from being recycled and large amounts of it build up in the brain, causing the high. Tolerance to the high of dopamine is likely to occur, and more cocaine is needed to feel the good feeling. After a short time, the user is addicted and may need cocaine detox.

Cocaine’s Effects

Cocaine has many detrimental effects on the body, including headache, nausea, increased heart rate and blood pressure, decreased appetite, and problems with nosebleeds or with swallowing. Cocaine addicts are more likely to be irritable without their high, and suffer from anxiety, paranoia, and hallucinations. Other serious risks are heart attack, stroke, respiratory arrest, and seizure.

Predisposition to addiction

A study done by Hans Breiter and his colleagues from Massachusetts General Hospital (2) found that in cocaine addicts, the area of the brain that deals with decision making and preference is actually altered with cocaine use. The thinning that occurs in this region of the brain may explain why cocaine users become so addicted; their brain no longer cares about things other than the drug, and they aren’t able to make coherent decisions to stay away from the drug.

This study also found, however, that in drug abusers the overall thickness in the brain is more uniform than in non-drug users. Because this symmetry of thickness does not seem to be a result of drug use, researchers are beginning to think that some people have a predisposition to drug use.

Whatever the cause of addiction to cocaine, it is a disease. If you or someone you know is addicted to cocaine, it is important to get help right away. The risks of using cocaine make it a very unsafe drug, and many people have died suddenly from its effects. Find a drug treatment center to help deal with the addiction.

Sources
(1) Cocaine: Abuse With Alcohol Increases Deadliness 9/22/2008

(2) Thinner Cortex In Cocaine Addicts May Reflect Drug Use And A Pre-existing Disposition To Drug Abuse ScienceDaily Oct. 13, 2008

Cocaine and the Brain Ivanhoe Newswire Oct. 10, 2008

If your child has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, you might be one of the many parents in the world today that are concerned with the medications that have been prescribed for your child. While there have been studies on the long term effects of medications prescribed for ADD or ADHD, such as Adderall or Ritalin, the conclusions from these studies have been conflicting.

In the past (before 2007), studies have suggested that these medications actually decrease a child’s chance for abusing drugs when they get to be adolescents. However, a study reported by Harvard researchers in March of 2008 shows that by adulthood, these individuals are neither more nor less likely to abuse drugs or alcohol than their non ADHD/ADD peers. The study also reports that children taking these medications are not likely to become addicted to the stimulants, which help them ease their restless brains. To sum it all up, these children are not supposed to be any more likely to abuse drugs or alcohol than those who haven’t taken these medications.

Not everyone would agree. Some would argue that individuals with ADHD often end up turning to addictive substances as they get older, in order to self-medicate and try to feel normal. Often ADHD sufferers experience restlessness, difficulty with organization, and shame over their condition. Sometimes their medications seem to lose their effectiveness over time. Sometimes drugs and alcohol help ease their symptoms at first, but then become addicting and binding.

As far as the addicting qualities of ADHD medications go, it is known that amphetamines (Adderall) may pose a risk for abuse if used for prolonged periods of time. However, many of the cases of addiction to ADHD medications seem to be the result of improper use or lack of education. If a child sees their doctor increasing the dose of their Adderall in order to make the child feel better, the child may then learn to self medicate and increase the dose by themselves in the future.

Don’t Wait

One thing that most experts do agree on is that the sooner a child is treated for ADHD, the better. Children suffering from ADHD that go untreated over time will be more likely to feel depressed, restless, and suicidal. The research is clear that medications such as Adderall and Ritalin are usually effective in treating the symptoms of ADHD. By successfully treating the symptoms, a child will be made to feel more normal, and the less likely they will need to self-medicate.

The best thing parents can do if their child has been diagnosed with ADHD or ADD is to follow the doctor’s advice and give the medication as directed. However, it is important for parents to be aware of the risks the treatment may pose. By watching their children for signs of depression, self-medicating, or substance abuse, parents can help their children avoid any harmful consequences, while easing their restless brain and helping them gain control of their lives.

Richardson, Wendy ADHD and Addiction adders.org

Coker, Matt Adderall Treats ADHD But Can Lead to Addiction. One Clinic Tries to Help OC Kick ‘College Crack’ August 28, 2008 OC Weekly News

Shulman, Matthew Ritalin and the Risk of Substance Abuse U.S. News and World Report March 3, 2008