Drug Abuse

On one hand, painkillers have recently attracted a lot of negative attention, and for good reason. Did you know, for example, 80 percent of the painkillers consumed worldwide are consumed in the United States, despite the fact that Americans make up only 5 percent of the world’s population? Or that prescriptions for these drugs have Read more »

Medical marijuana is now legal in 23 states and the District of Columbia, with more likely to follow. There’s no need to confuse marijuana’s potential for addiction with advocacy claims of the medical applications. Marijuana is either addictive or it’s not. Research has proven that it is possible to become addicted and the purpose of use—recreational Read more »

Opioids are a class of powerful medication to relieve pain. Common opioids such as oxycodone (Percocet and OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), codeine, and morphine work by preventing pain signals from reaching the brain and affecting the areas of the brain that control emotion. Like opiates derived from poppy plants (such as heroin), the powerful nature of Read more »

Stereotypes are like convenient thought-bites–they contain just enough truth to make you feel you don’t have to examine them too closely. Even smart people can swallow the stereotypes about addicts because the truly outlandish and obvious cases are the ones people can point to most often, thanks in large part to today’s media, which includes Read more »

What would be the response to someone seeking to know the name of the deadliest drug in the United States? Answers come pouring in—heroin, cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamines. The truth? It’s none of those “recreational” drugs. The very medications used to improve quality of life for the intended patient turn out to be the biggest culprits. More than half the Read more »

Have you seen Molly, you know, in Atlanta? There has been a surge in the use of the drug informally called Molly, especially among young adults. It’s popular as a club drug, as Molly (MDMA) is the main ingredient in the drug called Ecstasy. Molly is a nickname of a nickname, short for “molecular” because Read more »

Addiction is a terrible thing, and it can be very hard to beat. There are often substances that individuals can be addicted to without even realizing it—caffeine, for instance. There are other substances which someone can start using out of necessity, but quickly form an unhealthy addiction to, like painkillers. Since you can see that Read more »

According to a Monitoring the Future survey, marijuana use among 8th, 10th and 12th graders has remained steady over the years, but perceptions of its risk has decreased. That may soon change and maybe the use itself is the reason! Marijuana has over 19.8 million users and is the most commonly used illicit drug in Read more »