The gateway drug model based on evidence that most illicit drug users report use of tobacco products or alcohol just before illicit drug use.  There has been some controversy about this past finding because they have not been able to show a biological mechanism for nicotine exposure and how it could increase vulnerability to illicit drug use.

This current study published in today’s Science Translation Medicine the mice that were exposed to nicotine in their drinking water for at least seven days showed an increased response to cocaine.  The nicotine changes the structure of the tightly packaged DNA molecule reprograms the expression pattern of the specific genes and ultimately alters the behavior response to cocaine.

Now we have results that show smoking in mice can get them to use cocaine more often but what about humans?  There were some stats that were examined and it was found that the rate of cocaine dependence was higher among cocaine users who smoked prior to starting cocaine compared to those who tried cocaine and had not smoked before.

What all this is saying is that you don’t start smoking you will probably help yourself by not getting the negative health effects that go along with smoking but you will also decrease the risk of progression and addiction to cocaine and possibly other illicit drug use.

Looking for a reliable inpatient drug rehab?  Call our hotline now at 1-800-435-2890.

I know you have probably watched people while on alcohol but have you ever wondered how alcohol works on the body to produce those effects?  In order to understand how it works it is helpful to understand the nature of alcohol as a chemical.  It is a clear liquid, it dissolves easily in water and it is flammable.  When a person drinks alcohol beverage about 20 percent of the alcohol is absorbed in the stomach and about 80 percent is absorbed in the small intestines.  After absorption the alcohol enters the bloodstream and dissolves in the water of the blood.  The blood carries the alcohol throughout the body.  The blood enters each tissue of the body and then it exerts its effects on the body.  The blood alcohol concentration can rise significantly within 20 minutes after having a drink.  Now you are what they call drunk if you have had more than two drinks.  Your kidney eliminates some of the alcohol; the liver chemically breaks down the remaining alcohol into acetic acid.

All of this information somehow takes the dazzle out of getting high and partying.  Knowing how it actually works is a good education to have.  Now you know how people with liver disease got that way.  Our organs work hard so we can have some party time.  All of this will actually catch up with you if you abuse alcohol.  This is just a new spin of how alcohol works in your body.  Another spin is that if you abuse it can cause many problems in your life.  Like family and job problems because you are acting irrationally when you abuse alcohol.  Get educated about alcohol use and abuse.

Need help with drug or alcohol abuse?  Contact our long term drug rehab referral service at 1-800-435-2890.

Do you remember anyone telling you your child is drinking or using drugs?

Do you know for sure that your child experimented with drugs or alcohol?

Have you observed if your child was happy and giddy and then they were withdrawn or depressed; maybe angry?

Has your child been asking you for additional money?

Has your child been walking funny or slurring his speech?

Has your child found all new friends and doesn’t have time for his old ones?

Has your child had some blood shot eyes or wide pupils?

Have you noticed lots of breath mints in the house?

Has your child stopped cleaning his room and his body?

Has your child critised anti drug and alcohol programs?

Have you had any calls from the law just recently?

How does your child feel about those who are in charge of him?

Have you caught him lying about anything?

Have you notices any of your medicine missing or the liquor cabinet broken into?

Have you seen any solvent containers?

Has your child just started smoking?

How is your child’s health?

How are your child’s grades?

That is a long list of observances you can do and maybe feel a bit more at cause over your child’s future.  If you answered yes to most of these questions you may need help with your child.  If you or someone you love needs help from a drug treatment facility, contact our referral service now.

Reliable inpatient drug rehabs can be hard to find.  We make this process as painless as possible.  Contact our hotline now at 1-800-435-2890.

This report is stating that drugs like AstraZeneca’s Seroquel and Eli Lilly’s Zyprexa are known for their sedative effect and they put patients to sleep.  It was also noted that these drugs can increase the risk of death in seniors.  The FDA is being prompted to issue many warnings against prescribing the drugs for dementia.  There are many other side effects that harm these seniors.  It has been sited that one inspector for the US Department of health and Human Services told the senate committee on aging that the federal government’s Medicare program should begin penalizing nursing homes that inappropriately prescribe antipsychotic and all this is according to written testimony gotten by the Associated Press.  HHS Inspector General Daniel Levinson came up with the idea that Medicare force nursing homes to pay for drugs that prescribed inappropriately and maybe even bar nursing homes from Medicare that use antipsychotics inappropriately.  There was information that was gathered that showed that 83 percent of Medicare claims for antipsychotics were for residents with dementia, and this condition is specifically warned against in the drugs’ labeling.  14% of all nursing home residents, nearly 305,000 patients were prescribed antipsychotics.

I know if you have a loved one in a nursing home you need to know that all of this is going on.  Visit your senior citizen on a regular basis.  One family went to see their father and found him sleeping all the time and when they asked what meds he was on he was told that he was on medication to get him to sleep because his behavior was noisy.  So my friend did some more investigating and found out that his father should not be on this medication.  You have a right to ask what they are taking and why.  If you feel this is not what should be done get another opinion and help your loved one.  They took care of us when we were young and did not know better about life so do the same for them.  Don’t let people take advantage of them.  If you or someone you love needs help from a drug treatment facility, we can help.  Our drug rehab referral service is designed with you in mind.  We listen to your needs and match you with a compatible program.

