Addiction Treatment Admissions in the United States: Everyone, meet TEDS

January 14th, 2011

Dirk Hanson

What a difference a decade makes.

Between 1998 and 2008, addiction treatment admissions in the U.S. increased markedly for methamphetamine (crystal meth), prescription opiates, and marijuana. Treatment admissions for alcohol and cocaine declined over the same period, while heroin admissions remained roughly the same.

The Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), which the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) uses to compile its report, includes only those addiction treatment facilities that receive state alcohol or drug agency funds, and which are represented in state administrative data systems. Despite this caveat, the TEDS study matters, because states use reports of this kind to shift limited resources from one treatment focus to another, based on demand. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in:  Drugs, Education, Treatment Tags: addiction, addiction treatment admissions, admission, admission rate, admissions, cocaine, crystal meth, heroin, legalization, marijuana, methamphetamine, opiate, prescription drugs, SAMHSA, TEDS, treatment, treatment admission, treatment admission rate, treatment admissions

Is marijuana addictive? You can bet your heroin on that!

November 25th, 2010

This is the ultimate question for many people. In fact, when discussing addiction, it is rare that the addiction potential for marijuana doesn’t come up.

Some basic points about marijuana:

The active ingredient in marijuana, THC, binds to cannabinoid receptors in the brain (CB1 and CB2). Since it is a partial agonist, it activates these receptors, though not to their full capacity. The fact that cannabinoid receptors modulate mood, sleep, and appetite to some extent is the reason behind many of marijuana’s effects.

But how is marijuana addictive? What’s the link to heroin?

What most people don’t know is that there is quite a bit of interaction between the cannabinoid receptor system (especially CB1 receptors) and the opioid receptor system in the brain. In fact, research has shown that without the activation of the µ opioid receptor, THC is no longer rewarding.

If the fact that marijuana activates the same receptor system as opiates (like heroin, morphine, oxycontin, etc.) surprises you, you should read on.

The opioid system in turn activates the dopamine reward pathway I’ve discussed in numerous other posts (look here for a start). This is the mechanisms that is assumed to underlie the rewarding, and many of the addictive, properties of essentially all drugs of abuse.

But we’re not done!

Without the activation of the CB1 receptors, it seems that opiates, alcohol, nicotine, and perhaps stimulants (like methamphetamine) lose their rewarding properties. This would mean that drug reward depends much more heavily on the cannabinoid receptor system than had been previously thought. Since this is the main target for THC, it stands to reason that the same would go for marijuana.

So what?! Why is marijuana addictive?

Since there’s a close connection between the targets of THC and the addictive properties of many other drugs, it seems to me that arguing against an addictive potential for marijuana is silly.

Of course, some will read this as my saying that marijuana is always addictive and very dangerous. They would be wrong. My point is that marijuana can not be considered as having no potential for addiction.

As I’ve pointed out many times before, the proportion of drug users that become addicted, or dependent, on drugs is relatively small (10%-15%). This is true for almost all drugs – What I’m saying is that it is likely also true for marijuana (here is a discussion of physical versus psychological addiction and their bogus distinction).

Citation:

Ghozland, Matthes, Simonin, Filliol, L. Kieffer, and Maldonado (2002). Motivational Effects of Cannabinoids Are Mediated by μ-Opioid and κ-Opioid Receptors. Journal of Neuroscience, 22, 1146-1154.

Posted in:  Drugs, Education, Marijuana, Opiates, Tips Tags: about addiction, addiction, addiction research, addictive, addictive properties, Brain, canabinoid receptors, cannabinoid, cannabinoid receptor, CB1, cb1 receptor, cb1 recpetor, dopamine, drug abuse, Drugs, fact, heroin, is marijuana addictive, marijuana, marijuana addictive, neuroscience, opioid, pot, receptor, receptors, THC, weed

About Addiction: Alcohol, drugs, and bipolar disorder

November 11th, 2010

Have any questions about different drugs or alcohol? We bet you do and we’re glad to see you back at All About Addiction ! You should browse our content and check out the information on alcohol, heroin, marijuana.  It is a great source for a quick 30 minute information session.

