Addictive Substances
Are Prescribed Opioids the Culprits or the Scapegoats?
Solving the drug crisis will not be easy. However, the disenfranchised members of our most impoverished communities deserve viable solutions to their problems. It is crucial to understand the degree to which job loss and hopelessness contribute to the drug problem. Reputable data proves that the volume of opioids prescribed is not solely, or even primarily, responsible for the opioid crisis. Let’s be sure we are not using prescription opioids as the scapegoat.
Read MoreAddiction and the 2020 Presidential Race
The ideal presidential candidate should recognize the tragedies associated with all addictions, not just with prescription opioids.
Read MoreBreaking Bad 2018
TV’s Hit Show “Breaking Bad” Glamorized Meth Abuse The television hit show, Breaking Bad, lionized the idea of making and selling meth. A high school teacher who was dying of lung cancer wanted to leave his family enough funds to live, and he chose drug dealing as a way to achieve his goal. The show…
Read MoreDavid C. Holzman Shatters Addiction Myths
Addiction Is a Complex Disease In a WBUR CommonHealth article, “How I Was Seduced By Cigarettes, And What Set Me Free,” David C. Holzman bravely recalled his struggle with the addiction of nicotine. He was honest enough to describe the stressors in his life that made him vulnerable to the addiction and the changes of…
Read MoreLessons Learned from Someone Who Has Struggled With Addiction
In the February 19, 2018 Refinery29 documentary, producer Jacki Huntington shares the stories of Dr. Lipi Roy, Kassandra Frederique of the Drug Policy Alliance, and Cortney Lovell. These women are working to solve the opioid crisis through their work in addiction medicine, drug policy, and recovery services. Courage in Escaping the Grip of Addiction In…
Read MoreHow Do You Know If You Are Addicted?
Babies Can’t Be Addicted “Babies Born Addicted,” “Addicted Babies,” “Babies with Addiction,” and similar headlines appear nearly daily in the media. This is because babies exhibit horrible withdrawal symptoms if they are born physically dependent on opioids, and it pulls at our heartstrings to see them suffer. But it misleads media consumers, policymakers, and family…
Read MoreIs Consuming Energy Drinks a Predictor of Substance Abuse?
Energy Drinks and Subsequent Drug Abuse A study by the Center on Young Adult Health and Development, University of Maryland School of Public Health, Department of Behavioral and Community Health, found a correlation between energy drink consumption and subsequent drug use during young adulthood. Published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence, the research showed, “The typical…
Read MoreWill the Opioid Epidemic Ever End? A Closer Look
“Abuse of opioid painkillers and heroin has been spreading throughout the U.S. population, from inner-city youths, jobless rural residents and high school students to wealthy suburbanites, young professionals and pop stars,” according to Peter Katel‘s recent CQ article, “Opioid Crisis: Can recent reforms curb the epidemic?” He continues, “More adults use prescription painkillers than cigarettes,…
Read MoreMost Opioid Addictions Start In Teen Years: What you Need to Know
Ninety Percent of All Drug Addictions Start in the Teens “Ninety percent of all drug addictions start in the teens — and 75 percent of prescription opioid misuse begins when (mainly young) people get pills from friends, family or dealers — not doctors. Opioids are rarely the first drug people misuse.” This is an incredibly…
Read MoreAre Investors Earning Money From People Suffering From Addiction?
When I saw NPR’s headline, Investors See Big Opportunities In Opioid Addiction Treatment, I wasn’t sure whether I should feel angry or simply disbelieving. Are investors really earning money on the backs of people suffering from addiction? So many of us see addiction as a thief who steals our ability to think and function —…
Read More