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The American College of Emergency Physicians has issued a warning to parents regarding the dangers that accompany prescription drug abuse. Prescription drug abuse is a growing concern because they are now the second most abused drugs, right behind marijuana. Dr. Angela Gardner, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians, said that, "Often when you hear that someone has overdosed on drugs you think of illegal substances, such as cocaine or heroin. But parents need to know that many young people are taking prescription drugs from the medicine cabinets. Many of the kids wrongly believe the drugs are not addictive, and they don't realize they can be lethal". Dr. Gardner is absolutely correct, many people who come into contact with prescription medicine are not aware of what the drug is capable of; this naivety plays a huge part in the number of overdoses each year.
In 2006, nearly three-quarters of a million people (741,425) needed emergency care as a result of prescription drug abuse. The drugs abused the most are pain killers, opiates like Oxycontin, Percocet, and Vicodin are the most commonly prescribed, but, they are many other pain killers that could be inside a parent's medicine cabinet. On top of pain killers, there are tranquilizers which are dangerous by themselves; mixing tranquilizers like Valium, Xanax, and Ativan with alcohol can be and often is a lethal combination. One could disagree with Dr. Gardner's statement that prescription drugs are only safe for the person they are prescribed for, only if they take the medicine as prescribed. Let's face it, you can take a medicine as prescribed and still wind up becoming dependent, it may take a little bit longer, but, sooner or later continued use will bring addiction. There are people who were prescribed morphine for 15 years, took the medicine as prescribed, and ended up having serious withdrawal symptoms when they stopped taking it. It doesn't matter how strong a narcotic is or whether you take the medicine as prescribed - narcotics are addictive.
Here are some warning signs that your child may be abusing prescription medications:
DJ AM's last project before his life was cut short by drug addiction was a television show called Gone Too Far. It was scheduled to start airing on MTV, but, when DJ AM died MTV decided to postpone the show to decide whether or not they should air it at all. Gone Too Far is about drug addicts and assisting them in getting the help that they need to start a new life. DJ AM was the host of the show and ironically he overdosed on a sleuth of prescription medications and illegal drugs. AM had been struggling with addiction for several years especially after a plane crash, which he was severely injured in last year. Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein battled with his addiction for the greater part of his, he decided that a show to help people that needed assistance with there addiction would be a way to give back. MTV decided to respect DJ AM's mission by airing Gone Too Far, you can watch the premier on October 12th at 10:00 PM ET/PT on MTV(check your local listings)
"Gone Too Far is an intense and eye-opening series, which reveals the devastating effects of drug addiction while offering hope to those willing to accept an opportunity to change their lives", states MTV. What has shown to be the most effective when dealing with your addiction is to give back that which was freely given to you. Helping others and showing them how to get on the road to recovery is the most important part of one's sobriety. Freeing one's self form the grips of addiction is not something that can be done alone, working with others is perhaps the most vital part of the recovery process. "Each episode features Adam meeting with the addicts, friends and families to explore their willingness to change. As part of his life long struggle to overcome substance abuse, his mission was to help as many people as he could and this series was a way for him to help on a bigger level. Through interviews and self-shot video from the addicts and their families, the severity of their addiction and its impact is exposed. Adam often uncovers and reveals new information that even those closest to the addicts are unaware. Along the road to recovery, Adam made the time to see how their rehabilitation was progressing, providing a raw and honest look at their new sobriety. Each addict's path to sobriety is different and only time will tell if they will ever come back, from having gone too far", according to MTV.
Gone Too Far will be informative and could potentially help some of the show's viewers get closer to making the decision to seek help. Asking for help is the hardest part of the recovery process; in the back of every addict's mind is the idea that there has to be another way. Unfortunately, many people die trying to figure out that there is no alternative. Drug and Alcohol addiction leads to only three things, jails, institutions, and death. There is help out there if one is willing to accept it and begin the journey towards recovery. Confucius said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step". I encourage everyone to tune in to this series if they are or know someone struggling with addiction. Gone Too Far will give all those who watch a glimpse into the world of addiction and what it takes to get sober.
The Marijuana culture has been quietly finding its way into the national mainstream via the media. "Cannabis Planet" is a show dedicated to the world of Marijuana and has become a clear sign of how the drug is finding its way into the culture of Californians. "We're trying to show the legitimacy of this plant," said Brad Lane, the executive producer of the half-hour program. According to the New York Times you can find, "tips for cultivating Marijuana. Testimonials by patients about its medical benefits. Cannabis cooking lessons. Even citations for award-winning strains of pot. Viewers here can now watch, every week, what amounts to a pro-weed news program." Brad Lane pays for the twice-weekly air time on the independent station KJLA. The station claims that nobody that has witnessed the show has made a complaint, which, I believe is very hard to believe. Legalizing the drug is one thing, but advertising it on public television is a completely other thing; are we sending out a message that can be misinterpreted by the masses?
