OPIOID HELL: The zombies of a USA city with a hopeless addiction that\’s set to come to UK

A CITY ravaged by an opioid epidemic last night gave a chilling warning to the UK in the wake of reports about the painkiller time bomb now facing Britain. East Liverpool, which sits on the Ohio River, has suffered a virtual Apocalypse, with overdosed bodies in ditches and others left abandoned in the street.

By GREG WOODFIELD PUBLISHED: Mar 19, 2018

More than 100 comatose opioid addicts have been tossed out of moving cars at the entrance to the city hospital in the hope they will get emergency treatment.

Brian Allen, the city’s safety director, warned UK police and health chiefs: “Wake up to the perils of opioids right now, or they will destroy your communities.

“Britain has got to be aggressive in the way it tackles this addiction threat.”

He blamed doctors for over prescribing opioid drugs, such as tramadol, and the synthetic painkiller fentanyl.

“Our epidemic totally caught us by surprise,” Mr Allen said. “I was like the rest of the population that didn’t understand how far-reaching this went and how it impacts every race and every income level.

“When we had crack cocaine it was more the lower income, it didn’t affect the higher income. You could target it. This you can’t target, it is everywhere, it can be a very middle class thing.”

Latest figures reveal that nearly 24 million opioids were handed out in Britain last year, 10 million more than in 2007.

Mr Allen warned: “When the doctor shuts off the supply those same people still need their hit. They have become addicts.\”

“They find a way to get more of the same pills illegally or turn to buying fentanyl off the internet or from dealers. That’s how it started for us. That’s the danger for the UK.”

Fentanyl, which can be 100 times stronger than heroin, killed 60 people in the UK in eight months last year.

Its opioid cousin carfentanil is 5,000 times stronger than heroin.

The epidemic cutting through American communities saw 42,249 people killed by overdose in 2016.

Extra strength opioids were the cause of 42,249 deaths by overdose in America last year

Ohio is one of the worst hit. Paramedics regularly turn up at homes where couples have both overdosed from fentanyl and are frothing at the mouth while they turn blue.

For complete story https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/933478/opioid-addiction-zombies-USA-fentanyl-coming-UK-painkillers

 

 

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SAM Announces Online Center for Marijuana Resources
Resource Center for Public Health and Public Safety Clinicians and Practitioners Includes Library and Search Tool
Since legalization has been passed in several states, and marijuana normalization has increased, clinicians and practitioners have been faced with numerous challenges. To respond to these needs, today SAM has announced a new onlineCenter for Marijuana Resources for Public Health and Public Safety Clinicians and Practitioners.
This Resource Center provides clinicians and practitioners in all fields of public health and safety the ability to look up academic references and media articles to find information on a range of issues. The  Resource Library has the latest PowerPoints and videos from clinicians and scientists on a range of subjects. The Resource Tool is a continually-updated search engine for articles related to various topics

This is just the beginning. We will soon be adding information such as:

How do I know if my patients have a marijuana use disorder?
Where can I refer people to help?
What are the signs of a co-occurring disorder?

Is marijuana addiction real? What does it look like?

What are some brief interventions that have proven to be effective?

What are the effects of secondhand marijuana smoke?

Starting today, SAM staff will continue to update the center. If you would like to send us a resource to be considered for inclusion, please email us at [email protected]. 

 

We could not do this work without you!

 

Are There Risks From Secondhand Marijuana Smoke? Early Science Says Yes

March 19, 2018

The inspiration arrived in a haze at a Paul McCartney concert a few years ago in San Francisco.

\”People in front of me started lighting up and then other people started lighting up,\” says Matthew Springer, a biologist and professor in the division of cardiology at the University of California, San Francisco. \”And for a few naive split seconds I was thinking to myself, \’Hey, they can\’t smoke in AT&T Park! I\’m sure that\’s not allowed.\’ And then I realized that it was all marijuana.\”.

He started thinking: San Franciscans would never tolerate those levels of cigarette smoke in a public place anymore. So why were they OK with smoke from burning pot? Did people just assume that cannabis smoke isn\’t harmful the way tobacco smoke is?

So far, Springer and his colleagues have published research demonstrating that secondhand smoke makes it harder for the rats\’ arteries to expand and allow a healthy flow of blood.

With tobacco products, this effect lasts about 30 minutes, and then the arteries recover their normal function. But if it happens over and over – as when a person is smoking cigarette after cigarette, for example – the arterial walls can become permanently damaged, and that damage can cause blood clots, heart attack or stroke.

