More than 321,000 U.S. children lost a parent to drug overdose from 2011 to 2021
Federal study shows lives lost from overdose crisis are felt across generations, emphasizing need to include children and families in support.
May 8, 2024
An estimated 321,566 children in the United States lost a parent to drug overdose from 2011 to 2021, […]
U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Marijuana Use and the Developing Brain
Background
Marijuana, or cannabis, is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States. It acts by binding to cannabinoid receptors in the brain to produce a variety of effects, including euphoria, intoxication, and memory and motor impairments. These same […]
Teen Addiction
Despite what many sources claim, drug use among teens is at its lowest level in decades. However, teen drug abuse and addiction has not disappeared completely.
Addictive drugs and substances are everywhere in our society. Some have been around for decades […]
Superskunk Schizophrenia Timebomb
As Scans Show Drug’s Impact On Brain, A Top Doctor Warns Of A Psychosis, Paranoid Delusions And A Superskunk Schizophrenia Timebomb
Britain could set off a schizophrenia timebomb if it ignores the dangers of super-strength ‘skunk’ cannabis, one of the UK’s […]
Read MoreProof That Cannabis Does Cause Violence
For a long time, those in medicine and the law have been concerned about a link between cannabis and violence.
This has been largely dismissed by the pro-drugs lobby as an association, not proof of a cause. The difference is important […]
Over 400 Conditions Co-occur With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), Study Finds
Researchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) have identified 428 distinct disease conditions that co-occur in people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), in the most comprehensive review of its kind.
The results were published today in The Lancet.
“We’ve […]
Medical Marijuana Won’t Help Most Kids
When people like the headline writer of this HealthDay news article talk about “medical marijuana,” they usually mean everything. The plant’s dried flowers which people smoke. Concentrates that can contain up to 90 percent THC, whose extraordinarily high levels are almost certainly […]
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MDMA Lookalike Drug Makes Its Way Into Festivals
Narcotics experts are warning against dangerous drugs being mis-sold as MDMA.
According to reports from the UK, this substance can lead to psychosis and some users claim it has the ability to keep them awake for up to three days. These […]
Marijuana Use Holds Three-Fold Blood Pressure Death Risk
LONDON (Reuters) – People who smoke marijuana have a three times greater risk of dying from hypertension, or high blood pressure, than those who have never used the drug, scientists said on Wednesday. The risk grows with every year of use, […]
Read MoreLimited Data On Medical Cannabis Use In Children
Strongest evidence supports use to reduce seizures, side effects of chemotherapy
A systematic review of published studies on the use of medical cannabis in children and adolescents finds a notable lack of studies and a minimal number of the randomized, controlled […]
How Cannabis Oil Helped Me Get Off Painkillers
In a backpacking hostel during a stag weekend 10 years ago, I fell asleep on a top bunk next to an open window. Of course, that now strikes me as a stupid thing to have done, but at the time […]
Read MoreHow a brain gets hooked on opioids
Pain and pleasure rank among nature’s strongest motivators, but when mixed, the two can become irresistible. This is how opioids brew a potent and deadly addiction in the brain. Societies have coveted the euphoria and pain relief provided by opioids […]
Read MoreMedical Expert Reports on Marijuana Problems in Colorado
Libby Stuyt, MD spoke at the Oregon Health Forum with Drs. Esther Choo of OHSU and Katrina Hedberg who is the State Epidemiologist and State Health Officer at the Oregon Public Health Division, and at the Oregon Law & Mental Health […]
Research Finds Link Between Marijuana Use And Testicular Cancer
New research from Northern Medical Program Professor Dr. Russ Callaghan has found that use of marijuana is associated with the development of testicular cancer.
As part of a retrospective study, Dr. Callaghan and his team looked at data from young men conscripted […]
Meth Researcher Thrilled With New Prime Minister
Waiheke Island lawyer and meth researcher Chloe Barker is thrilled to see Jacinda Ardern, who acted on her findings, become Prime Minister.
For her Master’s thesis, Barker carried out heart-breaking research on the impacts on children of growing up in methamphetamine laboratories […]
Drug Court – Giving Families A Chance To Break The Cycle Of Opioid Use
The Washington County drug court graduation ceremony for Maria Kestner. Photograph: Fred R Conrad
Photographer Fred R Conrad visited a Virginia drug court last year and saw how individuals and families had been given a second chance – so when he went back […]
Deadly Fentanyl Behind America’s Dramatic Doubling Of Synthetic Opioid Death Rates
President Donald Trump took a few minutes in his State of the Union address to acknowledge what he called the “terrible crisis of opioid and drug addiction – never been has it been like it is now”.