“Traditional” Drugs

BBC- A man in England was killed after consuming heroin that contained anthrax in it. This was the fifth case of a drug user in England who became ill due to anthrax. It appears that drug users are becoming increasingly vulnerable to having their contraband contaminated with anthrax.

Join Together- Do you think Marijuana should be legalized? That was the question on the minds of many individual’s as they went to the polls on Election Day, yet despite the concerted efforts of some people Proposition 19 was defeated. Some of the arguments for supporting the legalization of marijuana was so that it would be treated like alcohol and tobacco and would not be criminalized along with drugs like heroin, meth, and cocaine. Apparently the majority of voters thought those benefits didn’t outweigh the possibility that legalizing marijuana would increase social problems. By the way, this is not the first time Californians have rejected the legalization of marijuana, it also occurred in 1972, which likely means that some of the people who voted against it this time supported it in the past.

Synthetic Drugs and new drug combinations

KTLA-How does a drink of prescription cough syrup, soda and jolly ranchers sound to you?  Although this may be unappealing to some it is actually a drink bar-goers are getting in to. The drink is also known as Sizzurp (I’m pretty sure I’ve heard Snoop Dog say that in song) and can produce quite a high thanks to the codeine that is found in it. Unfortunately, the combination of alcohol and codeine also increases the chance that the drink will be deadly deadly. Apparently this drink is often promoted by individuals in the music industry and the DEA is worried and wants to crack down on it.

Addiction Inbox- If you would like to learn about a new drug called Mephedrone then this article is for you ! Mephedrone is a new synthetic drug found mostly in England. For more on this topic check out Dirk’s article!

Alcohol: Working Mothers and Energy Drinks

Marin Institute- There has been a growing recognition of the risks of alcoholic energy drinks and officials across the country are starting to take action against them (who hasn’t had a RedBull and Vodka?). Often times these energy drinks are marketed to youth but those individuals do not know the stress that high amounts of alcohol and caffeine can have on the body. Since 2008 major companies such as MillerCoors, Anhueser-Busch, and InBev have removed caffeine from their brands, but smaller companies have begun marketing even more dangerous products that come in larger sizes with higher alcohol content. The news media is attempting to educate the public on the dangers of these products and legal action may even be taken. Check out this article for a great read!

CNN- Working mothers have a lot to balance in their daily lives from running kids to school to doing errands and keeping houses and lives in order – it’s a tough job (just ask my wife). The magazine Working Mother found that 40 percent of working mothers turn to alcohol to try to alleviate stress and 57 percent reported misuse of prescription drugs. Check out this article to find out more and to watch a video which discusses this fuller details and don’t forget to look at some of our content on moderate alcohol intake.

Mental Health and Addiction Treatment

Breaking the cycles- It has often been reported that individuals who have certain mental health problems such as bipolar disorder have a greater chance of developing substance abuse problems (to alcohol or drugs). This article is very helpful in providing the families of individuals with bipolar disorder information to understand the disorder better as well as the alcohol and or drug abuse than may come with. With this understanding the families of these individual can help reduce the stigma of both the bipolar disorder and their addiction.

Addiction Information- Do you remember a couple weeks ago when All About Addiction reported that Michael Lohan wanted to open up his own rehab center? Well the apple does not fall to far from the tree because Lindsay Lohan now wants to open up her own rehab center.  Lindsay has been in and out of rehab five times in the past two years – Is this too early for her to open up a rehab center? I think that’s probably true and that she should focus on getting herself healthy first.

Posted in:  Links Tags: about addiction, addiction, Alcohol, all about addiction, bipolar disorder, drug, Drugs, energy drinks, heroin, legalizing, legalizing marijuana, marijuana, meth, open rehab, open rehab center, proposition 19, rehab center, stigma, working mothers

Harm reduction – Why the bad press for addiction treatment that works?!

October 31st, 2010

How many of you think that giving a crystal meth user condoms will increase their drug use? Probably not many. What if instead the question had to do with giving that same user clean needles rather than having them share a dirty one? Or having him reduce his drug use instead of stopping completely? I bet there would be a little more disagreement there.

