Painkillers Can Kill You Faster Than Cocaine, But Not as Fast as Heroin - http://clapway.com/2015/12/22/painkillers-can-kill-you-faster-than-cocaine-but-not-as-fast-as-heroin-123/

The CDC has released new figures on how many drug overdose deaths were reported in 2014. There were 47,055 deaths related to painkillers, cocaine and heroin last year. 28,647 alone were associated with opioids. These are commonly found in prescription painkillers.

Legal or Not, Painkillers Were the Top Kind of Drug Overdose Death Reported

According to the report, more people die per year from drug-related overdoses than they do in traffic accidents. Less than 33,000 deaths are reported from car crashes, which is staggeringly less than drug overdose deaths.

The report involves deaths from powerful painkillers, sedatives, heroin, cocaine and other legal and illegal drugs. The lead researcher of the report, Rose Budd, declared that this confirms that the opioid overdose epidemic is only getting worse. The report urges the community for a need for action to prevent opioid abuse, dependency, and death. The way these painkillers are prescribed must be adjusted. These drugs are perfectly capable of creating opioid use disorders.

Drug Addiction Should Not Be Criminalized

The supply of illegal opioids should also be decimated, heroin in particular. Ilegal fentanyl should also be closely monitored by the government and by hospitals. Creating dependencies for these pharmaceuticals is very easy, but it is very difficult to cut the habit.

US government officials like Hillary Clinton have called heroin and meth addiction a quiet epidemic that must be nipped at the bud. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has shut down the notion that drug addiction is equal to ‘criminal activity’. Addiction is a kind of mental illness, and it should be treated as such. The history behind the spread of heroin has dark streaks, but the heights it has reached are affecting the entire community. Heroin addiction is starting to affect younger people, and while US law allows parents to bring them to treatment, they cannot force them to stay in treatment.

The history behind the spread of heroin has dark streaks, but the heights it has reached are affecting the entire community. Heroin addiction is starting to affect younger people, and while US law allows parents to bring them to treatment, they cannot be forced  to stay in treatment.

All of These Medications Cause Hard and Fast Addiction

Other prescription painkillers with opioids are also poorly controlled. Medications with components like hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone and oxycontin should be controlled a lot more strictly. These medications are currently given away whenever patients suffer from basic physical pain, but these painkillers are highly addictive. Overdosing on these medications is very easy and impossible to reverse without a stomach pump.

Information is Key When it Comes to Painkillers and Other Drugs

Safe dosing should be everywhere. The more information people have the effects of increasing or lowering dosage of these drugs, the more apparent the risk will be. Heroin can kill people in minutes, and a lot of the time accidentally. Going over my a single cc can make users pass out and never come back. We have seen it in celebrity deaths like Corey Monteith and Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

Drug Addiction Will Not Be Stopped If An Agreement Isn’t Made

Giving young people information about drug addiction, about depression and about suicidal thoughts can help make a small but important change. Finding non-addictive alternatives would also be better. Plainly said, even medical marijuana has fewer chances of killing you as fast as these synthetic opioids and illegal drugs.

A little goes a long way, and with all of the people that have fallen victim to these kinds of addiction, it’s about time we see some change. Public figures like Russel Brand have taken microphones to voice their experiences going through and surviving abuse. Modern society needs this kind of positive reinforcement to help them realize that they can bounce back. There are too many lives being lost to addiction. Awareness is important, but developing care centers that specialize in this kind of treatment could bring a world of change.

Read: LSD is Way Healthier Than Medical Marijuana

Read: New Study: How to Get High Without LSD or Magic Mushrooms

Painkillers Can Kill You Faster Than Cocaine, But Not as Fast as Heroin

Marijuana is Trending More Than Heroin, Opioid Analgesics and Cigarettes - http://clapway.com/2015/12/16/marijuana-is-trending-more-than-heroin-opioid-analgesics-and-cigarettes-combined/

According to the latest National Institute on Drug Abuse‘s Monitoring the Future Survey, marijuana use is more popular than heroin, opioid analgesics and cigarettes combined. The survey gives talks to teens in grades 8-12 to get a feel for how many students are using drugs, which ones, how often and how much. 

