A summary of global drug abuse statistics was released by Australian researchers last week. The report shows the estimated numbers of drug abusers in various areas of the world, and finds that wealthier, more advanced countries are more at risk. Among the study’s findings are estimates of illicit drug abuse throughout the world:

• Between 149 million and 271 million people worldwide used an illicit drug at least once in 2009; which equals 1 in 20 people aged 15 to 64 who have used an illegal drug. (1)
• In North America, nearly 11% of the population aged 15 to 64 used cannabis in 2009. (1)
• Between 14 million and 56 million people aged 15 to 64 worldwide used amphetamine-type stimulants, such as speed and crystal meth. (1)
• Cocaine use was highest in North America in 2009, and it had 14 million to 21 million users worldwide. (1)
• Opioid use, including heroin, had an estimated 12 million to 21 million users globally. The highest rates of use were in the Near and Middle East, where up to 1.4% of the population aged 15 to 64 had tried the drug at least once in 2009. (1)
• There are between 11 million and 21 million people who inject drugs worldwide. (2)

More Drug Abuse in Wealthy Countries

Much of the drug abuse around the world can be found in the wealthiest and most developed countries. This is possibly because residents have more access to drugs, or have the means to buy drugs, or maybe because people in these countries are of the mindset that they deserve what makes them feel the best. The study “serves to confirm something addiction experts have known for some time — that the extent of illicit drug use and abuse in developed countries like the United States has reached epidemic proportions,” said Dr. Jeffrey T. Parsons, a professor in the department of psychology at Hunter College, in New York City. (2)

Prescription Drug Abuse

Countries like the U.S. have other things to worry about also, besides illicit drugs. Legal prescription painkillers are becoming the most abused substances in our country. Dr. Marc Galanter said, “It is important that we call attention to very serious drug abuse problems that still exist in the United States. For example, we are seeing recent increases in abuse of painkillers in the United States, as well as the abuse of MDMA [Ecstasy] by adolescents and young adults. Abuse of these particular drugs is not prevalent in less industrialized countries.” (2)

Tobacco and Alcohol Are Also Risks

Other substance, like tobacco and alcohol also have a huge impact on countries throughout the world. Although illicit drug use was linked with about 250,000 deaths worldwide in 2004, alcohol claimed roughly 2.25 million lives globally during that same time period, while tobacco use led to an estimated 5.1 million deaths. (1)

Sources

(1) Worldwide illegal drug use estimated at 200 million people a year

(2) Global Study Finds Drug Abuse Highest in Richer Nations

200 Million People Use Illicit Drugs, Study Finds

The state of Indiana is being plagued by an increase in drug abuse, specifically heroin. While this kind of addiction may have been more common in big cities on the coasts of our country in the past, young Hoosiers are now trying their hand at the drug, and it is having a fatal effect.

More Fatal Heroin Overdoses

Heroin is an extremely addicting substance. In Indiana, the purity of heroin has been on the rise, up to 80% in some cases. This fact alone can account for more people becoming addicted to the substance and more people fatally overdosing on it. Counties that in the past have not seen any heroin overdoses are now seeing a number of the fatalities. For every fatality, there are even more people that are using and addicted that haven’t been found out yet.

Easily Accessible

Franklin and Ripley counties are two of those that have had a number of fatal heroin overdoses this year. Reports show that young people in Indiana are getting their heroin from big cities like Cincinnati or Indianapolis, and that the drug is easily accessible. Sheriff Ken Murphy noted, “Nowadays if they’ve got it in Cincinnati or Indianapolis, anybody in Batesville can have anything they want in an hour. We have kids who are regularly driving to Cincinnati buying heroin …. These kids are chipping in money and sending one guy to buy their heroin for them. I know sooner or later one of them is going to end up shot to death. There are so many things that can go wrong with this.” (1)

Supporting a Drug Habit

Because many parents, teachers, and authorities in Indiana aren’t aware of the growing heroin problem in their state, they are not prepared to handle it when it happens to a child they know. Parents have reported valuables being stolen from their home and didn’t realize until later that it was their own child who robbed them to pay for drugs. Vehicle batteries are often stolen in northern counties because they can bring in $8 each to use for drug money.

