Methamphetamine continues to cause problems across our country, and its use and addiction often seem to be raging out of control. Some states are cracking down or putting into place some preventative measures that will hopefully help curb the use of this illegal drug.

Effects of Meth Abuse

Meth is used by people from many different walks of life. In fact, 10 million people in the United States have tried it at least once. The drug, known for the high it produces and the ability to speed up the user, is common in party scenes. It can keep the addict going all week long if they want. But meth has some awful side effects. First of all, it is one of the more addicting substances there is, and many people quickly find themselves caught off guard by the addiction it causes. Meth abuse also causes memory loss, psychotic behavior, and heart damage, among other things. Methamphetamine addiction can easily lead to unemployment, child abuse, and other crimes.

Increasing Meth Labs

Even with all the negatives associated with methamphetamine, it is still growing in popularity. One reason for this is how easily people can get their hands on this drug. It is common in nearly every community, and it can be made in home labs. The home manufacturing of meth has been simplified over the years to a one bottle process, making use of ingredients that can all be purchased legally. Meth labs, however, are dangerous to the makers, as well as their neighbors. There is always the risk of fire and explosion, and meth labs can endanger nearby water supplies with their chemicals.

Statewide Tracking System

Some states are making the pursuit and raid of meth labs a priority. Alabama has assembled task forces to search out meth labs and to enforce a meth prevention program. They are also implementing a tracking system that will monitor the purchase of a key ingredient for home meth labs, pseudo-ephedrine. The database tracks who is buying this ingredient and how much they have bought in the past, in the hopes of investigating those that buy large amounts. The tracking system is being used in 11 states already, and some more are currently considering it. As long as retailers join and work with this kind of system, it could help, and already has helped decrease meth production in some areas.

Meth Treatment

Because of its addictiveness, methamphetamine easily takes over lives, so that to the addict, nothing but the drug matters anymore. This makes treatment of this drug addiction difficult. The grip it takes on a person’s mind and their memory makes it hard for the patient to get past it, and detoxing from this drug is a struggle. Treatment of meth addiction is possible, and the right facility can help make sobriety a reality. But a lot of lives would be saved if more preventative programs were put in place. It’s better to avoid using drugs at all than to waste the years, money, and peace of mind on an addiction like this.

Sources

Web-based system tracks meth chemical purchases

Methamphetamine abuse and addiction

Meth The powder devil

Five years ago our nation’s most costly natural disaster took place, and unfortunately many people are still trying to recover. Hurricane Katrina made landfall this week in 2005, killing 2,000 people and displacing more than 250,000 others. While New Orleans suffered the worst attack because of the city’s massive flooding, the southern part of our country, from Louisiana to Florida, was affected.

The hurricane naturally caused much devastation, injury, and death, but even after surviving the initial blow, residents have found the recovery process to be brutal, and mental illness and substance abuse have been some of the results.

Mental Illness among Victims

Anxiety is a huge concern among Katrina survivors, as well as depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The hurricane was traumatic, the flooding was overwhelming, and the loss of homes, schools, and churches was disturbing. Then there was the death of loved ones that many endured. Trauma like this can be expected to cause mental disorders such as anxiety, PTSD, and depression. Feelings of helplessness can really affect the mind, and many people initially felt the toll caused by the devastation.

But long term effects are also plaguing residents. Many lost jobs and have not been able to find new employment. Deserted neighborhoods can still be found, some people still don’t have real homes, and frustrations with insurance and finances are often a daily struggle.

Substance Abuse a Result of Mental Illness

Alcoholism and drug abuse are more common when depression or PTSD are present. Someone who has experienced a shocking event or who daily struggles with feelings of depression often finds substance abuse to be the way they can make it through the day. The mind-numbing drugs or alcohol help them forget their worries, and they become the crutch people begin to rely on. But the effects of drugs and alcohol will eventually catch up to a person and then they are left with substance abuse or addiction on top of all their other troubles.