Illegal Use of Prescription Drugs and Heroin is Only Popular Among Adults

The NIH has declared that use of prescription drugs and heroin is at its lowest since the Monitoring Future Survey was first introduced. These drugs have not seen a decline in popularity for adults, but teenagers tell an entirely different story. The use of synthetic cannabinoids, Vicodin, inhalants, methamphetamine, amphetamines, ecstasy and alcohol is at an all time low in NIH records, in all age-groups that took part in the survey.

For 8th-10th graders, the use of Ritalin, Oxycontin, bath salts, over the counter cough medicine and bath salts also saw a significant decrease, and it is at its lowest since the survey was first made. 12th grader reported the lowest amount of crystal meth and sedative use as well.

Drug Use in Teens is Down to 27.2%

The only drug that has seen only a slight decrease is alcohol. 40% of teens surveyed were revealed to have gotten drunk in the past year. The popularity of e-cigarettes is also evident. While the use of regular cigarettes is at it’s lowest, 9.5% of 8th graders, 14% of 10th graders and 16.2% of 12th graders had used e-cigarettes in the past year.

The Only Drug that Did Not Lose Popularity is Marijuana

6% of high school seniors reported having smoked marijuana daily. 6.5% high school freshman and 16.6% of sophomores smoked in the past month. 21.2% of seniors admitted having used it in the past month. The perception of marijuana at high schools has seen a steady shift. 31.9% of seniors surveyed said that consistent use of marijuana could be harmful, which is down 6% from last year.

These Figures Should Be Taken With A Grain of Salt

Dr. Nora Volkov, director of NIDA, advises the community to still remain alert. The fact that figures are lower doesn’t mean that they will continue to decline. The past twenty years have seen a trend shift toward relatively safer drugs, but rates of drug use are still very high at the national level.

In comparison to other countries, the United States has some of the highest rates of drug use among younger age groups. It will likely be some time before global surveys show us any different. There is lots of work to do until illegal drug use is kept at a manageable line.

Will Legalized Medical or Recreational Marijuana Factor into These Figures in the Future?

If marijuana is legalized under federal law, it may no longer factor into these figures. Whether it for in medical or recreational use, marijuana shows no signs of becoming less popular. Aside from the fact that it introduces potentially harmful fumes and tar into the lungs, there is little to be said about opposing marijuana. While it does impair judgment, it has shown potential to treat pain, depression and other ailments in moderate amounts.

Party Drugs Are Dead to Teens

The fact that this survey shows marijuana as the most popular drug of choice is probably not only for the teenage age group. Figures for young adults in or recently out of college are probably similar. In any case, it’s good news that party drugs and dangerous opioid analgesics are less popular, perhaps because marijuana is as trendy as it is accessible in the United States. Whether or not the trend will stabilize is yet to be seen, as the government has been increasingly considering of legalizing the plant.

Marijuana is Trending More Than Heroin, Opioid Analgesics and Cigarettes

Heroin Addicts Babies Are Born Earlier But Antidepressant Babies Are Born With Autism - http://clapway.com/2015/12/16/heres-why-heroin-addict-babies-should-never-be-a-trend-123/

New data from the New York State Department of Health shows that the number of babies born with heroin addictions is at an alarming level. In 2014 alone, 34 babies were born with some kind of opiate addiction in Broome County, which makes an 180% increase since 2009. And Broone County’s population is less than 200,000.

Heroin Still Poses A Great Danger to Our Community

When women use heroin while pregnant, babies are born with a quarter of a regular newborn’s weight. Some babies don’t make it through the pregnancy, and those that do suffer through addiction for months. These newborns go through extraordinary pain and withdrawal.

Health physicians have a single recommendation for women going through heroin addiction: prevent pregnancy at all costs. The use of contraceptives and birth control is the best thing that these women can do, because having children while being an addict is a cruel thing to do.

If A Pregnant Woman Can’t Avoid Pregnancy, She Should Get Treatment Immediately

If a woman with a heroin addiction is inevitably pregnant, then they should do their best to get help and get sober. Getting treatment can make a difference, even if it’s a small one. Pregnant women even get preference for methadone treatment, offered by united health services hospitals. While this doesn’t eliminate the risk of the baby suffering through withdrawal after being born, it is safer than using throughout the entire pregnancy.

Doctors call these pre-emptive measures ‘harm reduction’. While it cannot guarantee that the baby will have a good quality of life after being born, it can help. In fact, Broone County is pledging $260,000 into a program to give a facility eight to ten new beds for opiate-addicted mothers. These funds will also ensure that the mothers get proper case management, day care, treatment for the mothers. It would also cover any and every need that the baby could have. The county is devoted to giving safe and clean housing for recovering new mothers and their child.