Heroin addicts and other addicts are willing to commit crimes to sustain their habit, and it is no different in Indiana, authorities have found. Sheriff Murphy maintained, “We’ve got … a monumental drug problem that is driving the criminal market … we call them hunters and gatherers. These guys have to go out every morning to steal something to sell to buy more drugs. Probably a good 75- 80 percent of burglaries and thefts are being driven by drug problems.” (1)

The effects of heroin addiction are devastating in any area. For Indiana, which has not typically been a hot spot for drug activity, residents are now feeling the pain. Young people are throwing their futures away because of their drug use, businesses are being burglarized, and people are dying of overdose because of this addicting drug.

Authorities have been working to inform people of the growing problem. Parents in the state need to especially be aware that this is happening and get help for their child as soon as they suspect a problem. Heroin addiction can be treated. This addiction does not have to be fatal; with the right kind of help, people do recover.

Sources

(1) Heroin: Drug contributes to deaths and crimes in the area

U.S. Drug Trends

Deadly, ultra-pure heroin arrives in United States

Suboxone is known for its capabilities to treat someone with a heroin addiction. It is often used in connection with counseling, but users need to stay on it for a long period of time. A recent study shows that this is also true when using Suboxone to treat other opioid addictions, such as prescription painkillers.

Prescription Painkiller Addiction

Prescription painkiller abuse is a big problem in our country today, one that no one expected. The government calls prescription drug abuse a “public health epidemic”. Since 1999, there has been a 300% increase in prescription painkiller sales, and many of those sales go to support addiction. Among the prescription drugs that are abused 55% are obtained from friends and relatives, 17.3% are prescribed from a doctor, 11.4% are bought from a friend or relative, 4.8% are taken from a friend or relative without permission, 4.4% are from a drug dealer or stranger and the remaining 7.1% are from other sources. (1)

According to the NIDA, 5.3 million Americans abuse prescription painkillers, and overdoses from these drugs kill more people than heroin and cocaine combined. (1) It is fitting, therefore, that current studies be based on finding treatment options for prescription painkiller abuse. “What made this study different was the population,” said Dr. Roger Weiss, lead author and chief of the division of alcohol and drug abuse at McLean Hospital. “This is the first study that focused exclusively on people dependent on prescription opioids, not heroin.” (2)

Suboxone Effective in Short Term

The study took 650 people who were addicted to prescription opioids and treated them with Suboxone. Half also received addiction counseling. 49% of participants were able to maintain sobriety during the study, regardless of counseling or not. But, 90% of participants went back to using prescription painkillers once their Suboxone was stopped.

On the one hand, we know that using Suboxone to treat prescription painkillers is effective. However, researchers were unable to find a length of time of Suboxone use that would help the person to stay sober after weaning off of it. “The study suggests that patients addicted to prescription opioid painkillers can be effectively treated in primary care settings using Suboxone,” said NIDA Director Nora D. Volkow, M.D. “However, once the medication was discontinued, patients had a high rate of relapse — so, more research is needed to determine how to sustain recovery among patients addicted to opioid medications.” (3)

The subjects in the McLean Hospital study were what we might consider mild prescription painkiller addicts. “This was an ideal population to treat – short history of opiate use, high employment rate and most [people] had never sought help, so they weren’t dealing with many failed attempts,” said Weiss of the success of Suboxone. (2) Still, the success rate short term was only 49%, and almost no one remained sober after Suboxone was removed. We will need to find better ways to use Suboxone or other ways to treat people, if we are going to be able to reach more “hard core” prescription drug addicts.

Sources

(1) Suboxone Effective, but Not a Cure for Treatment of Prescription Painkiller Addiction

(2) NIH announces results from first large scale study on treatment of prescription opioid addiction

(3) For Painkiller Addicts, Suboxone Means Freedom, Dependence 

Sometimes, even in the midst of the drama of our lives, we need to be thankful for what we’ve got. Even someone in this country who is going through recovery from drug or alcohol addiction should take the time to count their blessings.

Improving Treatment in the United States

Addiction treatment in the United States is constantly changing and hopefully always improving. There may be things that we as a country could be doing better to help those in recovery, but we continue to learn and grow through experience.

There is also the challenge before us to educate and create awareness for the hope and purpose of recovery, but we have certainly come a long way. We now have a wide variety of treatment programs, tailored to meet the needs of different patients. We have groups that are helping preserve someone’s job while they get treatment. We have generated a greater tolerance and understanding toward those with an addiction. We can be thankful that our treatment is nothing like that in some other areas of the world.