Some of you may have heard of the harm-reduction approach to drug abuse counseling and treatment, but many of you likely haven’t because the term itself is essentially taboo in the United States. The idea is to approach the patient (or client) without the shaming or expectations of abstinence that normally come with drug treatment. Instead, the counselors hope to reduce as much of the negative things associated with the drug use.

For example, almost all drug injecting users end up with hepatitis C due to dirty-needle sharing. As in the above example, harm reduction practitioners would seek to provide users with clean needles, thereby reducing needle sharing and the transmission of disease. Risky sexual behavior is often associated with methamphetamine, and crack use; instead of targeting the use itself, often, interventions attempt to reduce unprotected sex, reducing HIV transmission in the process.

Harm reduction has many supporters, but unfortunately, there are at least as many people who are against it. The claim is that harm reduction doesn’t stop drug use, and that we shouldn’t be in the business of making drug use easier. In fact, though they have no data to support it, some people argue that giving users clean needles is likely to exacerbate their drug use. My argument is that life as a drug user is pretty difficult as is, and if we can provide a way to show drug addicts that people actually care about their well-being, we might help some of them see the light.

Even more to the point, my thinking is that HIV, Hepatitis C, and other conditions often helped by harm-reduction, have to be considered as additional societal costs of drug abuse. If harm reduction helps us tackle those collateral costs, I’m all for it as an additional tool.

The bottom line is this: If we can use multiple tools to solve a problem, why limit ourselves unnecessarily to only one? If harm reduction helps, why not use it in conjunction with abstinence treatment?

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, it’s time for us to stop resorting to ridiculous moral judgments and start focusing on solving the problem. If we can help an addict use less, use fewer drugs, or use more responsibly, I say we should go for it!!!

Posted in:  Drugs, Education, For others, Opinions, Sex, Tips, Treatment Tags: clean needles, cocaine, condom, condoms, cost, crystal meth, drug, drug abuse, drug use, harm, harm reduction, harm reduction help, hepatitis, heroin, HIV, meth, needle sharing, reduction, Speed, syringe, use, users clean needles

About Addiction: Drug use, Addiction Recovery, and smoking

October 11th, 2010

We’re back with our weekly post about addiction news and research. We’ve got harm reduction in Australia, heroin ads that don’t work, the impact of drug abuse on children, and more. Get your 30 seconds of education for the day.

Using Drugs – Heroin, HIV, the law, and recovery

The Australian- There is a state approved heroin injecting room in Australia. The center opened to create a safer place for drug users to shoot heroin. 3500 individuals have overdosed on the premises without a single fatality, making for a very interesting way of combating drug addiction that would definitely fall under that harm-reduction model American hate so much!

Star Advertiser- When it comes to scaring individuals into not using drugs, specifically heroin, fear appeals do not seem to work in preventing future drug users. Fear appeals ads show drug users as violent, and often have missing teeth or skin problems. Apparently, audiences are smart enough to see these as not really representative of heroin users in general and they’re not buying it, making the ads useless in combating drug addiction.

Global Development- Eastern Europe and Central Asia have the fastest growth rate of HIV infection in the world (Russia accounts for between 60% and 70% of the epidemic). This may be due to sharing dirty needles when using drugs and the biggest problem is likely lack of prevention efforts for high risk groups.

Guardian- A senior police officer from Britain thinks that individuals should not be criminally prosecuted for possessing marijuana. By focusing less on drugs found among youth the police can focus on things they see as more important like hard core criminals. I’m sure our legalization friends will love this, although again, this isn’t legalization but decriminalization and parents will hate it.

Addiction Inbox- Meditation and exercise play a role in drug addiction recovery. Both methods apparently help to eliminate the panic and anxiety that plays a role in detoxification. Although it may not be the most popular method of recovery, we at A3 have already written about this and think you should give it a try!

Breaking the cycles-  A program called Partnership for a Drug Free America has five new drug programs in order to eliminate drug use among teens. These programs educate teens as well as their parents with a variety to drug information.

Smoking, pregnancy, and attitude

Science Daily- Women who smoke during pregnancy can hinder their children’s coordination and physical control (likely affecting boys more). Smoking during pregnancy can damage development in the fetal stage, so if you are expecting try not to light up (as our other post on pregnancy and smoking recommends).