"Medical marijuana is now legal in 14 states and the lobbying organization NORML says efforts to legalize it are under way in 15 other states. Marijuana use remains illegal under federal law, but in a break from prior policies, the Obama administration said in February that federal officials would stop raiding dispensaries of medical marijuana authorized under state law," the New York Times reports. Cannabis Planet is not the only show about Pot on television and there are others on the way. Pretty soon there will be a huge market for an already billion dollar business and the media intends on capitalizing on it.
Legalizing weed is not without its controversy and people have been abusing the drug for some time now. Marijuana is the number one drug in the United States and with the curbing of certain laws there will be a "Green Rush" that will sweep across the country, which will no doubt increase the abuse. There are good arguments on both sides and if the drug becomes totally legal I do not believe that advertising the drug in the media is acceptable. Cigarettes companies are not allowed to advertise their product; I don't understand how proponents of Marijuana can advertise theirs.
In the last decade prescription drug abuse has been on the rise, more people have become addicted to pills than any other substance. The flood of new drugs on the market in the way of sedatives, opiates, and stimulants is staggering. Fortunately, a federal drug survey found that less people abused prescription drugs last year than the year before that. This dip in the abuse of prescription drugs is being attributed to the education and information out there with respect to the dangers of pharmaceuticals. According to Eric Broderick, the acting administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, "People who once saw little risk in abusing prescription drugs are responding to health reports underscoring dangers of misuse".
It has also been reported that methamphetamine use also dropped in 2008 which is probably due to serious Meth education campaigns across the country, like the Montana Meth Project. The government has also made it very hard for Meth labs to operate in the states due to a crack down on the ease in which people can get ephedrine, the main ingredient in the cooking process. The Montana Meth Project reports that, "two years after launching the Meth Project in Montana, adult Meth use has declined by 72% and Meth-related crime has decreased 62%. Unfortunately, illicit drug use in the United States overall has not faltered and people still continue to take the risk. People used just as many drugs overall in 2007 as they did in 2008, "the drops in methamphetamine and prescription drug abuse were offset by increases among some age groups of marijuana and hallucinogen use, according to the survey of 67,500 people age 12 and older. Illegal drug use among people 50 to 59 increased from 2.7% in 2002 to 4.6% in 2008, a trend the report attributes to drug-using baby boomers who are getting older".
That survey concluded that 8% of the population, which equates to about 20.1 million Americans, used an illicit drug in the past month which was no different than 2007. Marijuana is still the number one abused drug in the United States due to it accessibility, being that it is heavily grown all over the U.S. It is also the drug that is considered to due the least amount of damage - which studies have proven that idea is not warranted. Many states are attempting to make Marijuana 100% legal and California is at the forefront of the campaign. It is great that the negative side-effects are being disclosed regarding prescription drugs, but we clearly still have an epidemic on our hands. The prescription drugs that adults consume trickles down to our children, people rarely lock their medicine cabinet which keeps the drugs within reach.
A shift can be seen in mindsets around the world regarding illegal drugs! As the world nears the end of the first decade of our new millennium, poverty stricken and facing a drug pandemic, a lot of changes in policy and in the way people look at things are happening. California and Mexico are testing grounds for revolutionary ideas regarding drugs, both republics want change despite the fact that it may fail and come back to hurt them in the end. California is on the brink of legalizing Marijuana and Mexico just legalized small amounts of essentially any drug for personal use. It seems as if these two Republics are willing to try anything to counter their ongoing struggles, i.e. California's budget crisis and Mexico's drug war. I neither condemn nor condone their attempts at trying revolutionary tactics in order to enact change. Something had to give, old ideas and mentalities are not cutting it, and so drastic measures appear to be in order.
All of this change may appear to be surrender on Mexico's part and a form of cynicism on California's, which may be the case; however, there may be room for success with regards to legalization issues and these changes could possibly do more good than harm. It has been clear for a very long time that prison does very little, if any, to help the addict and if anything it only slows the addict's progression but does nothing to curb the disease. Without proper education by way of drug treatment people who have had drug convictions stand very little chance of not returning to the drugs upon release. In Mexico, under previous laws, possession could lead to long jail terms. Mexico now views drug abuse as a "social and public-health problem rather than a law-enforcement issue", which will open up space in prisons and leave available resources to pursue the drug cartels - according to Mexican officials. According to government statistics, the number of addicts in Mexico has risen by more than 50 percent in six years; Mexico who has supplied the United States with drugs for a long time is just now seeing their own domestic drug problem and treatment seems to be more effective than prison.
In the California arena the problem crisis at hand has more to do with the budget and Assemblyman Tom Ammiano proposes full legalization of marijuana with regulation and taxation. A proposed tax of $50 per ounce is estimated to raise $1.3 billion annually. "According to one poll, 56 percent of California voters support such a plan. There also are three initiative efforts in California to put marijuana-legalization measures before voters in November 2010.", reports the Arizona Republic. People will smoke marijuana regardless of the fact that it is illegal, that being said, perhaps the argument for legalization is sound.