Russian Recovery

A recent article in the New York Times describes in detail what treatment is like in Russia. More like jails than treatment facilities, patients are kept chained or in cages surrounding their beds while they complete their withdrawal. There are no medications to ease the pain, or rehabilitation, or therapy; patients are simply forced to quit their substance cold turkey, and stay until they are deemed ready to go home, which can take up to a year in some cases. Patients are fed bread and water, and after the worst of their detox is over, they can perform designated jobs while remaining isolated from the rest of the world. Those who have witnessed the system of recovery call it primitive, brutal, and ineffective.

Ineffective Treatment

 “What they present as drug treatment has absolutely no basis in evidence,” said Diederik Lohman, a senior researcher at the monitoring group Human Rights Watch. “What [they do] has little in common with international best practice standards based on research and is unlikely to have any beneficial effect on patients.”

Sergei Polyatykin, head of the medical department at an advocacy group called the Say No to Alcohol and Drugs, said of this approach: “It’s not treatment, it’s jail. Imprisonment and torture can’t help drug addicts to kick the habit. Only a small percentage stay off drugs.” (1)

Russian officials feel they have little choice. Russia is suffering with a heroin epidemic that they cannot contain. But it is also clear that this treatment does not work. No one is teaching these patients how to live back in society without their drugs. There is no rehabilitation, and 90% of addicts in the country relapse.

Positive Recovery

Bringing the focus back to our country, we can be happy at the treatment options we have. We can be proud that so many people have recovered from their addiction, and can be hopeful that we can keep finding ways to help more people. As we remember the struggles that many have gone through during their recovery in this country, let’s also be thankful that their recovery was made possible by caring staff, loving family, and hard work and commitment.

Sources

(1) In Russia, Harsh Remedy for Addiction Gains Favor

Russia Drug Abuse Information

Drug Treatment, Russian-Style

There are so many new designer drugs that have come about in recent years that we may not feel the need to worry about things like heroin anymore. Drugs like heroin, cocaine, and meth do still pose a risk for abuse by young people though, something for which parents and teachers must still be watchful.

New Drugs

We know young people are still abusing alcohol and marijuana, substances that by some are viewed as less serious as hard drugs, but that can still be destructive. There has also been the increase of prescription drug abuse, and even teens have found ways to obtain prescription painkillers easily. There are also new drugs emerging, and more that have yet to come to our country. These include k2 and bath salts, substances that up until recently were still legal across the country due to a lack of knowledge about them by authorities. While we are busy warning our teens about these well-known substances and emerging drugs, some young people are going back to the basics, and are getting hooked on drugs like heroin.
Sometimes we fail to stress the danger of drugs like heroin because we assume our kids won’t try it or that they already know the dangers. Other times we are too busy researching new drugs that we forget the dangers that have always been there.

Dangers of Heroin Use

Heroin is still being cultivated and prepared throughout the world. It is a Schedule I depressant that is derived from the poppy plant, and it blocks the brain’s ability to feel pain. Heroin provides the user with a rush of euphoria that causes a heavy feeling and clouds the mind. Slowed speech, impaired gait, and droopy eyelids are all short term effects of heroin use.
Heroin is a very addicting substance, as the body can quickly become dependent on it. Over time, someone who has a heroin addiction will be at risk for heart problems, liver disease, and respiratory problems. Users may experience collapsed veins, infection at the injection site, cellulites, and chronic breathing problems because of heroin use.

Heroin Addiction

Teens who become addicted to heroin can face a lifetime of drug abuse, because recovery is not easy. Heroin can become physically addicting, and a teen who tries to stop taking the substance can experience serious withdrawal symptoms. Cravings, restlessness, pain, insomnia, cold flashes, and diarrhea and vomiting can all occur after a few hours without the substance. Withdrawal can be fatal if done suddenly and not monitored closely, so professional help is often recommended.

New Ways to Use Heroin

Teens today are moving away from injecting heroin, because the heroin of today has a higher level of purity (50-60%) compared to the heroin of years ago (10%). This means that users can get the same or increased euphoria from snorting or smoking the heroin. Some teens today are using heroin in these ways because they believe it is not as harmful if it is not injected, or that these other forms of administration will not lead to addiction. Parents should make it a point to talk to their teen about the dangers of heroin, because this substance can cause problems and addiction in any form it is taken.  

Sources

Heroin

Transforming Opium Poppies into Heroin

REGION: Heroin, meth deaths on rise, officials say

Every once in a while a new epidemic comes forward and wreaks havoc on certain populations. Small pox, or the plague, or other deadly diseases have made their appearances, caused their devastation, and then been virtually decimated through advancements in medicine or education. The epidemic of the 1980′s was AIDS, and we are still fighting the battle against this killer today. 1 million people in the Unites States have HIV or AIDS.