Springer demonstrated that, at least in rats, the same physiological effect occurs after inhaling secondhand smoke from marijuana. And, the arteries take 90 minutes to recover compared to the 30 minutes with cigarette smoke. Springer\’s discovery about the effect on blood vessels describes just one harmful impact for nonsmokers who are exposed to marijuana. Statewide sampling surveys of cannabis products sold in marijuana dispensaries have shown that cannabis products may contain dangerous bacteria or mold, or residues from pesticides and solvents.

But even if the cannabis tests clean, Springer says, smoke itself is bad for the lungs, heart and blood vessels. Other researchers are exploring the possible relationship between marijuana smoke and long-term cancer risk.

Certainly, living with a smoker is worse for your health than just going to a smoky concert hall. But, Springer says, the less you inhale any kind of smoke, the better.

\”We in the public health community have been telling them for decades to avoid inhaling secondhand smoke from tobacco,\” Springer says. \”We have not been telling them to avoid inhaling secondhand smoke from marijuana, and that\’s not because it\’s not bad for you – it\’s because we just haven\’t known. The experiments haven\’t been done.\”

Antismoking campaigners say we can\’t afford to wait until the research is complete. Recreational pot is already a reality.

Cynthia Hallett is the president of Americans for Nonsmokers\’ Rights, based in Berkeley, Calif. The organization was established in 1976, before there was a lot known about the health effects of secondhand smoke from tobacco..

Hallett says some of the arguments being made in support of cannabis remind her of the arguments made on behalf of tobacco decades ago.

\”I\’m seeing a parallel between this argument that, \’Gee, we just don\’t have a lot of science and so, therefore, let\’s wait and see,\’ \” Hallett says. \”The tobacco companies used to say the same thing about tobacco cigarettes.\”

In California, smoking cannabis is prohibited anywhere tobacco smoking is prohibited – including schools, airplanes and most workplaces. Hallett is worried that the legalization of pot could be used to erode those rules.

It starts with the premise of decriminalization, she says, and then, over time, there\’s \”a chipping away at strong policies.\”

\”This is the first time that I have heard secondhand smoke in reference to cannabis,\” admits Lee Crow, a patient-services clerk at Magnolia. \”I\’ve tried to be courteous – just common courtesy, like with anything.\”

The dispensary\’s director of clinical services, Barbara Blaser, admits she thinks a lot about secondhand smoke from cigarettes, but not pot.

\”Both of my parents died of lung cancer!\” she says. \”I will stop a stranger and say, \’You shouldn\’t be smoking. My dad died of that!\’ \”

California\’s Proposition 64, approved by state voters in 2016, requires that some of the state tax revenue from the sale of marijuana to be distributed to cannabis researchers. In addition, the state\’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board is examining workplace hazards that are specific to the cannabis industry.

This story is part of NPR\’s reporting partnership, local member stations and Kaiser Health News.

For complete story https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/03/19/592873218/are-there-risks-from-secondhand-marijuana-smoke-early-science-says-yes

 

Drugs courts: Justice system that aims to rehabilitate

By Robbie Meredith BBC News NI Education Correspondent – 16 March 2018

A new pilot project to introduce American-style \’drug courts\’ to Northern Ireland is being developed.

They are courts aimed at keeping drug users out of prison and getting them into treatment.

A senior American judge is in Belfast to advise local judges, politicians and others working in the criminal justice system about how they operate. Gregory Jackson was appointed to the District of Columbia Superior Court in 2005 by then President George W Bush.

Judge Jackson said drug courts were not about punishment.

\”If you successfully complete the programme, you\’re done – you\’re out of the criminal justice system,\” he said.

Drug users and even some small-scale dealers are offered a way to escape prison and a conviction

\”We average on any given day between 75 to 125 people participating in the drug court programme.

\”Our graduation rate is around 50% to 60%.\”

Impressive statistics

That means that over half of those who begin the treatment programme complete it.

And they literally graduate, with special ceremonies held in courthouses to recognise their achievement.

The statistics are impressive.

Drug courts in the USA have been shown to reduce crime by 45% in comparison with other sentencing options.

According to Judge Jackson, they also save the public purse between $3,000 and $13,000 dollars per person.

Yet he admits that getting the public and politicians to recognise that they are not a \’soft option\’ has taken time. For complete article http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-43423007

More resources to Check out

H.O.P.E. Process – State of the Art of HOPE Probation

Drug Court Impact (USA) DrugCourtsImpact2012

Prediction: Here Are the 5 States That Will Legalize Marijuana Last

By Joseph Misulonas |  March 2018  |

Every year, it seems like more and more states legalize marijuana. California implemented their recreational law this year, and Vermont and Massachusetts will follow later this year. And while there will probably be a few more states that add their name to the list this November, there are some states that may never change their laws.

