Chronic users may develop collapsed veins, infection of the heart lining and valves, abscesses, cellulites, and liver disease. Pulmonary complications, including various types of pneumonia, may result from the poor health condition of the abuser, as well as from heroin’s depressing effects on respiration. In addition to the effects of the drug itself, street heroin may have additives that do not really dissolve and result in clogging the blood vessels that lead to the lungs, liver, kidneys, or brain. This can cause infection or even death of small patches of cells in vital organs.

One of the most significant effects of heroin use is addiction. With regular heroin use, tolerance to the drug develops. Once this happens, the abuser must use more heroin to achieve the same intensity or effect that they are seeking. As higher doses of the drug are used over time, physical dependence and addiction to the drug develop.

Withdrawal, which in regular abusers may occur as early as a few hours after the last administration, produces drug craving, restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea and vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps (“cold turkey”), kicking movements (“kicking the habit”), and other symptoms. Major withdrawal symptoms peak between 48 and 72 hours after the last dose and subside after about a week. Sudden withdrawal by heavily dependent users who are in poor health is occasionally fatal, although heroin withdrawal is considered less dangerous than alcohol or barbiturate withdrawal.

Cocaine’s effects appear almost immediately after a single dose, and disappear within a few minutes or hours. Taken in small amounts (up to 100 mg), cocaine usually makes the user feel euphoric, energetic, talkative, and mentally alert, especially to the sensations of sight, sound, and touch. It can also temporarily decrease the need for food and sleep. Some users find that the drug helps them perform simple physical and intellectual tasks more quickly, while others experience the opposite effect.

The duration of cocaine’s immediate euphoric effects depends upon the route of administration. The faster the absorption, the more intense the high. Also, the faster the absorption, the shorter the duration of action. The high from snorting is relatively slow in onset, and may last 15 to 30 minutes, while that from smoking may last 5 to 10 minutes.

The short-term physiological effects of cocaine include constricted blood vessels; dilated pupils; and increased temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. Large amounts (several hundred milligrams or more) intensify the user’s high, but may also lead to bizarre, erratic, and violent behavior. These users may experience tremors, vertigo, muscle twitches, paranoia, or, with repeated doses, a toxic reaction closely resembling amphetamine poisoning. Some users of cocaine report feelings of restlessness, irritability, and anxiety. In rare instances, sudden death can occur on the first use of cocaine or unexpectedly thereafter. Cocaine-related deaths are often a result of cardiac arrest or seizures followed by respiratory arrest.

Michael D. Osborne, Executive Director of Harbour Pointe, a treatment center for compulsive gamblers, says that he would not be surprised if the start of Philip Markoff’s destructive pattern stemmed from his gambling addiction.

According to authorities, the Boston med student alleged to be the “Craigslist Killer,” who murdered an attractive Manhattan masseuse, was driven by a gambling obsession. Currently held without bail in Boston on murder and kidnapping charges, police are saying that Phillip Markoff devised a brutal plan to finance casino trips by robbing escorts who might not report being attacked.

Friends of Philip Markoff say they are stunned over the details and accusations of the 22-year-old medical student, who is also engaged to be married in August. Gambling Behavior Expert, Michael D. Osborne, says, “I treat family members all the time who say, ‘this couldn’t be my loved one,’ when in actuality their loved ones have created another world that no one knew existed.”

Osborne goes on to say, “Gambling addiction is referred to as the hidden addiction. You cannot see it in their eyes or smell it on their breath. A gambler’s drug of choice is money, and this addiction will make good people do bad things when they reach that hopeless and desperate phase of the gambling addiction cycle. A compulsive gambler has the inability to think ahead of the potential consequences.”

Sadly, Osborne thinks this may not be the last case we will see of a gambling addiction gone horrifically wrong. “Amidst an economic downturn, people will turn to gambling as a means to make some quick cash.” Osborne hopes that the Philip Markoff case will bring awareness to those that may not see their addiction as a problem before it’s too late.
Michael D. Osborne is the Executive Director of Harbour Pointe, a residential treatment program that treats compulsive gambling. Harbour Pointe was founded 20 years ago, making the facility the oldest treatment center in the country solely dedicated to treating compulsive gambling. Osborne has appeared on HBO Real Sports and various other media outlets, and is available to speak as an expert on the Markoff case, compulsive gambling and the addiction signs to watch out for during the economic recession.

For more information about Michael D. Osborne and Harbour Pointe, please go to www.lostbet.com.

“Teens in Prevention” (TiP) is a Youth Driven, Community Supported Network of School-Based Organizations (SBOs) that focuses on individual responsibility, positive peer pressure, and community mobilization in hopes of reducing substance abuse and violence. Multiple SBOs form a Regional Chapter and each Regional Chapter becomes part of the greater Network.