Help for Hurricane Victims

The way to deal with stress and worry is not to take up drinking or experimenting with drugs. These will only make it worse. What will help these residents is solid advice and counseling from a professional. The residents of Louisiana also need to have some assurance that they will be able to get back on their feet again. Louisiana’s “Road Home” program was made to provide financial aid to hurricane victims, and the Louisiana Spirit Recovery program was a temporary project to help with stress management among residents. We shouldn’t forget about the hurricane victims, or assume they are ok because it has been 5 years. Those with ongoing struggles still need the support and programs to continue to help them rebuild their lives, and to maintain a healthy state of mind.

Sources

Katrina Five Years After: Hurricane Left a Legacy of Health Concerns

Hurricane Katrina Exacts Another Toll: Enduring Depression

A Look Back to 2005: President Bush and Katrina

Recovery Month is right around the corner, and it is time again for us to celebrate sobriety from drug and alcohol abuse, as well as the contributions of treatment providers. The whole month of September is dedicated to recovery and wellness, and activities will be taking place across the country. Get involved with an activity this year, or plan one on your own, but don’t wait until the end of the month to join in on the celebration. Many observances begin already on September 1st.

Encourage Sobriety

This year’s Recovery Month theme is Join the Voices for Recovery: Now More Than Ever! It stresses the importance of getting treatment now, at this time. We all know how negatively substance abuse changes our lives and affects the lives of our loved ones, yet only 10% of Americans who need treatment actually get it. Those who don’t get treatment are sometimes ashamed to admit their substance abuse, or aren’t aware of treatment options, or have financial limitations. Some people simply haven’t admitted that they have a problem yet. But recovery offers such hope and it is important for everyone to be given that chance at hope.

Recovery is Possible

Recovery Month also celebrates the sobriety of those that have successfully ended their substance abuse. Rehab and treatment are a huge undertaking, and a person can’t go through the process without hard work and perseverance. Recovery Month brings together those that have made it through the first stages of healing and allows them to strengthen each other even more. When we accomplish something great, we want to celebrate. What a great accomplishment it is to gain a life back and break free from substance abuse! Recovery Month is a time to celebrate!

Faithful Treatment Providers

Recovery Month also lauds the work that is done by treatment providers. For many patients, these individuals are life savers. They are the ones that spend long, hard hours working with patients and trying to get through to addicts. They devote their lives to making the lives of others better. Quite often, unfortunately, their work goes unappreciated, which is another reason why this month is so important.

Recovery Month Activities

By dedicating a month to recovery and those involved with the process, we are able to raise awareness about the need for substance abuse treatment. Programs around the country aim to educate the public that addiction is a treatable disease, and to encourage those in need of treatment to get it.

There are may ways to get involved. Check with the Recovery Month website for more information, or to view some of the activities that are planned for this month. Contact your local health department, or recovery professionals group for sponsored activities. Local treatment facilities or AA chapters will sometimes plan events, as well as some veterans groups, colleges, and celebrities. However, anyone can work on a new activity, and resources from the Recovery Month website can help.

Sources

Recovery Month

2010 Recovery Month Web Site Launched on January 2, 2010

Local Non-Profits Form “Voices for Recovery Coalition”

The 15th annual survey by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) is complete and the reports are in. The study, which consists of phone and internet surveys of teens and their parents, has recorded trends among students for the past decade and a half. This year’s survey has some disturbing results, but also provides useful information about prevention.

Drugs and Gangs

The CASA study first of all calculated the percent of drug-infested schools among its subjects. These were defined as schools where “drugs are used, kept, or sold on school grounds”. It was found that 32% of middle schoolers believe they attend drug infested schools. Two thirds of high schools had drug activity. The study also looked at gangs at schools, and concluded that 46% of public school reported the presence of gangs, and that schools with gangs were more likely to also have drugs.

We may have a great deal of confidence in our kids, but the CASA study showed the danger of kids attending schools that had gangs or drugs. Teens are 5 times more likely to use marijuana, 3 times more likely to drink, and 12 times more likely to smoke, when they attend a drug-laden school. They also found that drug and alcohol use in middle or high school often means substance abuse or addiction as an adult. However, for those that avoid the temptation and peer pressure to experiment with drugs or alcohol, there is good news. Those that make it to age 21 without using drugs or alcohol are likely to never start.