The American President told Congress […]
Canada And Proposed Legalisation Of Marijuana
Dear David,
I am sending you below a copy of a letter I have sent to the Premiers of Canada – and other members of the worldwide drug prevention community, plus an email to UN HQ in New York. Since they […]
What you should know about Marijuana and Sperm
Written by Mark Gold, MD
Dr. Mark S. Gold is a teacher of the year, translational researcher, author, mentor and inventor best known for his work on the brain systems underlying the effects of opiate drugs, cocaine and food.
Dad and Baby
Limited information […]
More Than Half Of New Yorkers Oppose Marijuana Legalization, According To New Emerson College Poll
More Than Three Quarters of African-American and Latino Respondents Did Not Support Marijuana Legalization
Today, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and its New York Affiliate, SAM-NY, released the results of a new Emerson College poll finding that the majority of New Yorkers do not support […]
‘Regulating’ Cannabis: The legalization of yet another psychotropic toxin – Really?
“Permission empowered models of drug policy interpretation are driving demand for drug use – NOT prohibition models. The ‘law’ is not what ruins lives, it’s those who tear down that protective fence to simply ‘get wasted’, that do that!”
“Acceptability – […]
Powerful Documentary On The Impact of Marijuana In The Brain
As the legal status of marijuana changes its perceived dangers are lessening while the potency of the drug is increasing.
This video covers marijuana as a psychoactive substance that induces its effects by manipulation of natural brain chemicals known as the endocannabinoids.The toxic and […]
With edible marijuana, kids are at risk.
From edibles appealing to children to increased use among parents, youth are on the frontlines as America grapples with loosened marijuana access
In states where marijuana has been legalized, revenues for edibles have skyrocketed. Edibles are food products that contain THC, the […]
Why anti-cancer properties in cannabis must be investigated
Cancer is a word that conjures up many images. It is a varied disease that affects many people and can leave families distraught. There are fortunately treatments for a large number of these cancers, which work by restricting tumour growth […]
What is kratom? Users praise its pain-relieving ability, but Louisiana officials look to ban it
COURTESY THE DRUG USERS’ BIBLE
Kratom, in powder form, can be taken in capsules or brewed into a tea.
PHOTO BY THOREPORRE
A kratom leaf, the source of an herbal supplement that users say can provide pain relief and relieve insomnia, among other […]
Variability in content and dissolution profiles of MDMA tablets collected in the UK between 2001 and 2018 – a potential risk to users?
Abstract
MDMA (‘ecstasy’) tablets are widely used recreationally, and not only vary in their appearance, but also in MDMA content. Recently, the prevalence of high-content tablets is of concern to public health authorities. To compare UK data with other countries, we […]
US DRUG CZAR EXPLAINS CAUSES AND RSDT TOOL TO PREVENT TEEN DRUG USE AND OVERDOSE DEATH
Introduction: In response to recent news of a huge increase in drug overdose deaths and arrests for drug trafficking among Fairfax County youths, Fox News TV5 reporter Sherri Ly interviewed U.S. Drug Czar John Walters for his expert views on […]
Teens who vape more likely to use pot later
Teens who vape or use hookah are more likely to use marijuana later, study finds
Adolescents who use e-cigarettes (vaping) or hookah (water pipes for flavored tobacco) are 3.6 to 4 times more likely to begin or regularly use marijuana two […]
Teen Cannabis and Colorado Congenital Anomaly Rate – Correlation = 0.9537
Spike in cannabis overdoses blamed on potent edibles, poor public education
Emergency room visits related to cannabis overdoses have more than doubled in Alberta and almost tripled in Ontario over the past three years as health experts decry the lack of proper product labelling and messaging about the responsible use of […]
Read MoreNew Study Highlights Skyrocketing ER Visits in Colorado
(Alexandria, VA) – A new study released yesterday in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that the rise in marijuana use in Colorado since the state legalized the drug has led to increased emergency room visits. The study found that 9,973 […]
Smoking weed just ONCE could change a teenager’s brain
Scientists discover even small amounts of cannabis are enough to thicken tissue
Teenagers who smoke have thicker matter in certain parts of their brains
This was found in areas involved with emotions, memory, fear and panic
Adolescent brains are typically thinning and being […]
Marijuana found in breast milk up to six days after use
Researchers report 63 percent of breast milk samples from mothers using marijuana contained traces of the drug
With the legalization of marijuana in several states, increased use for both medicinal and recreational purposes has been documented in pregnant and breastfeeding women. […]
More mushrooms
Anyone who lived through the 1960s, the proposition that psychedelic drugs might have a positive contribution to make to our mental health must sound absurd. Along with hallucinogens such as mescaline and psilocybin (that is, magic mushrooms), LSD was often […]
For Youth – These are associated with the risk of using other drugs
2017 Washington Poison Center Annual Toxic Cannabis Report
Reducing Future Rates Of Adult Addiction Must Begin With Youth Prevention
The United States is confronting a public health crisis of rising adult drug addiction, most visibly documented by an unprecedented number of opioid overdose deaths. Most of these overdose deaths are not from the use of a single substance – […]
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Exposure to cannabis alters the genetic profile of sperm
Human sperm stained for semen quality testing in the clinical laboratory.Credit: Bobjgalindo/Wikipedia
As legal access to marijuana continues expanding across the U.S., more scientists are studying the effects of its active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), in teens, adults and pregnant women.