DEA El Paso is responsible for managing and operating the Network. DEA Special Agents and support staff – with the experience, commitment, and credibility to promote drug prevention and education within the community – distinguish the TiP Network. TiP involves training a cadre of youth and community leaders that are responsible for conducting prevention programs and activities. Youth Driven SBOs adopt their feeder elementary and middle schools and provide all school-aged children with a drug-free message.

TiP works on the guiding principle that people will support what they help create, and that no one system, agency, or organization can prevent drug use and violence in isolation. Because TiP facilitates teamwork, cooperation, and problem solving, it will compliment and support existing programs and enhance DEA’s National prevention efforts.

DEA – El Paso has numerous Regional Chapters consisting of 70 youth-driven, community-supported coalitions, and approximately 5,000 participants. Current Chapters are in Texas, New Mexico, and Illinois, while future Chapters will be piloted in Florida, Minnesota, and Nevada. At our current growth rate, we anticipate 7,500 – 10,000 youth and community participants sharing assets, resources, and information by the end of 2002.

The El Paso Division has numerous trainers who can assist other domestic offices in creating a Regional Chapter in their area of responsibility. Creating a Regional Chapter is a two-phase process, normally requires six-months, and will be funded by Headquarters Demand Reduction section. Please contact the TiP Network Coordinator, DRC David Monnette at 915.204.2265 for additional information or view the TiP web site at www.deatip.net and register your email for electronic updates.

Barbiturates were first introduced for medical use in the early 1900s. More than 2,500 barbiturates have been synthesized, and at the height of their popularity, about 50 were marketed for human use. Today, about a dozen are in medical use. Barbiturates produce a wide spectrum of central nervous system depression, from mild sedation to coma, and have been used as sedatives, hypnotics, anesthetics, and anticonvulsants. The primary differences among many of these products are how fast they produce an effect and how long those effects last. Barbiturates are classified as ultrashort, short, intermediate, and long-acting.

The ultrashort-acting barbiturates produce anesthesia within about one minute after intravenous administration. Those in current medical use are the Schedule IV drug methohexital (Brevital®), and the Schedule III drugs thiamyl (Surital®) and thiopental (Pentothal®). Barbiturate abusers prefer the Schedule II short-acting and intermediate-acting barbiturates that include amobarbital (Amyta®), pentobarbital (Nembutal®), secobarbital (Seconal®), and Tuinal (an amobarbital/secobarbital combination product). Other short and intermediate-acting barbiturates are in Schedule III and include butalbital (Fiorina®), butabarbital (Butisol®), talbutal (Lotusate®), and aprobarbital (Alurate®).

After oral administration, the onset of action is from 15 to 40 minutes, and the effects last up to six hours. These drugs are primarily used for insomnia and preoperative sedation. Veterinarians use pentobarbital for anesthesia and euthanasia. Long-acting barbiturates include phenobarbital (Luminal®) and mephobarbital (Mebaral®), both of which are in Schedule IV. Effects of these drugs are realized in about one hour and last for about 12 hours, and are used primarily for daytime sedation and the treatment of seizure disorders.

Spike TV returns to the streets of the billion dollar illegal narcotics trade, this time in New Jersey, to offer viewers a glimpse into the inner workings of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). 

“This season of ‘DEA’ was shot in our own back yard and is packed with action,” said executive producer Al Roker.  “We show viewers a side of drug enforcement and the life of DEA Special Agents that they won’t see anywhere else but on Spike.  Don’t miss Tuesdays at 10 PM.”     
 
This season, Spike was given exclusive access to follow a group of DEA Special Agents and Task Force Officers in DEA’s northern New Jersey headquarters, based in Newark, as they risk their lives daily in the ongoing battle against illegal drugs. 
 
Viewers will witness first-hand what it is like for DEA Special Agents to go out on undercover missions.  Spike is there when DEA Special Agents bust down doors and execute drug raids that put their lives directly in the line of fire.  “DEA” also takes a look at the complex relationship that agents have with informants, revealing the strange kinship they share with these criminals who see themselves not as arch enemies, but rather as opponents in the “game” of the illegal drug trade.
 
“If you liked the first season of ‘DEA,’ you’ll love the second,” said special agent in charge, Mary Irene Cooper, DEA’s Chief of Congressional and Public Affairs.  “Season II delivers more episodes, more action, more dope and more money than viewers have ever seen before. You’ll have a front row seat to DEA’s hard-charging, relentless special agents risking their lives for the mission.  They’ll captivate you with their gritty determination and leave you wanting more.”

Although many parents are appropriately concerned about illicit drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, and LSD, they often ignore the dangers posed to their children from common household products that contain volatile solvents or aerosols (Inhalants).

Understanding Inhalants:

Products such as glues, nail polish remover, lighter fluid, spray paints, deodorant and hair sprays, whipped cream canisters, and cleaning fluids are widely available. Many young people inhale the vapors from these sources in search of quick intoxication without being aware of the serious health consequences that can result.