Public vs. Private Schools

Studies like the CASA one can be depressing and cause us to lose hope for our nation’s children and their futures. But some of the results of the survey clearly show ways we can slow the drug epidemic among young people. First of all, there are many schools, including private schools, that don’t have the presence of drugs or gangs. Students at these schools are much less likely to get involved with drugs. 78% of students in private or religious schools said there were no drugs at their school.

Parental Involvement for Prevention

The single most important factor, however, affecting whether or not a student will use drugs, is parental involvement. Parents may not always realize it, but they hold the key when it comes to keeping their child drug-free. Teens with weak family ties are 4 times more likely to try tobacco or marijuana as those with a strong family. Spending quality time together and eating meals together are great ways to build the relationships among the family members. Parents’ attitude toward drinking or drugs also has a big impact, and teens need to know that drinking and drugs are not acceptable.

We need to educate both young people and their parents about the dangers of drugs. Parents need tools to help them talk to their kids and learn how to give their teen the best chance at staying clean. Parents can choose a positive environment for their teen to learn, and can get to know their child’s friends. By keeping tabs on what their children are doing, and building a good relationship with them, parents can help their children remain drug-free.  

Sources

Partnership for a Drug Free America Comments on CASA Survey

Drugs, Gangs on the Rise in Schools

Young Teens Becoming More Exposed to Illicit Drugs, According to National Survey 

While drug abuse can occur anywhere, among any group of people, different drugs tend to be more prevalent in certain circles. This makes sense because people often do the drugs that are easiest for them to get their hands on, or experiment with what friends or co-workers are using.

As odd as it may sound, it seems that even Wall Street professionals follow the crowd at times when it comes to drug abuse. A list of drug test data was recently compiled that showed trends among investors. While cocaine used to be high on the list of Wall Street users, it has dropped in popularity. Found in 16% of positive tests in 2007, in 2008 it was only found in 7% of positive tests. The drug of choice now, by far, is marijuana, coming in at 80% of positive tests. Amphetamines are also growing in popularity, up to 10% in 2008 from 3% a few years ago.

Wall Street is a place of fast-paced business, long hours, and grueling responsibilities. It might not surprise us to hear that even these kinds of professionals are sometimes taken over by substance abuse. For these men and women, it usually begins as a feeling of entitlement. They have huge paychecks and successful jobs, they endure hard work and stress; therefore they deserve to treat themselves to some drugs now and then. But the stress doesn’t end, and in fact it builds, and these business people go from occasional user to addict.

Ignoring a Drug Problem

The overall incidence of drug abuse for Wall Street professionals doesn’t seem to be that high, compared to national averages. In a country where 3.6% of the workforce tests positive for drugs, only 2% of the investment industry failed drug tests last year. This doesn’t necessarily mean these business people use drugs less than other workers. It simply means they are getting caught less often. Random drug tests are not as common on Wall Street as they are in many factory settings, for example. And given the power and money that Wall Street investors hold, some employers simply deny that their workers have a problem. If the employee is holding their own and staying productive, some employers will be careful not to cause a stir, even if it means looking the other way when they know an employee is using drugs.

Getting Help

The personality of many investment bankers may be prone to addiction. These are the risk-taking controllers who are under a great deal of pressure. But they are also the kind of people that will do their best to balance an addiction with a full time job. They are hard working, love to live a fast-paced life, and they don’t easily quit.

But it is necessary for even these people to get help for an addiction. There are many detox and rehab facilities that have programs specifically designed to help business men and women. Luxury rehab facilities are often able to whisk the person away, treat them, and get them back to their office in no time. It is important, however, for these professionals to dedicate enough time to recovery and that they continue to work at sobriety after they return.