It is impossible to predict the direction all this new legislation will take us. Certainly, both Mexico and California are sailing into uncharted waters with failure lurking on the horizon. Drastic times call for drastic measures, time will tell if this shift in policy will be the lesser of two evils. Mexico needs to lower the murder rate and California needs to boost the economy, it will be interesting to see the results of their efforts. A lot of questions and very few answers at this point!
Celebrity addiction always seems to get more attention than family substance abuse. I often read news articles about celebrities getting in trouble with drugs and alcohol. The whole world is shocked to find out that one of their favorite stars, to everyone's surprise, has a drug problem. Everyone asks how can this be? Why would somebody who has everything need to get caught up in the drug world? The answer is that there is more to drug addiction than how much money somebody has or how famous they are. Addiction rears its ugly head in every family and in every society because addiction is a disease that can be passed down to a person through their blood line. No amount of stature, wealth, or prestige has the power to make an individual immune to the disease of addiction.
Anywhere you look, whether it's downstairs sitting in front of the T.V. or in the bedroom your older brother sleeps in, the possibility for addiction exists. I believe that it is fair to say that there is not one person on this planet who does not know of an addict in their own life. A friend, relative, or even your doctor could, as we speak, be abusing drugs and alcohol. Even if you are not currently aware of it, I am sure this is taking place right under your nose. You see the drug addict and alcoholic have developed over a number of years of practice skills necessary to fool even their closest loved ones into believing that nothing is going on; or if it is going on that the problem is under their control.
However, over time signs start to appear that make you feel like something is not right with your friend or family member. At first, many people brush off signs like disorganization, lack of responsibility, and frequent mood swings. Maybe they are having a bad day, week, month, or year and there is no reason to be alarmed. When it comes to family and friends we sometimes will ignore these traits because on a subconscious level we don't want to believe the truth in order to protect ourselves and that it is easier to continue on living our "happy little lives". This is completely understandable behavior because of the idea that the less we think we know hurts less than the pain of finding out the truth.
But, at a certain point in every one's addiction, one starts to approach their "bottom"; a bottom so filled with pain and despair that few are ever able to pull themselves out of without the proper kind of help. This is when the friends and family, of the suspected addict, come together to discuss what should be done. Treatment is usually the first idea and the most effective idea when trying to get help for those that you care about. Passing off the signs as opposed to addressing them immediately is the worst thing you can do for the one you care about. When you notice a pattern of behavior that appears to be unhealthy, probably means that it is unhealthy. The quicker you move towards addressing these problems, the quicker the sick individual can get help, ignoring the writing on the wall will only allow an addict more time to makes things worse.
Intervention is one way to address the problem, Hope by the Sea is proud to be a featured treatment center on A & E's highly rated, Emmy Nominated series, INTERVENTION. Check back next week when I will post the airtime for the next INTERVENTION episode that features Hope by the Sea.
Michael Jackson's drug abuse and anorexia are believed to be the causes behind his cardiac arrest. It has been reported that the late Michael Jackson barely had any food in his stomach when he died last Thursday of suspected cardiac arrest. Jackson, who was 5ft 10in tall, we are told weighed 112lbs when he died and that there were traces of undissolved pills in his stomach. Only 50 years old and access to the best doctors in our nation, we have to ask the question: "What is going on in America with prescription drugs and our desire to weigh as little as possible?"
An autopsy was performed on Jackson in Los Angeles last Friday where some say they discovered that Jackson's body was covered in needle wounds from his alleged dependence on painkilling medication. News reports claimed Dr. Conrad Murray (Jackson's private physician) had injected the singer with Demerol, a drug similar to morphine, just before he suffered cardiac arrest. But Dr. Murray’s lawyer, Edward Chernoff, said to the Los Angeles Times that these claims were “absolutely false”. Regardless of when Jackson had his last injection, the autopsy does not lie; if it is factual that Jackson had track marks, then there is a clear indicator that he was spiraling out of control fast. Drug abuse combined with anorexia is the perfect mixture for a quick and untimely demise no matter how great your doctor.
The LA Coroner's office said there was no sign of foul play or indications of external trauma, but Jackson's family has called for a second and independent autopsy. No matter what they find in the second autopsy, the fact remains that America has lost one of its greatest stars. Jackson's death has opened the door for everyone to take a look at heath care in the U.S. and the way doctors prescribe addictive and potentially lethal medications to anyone. At what point would it have been clear that Jackson, 50 years old and 112 pounds, had serious issues that needed to be addressed. It is easy to see that the star needed to be hospitalized and required extensive dual diagnosis treatment for his illness.
My heart goes out to Jackson's family for their unnecessary loss, I am also saddened knowing that all of this could have been avoided. His death makes it very clear that there needs to be drastic reform in our heath system on a grand scale. Please share your thoughts about this American problem.
If you or someone you love is struggling with an addiction or a dual diagnosis, call Hope By The Sea today.
"Overmedication: Not just a celebrity problem
June 29: The late Michael Jackson had numerous health issues, including a reported dependency on pain killers. Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, join Dylan Ratigan and Nancy Snyderman. Is overmedication a celebrity problem or a symptom of a “sick” health care system?"