Here are the five states that will likely legalize marijuana last:

For MORE — THE STILL SANE STATES! htps://www.civilized.life/articles/states-legalize-marijuana-last/?utm_source=notifications

 

A nation of pill poppers: Record 1.1 BILLION prescriptions written in 2017 as figures reveal the 20 most popular drugs but critics slam the NHS for spending millions on paracetamol

  • Some 1.1 billion drugs were dispensed by pharmacists across England in 2017
  • NHS Digital figures today show that statins were the most common prescription
  • Campaigners blasted the statistics, which showed the NHS spent £9.1 billion

By Stephen Matthews For Mailonline PUBLISHED: 16 March 2018 |

A record number of prescriptions were dished out by the NHS last year, official figures reveal.

More than 1.1 billion drugs were dispensed by pharmacists across England in 2017 – the most since charts began 10 years ago.

Statins were the most common prescription across England – with more than 72.6 million prescribed. There were also 71.5 million prescriptions for high blood pressure and heart failure drugs.

Campaigners have today blasted the statistics, which also provided a full breakdown of the £9.1 billion the NHS spent on prescriptions last year.

John O\’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers\’ Alliance, said money was being \’wasted\’ on items available much cheaper in the supermarket.

The figures show health chiefs spent around £80 million on aspirin and paracetamol, which can be bought for pennies at supermarkets.

NHS Digital figures show that statins were the most common prescription across England – with more than 62 million prescribed

Each prescription of the 20 million paracetamol prescriptions cost the NHS £3.07. A pack of 16 tablets can be picked up for 20p at shops.

Number crunching by MailOnline shows the cash-strapped health service could have saved roughly £57 million by not giving out paracetamol.

On top of the higher prices, suppliers charge the NHS substantial delivery and administration costs to ship these products to pharmacies.

Figures also showed more than £16 million was spent on gluten free foods – which critics have previously claimed was a scandal.

Mr O\’Connell called for NHS bosses to \’think again\’ about their priorities.

He said: \’At a time when the NHS is failing to meet basic targets for cancer diagnosis, it can\’t be right that taxpayers\’ money is being wasted on basic items that are much cheaper to buy in the supermarket than they are to prescribe.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-5505639/NHS-figures-reveal-20-drugs-dished-most.html#ixzz5A9IxbidV

 

Scientists show cannabis TRIPLES psychosis risk: Groundbreaking research blames \’skunk\’ for 1 in 4 of all new serious mental disorders

  • Researchers highlighted the dangers of a super-strength strain of cannabis
  • A study found \’skunk\’ was responsible for a quarter of psychosis cases
  • But weaker forms such as hash don\’t carry the same risk of mental illness

By Stephen Adams for The Mail on Sunday PUBLISHED: 15 February 2015

Super-strength strains of cannabis are responsible for up to a quarter of new cases of psychotic mental illness, scientists will warn this week.

The potent form of the drug, known as \’skunk\’, is so powerful that users are three times more likely to suffer a psychotic episode than those who have never tried it.

The study, leaked to The Mail on Sunday ahead of its publication, is set to reignite the debate around Britain\’s drug laws, and will add weight to calls for a tougher stance towards those caught dealing or in possession of cannabis.

Scientists are warning that super-strength strains of cannabis are responsible for up to a quarter of new cases of psychotic mental illness (file image)

According to Crime Survey figures for England and Wales, over a million youngsters aged 16 to 24 smoke cannabis. Regular users are most at risk, prompting experts to warn that youngsters need to be aware of the dangers of skunk, which has been specially cultivated to be four times as strong as the cannabis smoked by previous generations.

The researchers, led by a team at the Institute of Psychiatry at King\’s College in London, conclude there is an \’urgent need… to inform young people about the risks of high-potency cannabis\’ amid a worldwide trend towards relaxing drug laws.

They will reveal there is a key difference between potent skunk strains and \’hash\’. Those who used these \’weaker\’ forms did not seem to suffer the same increase in risks.

Psychosis is defined as a form of mental illness where people experience delusions, hallucinations, or both at the same time. Associated with conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, some people are so badly affected that they end up committing suicide or seriously harming others because they believe they are being ordered to do so by voices in their heads.

The findings will add substance to a 2012 report by the Schizophrenia Commission, which recommended the need for \’warnings about the risks of cannabis\’ to mental health.

That report was chaired by schizophrenia expert Professor Sir Robin Murray, who also played a key part in the new study. It looked at cannabis use in two groups, each containing about 400 people, from 2005 to 2011. Those in the first group had all suffered \’first-episode psychosis\’— a diagnosed first occurrence of the disorder.

The research appears to show a striking difference between the effects of skunk and the weaker form of cannabis, hash resin, revealing that hash seemed not to add to a person\’s risk of psychosis — even if smoked daily

The second group were volunteers who agreed to answer questions about themselves — including on cannabis use and mental health history — for a study. Some had suffered psychosis, others not. They were not told the nature of the project.