Sources

Pot Soars on Wall Street, Real Estate Investors Just High All the Time

Wall Street Pee Tests Expose Startling New Drug Trend: Less Coke Snorting, More Pot-Smoking

Wall Street Drug Use: Employees Giving Up Cocaine for Pot and Pills

Drug abuse is common in veterans of any war, but these days we are seeing an increase in substance abuse among veterans from the current wars. In fact, more than 7.1% of veterans (18 million people) had a substance abuse disorder from 2004-2006. Substance abuse is seen most often among younger veterans of current wars, and among those who experienced combat during deployment. Many of these veterans are not getting the help they need for their substance abuse.

Drug Abuse Among Veterans

Veterans form a special group of people; those that willingly put themselves in danger in order to help others. We must all be appreciative to our service men and women for the sacrifice they make for our freedom. But maybe we should be doing more for their welfare, including making sure they get the treatment they need before, during, and after they complete their mission.

PTSD

The trauma that our soldiers witness and experience often has lasting effects. Mental health disorders afflict 25 to 30% of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans. Much of this is due to head injuries or from the stress of combat, which causes Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). These kinds of mental health issues are often connected to drug abuse or alcoholism. Veterans, like all of us, often begin to abuse substances because it makes us feel good and forget our problems and our mental distress.

Prescription Painkillers

Other veterans are placed on prescription painkillers or other medications to treat chronic pain resulting from combat. More than half of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have a painful condition that could be treated with prescription opioids. These prescription drugs are widely abused among veterans.

Funding for Research and Programs

The NIDA and other federal agencies are setting aside funding for programs that research the needs of veterans with substance abuse issues, as well as the treatment of these addictions. Prevention, as always, is the key, and programs that focus on it will also be considered for funding.

The Millennium Cohort Study is one such project that is researching and testing prevention and treatment techniques. This study has created a partnership between government agencies, public health entities, and researchers all coming together to help provide treatment for our veterans. More projects like this should be created in order to come up with real solutions to this problem.

Other approaches and studies are also being carried out to meet the needs of veterans. The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences is using a grant to research the effectiveness of the VA’s guidelines on prescription painkillers. The protocol for treating PTSD is being reviewed by another group. Other studies for the benefit of veterans include behavioral interventions for dual diagnoses, and virtual reality treatment of PTSD and substance abuse.

In whatever way possible, our country needs to come up with real solutions for prevention and treatment, so that we can meet the needs of those individuals that have given so much for us.

Sources

A Research Update from the National Institute on Drug Abuse

UAMS to study prescription drug abuse by war veterans

UAMS to study prescription drug abuse among war vets

In this economy, it is difficult enough for many people to keep their job, let alone trying to keep a job while fighting an addiction. Imagine how tough it is for the millions of people in our country doing just that. 80% of all alcohol abusers have either full or part-time jobs. 73% of illicit drug users are also employed, as well as many prescription drug addicts. We know there are a lot of people that abuse substances during work, and many more that come to work high, coming off a high, or hung over.

Functioning Addicts

Substance abuse really has a negative effect on our workforce’s productivity. Yet many addicts are able to keep their job. Despite absenteeism or lowered productivity at times, they hang on to their position, even in an economy where many others are desperate for work. Sometimes people are fired because of an addiction if their job performance slips, but statistics show that functioning drug addicts or alcoholics in the workplace are common.

Leaving Work to Get Help

The message is getting out there, however, that there is help for addiction, and substance abuse is now sometimes viewed as a chronic medical condition by employers. In general, an employer can’t fire someone for having an addiction problem, especially if they are seeking treatment. EAPs are set up to help employees that want help for a substance abuse problem. But, of course, if the employee is absent or late for work, or slacks off on their performance, they are going to have a hard time hanging on to that job.

An employee that needs time off to get treatment must generally be permitted to do so. It is often difficult, however, for employers to sift through what they are legally obligated to permit when it comes to an employee with an addiction. Therefore, someone that is looking for treatment should first of all know their rights as an employee, and secondly, do the best they can at their job in order to avoid creating a cause for termination.