Pregnancy and Drugs: What is the Effect of Prescription Drugs on Newborns

The conclusion of a new study reveals that the link between autism and anti-depressants is definitely threatening. Anick Berard, of the University of Montreal, surveyed data of 145,456 pregnancies. The data showed that while genetics and environment play a role in the incidence of autism, anti-depressants have weight in that conversation as well.

Dr. Berard expressed that taking anti-depressants during the second or trimester of pregnancy can double the risk of the child being diagnosed with autism by the time they become seven years old. If the mother takes selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs, the risk is especially high.

Depression Will Be the Second Leading Cause of Death by 2020

According to the WHO, depression will be the second highest cited cause of death by the year 2020. This means that anti-depressants may be further developed and become even more widely prescribed. It’s also possible that a strain is developed for use during and throughout pregnancy.

It’s not yet known if any anti-depressants currently in development will reduce the risks for autism in the children. The study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, surely inspires further study into the connection between anti-depressants used during pregnancy and physical and mental disorders in children.

What About the Use of Marijuana During Pregnancy?

Studies haven’t revealed significant information on the effect of marijuana use by pregnant women on their children. Figures do show that pregnant women who use drugs have a higher chance of making marijuana their choice drug since it isn’t associated with as high health risks for the baby as other drugs.

However, when smoked, marijuana has an inevitable effect on the lungs. Smoking TCH exposes users to the ingestion of carbon monoxide and tar, which can remain in the lungs. The baby naturally depends on the mother for everything, from breathing to eating to merely existing. Even if the effect isn’t detrimental, it’s not entirely free of faults.

The use of marijuana during pregnancy has been under the eye of the scientific community since the 1960s, and besides obvious effects, there has been little to show negative effects of it on the children. That doesn’t mean it’s not free of risks.

Prenatal Exposure to Marijuana Can Cost Your Baby A Trip to the NICU

A study conducted in Australia took data from 420,000 live births and concluded that newborns that were exposed to pot prenatally had a higher risk for neonatal intensive care unit admission. The babies also had unnatural responses or behaviors during the newborn period, which suggests the chance of withdrawal or some kind of toxicity. Prenatally exposed children had a tendency to be more irritable, and less responsive to calming. They also had sleep cycle disturbances and a tendency to cry more.

Bottom Line: Don’t Drink Alcohol, Smoke Weed, Shoot Heroin or Do Coke While Pregnant

You’ve heard it before, and science backs it up. Alcohol can cause birth defects, physical, mental and behavioral, in new babies. Cocaine can cause lower birth weight and defects in height. Marijuana isn’t too dangerous, but it still poses a threat. Heroin is just bad news for newborns.

The best thing to do if one isn’t ready to go to treatment is to avoid pregnancy. If one really wants to start a family, then getting help should be the next step.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx8p9ezmX7M

Heroin Addicts Babies Are Born Earlier But Antidepressant Babies Are Born With Autism

Heroin use results surprising and spooky. - http://clapway.com/2015/07/07/heroin-epidemic-use-of-drug-more-than-doubles-across-the-u-s-343/

A new federal report released Tuesday shows that heroin is basically everywhere. The use has increased across the U.S. among men and women, most age groups, and all income levels.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Rates (CDC) some of the most startling increase occurred in “demographic groups with historically low rates of heroin use”: women, the privately insured, and people with higher incomes.

Heroin use more than doubled

Data released by CDC show that between 2002 and 2013 heroin use more than doubled among young adults ages 18–25 in the past decade. More than 9 in 10 people who used heroin also used at least one other drug and 45% were also addicted to prescription opioid painkillers.

Furthermore, as the rate of abuse doubled among women, it also went up 50 percent among men during the same time period. With more people using – and abusing – prescription painkillers, heroin has turned into a cheap and more easily available alternative.

Link between prescription painkillers and increase of heroin use

Although the absolute numbers are still low — fewer than 1 percent of people abuse heroin – drug abuse overall is up.

“They are addicted to prescription opiates because they are essentially the same chemical with the same effect on the brain as heroin,” CDC director Dr. Thomas Frieden said at a press conference. “Heroin costs roughly 5 times less than prescription opiates on the street.”