Call us now at 1-800-435-2890.  The call is free.  We’re here to help.

We need to know what to look for in our senior citizens so that we can help them.  Some of the signs you can look for is does the senior citizen have balance issues?  Do they have cognitive problems?  Are they depressed or have sleeping problems?  Some seniors have increased odds of developing other medical disorders and they often get harmful reactions that can be very bad for them.

When seniors go to see their doctors they are often not forth coming with the amount of alcohol, over-the counter medication and prescription drugs they are actually taking.  In fact they may not even be aware of the full amount they are taking themselves.  Let’s just say this senior citizen has to go to the hospital for whatever reason and does not tell the doctor all that he is taking; then the doctor may put him on a new drug that will have a bad reaction to what he is taking already.

If your senior citizen has changes in sleep patterns, change in his appetite, increased falling, periods of confusion, empty liquor bottles in the garbage, you may want to take further action to help this person.  You will often find that he seems to be “doctor shopping” to get more than one prescription or that he is filling prescriptions at more than one pharmacy.  Pay close attention to the senior citizens you have In your life.  If you or someone you love needs help from a drug treatment facility, we can help.

Call our hotline now at 1-800-435-2890.

Ecstasy has the distinction of being classified as a schedule 1 drug and it illegal.  A schedule 1 drug is a description reserved for dangerous substances with no recognized medical use.  Heroin and LSD are two other schedule 1 drugs.  Can you imagine your children are out there in the night partying and they have no idea what they are putting in their systems.  Their friends are doing it so why not me?  If your child or one of their friends got caught for possession, delivering or manufacturing of Ecstasy they would get a jail sentence of four years to life and fined from $250,000 to $4 million.  Depending on the amount of the drug they have in their possession.

What does your kid feel like when he is on ecstasy?  Well it is sometimes called “the love pill.” Because it gives the heighten perception of color and sound and it is supposed to amplify sensations when one touches or caress another and most of all during sex.  Kids use it at these parties and they mix it with alcohol.  One of a former users stated that she heard a lot of people talking about Ecstasy, calling it a fun, harmless, drug.  All she could think about is, “If they only knew”.

She reported that in five months she went from living somewhat responsibly while going after her dream to a person who didn’t care about a thing.  She had tried ecstasy one night at the party and now my life had changed.  “The higher I got the deeper I sank into a dark, lonely place.”  When she did sleep she had nightmares and the shakes.  She had pasty skin and a throbbing head and the beginning of feeling paranoid.  She ignored it all until the night she thought she was dying.  That my friend is what ecstasy can do to your children.  So if you hear them talking about a rave party don’t think they are just talking about a really enthusiastic party.  They are discussing what went on at a party with drugs.  Get educated about what your children are doing when they leave the house.

One more piece of information.  The UN office on Drugs and Crime estimates Ecstasy users to number approximately 9 million worldwide.  Let’s learn more about drugs so we can protect ourselves, family and friends.

You don’t want your kid to end up in a drug rehab, but you may have no choice if they start with party drugs like ecstasy and then move on to harder drugs.

If you or someone you love has a problem with drug addiction, call our non-profit drug rehab referral service now.  Our phone number is 1-800-435-2890.  Don’t delay.  Call now.

Well if you go to a local AA meeting you will find understanding people there who will absolutely help you in every way they can.  Some of the stories you will hear will be worse than what you are going through.  So you think if they can get off surely I can.  Sometimes it is not that easy.

There are drug residues in the cells of your body and sometimes something startles them and then you get the feeling that you are on the drug again.  That is because you are.  These drugs are in the cells and in your fat and when something shifts in the body these drugs are released into your body just as though you have just taken a hit.  So then you say, “what’s the answer?”

Here I am working very hard to get my life straight and then one day this happens to me and you can’t even figure out where this came from.  Well, something can be done about it.  Holistic drug rehab programs are the answer.  Part of their programs often includes detoxification.  This program consists of a combination of exercise and sauna sweat-out and nutritional supplements.  It is all natural and it is a healthy way to becoming drug free.  This detoxification rids the drug residues and toxins in the body and a person is freed from their harmful effects.

Drug residues can trigger cravings for more drugs and also give you a range of other unwanted drug-related conditions.  When a person has completed this part of the program they have a clear mind and will have gotten rid of the physical cravings for drugs and alcohol.  So when you are thinking, “where can I go to get clean and sober,” the answer would be go where they can help you get rid of the drug residues in your cells of your body.  To do this you will have to participate in an inpatient program, and that is a good idea anyway because you want to be away from all the distractions of everyday life.

After all you got into this situation because you had problems and you don’t want to be reminded of them while you are detoxing and withdrawing.

If you or someone you love needs help, call our toll free hotline now at 1-800-435-2890.  We’ll help you find an inpatient drug rehab that will get you the results you are looking for.

One study was conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.  This study showed that they spoke to people in the age group of 50 to 59 and found there was an increase in illicit drug use by 3.1 percent in the past eight years.  How do we handle this?  Let’s get more information.