New research […]
Monkey dust warning as deaths linked to bad batch of drug
The deaths of two men have been linked to a bad batch of drugs, with police warning people not to take it.
Officers believe the two deaths and the serious illness […]
Marijuana use in adolescence increases risk of depression and suicidality in young adulthood
As marijuana use becomes increasingly normalized and liberalized, more and more adolescents are initiated into using the drug with serious implications for the healthcare system and public health. Confirming what those of us in the prevention community have long known, […]
Read MoreLegal marijuana might reduce pain, but increases injuries & car accidents
The legalization of recreational marijuana is associated with an increase in its abuse, injury due to overdoses and car accidents, according to a study of 28million hospital records by University of California San Francisco.
The legalization of recreational marijuana is associated with an […]
Read MorePsychosis linked to cannabis use
One in six cases of psychosis are linked to cannabis use, claims psychiatric expert
Professor Robin Murray said that smoking cannabis is linked to psychosisHe said 50,000 people have the condition due to smoking cannabis as teenagers His comments follow a renewed […]
Read MoreLandmark 4-Year Study Finds Marijuana Use Does Not Reduce or End Opioid Use
Researchers in Australia recruited from community pharmacies across the nation 1514 people using prescription opioids for chronic non-cancer pain. Participants completed baseline interviews and were followed up annually with phone interviews or self-reported questionnaires for four years. Participants were asked questions […]
Read MoreRise in Drug Overdose Deaths Contributes to Increase in Organ Transplants
A new study finds the rise in drug overdose deaths in the United States has contributed to an increase in organ transplants, CNN reports.
Overdose death donors accounted for 1.1 percent of donors in 2000 and 13.4 percent in 2017, representing a 24-fold […]
Rapid Response to Fentanyl Overdose is Critical
Fentanyl overdoses share many characteristics with heroin overdoses – with some important differences, according to an addiction specialist at Boston Medical Center’s Grayken Center for Addiction.
“Fentanyl is faster acting and more potent than heroin, so overdoses evolve in seconds to […]
Grey Matter Volume Differences Associated with Extremely Low Levels of Cannabis Use in Adolescence
Abstract
Rates of cannabis use among adolescents are high, and are increasing concurrent with changes in the legal status of marijuana and societal attitudes regarding its use. Recreational cannabis use is understudied, especially in the adolescent period when neural maturation may […]
Gastroschisis and Autism – Dual Canaries in the Californian Coalmine
We note the report on the rising gastroschisis incidence 3.1 times 1995-2012
The 20-fold variation across California mirrors the ten-fold variation across Canada here the distribution pattern closely mirrors cannabis consumption, and from where cannabis-related adjusted O.R.= 3.54 (95%C.I. 2.22-5.63) has […]
Superskunk Schizophrenia Timebomb
As scans show drug’s impact on brain, a top doctor warns of a psychosis, paranoid delusions and a superskunk schizophrenia timebomb
Britain could set off a schizophrenia timebomb if it ignores the dangers of super-strength ‘skunk’ cannabis, one of the UK’s […]
Read More
Genotoxic Cannabis
I wonder if Gino D Angelo who authored the study in the journal of the American Midland Naturalist considered the mother ingesting cannabis. He is an assistant professor in deer ecology and management at he University of Georgia.
The State of […]
Fentanyl Hits the Streets Disguised as Xanax and Norco
The rise in prescription opioid and heroin abuse creates countless problems for healthcare professionals, law enforcement, the drug abusers themselves and society as a whole. It’s a complex issue that continues to claim lives. Unfortunately, Fentanyl, a painkiller 100 times more […]
Exposure to cannabis alters the genetic profile of sperm
Human sperm stained for semen quality testing in the clinical laboratory. Credit: Bobjgalindo/Wikipedia
As legal access to marijuana continues expanding across the U.S., more scientists are studying the effects of its active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), in teens, adults and pregnant women.