Working after Sobriety

We know that staying employed and keeping busy during or after recovery is usually beneficial. It helps keep a patient motivated and busy, and the structure a job provides is often helpful. But keeping or getting a job after treatment is not easy. An employer usually has many qualified applicants to choose from, and going with the one with the addiction would be taking a huge chance that they are able to stay sober.

Recovering addicts should use all the resources available to them to get treatment and to hang on to a job. There are laws and programs designed to help people that are newly sober that are looking to enter the workforce again. During or after treatment, a patient looking for work may be able to enter the workforce through connections at the treatment facility. From the beginning, EAPs should be considered and made use of, and employee’s legal rights should be reviewed, in order to give the newly sober individual the best chance at success.

Sources

$3.6 million grant awarded to study decisions of drug users

Tough economy poses challenge for addicts

Can depression hurt an economy?

Mexican drug cartel violence continues to top news stories, as it seems every new week brings more and more violence. The aggression among drug cartels has been escalated since 2006 when the Mexican government cracked down on drug trafficking. 50,000 troops have been deployed across Mexico during the time since then in order to manage crime and drug dealing. Few people, however, expected the drug-related violence to reach such heights, with a total of 28,000 people being killed since 2006 at the hands of drug cartels.

Cartel Killings

Mexico is under a state of panic right now in many areas, as the violence continues to surge. In June, inmates in a prison in Mazatlan had a clash that ended with 28 people dead. July brought more rampages, as prisoners were armed and set free to continue the killing spree – 35 people died that time, including 17 people at a birthday party in Torreon.

Many people are afraid to visit Mexico right now. Vacationers are looking elsewhere for trips, missionaries are moving out to safer locations, and now even journalists are feeling very vulnerable. Four journalists were kidnapped by cartels in July while covering the inmate killings. Photographers, journalists, and reporters have asked the Mexican government for protection, because 67 of their people have been killed since 2000. But few people actually believe the Mexican government is in a position to guarantee anyone’s safety at this point.

Government Control

The attempt by the government to take control over crime and the drug cartels has resulted in the huge increase in murders in the last few years. Cartels are feeling the pressure from the government and are afraid of losing their territory to other cartels. Out of fear of being shut down, the cartels are killing anyone that seems like a threat, including members of rival cartels, police, and the even the press.

Officials predict that the fighting will continue to get worse before it gets better. Many people are afraid that the violence will soon spread to border U.S. cities, as cartels continue to look for trafficking routes into our country. What can be done, then to stop the Mexican violence and to also keep it from spreading to our country? The cartels will continue to fight as long as they have members and people to make use of their drug supply. The U.S. government should be prepared to help the Mexican government tighten border security and stop the smuggling routes into our country. Since Mexico is so close and the U.S. borders are so easily penetrated, it will be important for the governments to work together to keep the drug cartels from expanding their territory.

Sources

Expert says violence by Mexican drug cartels may intensify

Mexican Journalists March in Protest

At least 14 dead in Mexico prison clash

The latest debate in Washington regarding drug laws is that former law was too strict when it comes to crack and cocaine. Actually, the message coming across is that laws that were set up in the past unfairly punished African Americans for possessing drugs.

The dispute began in 1986, when lawmakers decided that crack was more dangerous than powdered cocaine. At that time, the Anti-Drug Abuse Act set mandatory minimum sentences for those in possession of drugs. Crack, the drug often to blame for street violence in inner city neighborhoods, was given a minimum sentence of five years for possessing five grams of the substance. Powder cocaine, on the other hand, was only assigned a mandatory five years once 500 grams were possessed.

Racial Accusations

Because crack, the less expensive form of cocaine, is often used by African American males, the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 put more blacks than whites in prison, and gave them longer sentences for their crimes. But it seems like a stretch to say that this law unfairly targeted African Americans. Crack, at the time, was the more dangerous drug; it was more closely connected to street-trafficking and gang violence, and it wreaked havoc on inner city neighborhoods. It was also becoming readily accessible to youth. Instead of accusing the signers of the 1980’s law of being racially motivated, we should consider the benefits of the law. For instance, the 1986 law attempted to keep crack dealers out of neighborhoods that had been devastated by the drug, and many African American youth and families directly benefited from the absence of crack users near their homes.