AIDS can affect all races and demographics, but it has changed in recent years from being a disease of homosexual white males, to one that affects a great number of African American women. In 1991, HIV infection was the leading cause of death for African American women ages 25-34. Some of these women are being infected through sexual encounters with infected males, but a large number now contract the disease through injection drug use, like heroin.

HIV and Drugs

Two of the U.S. cities with the highest rates of HIV and AIDS are Washington D.C. and Philadelphia. Both of these cities have large numbers of heroin users and a lack of preventative programs for HIV and AIDS. Washington has the highest rate of new AIDS cases in the whole country, meaning we are not doing enough to prevent the disease from being spread there. In areas of low income, poor education, and high concentrations of people, HIV is more prevalent because of the increased use of illicit injectable drug use. The CDC estimates that one third of all AIDS cases are a result of injection drug use.

Prevention

There are things we can do. Prevention programs need more funding, and new programs need to be tried until we find something that works. The controversial needle exchange programs provide clean needles and syringes for addicts wanting to shoot up. But many people are against these programs because they do nothing to discourage drug abuse. But others would argue that the addicts are going to do the drugs anyway, and if we can at lease protect them from things like AIDS, we can keep them from getting sick and from spreading the epidemic.

Other prevention programs are more widely accepted, but usually lack funding. The number one way to prevent drug-related spread of HIV is to help the drug addicts get treatment for their addiction. Community-based outreach and education is also important, especially in areas with higher rates of HIV infection. Prevention programs for inner city African Americans would be designed to educate about the risks of drugs and HIV, and promote avoidance of the risky behaviors that can spread HIV.

Screening for HIV is also important, as many people with HIV do not even know they have it. Along with the screening comes counseling and education for those with HIV, as well as how to prevent the spread of the disease.

There is no reason our country should have higher rates of HIV than third world countries. There is a great need for funding for programs that effectively slow the spread of this disease.

Sources

Linked Epidemics: Drug Abuse and HIV/AIDS

City Council Tackles HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Philly

Injection Drug Use Fuels Black HIV Rates: Why Don’t We Talk About It?

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

Approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August 13, 1947, Methadone is a narcotic pain reliever, analgesic used to treat moderate to severe pain with people who have not responded to pain relievers. Its main uses also include being given to patients who are battling narcotic addiction or in the maintenance treatment of narcotic drug addiction.

The drug targets the central nervous system and opioid-receptors in the brain to provide analgesic relief from pain. Methadone is a Schedule II narcotic under the United States Controlled Substances Act and has been a vehicle for potential drug abuse, addiction and misuse. There is a definite possibility several patients who take Methadone for withdrawal circumstances may develop a dependence which can lead to further abuse.

A Black Box warning was issued in 2006 for methadone, meant to alert healthcare professionals, patients and consumers about the chance of cardiac toxicities that may be associated with the drug.

Side Effects and Information

There can be a chance for developing a physical addiction or abuse when taking methadone. Patients who have a history of addiction or abusing other medications, alcohol, emotional problems may be at a higher risk for this. Different cases may apply to certain individuals, so speak with your personal doctor before stopping the drug.

Several serious side effects may occur when taking the medication. If any of these are experienced, please see a physician as soon as possible:

• Breathing that slows down
• Change in heart beat or chest pain
• Dizziness and confusion
• Drowsiness and faintness
• Hallucinations
• Shallow breathing

Do not combine methadone with any of the following medications, unless you have consulted with a medical doctor: anti-depressants, anxiety medications, muscle relaxers, narcotic pain medications, sedatives and sleeping pills.

By providing FDA alerts, drug information, interactions and drug side effects about prescription and over the counter medications, we can ensure an environment where patients have the best knowledge on their medical treatment and health.

Disclaimer:
This article is for purely informational purposes and does not intend to prevent, treat, or cure any disease. It was not written by a medical professional. If you have any questions about your own methadone use, or are considering using methadone contact your physician.

Vancouver, Canada, has a drug problem. The city is known for its heroin addicts, marijuana users, and methamphetamine addicts. Maybe more importantly, it is known for its ways of dealing with these drugs and their users. It has taken controversial steps that few other countries in the Western World have taken in an attempt to make a difference for its drug users.

Some people would call their approach a social experiment, or that the government is looking the other way or even encouraging drugs use. But for many, Vancouver’s handling of illegal drugs has been a life saver.