New […]
Advice for Parents – Is your child using drugs?
Here are some of the signs that may indicate your child is using drugs:
. Money is stolen from purses left around, or from money left out to
pay tradesmen.
. Child asks to borrow money in advance of allowance – […]
8 Steps to Help your chld say “No” to Drugs
1. Talk with your child about alcohol and other drugs.
2. Really listen to your child
3. Praise often; if need to, criticize the action not the child.
4. Help your child with peer pressure. Teach how to resist.
5. Make family rules […]
All the ways marijuana can hurt your health
Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol Related Arteriopathy, Genotoxicity and Teratogenesis
I am very concerned about the potential for increased cannabis availability in USA implied
by full drug legalization however a comprehensive and authoritative submission of the
evidence would take weeks and months to prepare. Knowing what we know now and indeed
what has […]
A myriad of harmful effects of marijuana
I am very concerned about the potential for increased cannabis availability in USA implied byfull drug legalization; however, a comprehensive and authoritative submission of the evidencewould take weeks and months to prepare. Knowing what we know now and indeed, what […]
Read MoreHidden in Plain Sight exhibit enlightens parents on where teens hide drugs
Hidden in Plain Sight exhibit enlightens parents on where teens hide drugs
By: Marc Mullins
MADISON COUNTY, Ind. – Parents in Madison County are learning where teens may hide drugs, thanks to a mobile exhibit.
A trailer exhibit called Hidden in Plain Sight is ran by […]
Weighing costs of drug abuse prevention vs. treatment
At recent local forums on the opioid epidemic, members of the public submitted questions they wanted the local media to answer in its reporting.
One question was: What are the costs of addiction vs. the costs of preventing it?
The consensus among […]
I’M LIVING PROOF THAT MARIJUANA IS A GATEWAY DRUG
by Steve I am 66 now and nothing to show for what I’ve done in my life because of marijuana. I started smoking it at age 18 while going to college. This was during the Viet Nam War era and our […]
Read MoreSigns and symptoms of drug use
The Alternative List
Whilst it is important for parents and teachers to be aware of the physical symptoms of drug use it is also important to recognise some other signs that might perhaps be less obvious – particularly as some of […]
Thousands of North-East children hospitalised for drink and drug abuse
AN addiction treatment organisation is considering offering its services to children under the age of 16 as new figures show thousands of youngsters in the North-East are being admitted to hospital for drink and drug abuse.
A new report from Public […]
THE MARIJUANA EMPEROR WEARS NO CLOTHES
By Cannabis Activist
Like everyone else, the Marijuana Emperor duped me into becoming a participant in the “medical” marijuana industry sham. When I woke up, people ignored or discounted my revelations. My name for this last section is a play […]
DRUGS ? NOT MY KID !
Many parents are worried that their child may begin to use drugs. There are stories in the media which swing from shock, horror, addiction and death to so-called debates about the legalisation of cannabis – which is said by some […]
‘Legal Highs’
So called ‘legal highs’ are also known as NPS’s – or New Psychoactive Substances. Most have had very limited or no testing on humans so all the risks of taking them are not yet known for certain. Some have caused […]
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Drugs Information Articles by Livia Edegger
The following articles are all submitted by Livia Edegger, ( Deputy Director of the International Society of Substance Abuse Professionals), et al
Early onset of drug use linked to mental disorders and multi-drug use
A study conducted by the US Substance Abuse […]
Marijuana deposits 4 times more tar in the lungs than tobacco
The Truth Behind 8 Common Misconceptions About Drugs
Your spine doesn’t store LSD, and MDMA doesn’t put holes in your brain.
By Sara Chodosh July 20, 2018
Recreational drugs, especially ones you take at parties or concerts, can be easy to get misinformation about. Pixabay
Drugs, especially illegal ones, are notorious for their […]
USING DRUGS WHEN YOUNG LINKED TO LONG TERM HEALTH RISKS
The findings of a report released by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) reveal a promising downward trend regarding drug use among secondary school students in England. Tobacco, alcohol and drug use among students have been cut in […]
YOUNG BRISTOL DRINKERS ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL WITH ALCOHOL POISONING
HOSPITALS across Bristol are under pressure from hundreds of admissions as a result of alcohol-poisoning – including more than 60 cases involving children.
The Department of Health figures released in the House of Commons show that there were 1,510 admissions in […]
‘SPICE’ IS A DEADLY INGREDIENT
Veronica Eckhardt bent over the hospital bed, sponging paint onto the sole of her son’s left foot.