However, not everyone sees the old law in this light. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs even went as far as to say that revisiting the old law “demonstrates the glaring nature of what these penalties had done to people and how unfair they were.” But is it too callous to say that those that were dealing and possessing crack (black, white, Latino, or otherwise) broke the law, and therefore were rightly punished?

Law Reform Debate

In order to make this law more just in the eyes of opponents, the White House reformed the laws and relaxed the penalty for crack possession. Now, a person doesn’t get the mandatory sentence until they possess 28 grams of crack. However, the Fair Sentencing Act, signed by President Obama on Tuesday, still allows for a disparity between crack and powder cocaine users, and is still being debated by many. Some argue that the punishment for crack is still too high and should be equal to that of powder cocaine. Some people still think that there are too many African Americans being locked up for drug dealing.

But others think mandatory minimum sentences in general are not helpful. Each case should be reviewed separately, and harsher punishments should be handed down to those that supply and deal the drugs. Most importantly, we need to look at the pros and cons of incarceration. Research has clearly shown that to stop the drug/prison cycle, you need to provide help and treatment for those convicted of drug abuse. Prison alone is not the answer. If someone is caught involved with a drug crime, punishment is most likely in order. But to get the person back into society someday, they need real treatment for their drug problem.

Sources

President Obama signs bill reducing gap in cocaine sentences

Race and the Drug Laws

A step toward racial fairness in cocaine penalties

Drug sentencing reform doesn’t go far enough

Some people will do anything to get high, including stealing and taking animal medications. Veterinary clinics have been broken into throughout recent years for their stocks of medications, by desperate people trying to get their hands on some drugs, any drugs. It sometimes doesn’t even matter to an addict what they are injecting or popping – as long as they think it might give them a high, they will try it.

In the last 15 years, vet clinics have had to tighten down their storage practices of controlled substances. Human drugs like Ketamine, Morphine, Buprenorphine, and Diazepam are commonly used also in animal medicine. Addicts have now started to break in and raid the drug cabinets, which, until recently, may not have even been locked up very securely.

Dangers of Animal Drugs

Many of the veterinary controlled substances are exactly the same as the human ones, but there are sometimes differences, which at times can be deadly. The strength is likely to be different – for example, a veterinarian treating a horse or a cow will have stronger meds than human doctors. If a person is searching for drugs to get high on, they aren’t necessarily thinking of their own safety. They are not going to sit and figure out the dosage needed for their body weight. In fact, more is usually better in the mind of someone coming off a high. Mixing drugs can also be common, as well as injecting something they aren’t even familiar with.

Burglaries in the last few weeks have been particularly disturbing and dangerous. Thieves in Calgary last week stole, among other controlled substances, some vials of Euthasol, the drug used to euthanize animals. If someone mistakenly got a hold of it and decided to inject it, it would be immediately fatal. Other medications designed specifically for animals can be just as harmful.

Abusing Veterinary Prescription Pills

Humans also sometimes abuse animal prescription medications. More and more animals are being maintained on things like Valium and Phenobarbital pills to manage pain or seizures, or as a sedative. Just as addicts go from doctor to doctor, requesting more pills, so some people take their pet from vet to vet. Since the animal can’t communicate how much pain they are or are not in, it can become very difficult to prove that a person is just on a pill hunt for themselves.

It is unfortunate that drug addiction has gotten so bad that not even animal medicine is safe from drug abusers or dealers. Many vet clinics have developed stricter ways of recording their controlled substance usage and storage. Many vets have also begun to look more closely at pets that are on prescription pain pills, because the danger of these getting in the wrong hands is real.

 Sources

Burglar found sleeping inside vet clinic

Police issue warning after euthanasia drug stolen from Calgary vet clinic
Dangerous drugs stolen during vet clinic break-in