Decoder- You are in for a good read on the changing attitudes of smoking. This blog gives an inside perspective on smoking and how it has evolved from the time it was considered “cool”.

Addiction’s impact on others

Philly Daily News- Addiction impacts not only the drug addict but their children as well. 15% of all children live in a household with an alcoholic and one in four children is exposed to a family member’s alcohol abuse or dependence. These children are often neglected when their parents are under the influence and that neglect can lead to some pretty terrible outcomes for the children themselves down the line.

Addiction Recovery- This is an excellent read on the importance of patience when it comes to addiction recovery. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will a drug addict’s wonderful new life. Recovery takes time so take a deep  breath and enjoy!

Posted in:  Education, Links Tags: about addiction, addiction, addiction recovery, alcoholism, children, combating drug addiction, drug, Drug addiction, drug users, Drugs, exercise, heroin, HIV, individuals using drugs, marijuana, medtation, neglect, overdose, pregnancy, smoking, using drugs

About Addiction: Prescription drugs, Alcohol prices, and prevention among teens

October 3rd, 2010

You know you care about addiction, and you know you love reading addiction news and research - A3 does it all for you and gathers things up in a nice little package we call our weekly “about addiction” post. It’s the fastest way to get the information you want, even if you didn’t know it was out there!

Prescription Drugs, drug safety, and sales

Reuters- Walgreen’s offers its customers a convenient way of disposing of their prescription drugs. This allows individuals to safely dispose of unwanted or expired drugs. The way that the program works is to place the unwanted prescription drugs in an envelope and send it to a medication incinerator. Controlled substances however are excluded from the program, I guess they’re afraid of bags of heroin and cocaine showing up at Walgreen offices?

Wales online- After being bugged to see if a man was in possession of illegal drugs, a number of men were sentenced to 48 years in jail for selling heroin. This undercover investigation lasted for six months, revealing a magnificent economy of drug use, abuse and profit.

Discovery News- Authorities discovered that eight illicit drugs, including cocaine, ecstasy, and methamphetamines, were detectable in the waterways of a Spanish national park. They’re worried about the threat of the drugs’ side effects to animals, but I have to say it makes me wonder why so many drug addicts are dumping their drugs there…

Alcohol Prices

Telegraph (U.K.)- A “price fixing”  system for alcohol prices has been suggested in the U.K., which is supposed to help reduce binge drinking encouraged by bottom priced alcohol. Economics experts in England suggest that all the policy will likely do will be increase profits for store that sell cheap alcohol. If our work here is any indication though, driving alcohol price up (as much as 100% in some stores) will certainly have an effect on some drinkers.

Health Day- Tax increases in alcohol prices may aid in alleviating alcohol problems. A study was conducted which showed that increasing the alcohol prices will result in significant reductions in many of the undesirable outcomes associated with drinking. So next time you go to buy alcohol and the price is too high just think of all the help you’re providing the community.

Addiction interventions and addiction treatment of teens

Time to act!- Perhaps one of the most important ways to prevent an addiction from happening is to catch it in its early stages and prevent it from ever developing. This website promotes primary prevention of as a means of addiction intervention and urges parents to act as soon as possible if you think your child is using drugs or alcohol.

DBtechno- Children who have regular meals are less likely to drink (read our coverage of teen drinking). This was attributed to parents having better, more consistent, interactions with their children at the dinner table. Kids who did not eat regular meals were twice as likely to drink and use cigarettes. Talk about a great way at starting on an addiction intervention early on in life – a nice relaxing dinner, and maybe some dessert…

ABC News- This article tells of the ill effects that alcohol can have to a child when alcohol is consumed during pregnancy. It tells the story of one family who could not stand their child’s “out of control behavior” likely brought on by FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome). Read All About Addiction’s coverage of drinking during pregnancy.

Addiction Inbox- A great article using Dock Ellis’ perspective on LSD. Ellis is now speaking to inmates in correctional facilities, telling his story of how he was addicted to drugs and alcohol while playing baseball.