With an increase of heroin use, overdose-related deaths are also on the rise. Between 2002 and 2013, the rate nearly quadrupled, and more than 8,200 people died in 2013.

Who is most at risk of heroin addiction?

The people who are most at risk of heroin addiction have been identified as those addicted to other drugs or substances, those living in large metropolitan areas, people without insurance or enrolled in Medicals and youngsters between 18-25 years of age.

What can states do to fight against the heroin epidemic?

CDC urged states to address the strongest risk factor for heroin addiction: addiction to prescription opioid painkillers. Other preventive methods include increasing access to substance abuse treatment services and help local jurisdictions to put effective practices to work in communities where heroin addiction is particularly common.

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Heroin Epidemic: Use of Drug More Than Doubles Across the U.S.

After reading this, you"ll think "what"s a little mj?" - http://clapway.com/2015/06/28/poppy-plants-close-to-be-home-brewed-drawing-thin-line-between-science-and-crime-223/

For centuries, poppy plants were grown in some remote fields well hidden in Afghanistan’s topography, thanks to a group of scientists, this may soon change.

The last gene in the quest to lab-engineer opiates such as morphine was finally identified. Some fear that the scientific breakthrough could perhaps be a double-edged sword, helping drug traffickers produce “Brown Sugar” in their backyards.

THE THIN LINE BETWEEN SCIENCE AND CRIME

About a month ago, researchers and policymakers started fussing about a frightening scenario for drug enforcement: the possibility of aficionados “home brewing” narcotics such as the highly addictive opiates. Well, we now know that this could happen sooner than predicted.

Researchers in the UK and Australia announced that they have discovered one of the most sought-after genes in poppies that could help scientists engineering morphine-making yeast to manufacture painkillers and other poppy-derived compounds.

THE LAST ELEMENT OF THE GENE SEQUENCE

Scientists have finally determined the last ‘ingredient’ playing a major role in the synthesis of the morphine class of alkaloids, which include the “most effective painkillers known to man,” according to lead researcher Professor Ian Graham.

The gene, called STORR, was the ultimate element of the sequence, which may now be used by researchers to coax opiate production from microbes such as yeast. STORR’s discovery was recently detailed in a new paper published in the journal ‘Science’.

MIXED REACTIONS

People have grown poppy plants to produce pain relief drugs for thousands of years, generating global prescription sales of around 12 billion US dollars annually.

While the scientific (and pharmaceutical) community is thrilled about the new discovery, law enforcement authorities foretell the risk of people starting to illegally produce opiate on their own.

The potential exploitation of this technology could result in drug dealers developing narcotics as easily as brewers now craft their own cider.

What if a small garden of poppy plants in someone’s backyard starts feeding the growing appetite for heroin across the globe?

OPIUM PRODUCTION AND TRAFFICKING

According to the latest annual World Drug Report published by the United Office on Drugs and Crime (UNOCD) on Friday, illegal opium production occupies more land worldwide than ever before. Overall, global opium poppy cultivation in 2014 reached the highest level since the late 1930s. This is largely because of a surge in cultivation in Afghanistan, the dominant opium producer.

Although the destination of the additional quantities of drugs such as heroin is unclear, there are signs of change in the supply chain, underlining the fact that “the reach of organized criminal networks continues to be global and that organized criminal groups are becoming increasingly sophisticated and versatile.”

CONSUMPTION OF POPPY-DERIVED DRUGS

While data indicate that the use of heroin and opium has remained stable at the global level, the abuse of pharmaceutical opioids has continued to rise.

Some 32.4 million people – or 0.7 per cent of the world’s adult population – are users of poppy-derived drugs, with women being reportedly more likely to misuse pharmaceutical prescriptions.

POSSIBLE FUTURE SCENARIOS

The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the international community to focuses on alternative development; a long-term strategy aimed at coming up with substitute sources of income for farmers dependent on illicit drug cultivation.

As science is one step closer to producing poppy plants in labs, there are a number of scenarios that could unravel. Number one: the technology will remain within the scientific community, generating potential life-saving drugs. Number two: governments across the globe will consequently be encouraged to come up with alternative employment opportunities for all the farmers involved in opium production. Number three: drug dealers, even the “small fishes” in this big pound, will start growing their own poppy plants resulting in increased narcotics supply and easier access to the international illegal drug market.

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Poppy Plants Close to Be "Home Brewed", Drawing Thin Line Between Science and Crime