Archive for June, 2009
- Is Your Co-Worker Doing Drugs?
It is not generally an easy task to determine if someone you know is using drugs. It is particularly difficult if it is someone that you are only around at work. At work, people tend to be on their best behavior, and they make a point of trying to appear as though everything is fine regardless of what is going on in their lives.
One of the first things that people usually look for when they suspect that someone is abusing drugs is behavioral changes. It is important to keep in mind, however, that sometimes people go through behavioral changes for a variety of different reasons. It does not necessarily have to be due to drug use. Stress, depression, and emotional issues can all cause a person to behave in ways that are not “normal” for him or her.
If you are concerned that one of your co-workers might have a drug problem, there are some signs you can look for that might confirm your suspicions:
- Young Adults Addicted to Prescription Pain Killers
There really is no stereotypical addict. Despite common beliefs that those individuals addicted to drugs and alcohol are easy to spot and even easier to avoid, the reality is that many people deal with this disease in silence while functioning as well as anyone around them – at least by appearances.
- Alcohol May Activate More Body Stress in Females
A new study suggests that alcohol-related physiological stress responses are much higher in females than in males. This finding comes as a result of a researcher at Idaho State University’s search for gender-specific differences in how alcohol affects the brain.
- Price of Heroin Dropping Drastically in the UK
In some areas of the UK, a person can buy a gram of heroin for the same price as two beers. In fact, Colchester, an area of north Essex in England, has been dubbed “brown town” by local heroin addicts because of how easy it is to purchase heroin there.
- The Dangers of DXM
Many over-the-counter cough medicines contain the drug dextromethorphan, also known as DXM. Dextromethorphan has a long history of success as a cough suppressant. It is found in more than 120 different cold medications, often in combination with other drugs. Although it is most commonly an ingredient in cough syrups, it also exists in tablets and lozenges under a variety of brand names and generic labels.
- How to Support a Recovering Addict
Addiction isn’t just a disease that affects the health and life of the addict in question; it’s a disease that can destroy the lives of family members and friends, especially when exposed to the addict on a daily basis. It can be heartbreaking to watch a loved one struggle with this debilitating disease when you’re not sure exactly how to help. Since addiction is a disease with biological roots as well as mental and emotional ones, it’s important to know that you’re not to blame for the addict’s behavior, nor should you consider it your responsibility to “cure” the addict; rather, you should leave it up to doctors and therapists to help your loved one recover.
- Heroin Use on the Rise in Long Island
Over four years, more than 1,000 people in Long Island, NY lost their lives to heroin or prescription opiates. In 2007, 10, 418 people were admitted to treatment centers for opiate addiction. The state doesn’t keep track of nonfatal overdoses, but Suffolk County’s Emergency Medical Services reported a 60 percent jump in the emergency use of an opiate antidote to counteract an overdose for opiates like heroin and Vicodin.
- Prescription Painkiller Addiction
In the past, our adversaries in the war on drugs were dealers peddling street substances, grown in foreign lands or manufactured in basement laboratories. Many of today’s addicts are hooked on legal drugs, created and distributed by prescription drug companies.
- Heroin Detox: The Long Road
When you are in the grip of heroin, it seems like you’ll never be free of it. Heroin addiction is one of the most difficult drugs to overcome, it’s true, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. You do need to be prepared for a long haul. And you do need courage and conviction.
- Governments Need to Spend More Money on Substance Abuse Prevention
Substance abuse and addiction cost federal, state, and local governments more than $460 billion in 2005, a new report by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University states. The report is the result of a three-year study to assess the costs of tobacco, alcohol, and illegal and prescription drug abuse at all levels of government.