Health officials and addiction experts are fighting an uphill battle when it comes to warning teens of the dangers of synthetic marijuana. The perception among many high school and college students is that pot is already safe, so a manufactured version should be even safer. Tell that to the family of Emily Bauer. The 17-year-old […]
Last month the US Navy launched a new campaign to warn servicemen and women about the dangers of bath salts. The informational video is getting a lot of attention for its depiction of a sailor ingesting the synthetic designer drug and then experiencing violent hallucinations, complete with a gruesome demon-type figure. The Bath Salts campaign’s […]
As the holidays approach, there are more social events with friends and interactions with extended family. The presence of alcohol and the pressures of the season can bring addiction issues to the surface. Behaviors observed at Christmas parties, office gatherings and family functions can leave you concerned about the health and well-being of a loved […]
The sudsy new ABC nighttime soap Nashville may not be a completely realistic take on the music biz – or life in Music City (locals would never hang out at the riverfront!) – but its portrayal of addiction is hitting home. Troubled young country star Juliette (played by Hayden Panettiere) doesn’t know what to do […]
It can be overwhelming trying to keep up with the latest trends in addiction, what new warning signs parents and teachers should be on the lookout for, and the latest everyday item teens are using to get high and endanger their health. Sometimes it is best to get back to basics. Our general understanding of […]
As sports fans continue to debate the recent downfall of cycling champ Lance Armstrong amid ongoing doping allegations, other professional athletes are more aware than ever of the ramifications of taking something that could help in the moment but hurt their long-term career. Adderall is one the most buzzed about substances lately, with New York […]
Keeping on top of today’s hot new drug can be a bit like playing the arcade game “Whack-a-Mole.” Law enforcement and medical professionals can barely keep up with the designer drugs and synthetic chemicals that hit the streets. As soon as one formula is discovered and banned, creative chemists alter the structure of the molecules […]
It’s a fine line between providing treatment instead of punishment and overlooking bad behavior. While it’s proven that those arrested and jailed for addiction-related crimes don’t benefit from being incarcerated, especially since there is rarely treatment provided, most agree that crimes should be punished, even when there are extenuating circumstances. So what should be done […]
In a culture like ours, materialism is simply part of the landscape. Stores always seem to have some new sale to advertise, regardless of time or season. There are plenty of people who can handle the lure of a sale, content to buy a few planned items or one sought-after bargain. Others, though, have a […]
Serious drug problems with substances like heroin, cocaine and powerful prescription painkillers can often push marijuana to the back burner. Lobbying to make pot legal has also helped perpetuate the attitude that it’s not really harmful or as dangerous as those other “hard” drugs. If that’s how you feel, a new study may just change […]