Depression and anxiety; two of the most common elements that get a person started using drugs, is very much a problem for the older American.  Some people in this demographic have financial problems, and also their health is not as good as it used to be.  The baby boomer generation was accustomed to recreational drugs and they used them early in life to relieve stress.  So what do you think they will do at this stage of their lives?  They will use drug to relieve stress but now they have a sorted amount of excuses.

They blame the fact that they are retiring and have a transition that they did not expect.  They were following the American dream and now here they are with nothing to do so they take drugs to help take away the emotional stress.

Now that they are “seniors” they go to their doctor and they are given prescription drugs for any little ailment.  They are more accepting of these drugs; they think it is part of getting older.  By this time of their lives if they have not built up skills to cope with life they are probably not going to reach for any at this point because they think they are too old.  Many of us do not think of this age group as needing our help.  Of course, we are willing to give any that is asked for but it is possible that we are not paying attention to these baby boomers because we may be adopting the same attitude.  They are old and that is the way they are supposed to take care of themselves. Use the drugs the doctor give them. When we see an older person vibrant, still working, still contributing to the community we usually say, “How old are you?” because they don’t look their age.  Well, they don’t feel it either.  Being productive may be one of the answers to using fewer drugs in this age group.

If you or someone you love is struggling with drug addiction, we can help you find the best drug rehab for your situation.  Call us now at 1-800-435-2890.

Ritalin is a schedule II narcotic classified by the DEA.  Ritalin is the common name for methylphenidate.  It actually holds the same classification as cocaine, morphine and amphetamines.  It gives it’s user a stimulant effect.  It is reported to be used by teenagers all over the U.S.  It is known to be prescribed to young children for learning disabilities.  Even though it is prescribed it may have very bad effects on the child.  It is reported that parents are never told that once in a while a child dies simply by taking this medication.  Children on stimulant medications have twice the future rate of drug abuse.  One third of all children on these medications develop symptoms of obsessive-compulsive behavior within the first year.  It is a very harmful drug to our children and it is being prescribed at an alarming rate.

Where can you get Ritalin?

It is a shame to report this to you, but a student can get Ritalin almost anywhere.  His fellow students may have gone to the doctor with their parents and gotten their supply from them.  Now this student has a supply that he is willing to make a profit from and sell Ritalin to your son or daughter.  In some schools as many as 20% of the students take the drug regularly.  A DEA agent reported that some of these students had more Ritalin than the corner drugstore.  Students may take his little brother’s prescription pills and turn around and sell them at $5 a pop.  Some students tell their school nurse that he has a study disorder and he can’t concentrate, then he gets his own prescription and stocks up on the pills and hands them out to his friends.  The law forbids this kind of behavior.  Forget the fact that it is not OK to do this because you hurt yourself and your friends, but it is actually illegal.  But it remains that this drugs is freely available almost anywhere.  It is called Kiddie Cocaine and is handed out like candy.

The Short-Term Effects of Ritalin

When a person takes Ritalin he will experience nervousness, insomnia, anorexia, loss of appetite, pulse changes, heart problems and weight loss.  The person feels high and very active.  He will get a sensation that all is so right and he feels like doing many things at one time.  This drug of dependency may cause visual hallucinations, suicidal thoughts and psychotic behavior.  The person may be aggressive with violent tendencies.

Long term effects

A person who uses Ritalin on a long term basis will receive permanent damage to blood vessels or heart and brain.  He will experience high blood pressure, leading to heart attacks, strokes and death.  His liver, kidney and lungs will get damaged.  He or she will experience weight loss and malnutrition.  He will have strong psychological dependence with psychosis, depression and damage to the brain and possibly epilepsy.  I am sure parents did not think of that when they agreed to put their child on this drug because they had study problems.

Ritalin Leads to Other Drugs

Users of Ritalin and similar drugs showed a higher percentage of cocaine abuse than the national average (as reported by the National Institute of Drug Abuse.)  Users of Ritalin build up a tolerance, and this can lead to the drug user consuming stronger drugs to achieve the same high.  The effects start to wear off so the person may turn to more potent drugs to rid himself of the unwanted conditions that got him started on the drug in the first place.  Ritalin itself does not cause the person to do other drugs; it is the feeling the drug user gets as a result of coming off the Ritalin that is unwanted.  Just like alcohol abuse, the drug masks the problem for a short time, but then the high fades away, leaving the the problem still there, so the user takes a stronger drug to mask the problem again.  This is why people do drugs.  There are many justifications for taking this drug.  They are lies of course to ourselves.  Here are some of them:  “Everyone is doing it.”  “It’s just for study.”  “It’s not addicting.”  “My brother takes it for a learning disorder, it can’t be bad.”  Don’t be lead into the trap.  These are harmful drugs and should not be taken.  Educate yourself to the real reason your child is having study problems.  It may be they don’t understand something.  Help your child, don’t drug him.

If you or someone you love has become addicted to Ritalin or any other prescription drug, our inpatient drug rehabilitation program finder service can help.  Our counselors are standing by to give you the assistance you need to help your loved one lead a drug free life.  Call us now at 1-800-435-2890.