InSite

The city of Vancouver gives money every year to a community organization to operate a facility called InSite. This facility takes a very controversial approach to dealing with drug addicts. In fact, it is the only facility of its kind in North America. InSite is a building where drug addicts can go to shoot up “in safety”. Users must supply their own drugs, but are provided with clean needles and syringes, and are supervised by medical staff in case they overdose. InSite oversees an average of 491 injections per day, and many of its addicts come back repeatedly throughout the day to get their fix.

Supporters

The history of InSite has been plagued with conflict. Several legal challenges have threatened to close its doors, and parts of the Conservative federal government have worked to close InSite. But so far, the courts have ruled in favor of this facility. Supporters say that their primary goal is to reduce harm to addicts, by preventing the spread of disease and the risk of overdose. The British Columbia Ministry of Health Services provides money for InSite, and the police force in Vancouver says it helps them promote harm reduction. Supporters say because of InSite there are fewer crimes, fewer homicides, and fewer drug overdoses in Vancouver. InSite also offers counseling and treatment services to help the addicts that want to get clean.

Opponents

But the problem that most other people have with InSite is that it allows addicts to stay in their addiction. InSite helps addicts maintain a “functioning junkie” status. By taking away some of the dangers of substance abuse, InSite allows these people to continue using their drugs with few consequences. It encourages drug addicts to use drugs, and doesn’t seem to encourage often enough the benefits of detox and treatment. The benefit of facilities like InSite is that they prevent a number of overdoses. InSite staff intervened on 484 overdoses, lives that would have been lost had they not been at InSite. But these drug addicts, no matter how hard they try, cannot really function in society, and giving them the means to continue in their drug usage is not benefitting them in the long run. Last year, 411 people were admitted to detox at InSite. Maybe with more patients in a successful detox program, they would have fewer patients in their injection booths, and they would really save lives.

Sources

InSite

Vancouver’s ‘safe house’ for drug addicts draws controversy

Near Olympics, Vancouver’s (mostly) legal drug zone

Linda Robertson: Vancouver’s ‘real world,’ outside Olympic bubble

When it comes to illicit drugs, heroin is about as bad as it gets. It is highly addictive, widespread, and ruins or even ends many lives every year. Heroin often is used by the hardest and most experienced of drug users, and many people’s mental picture of a heroin addict involves a homeless person, begging for money or stealing to support their habit, and so trashed that they can’t even talk.

But heroin addiction often happens to other, seemingly unlikely people as well, and it grips them just as hard as anyone. A new trend in high school students from the suburbs is to do heroin. Even with all the education and literature warning people about the risks of heroin use, an estimated 150,000 people began using heroin from the first time from 1995–2002. People start using heroin for a variety of reasons. Some people are looking for a stronger drug with more of an effect after using more moderate drugs for some time. Other people are pressured into trying heroin by friends or co-workers, and get hooked right away. Still other people are trying to escape from something difficult in their life, such as a bad relationship, loss of job, or money problems. Whatever the reason, individuals that experiment with heroin with the intent of stopping after a short time often find themselves months down the line, completely addicted.

Heroin, a derivative of morphine that comes from the poppy plant, is one of the most addicting illicit drugs. It is also one of the most contaminated drugs, with the dirtiest addiction practices. Users crave it so much that they will buy drugs off the street that are cut with all kinds of substances, even with strychnine or other poisons. The strength of heroin is rarely communicated to the user on the street, which puts heroin users at risk for overdose. Heroin addicts lose all concern for their body and physical health. The feeling of euphoria from doing their drug becomes the most important thing. Heroin addicts will use dirty needles to shoot up, or contaminated supplies to smoke or inject it. AIDS and hepatitis B and C are a result of unclean heroin practices.

Effects of Heroin

Chronic heroin users can rarely hide their addiction. While under the influence, heroin users will show slurred speech, droopy eyelids, and an overall slowness to their movements. Chronic users that shoot up will develop collapsed veins, clogged blood vessels, cellulites, and those that smoke or inhale it develop infections of the heart or lungs.

Treatment

There is treatment for heroin. The first step to recovery is detox, which can cause withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, body aches, insomnia, restlessness, and cold flashes. Detox medications can ease the symptoms and the cravings. A good treatment facility will have a long-term plan in place or heroin addicts trying to get clean. Counseling by trained professionals and support groups with others that are recovering will help an addict work toward staying sober.

Sources

http://www.treatmentsolutionsnetwork.com/heroin-rehab.html

http://www.drugabuse.gov/ResearchReports/heroin/heroin2.html#what

http://www.drugfree.org/portal/drug_guide/heroin