“Connor would not like what we’re doing,” she remarked, but his foot did not twitch.
Doctors had declared Connor Eckhardt brain-dead the day before, at […]
A LETTER FROM A DRUG ADDICT – YOUR CHILD
I’m your Qualifier
I want to introduce myself to you; I’m your qualifier and the reason you’re here. You believe just because you gave me life and raised me that you know me…but you really don’t. I’d like to use this […]
SMOKING MARIJUANA AS A TEENAGER LOWERS IQ FOR LIFE
Smoking marijuana as a teenager lowers IQ for life, scientists warn.
The damaging effects remain even if the person stops smoking the drug
Teenagers are at particular risk because their brains are still developing
Smoking cannabis affects critical thinking and memory
Researchers warn that […]
LEGALISE CANNABIS – AND CHILDREN WILL PAY THE PRICE
This article is written by a retired biology teacher who now work to help prevent cannabis use – particularly by adolescents.
Legal alcohol has been a monumental disaster. Children of all ages have had no trouble getting themselves plastered and doing […]
Focus on Youth Psychosis
Dr. Romina Mizrahi, a psychiatrist and director of the Focus on Youth Psychosis Prevention Clinic, says young people who use marijuana before the age of 16 have a higher risk of having a psychotic experience.
At first, the voices he heard […]
MARIJUANA-RELATED CALLS TO POISON CONTROL CENTERS IN COLORADO AND WASHINGTON RISE
More people have been calling poison control centers in Colorado and Washington state since recreational marijuana became legal for adults 21 and older in those states, the Associated Press reports.
Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center received 151 calls for marijuana […]
SMOKING MARIJUANA AS A TEENAGER LOWERS IQ FOR LIFE, scientists warn
The damaging effects remain even if the person stops smoking the drug
Teenagers are at particular risk because their brains are still developing
Smoking cannabis affects critical thinking and memory
Researchers warn that stronger varieties today are causing more damage
Smoking cannabis as a […]
Read MoreMarijuana / Cannabis and Schizophreni
Marijuana / Cannabis and Schizophrenia
Overview
Internet Video Report on Cannabis and Schizophrenia
Helpful Actions
Supporting Scientific Evidence
Most Recent Scientific Research on Schizophrenia and Cannabis Link
Books on Marijuana / Cannabis Link to Schizophrenia
Overview: Use of street drugs (including LSD,methamphetamine,marijuana/hash/cannabis) and alcohol have been linked […]
Read More
USING DRUGS WHEN YOUNG LINKED TO LONG TERM HEALTH RISKS
The findings of a report released by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) reveal a promising downward trend regarding drug use among secondary school students in England. Tobacco, alcohol and drug use among students have been cut in […]
THIS IS NOT THE MARIJUANA YOUR PARENTS MAY HAVE USED
‘This isn’t your parents’ marijuana,” was the message passed on by speakers at a marijuana forum sponsored by the AHM Youth and Family Services Substance Abuse Prevention Task Force, held Feb. 12 in the RHAM High School auditorium. The first […]
POWDERED ALCOHOL WILL APPEAL TO YOUNG DRINKERS
The United States is on the verge of having powdered alcohol – in packets like Kool-aid but with the punch of a rum or vodka cocktail – on sale across the country. After much confusion, Palcohol, which has seven flavours including […]
LEGALISE CANNABIS – AND CHILDREN WILL PAY THE PRICE
This article is written by a retired biology teacher who now works to help prevent cannabis use – particularly by adolescents.
Legal alcohol has been a monumental disaster. Children of all ages have had no trouble getting themselves plastered and doing […]
MARIJUANA-RELATED CALLS TO POISON CONTROL CENTERS RISE
More people have been calling poison control centers in Colorado and Washington state since recreational marijuana became legal for adults 21 and older in those states, the Associated Press reports.
Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center received 151 calls for marijuana […]
SMOKING MARIJUANA AS A TEENAGER LOWERS IQ FOR LIFE
The damaging effects remain even if the person stops smoking the drug
Teenagers are at particular risk because their brains are still developing
Smoking cannabis affects critical thinking and memory
Researchers warn that stronger varieties today are causing more damage
Smoking cannabis as a […]
‘SPICE’ IS A DEADLY INGREDIENT
Veronica Eckhardt bent over the hospital bed, sponging paint onto the sole of her son’s left foot.
“Connor would not like what we’re doing,” she remarked, but his foot did not twitch.
Doctors had declared Connor Eckhardt brain-dead the day before, at […]