Posted in:  Education Tags: ABC, about addiction, addiction, Alcohol, alcohol prices, alkohol, cocaine, drinking, Drugs, FAS, heroin, intervention, LSD, pregnancy, prescription drugs, prevention, tax, taxes, teen drinking, teens

Ray Charles – The movie, the legend, and the heroin addict

September 14th, 2010

In 2004, only a few short months after Ray Charles passed away, Hollywood celebrated the life and legacy of the legendary R&B singer in a critically acclaimed biographical film. Anchored by a stunning performance by Jamie Foxx, “Ray” would go on to win two Academy Awards and introduce a younger generation to a giant of American song. But director Taylor Hackford’s most impressive feat may have been the film’s nuanced, evenhanded portrayal of Charles’ behind the scenes battle with serious heroin addiction.

In the attempt to portray his life in full, the film starts, appropriately, at the beginning, with a young Ray Charles Robinson growing up in the poverty of 1930′s Georgia. With his hard-working mother emphasizing the strength and resilience he would need to make it in an unforgiving world, a young Ray would find his fortitude tested immediately, when he witnessed his younger brother’s accidental drowning, a scene that would haunt him for the rest of his life. When he began to lose his vision shortly thereafter, his mother challenged him to overcome it, telling him that it was up to him to never let anyone or anything make him into a cripple.

In response, Ray was able to channel his energy into his earliest love: the piano. By 1948, he was performing at bars in and around the Seattle area. It was here that he was first introduced to drugs in the form of marijuana, which venue promoters would offer him in order to calm pre-performance nerves. As he signed a record deal and hit the road in support of his career, the stresses of life on tour began to sink in. With that came depression, and what that, drugs. Plagued by flashbacks of his brother’s death, he found two new ways to escape- women, and heroin.

Though marriage, children and skyrocketing career success could have all potentially acted as stabilizing factors for his life, Ray’s depression and guilt over the death of his brother had taken hold, and he was now as addicted to womanizing as he was to heroin. Neither would prove to be beneficial for his long-term stability, as his wife would discover both in short order. Heroin addiction, as Ray was to find out, is never something you can keep on the side.

Neither, it seems, were the women. By 1956, Ray Charles had brought one of his lovers- a backup singer named Margie- into his band, and his life. When an unexpected pregnancy pushed their relationship to the breaking point, he had inspiration for one of his most famous songs (“Hit The Road, Jack”), but it was to serve as yet another signpost along his road to personal ruin. Although the turmoil would inspire him to take a powerful stand for the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement by refusing to play at segregated clubs in the South, his demons were never far, as the film shows by dramatizing his arrest on tour for possession of heroin. Though supported by friends and family, he again finds himself unable to kick his powerful heroin habit.

The film goes on to portray what might be called the lowest period in the life of Ray Charles, where, despite great personal success, the singer is forced to deal with the death of his lover (and mother of his 3-year old son) Margie and a second arrest for heroin possession in Montreal while on tour. Sent this time to court-ordered rehab, the film pulls no punches as Foxx effectively channels the deep physical, mental and emotional torment of heroin withdrawal. Dope sick and hallucinating, Charles remembers his mothers words: stand on your own two feet. Don’t let anyone make you into a cripple.” It is then, and only then, that he realizes that he has allowed his heroin addiction to cripple him more than his blindness ever could. It is a powerful statement about the insidious strength of drug addiction.

After getting out of rehab, Ray Charles stayed clean for the remainder of his life. As one of the greatest American entertainers of all time, his songs, image and career were always going to survive the test of time. However, thanks to the film Ray, he will also be remembered for a success that readers of this site know is just as challenging and monumental- winning a brave battle with a deadly drug addiction to heroin.

If nothing else, the movie “Ray” teaches us that recovery from addiction is possible though it may not be easy and may not look pretty from the outside. Regardless of the depths of the “bottom” addicts dig themselves into, it’s possible to make the climb back to a healthy, full, life. Though celebrities often find recovery from drug addiction difficult due to the stresses of their job, the relatively low expectations of success, and the fact that they’re surrounded by “yes (wo)men” who sometimes act in ways that sabotage success in recovery, it’s still possible to quit drugs even under those conditions. Remember that recovery is possible, and with the right tools and program, even likely.

Posted in:  Addiction Stories, Drugs, Opiates, Sex Tags: Drug addiction, heroin, heroin addiction, ray, ray charles