National surveys indicate that more than 22.9 million Americans have abused inhalants at least once in their lives. NIDA’s Monitoring the Future study reveals that 17.3 percent of eighth-graders have abused inhalants.

Parents and children need to know that experimentation with these substances should not be taken lightly. Even a single session of repeated inhalant abuse can disrupt heart rhythms and cause death from cardiac arrest or lower oxygen levels enough to cause suffocation. Regular abuse of these substances can result in serious harm to vital organs including the brain, heart, kidneys, and liver.

Through scientific research, we have learned much about the nature and extent of inhalant abuse, its pharmacology, and its consequences. This research has brought the picture of inhalant abuse in our Nation into focus and pointed to the dangers and the warning signs for parents, educators, and clinicians.

This important information on Inhalants and the effects of Inhalant abuse was provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Keep visiting InRecoveryBlog.com for more government information on Inhalants and other dangerous and addictive substances.

The ultimate goal of all drug abuse treatment is to enable the patient to achieve lasting abstinence, but the immediate goals are to reduce drug use, improve the patient’s ability to function, and minimize the medical and social complications of drug abuse.

There are several types of drug abuse treatment programs. Short-term methods last less than 6 months and include residential therapy, medication therapy, and drug-free outpatient therapy. Longer term treatment may include, for example, methadone maintenance outpatient treatment for opiate addicts and residential therapeutic community treatment.

Maintenance Treatment

In maintenance treatment for heroin addicts, people in treatment are given an oral dose of a synthetic opiate, usually methadone hydrochloride or levo-alpha-acetyl methadol (LAAM), administered at a dosage sufficient to block the effects of heroin and yield a stable, noneuphoric state free from physiological craving for opiates. In this stable state, the patient is able to disengage from drug-seeking and related criminal behavior and, with appropriate counseling and social services, become a productive member of his or her community.

Outpatient Treatment

Outpatient drug-free treatment does not include medications and encompasses a wide variety of programs for patients who visit a clinic at regular intervals. Most of the programs involve individual or group counseling. Patients entering these programs are abusers of drugs other than opiates or are opiate abusers for whom maintenance therapy is not recommended, such as those who have stable, well-integrated lives and only brief histories of drug dependence.

Therapeutic Communities (TCs)

Therapeutic communities (TCs) are highly structured programs in which patients stay at a residence, typically for 6 to 12 months. Patients in TCs include those with relatively long histories of drug dependence, involvement in serious criminal activities, and seriously impaired social functioning. The focus of the TC is on the resocialization of the patient to a drug-free, crime-free lifestyle.

This press release was provided by South Coast Recovery. Visit them online at www.SouthCoastRecovery.com

It’s in the news every day now. Celebrities are in and out of drug rehabs and eating disorder clinics. However, most affordable clinics are no picnic. At Ambrosia Addiction Treatment Center comfortable and relaxing rehabilitation is now available to everyone.

Ambrosia Addiction Treatment Center now offers some of the highest quality residential living in conjunction with its world-class addiction treatment programs. The up-and-coming addiction treatment center is already winning approval from patients and industry experts for its innovative and effective methods of dealing with addictions including drug addiction treatment, eating disorder and gambling addiction.

A new look and feel to the program has been added to their luxury residencies including resort style tennis courts, exercise facilities and use of the adjacent golf course on some of Port St. Lucie’s most desirable property. Summer, Spring, Fall or Winter–enjoy temperate weather year round. Attend comprehensive group and private sessions intended to attack addiction at the heart.

For more information on how to attend the Ambrosia Addiction Treatment Center please visit their informative website at www.ambrosiatreatmentcenter.com

Oxycontin addiction is a growing problem that rehabilitation and treatment centers are being forced to address. Sober Living by the Sea is a network of drug treatment centers in Newport Beach California that has been treating chemical dependency for almost 25 years.  In recent years, the epidemic of OxyContin addiction and the subsequent heroin overdoses has led to a new program specifically targeting OxyContin use by young adults.
 
“Accidental drug overdose deaths are on the rise – mainly because of the epidemic of prescription drugs being abused exponentially more often,” says drug addiction blogger Mike H from Sober Living by the Sea, “the deaths that we are reading about in the news are sometimes from a prescription drug (like OxyContin, Percocet, or Vicodin), but more commonly from a combination of two or more drugs or mixing a drug like OxyContin and alcohol.”
 
Even the rise in heroin overdose fatalities can be tied to drugs OxyContin.  It is very common for young adults to become physically and mentally dependent on OxyContin which is much more expensive and difficult to obtain than heroin.  Once they can no longer afford OxyContin or locate a supplier, the cravings and withdrawal symptoms can be severe enough to get them to try heroin. 
 
The OxyContin addiction treatment program at Sober Living by the Sea has been created to meet the special needs of people who are hooked on “OCs” or other opiates.  There is a special safe and comfortable drug detoxification program that will last a few days.  Drugs like Suboxone or Vivitrol may be used to minimize cravings in early sobriety.