The academics found those in the first group were more likely to smoke cannabis daily — and to smoke skunk — than those in the second. The researchers say: \’Skunk use alone was responsible for 24 per cent of adults presenting with first-episode psychosis to the psychiatric services in South London.\’

This was almost double the previous highest estimate of psychiatric cases linked to the drug — 13 per cent — from a 2002 Dutch study.

The latest research, to be published in The Lancet, concludes: \’People who used cannabis or skunk every day were roughly three times more likely to have a diagnosis of a psychotic disorder than were those who never used cannabis.\’

Skunk is shorthand for around 100 strains of cannabis that contain a high proportion of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the drug\’s primary psychoactive compound. But the levels of another compound, cannabidiol — which may have anti-psychotic effects — are the reverse, high in hash and virtually zero in skunk.

The researchers speculate this could be due to the differing chemical make-up of the two forms: \’The presence of cannabidiol [in hash] might explain our results, which showed that hash users do not have any increase in risk of psychotic disorders compared with non-users.\’

Michael Ellis, a Tory member of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said: \’This powerful new study illustrates that those in government and the police must be careful to send out the right message. Cannabis isn\’t a harmless drug: it can ruin lives.\’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2953915/Scientists-cannabis-TRIPLES-psychosis-risk-Groundbreaking-research-blames-skunk-1-4-new-mental-disorders.html#ixzz59gFkr27W

 

MARIJUANA IS POISONING MINDS OF AMERICAN YOUTH

March 13, 218 – A guest editorial which appeared in the Times of San Diego, on December 30, 2016, by Nardin Georgeos

In today’s society, we are all faced with obstacles, especially those of us who are young and still learning right from wrong, and good from bad. If someone were to offer me marijuana, I would immediately decline. I am a teenager and I have already been educated on this topic. I have developed my own choices and opinions.

Marijuana is a toxin. That does not prevent the youth of today from using it. It is the responsibility of adults to teach and encourage youth to make the right choice and not smoke weed.

This problem is mostly being ignored. Making marijuana legal – as California has done beginning Jan. 1 – does not make it less harmful. Teens usually make the decision to use marijuana based on one of four factors: curiosity, friends, self-medication or social media.

The Four Reasons Youth Use Marijuana

Many teens are merely curious about getting high and wonder what the big deal is. They begin by trying only for the experience, thinking they are invincible and they are not the type of people to get addicted.

Teens are mostly trying to fit in and find a place in their society. According to research, when teens were asked why they use marijuana, 29 percent said it was because their friends use it.

It is no secret that some teens are troubled. According to a recent article, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that one in five teens has a diagnosable mental health disorder, and about a third show symptoms of depression. To numb the pain, teens may turn to drugs.

Social media influences our lives in many ways, one of which is the sponsoring and promotion of marijuana in songs and ads. The music that teens listen to makes marijuana seem cool, according to 45 percent of teens who responded to a recent survey. And the same number of teens agree that movies and TV shows make drugs seem like an OK thing to do.

For more http://www.poppot.org/2018/03/13/marijuana-poisoning-minds-american-youth/

 

Parents\’ drug and alcohol abuse named among causes of family breakdown in Scotland

By BEN BORLAND March 10, 2018

A DAMNING new report has revealed the extent of the breakdown of family life for Scotland\’s most troubled children over the past decade.

Families are more likely to breakup now than they were 10 years ago

The findings present a shocking picture of soaring drug and alcohol abuse, criminality and violence among today\’s feckless parents.

Also, the number of children being taken into care has risen and families are more likely to be broken up by the state than they were a decade ago.

More generally, across the whole of Scotland, young people are facing more \”complex\” lives as a result of growing ethnic diversity and widespread drug and alcohol abuse.

Researchers from the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration (SCRA) took two sample groups of looked-after children, the first born in 2003 and the second born in 2013, and examined how their lives have changed.

They found the younger group were more likely to suffer \”family fragmentation\”, with more children living apart from their siblings and/or parents, instability as a result of the care system and \”problem parents\”.

Scotland\’s most troubled children are those who suffer \’family fragmentation\’

It is clear we all need to work together to make changes to improve the lives of some of our most vulnerable children

Malcolm Schaffer, SCRA’s Head of Practice and Policy

The children born in 2013 were far more likely to have a parent who was a drug abuser, involved in offending, in prison, a victim or perpetrator of violence or suffering from isolation, bereavement or mental illness.

Underlining the importance of our Crusade for the Children of Alcoholics, 45 per cent of the younger group had a parent with an alcohol abuse problem – up from 43 per cent of those born in 2003.

For complete article https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/929994/scotland-drug-alcohol-abuse-family-break-down-troubled-children

 

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