A collection of recent and relevant news posts and articles related to topics of alcohol and drug abuse, addiction, and recovery.
Apparently being drunk isn’t enough, now people are drinking on roofs, out of toilets, in the bathtub, in grocery stores, while snowboarding. They’re drinking live fish, dead mice, insects, motor oil—and of course, large quantities of alcohol. Whatever creative way they can come up with, it’s all captured in a short video to be spread … Read More
I’m not a saint yet. I’m an alcoholic. I’m a drug addict. I’m homosexual. I’m a genius. —Truman Capote Yesterday I was sitting on the couch in my living room, prepping for the big game by. . . watching films. (I watch a lot of movies, and I was finishing an epic that I had … Read More
The million dollar question: does marijuana really have negative long-term effects? The Brain Drain For years, scientists have been debating whether marijuana use has negative long term effects on the brain. Over two decades and 1,037 participants later, we just might have the evidence to prove that marijuana does indeed cause cognitive decline. A study published in … Read More
Of the 23 million Americans struggling with alcohol or drug problems, only about 10% receive treatment right now. In the state of California, almost 3 million people aged 12 and over need, but are not receiving, alcohol and other drug treatment. Although certain stigmas and associations motivate many to bypass treatment, about a quarter of these 23 … Read More
So you’ve seen the video, What Does the Fox Say, right? After my friends started talking about it, I decided I needed more information. Where would I go—except to YouTube, my secret best friend that has saved me from looking like an ancient relic if I ask dumb questions of my music-savvy children? What I saw … Read More
Methadone maintenance treatment, often used for treating addiction to heroin and other opiates, is often criticized as an ineffective therapy that just replaces one addiction with another. Methadone is certainly a safer alternative to heroin or other street drugs, but using it without understanding its intended purpose can acutally perpetuate a cycle of abuse and addiction. What Methadone is not … Read More
It’s been a long ride for Zohydro ER and its California-based pharmaceutical firm Zogenix, but the journey is nearing an end. Zohydro ER will be the first extended-release, hydrocodone-only painkiller to reach the market, expected in approximately four months. On October 25, the FDA officially approved this highly controversial drug to treat severe chronic pain that is unresponsive to alternative therapies. … Read More
Last year, it was bath salts. This year, the trending, scary new drug is krokodil (pronounced “crocodile”), a cheap heroin-like drug known to rot the body from the inside out and turn skin green and scaly on the surface. Krokodil is the street version of the synthetic opioid desomorphine. Made from crude products like lighter fluid, … Read More
Recovery month is a time to show our support for people in recovery, but it is also a time to reflect on the people and the facilities that have made recovery possible. Over the years, there have been many changes in the way we see and treat addiction and mental health illnesses. Rehabilitation centers have not … Read More
Killer on the Loose With three people dead and many more sick, medical professionals and citizens of Colorado alike are baffled by the deaths linked to the legal drug-synthetic marijuana. Officials have reported approximately 75 cases of illness reported since the beginning of August potentially linked with synthetic marijuana usage in the Denver and Colorado … Read More
